Destination: Northern Ontario Storied Places Media

Tourism business development experts Gord Knowles and Paul Pepe share their deep knowledge about the region’s tourism industry, and how organizations across the north are helping businesses start up, expand, and tackle common challenges like finding workers.
Learn more about tourism investment opportunities at the new Destination Northern Ontario Investor Website.
Gord Knowles is the Senior Coordinator of Economic Development and Investment Attraction at Destination Northern Ontario. 
Website: invest.destinationnorthernontario.caTwitter: twitter.com/DestNorthernOntFacebook: facebook.com/DestinationNorthernOntario/Instagram: instagram.com/destinationnorthernontario/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/tourism-northern-ontario
Paul Pepe is the Manager of Tourism Thunder Bay, a department of the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission. 
Website: visitthunderbay.comFacebook: facebook.com/VisitThunderBayTwitter: twitter.com/visitthunderbayInstagram: instagram.com/visitthunderbay
About the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast
If you came across a real estate listing for an affordable cottage resort deep in the boreal forest, would you be tempted to buy it?
If the answer is yes, then the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast is for you. By the end of this five-part series, you’ll learn everything you should know before buying or starting a tourism business in the north, and hear stories from people who’ve walked the path before and would do it all over again.
The podcast is hosted by Michelle Samson and produced by Storied Places Media for Destination Northern Ontario. Learn more about our podcast production services for economic development organizations at storiedplaces.ca.

Three years ago, Kate and Rob Harcourt found themselves rethinking their careers and browsing real estate listings, like so many of us at the height of the pandemic. When they stumbled on a cottage resort near Sault Ste. Marie for under $300,000, they jumped in the car the next day to have a look, put an offer in that morning, and raced home to sell their house in Collingwood. A month later, they were living in a tiny cottage and preparing for a mountain of renovations. How’s that going? Do they regret it? Listen to find out.
Kate and Rob Harcourt are the Co-Owners of Staying by the Lakeside Cottages. Check out their Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram accounts for photos, guest stories, packages, and availability.
Learn more about tourism investment opportunities in Northern Ontario at invest.destinationnorthernontario.ca. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
About the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast
If you came across a real estate listing for an affordable cottage resort deep in the boreal forest, would you be tempted to buy it?
If the answer is yes, then the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast is for you. By the end of this five-part series, you’ll learn everything you should know before buying or starting a tourism business in the north, and hear stories from people who’ve walked the path before and would do it all over again.
The podcast is hosted by Michelle Samson and produced for Destination Northern Ontario by Storied Places Media. Learn more about our podcast production services for economic development organizations at storiedplaces.ca.

Brian Whalley grew up spending summers at Browns’ Clearwater West Lodge, and it’s where he took his now-partner Aniela Hannaford on their first date. It’s a special place to them, so when the owners retired two years ago, Brian and Aniela took a leap of faith and bought the property. In this episode, the couple talks about the experience of taking over the lodge, how offering free accommodations to Ukrainian families was a win-win, and how every season is different and keeps them on their toes.
Aniela Hannaford and Brian Whalley are the Co-Owners of Browns’ Clearwater West Lodge. Check out their Facebook and Instagram accounts for photos, guest stories, packages, and availability.
Learn more about tourism investment opportunities in Northern Ontario at invest.destinationnorthernontario.ca. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
About the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast
If you came across a real estate listing for an affordable cottage resort deep in the boreal forest, would you be tempted to buy it?
If the answer is yes, then the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast is for you. By the end of this five-part series, you’ll learn everything you should know before buying or starting a tourism business in the north, and hear stories from people who’ve walked the path before and would do it all over again.
The podcast is hosted by Michelle Samson and produced for Destination Northern Ontario by Storied Places Media. Learn more about our podcast production services for economic development organizations at storiedplaces.ca.

Granary Lake Retreat is a cottage resort near Blind River that is owned by a family of newcomers with roots in Trinidad and Tobago. All of the investors featured in this series are first time cottage resort owners, but you could say that our guest Chris Jaggarnath, his father Anand Jaggarnath, and his stepmother Bettina Abraham were truly rookies. They’d never even been to a cottage before. Yet, this story isn't about failure. It's a story of resilience, hard work, and embracing the northern lifestyle.  
Chris Jaggarnath is the Operations Manager at Granary Lake Retreat. Check out their Facebook and Instagram accounts for photos, amenities, guest stories, and availability.
Learn more about tourism investment opportunities in Northern Ontario at invest.destinationnorthernontario.ca. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
About the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast
If you came across a real estate listing for an affordable cottage resort deep in the boreal forest, would you be tempted to buy it?
If the answer is yes, then the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast is for you. By the end of this five-part series, you’ll learn everything you should know before buying or starting a tourism business in the north, and hear stories from people who’ve walked the path before and would do it all over again.
The podcast is hosted by Michelle Samson and produced for Destination Northern Ontario by Storied Places Media.

In this series, we featured southerners who bought a cottage resort in Northern Ontario and have no regrets. After listening to these episodes, maybe you're ready to make the leap, in theory, but the actual dollars and cents are holding you back. If that's the case, tune in to this episode about one of the North’s best kept secrets: Community Futures Development Corporations. CFDCs are nonprofit funding organizations that offer sizable loans with generous repayment terms, even to businesses considered too “risky” by the banks.
Our guest for this episode is Ryan Raynard, the Chair of the Northwest CFDC Network and the Executive Director of the Lake of the Woods Business Incentive Corporation (LOWBIC).
Find a CFDC office in your community:
Community Futures Ontario: Northwest Region Community Futures Ontario: Northeast Region 
For more information about buying a cottage resort from a retiring owner, visit successionmatching.com.
Learn more about tourism investment opportunities in Northern Ontario at invest.destination northern ontario.ca. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
About the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast
If you came across a real estate listing for an affordable cottage resort deep in the boreal forest, would you be tempted to buy it?
If the answer is yes, then the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast is for you. By the end of this five-part series, you’ll learn everything you should know before buying or starting a tourism business in the north, and hear stories from people who’ve walked the path before and would do it all over again.
The podcast is hosted by Michelle Samson and produced for Destination Northern Ontario by Storied Places Media.

If you came across an affordable cottage resort deep in the boreal forest, would you be tempted to buy it?
If the answer is yes, then the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast is for you. By the end of this five-part series, you’ll learn everything you should know before buying or starting a tourism business in the north, and hear stories from people who’ve walked the path before and would do it all over again.
Learn about tourism investment opportunities at invest.destinationnorthernontario.ca.
The podcast is hosted by Michelle Samson and produced by Storied Places Media for Destination Northern Ontario. Learn more about our podcast production services for economic development organizations at storiedplaces.ca.