Cottagers heading up north face painful prices at the pumps

As many look forward to summer, gas prices are putting a wrench in the plans for many people, now topping two dollars a litre.

 However, the steep prices at the pumps don't seem to be stopping everyone from travelling.

 Since opening on May 1st, the Driftwood Cove Marine Resort has seen a steady flow of customers.

 "We are fully booked for the cottages, which is new because the last two years we had no cottages," says Driftwood Cove Marine Resort Assistant Manager Brianna Gendron.

Like many businesses, the pandemic heavily impacted the resort, with restrictions causing them to lose business over the last two summer seasons.

"The cottages are our main source of income. The slips are too, but the cottages really put a damper on the financial," says Gendron.

 It was a similar scene the last two years at the Galley Restaurant, nearby the marina.

 "There were days where I had to close because staff didn't wanna come in," says owner Cathy Moreau.

 Moreau says the financial impact was severe and worried whether they would make it through. But this year, things are looking up for the summer season.

 "Now everybody wants to come back, they're calling me, and they want to come back. It's a blessing. I can't wait, I can't wait to get it going again," adds Moreau.

 And it's just the beginning for operations, with the businesses hoping to make back some of the lost money.

 "Depends on when it snows. We can go until like December," says Gendron.

 The resort has already been busier than usual, with the warm weather this past week. But they expect to fully sell out by the May long weekend.