In Muskoka this weekend, businesses were carefully tallying up how things have been so far this summer and how busy they were this weekend.
And many say the next few weeks are critical.
A busy Highway 11 may be one of the worst parts about heading to cottage country, but for Bill Swift of Swift Canoe and Kayak, busier is better.
“We have four locations all on the highway and it's absolutely essential to have good traffic flow,” he says.
Swift says business so far this summer has been good. Paddleboard sales are up 300 per cent. However, many businesses didn't get the early start this year they did in 2012. And weather has been up and down. There was flooding in the spring, then a scorching start to July and below seasonal averages to kick off August.
“The rain and the high water at the beginning of the summer made it a crunch for us,” says John Dunn with Walker’s Point Marina. “We got through that but I think a lot of things are delayed. But people are coming up, were going to have a busy August with our rentals, so if they haven't come they are coming.
“You can't stay away from Muskoka.”
The rain isn't always bad for business. Muskoka Classics’ Doreen Tilson-Walton says when it's hot and sunny, fewer people want to leave their docks.
“But on the days that are a little cooler, a little wet, people like to come into shop and we've been very busy. Yesterday was crazy.”
Few businesses are as dependant on good weather as ice cream shops, and Tucker Hunter, who owns The Scoop in Bala, is praying for a steamy August.
“July has been okay. It's May and June was really bad and usually we get a few sales there to bolster July and August. July was really hot at the beginning so we'll see what happens in August.”
While most businesses say this summer hasn't been quite as busy as last there is still a month between now and Labour Day and a hot and dry August could be the difference between a decent summer and an amazing one.
