Families celebrate Victoria Day weekend in Simcoe Muskoka
In what's always a busy time of the year in Simcoe County, families have been flocking to the region for the Victoria Day long weekend.
On Saturday, the trip north into cottage country had its issues.
"A little slow leaving the city, we came from Toronto, the 400 north had some slow areas," said Ryan Nienhaus, heading to South River in Muskoka.
For many, the long weekend is a chance to escape the hustle of everyday life.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local news updates sent to your inbox
While Saturday's overcast and cool conditions seemed to keep many boaters off area lakes, That should change on Sunday.
Police said they'll be ready to help keep the waterways safe.
"One of the big concerns early in the season is that the water is extremely cold," said Sgt. Aaron Busby with The York Regional Police. "We're hovering around 9 degrees right now. It doesn't take long for hypothermia to set in, so we are encouraging everyone who is going out on the water to make sure they are wearing their personal floating device."
Regardless of where people are going, this first long weekend of the season is all about good times.
This is also one of the year's biggest weekends for the Kinsmen Club of Barrie with its fireworks sales.
"It's one of our biggest fundraisers that we have this twice a year," said Megan Suggitt, Kinsmen Club of Barrie. "Victoria Day holiday and Canada Day holiday. It generates most of the funds for charitable donations throughout the year."
Most towns and cities in the county have separate rules and regulations when it comes to fireworks. Municipalities remind residents and cottagers to always check their local bylaws before setting them off.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.