BARRIE, ONT. -- There was no shortage of boaters rushing to the nearest marina in Barrie on the first day of eased outdoor restrictions.

"We're all pretty ecstatic," said Shaun O'Flynn, a tenant of the City of Barrie marina.

O'Flynn says the downtown marina has been home to his boat for nearly 20 years. It is a place where he comes to relax and spend time with family and friends during the late spring and summer months, an option that was delayed due to the ongoing provincial COVID-19 lockdown.

"If this is the biggest inconvenience that we have, that our boats are in the water a few weeks late, well, so be it," said O'Flynn.

Since the start of the pandemic, boating has surged in popularity, according to both the City of Barrie and Legend Boats.

"Boating has definitely taken off," said Jesse Davis, the Director of national sales for Legend Boats. "Coming out of the lockdown this time last year, boating proved to be the ultimate family staycation."

According to the City of Barrie, the marina is home to 350 boats. Since the start of the pandemic, they have been inundated with calls to reserve a slip.

"Our waiting list is usually around 100," said Rob Walters, the supervisor of the Barrie Waterfront and marina. "We're now up over 400, and these are Barrie residents waiting to get a slip at the marina."

Last week, the Ford Government announced its three-stage reopening plan.

Although the first phase likely won't begin until around June 14, some outdoor recreational amenities reopened on Saturday.

Aside from marinas and boat launches, golf courses, playgrounds, parks and recreational areas, baseball diamonds, batting cages, sports fields, tennis, pickleball and basketball courts, along with several other recreational activities, could reopen.

The province says anyone using those facilities is required to maintain two metres of physical distancing.