As the launching point for the famed Agawa Canyon Tour Train, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., has long held a prominent place in the province’s tourism landscape, not least with international visitors. But with many in this country seeking homegrown options this summer, the city sees an opportunity to attract even more Canadians to the northern Ontario destination, perched at the central point between lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron.
Positioned as “Ontario’s premier adventure town,” by Sault Ste. Marie Tourism, the city dubbed “The Soo” is a gateway to “rugged Great Lakes coastlines, ancient Canadian Shield mountains, countless rivers and lakes, pristine beaches, and exceptionally snowy winters provide a world-class outdoor backdrop for all kinds of adventures.”
“We expect an uptick in regional travel (this year),” says the city’s director of tourism Travis Anderson, explaining that in late February at an outdoor adventure show in Toronto, many showgoers approached the booth to say they had cancelled their summer vacations to the States, and were considering Sault Ste. Marie instead.
That contrasts to the previous year when hardly anyone had heard of the Sault, let alone what it has to offer in terms of the outdoors,” he says. “And then this year, I would say 955 came up and said, ‘Sault Ste. Marie, I’ve heard so much about you – I plan on coming, or would love to get up there soon,’” he said.
Outdoor tourism
Much of the interest is based, says Anderson, on easy access to the outdoors – virtually “from anywhere in the town.”
A forefront of Sault Ste. Marie’s offering is an extensive trail system, including mountain biking trails.
Anderson notes that by the end of this year, the city will have invested $3.7 million into its trail network, resulting in over 60 km. of trails ranging from unique backcountry routes leading to inland lakes to “some of the best float trails between the Rockies and Quebec.”
Moreover, he says, “You don’t need a lift to access them, they’re free of charge (and) they’re amazing.”
There also five cycling events in the summer, plus two more winter events, he adds, with The Salty Marie Trails Fest, July 25-27, featuring 10-, 25- and 50-km races and “post-race” environment with food trucks, live music and beer tents, notable among them..
Trails aren’t put to bed in the winter, as a dedicated fat-biking community, and healthy cross-country and snowshoe enthusiasts, keep the trails tracked.
Stokely Creek Lodge consistently ranks among the top five cross-country ski destinations in North America, Searchmont Resort draws downhill skiers, and Bellevue Valley Lodge offers Ontario’s only guided backcountry ski experience.
While summer and winter months are filled with things to do, the in-between is the premier tourist attraction in the area.
Agawa Canyon
Every fall, the Agawa Canyon Tour Train brings more than 30,000 visitors from Japan, Korea, Germany, and the United Kingdom, to see the Canadian Shield brimming with colour.
What has pushed the train experience even further are investments made by SIS Group, which bookend the tour with entertainment, restaurants, a brewery, and industrial architecture turned modern.
Meanwhile, The Soo welcomes roughly 3,500 cruise ship passengers each year with visitors taking in local cultural attractions like the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site and Art Gallery of Algoma.
Indigenous tourism
Thrive Tours is an Indigenous-owned eco-tourism company that offers paddling, hiking and land-based learning. Founded during the pandemic, the tour company has won seven Ontario tourism awards and a national award for sustainability. Thrive Tours partners with Victory Cruise Lines to offer shore excursions grounded in Indigenous culture and knowledge.
“We help people reconnect with the land and water,” said Brad Robinson, CEO of Thrive Tours. “It’s about learning, healing, and building understanding.”
Robinson said that they’ve committed to 36 dates this upcoming season to deliver reconciliation-based tourism experiences that leave tour groups of 20-50 with a deeper connection to both the land and its people.
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