Tour train proposal on right track.As someone who has lived and worked in Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is the part of the province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron (including Georgian Bay), the French River and Lake Nipissing. Northern Ontario has a land area of 802,000 km² (310,000 mi²) and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it for the last 33 years, and travelled and worked internationally, I keep getting pleasantly surprised and amazed at the resilience, beauty and majesty of this land, especially the rugged shoreline and fall colours of the North Shore. As a consultant, I have had the pleasure of working with many communities in the North on a variety of projects that range from tourism and marketing to economic development. One project that stands out above all is the one proposed by a consortium of communities and attractions along Lake Superior's North Shore, to explore the feasibility of a tour train operation between Thunder Bay Thunder Bay, city (1991 pop. 113,946), SW Ont., Canada, on Thunder Bay inlet of Lake Superior. The city was created in 1970 by the amalgamation of the twin cities of Fort William and Port Arthur and two adjoining townships. and Nipigon along CN Rail's Kinghorn Subdivision Line. For many, the appeal of a leisurely train ride and the route's spectacular scenery alone would be enough of a draw. For others, the option of disembarking to enjoy a range of soft outdoor adventure and cultural experiences would seem to have tremendous appeal. In fact, there is a wealth of products with great potential to appeal to visitors along the route, including: Pass Lake, gateway to the world-class Sleeping Giant Provincial Park Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, established in 1944 as Sibley Provincial Park and renamed in 1988, is a 244 square kilometres (94 sq mi) ; historic Silver Islet islet /is·let/ (-lit) an island. islets of Langerhans irregular microscopic structures scattered throughout the pancreas and comprising its endocrine portion. , with opportunities to sea kayak A Sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spraydeck. , canoe, sail, etc. and breathtaking Ouimet Canyon Ouimet Canyon is a large gorge in Canada. It is 100 metres deep, 150 metres wide and 2 kilometres in length, and is situated in Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park in Northwestern Ontario, northeast of Thunder Bay. . At either end of the trip, a wide range of touring options could be developed that would enhance existing tourist attractions ranging from Kakabeka Falls to Nipigon. Members of the consortium envision this as being mainly a seasonal operation, but have identified a number of events in the fall and winter that have market potential. The idea of a tour train travelling along the North Shore is not a new one; in fact, it goes back all the way to 1899. A recent article on "Looking Back" by Bryan Martynuik, for the Thunder Bay Museum, depicts a startlingly star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. similar proposal by D. F. Burk, one of Port Arthur's most enthusiastic boomers and a councilor coun·cil·or also coun·cil·lor n. A member of a council, as one convened to advise a governor. See Usage Note at council. coun in the city from 1894 to 1898. A picture above the article shows a group of people on a day excursion by train to a scenic location. The article indicates that it was the Ancient Order of Forester's picnic at Stanley on August 7, 1897. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While the harsh reality of a changing economy, high cost of operations, shifting market demand, and a host of other factors, make this proposal a complex and challenging one, initial surveys from visitors, local residents, focus groups and public consultations indicate strong support and participation. The tremendous success of the Agawa Canyon Tour Train North of Sault Ste. Marie Sault Sainte Marie — pronounced "Soo Saint Marie" (IPA /su seɪnt məˈɹi/) — is the name of two cities on the Saint Marys River, which forms part of the boundary between the United States and Canada. , The Prairie Dog out of Winnipeg, the Orient Express travelling across the country, and many more all over the world, clearly shows that, under the right mix of community and stakeholder support, as well as a flexible and sensible capital, operating and marketing plan, this project could build a stronger future for tourism in northwestern Ontario. Frank Pullia is the principal of Pullia Accounting & Consulting, and a former councillor. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion