The mass exodus down highway 400 has been underway all day Monday, as families get ready to return to work and school.
Despite the chilly, soggy, and uninspiring start to the Victoria Day long weekend, thousands across Simcoe Muskoka made the most out of today’s sunshine.
Wasaga Beach was unusually quiet on Saturday and Sunday, where local business owners say chilly weather conditions hurt their bottom line.
“With the sun shining today, we’re going to see a lot of day trippers coming in,” says Jack Prezio from Pedro’s Border Shop.
Ciao Pizza, according to employee Ashlyn Anderson, told us today was the busiest day of the extended weekend.
Those visiting from the Greater Toronto Area weren’t complaining about the smaller crowds, as Tamara Samuels of Brampton says, “I’m happy it’s not packed actually, because when it’s packed, there’s barely any room and you can’t really do a lot.”
As campers packed up their gear at KOA Kampgrounds near Barrie, others were just getting started. The campground has been booked solid all weekend.
“It’s always up every year, it seems to be. There’s always that trend, and I think people are just anxious to get out,” Aaron Raposo of KOA Kampground Barrie.
Other families, who didn’t travel to the beach or cottage, still spent part of their weekend outdoors.
At the Elmvale Jungle Zoo, hundreds of people waited in lines to see their favourite animals, from monkeys to giraffes, zebras, and little cubs.
The excitement as temperatures start climbing is a sign of things to come, with the next long weekend, Canada Day, only 41 days away.
