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Muskoka tourism industry thriving in Step 3

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Gravenhurst, Ont. -

When the clock stuck at 12:01 a.m. last Friday, entering Step 3 of the province's reopening plan, it gave the tourism industry in Gravenhurst a much-needed boost.

Since then, Muskoka Steamships has doubled capacity on its steamships from 54 people, which was the limit in Step 2, to 108.

"We started out the year with 25 percent of our capacity, so we up to 50," says John Miller with the Muskoka Steamships. "Our hope is maybe that by late August, September time period we'll perhaps go up to 75 percent or even 100 percent."

While one of the oldest steamships in the country, the Segwun, will remain docked for another year, its sister ship, the Wenonah II, will do all the work.

The Wenonah II, built-in 2009, was sitting idle at the dock on Friday, but with the increase in passengers, it's seeing an additional 200 people a day, a much-needed lift for one of the hardest-hit industries over the past year and a half.

"You know, the profitability, the margins are tight in this business, to begin with, so when we have reduced occupancy, that further constrains on us," Miller says.

Starting next Saturday, the company will look to regain some of its losses when it begins to serve meals during the tours.

"Start with indoor lunch cruises, we do an afternoon tea things like that, and then we'll graduate for dinner cruises depending on our staffing levels," Miller adds.

The move into the province's third phase of reopening also gave the Muskoka Discovery Centre the green light to get back to business.

The centre has been hosting a day camp for kids since June; however, Friday was the first time since last year paid guests were allowed to enter.

Under the provincial guidelines, the centre is allowed to permit 150 people inside at one time, and since the reopen, it's averaged about 50 people a day.

"Everyone's just so enthusiastic to get and get their families out again, get the kids doing things," says Miller.

Officials with the Muskoka Steamships will use the remainder of the year to continue with repairs on the 134-year-old Segwun with the hopes of it hitting the open water again in 2022.

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