By KELLY LOUISEIZE
For the past number of years, the Algoma Central Railway tour train has been carrying visitors to the Agawa Canyon for a two-hour tour stopover.
Coaches in the fleet brought more than 100,000 people to the site each year in the early 1980s. But now they are becoming antiquated and experiencing operational issues.
So Tourism Sault Ste. Marie has been working in conjunction with Canadian National Railway (CN) to explore ways in which to improve the tour.
“We are seeking out opportunities for newer coaches that are more suited for a one day tour,” Ian McMillan, executive director of Tourism Sault Ste. Marie, says.
He is hoping to purchase new cars so they will have a first-class quality coach fleet.
Agawa Canyon, accessible only by rail, runs parallel to Lake Superior inland approximately six kilometres.
Regular day passes start at $62 for adults and increase in the fall season to $81 allowing riders to witness first hand the majestic colourful display Mother Nature provides. There is also a converted caboose available for rent while in the canyon, which has all the amenities of camp.
Two canoes are provided with the package.
Otherwise, there are no sleeping quarters on the tour train. Resorts like Errington’s Wilderness Island Resort, Watson’s Pine Portage Lodge, and Tatnall Camp provide packages for people wanting to stay a bit longer in the park.
Ontario tourism market has taken it on the chin the last couple of years, especially because the United States market is not traveling across the border as much as they used to. Ridership has been steady at approximately 60,000, according to McMillan.
“It is still truly one of the largest tourist attractions in Northern Ontario and that’s why from a tourism industry perspective it’s very important we facilitate all opportunities to make it even better.”
All the renovation work or development would be done either in Sault Ste. Maire or potentially in North Bay.
McMillan is unsure of how much the project will cost, as they are still assessing the possibly of renovating versus bringing in a new line.
Ideally, they would like to accommodate 1,500 to 1,700 passengers, to make sure they can maximize their busy fall season. Providing that much seating will require up to 12 additional coaches, McMillan says.
Sprucing up the tour line will undoubtedly have a direct positive impact on the 24 accommodation partners and more than 45 restaurants in the Sault alone. At its peak, the tour had an economic impact worth over $25 million each year, a Stevenson Kellogg Ernst and Whinney study estimated.
In the fall, when the tour sells out hotel rooms the impact can be felt down Highway 17 to Thessalon and Bruce Mines Townships, which are approximately 85 kilometres away. The overflow of people rent rooms as long as they secure a train ticket for the next day.
A four-way partnership with the federal and provincial governments, CN and tourism industry partners is underway. Assuming the project obtains the proper funding, the tourism industry would act as a promoter of the excursions by marketing package deals or advertising day tours.
