WINTER TOURISM.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: Halfway Haven remote snowmobile and ATV lodge - Company Business and Marketing - Brief Article - Company Profile

Influx of snowmobilers from across the border boosts billion dollar snowmobiling industry in Ontario

For entrepreneurs like Margaret Skulech, being located out in the middle of the Algoma boonies is like being on Main Street when it comes to tapping into the burgeoning snowmobile tourist market.

The co-owner of Halfway Haven anticipates this winter may be their busiest yet as she gears up for a third season operating the only snowmobile resort between Wawa and Searchmont.

Together with husband Dennis, and their business partners Steve and Gall Bonne, they operate a small remote snowmobile and ATV lodge offering trail-side gas and accommodations to the legions of predominately American sledders expected this winter.

"We've been at points where we've almost been running out of gas on the weekend," says Skulech of the typical weekend crowds of 300-400 snowmobilers looking to either catch up on sleep, chow down or gas up while passing through on Trail 'D' to Wawa 70 miles to the north or Searchmont, 85 miles to the south.

After years of watching snowmobilers pass through the area while attending their trapline, the two couples got together and literally carved the ten-room lodge right out of the bush.

Before the resort opened, riders had to make arrangements to stash gas in an out-of-the-way shed to refuel before continuing on.

"The trails were just opening," Skulech says, "It was groomed but it just wasn't feasible for people in big numbers to come through. Now it's an established trail."

Despite two recent mild winters, the dramatic influx of American snowmobilers was so lucrative, they've upgraded the lodge to add a sauna and an extra cabin.

Snowmobile tourism in the Algoma district has been gaining momentum in recent years, thanks in part to mild winters south of the border, a lagging Canadian dollar and the diversity of spectacular and uncrowded riding terrain in the North, according to area tourism marketing personnel. What was once a hard sell to Americans at Midwestern snowmobile shows has become a bonanza to lodge owners and area businesses.

"It's made our winter," says Mike Morrow, the marketing manager of Algoma Central Railway's passenger sales, who runs the popular "Tracks to Trails" program. "It's probably been the only true growth in rider-ship on our passenger train."

Beginning in the 1996-97 season, the number of booked sleds has grown from 169 during their inaugural year to 454 last winter, of which 371 reservations were...