Northwest Ontario: Showcasing our Signature Experiences
Northwestern Ontario Has Lots of Signature Gems
The Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (now Destination Ontario) launched Ontario Signature Experiences (OSE) in 2014 to promote and market must-see travel experiences that will appeal to global target markets. The OSE program is designed to showcase the best and most unique tourism experiences in the province that will motivate more people to visit Ontario.
The OSE is linked with Destination Canada’s Canadian Signature Experiences Collection to both act as a stepping stone for Ontario tourism operators whose goal is to be featured in Canada’s international marketing and to highlight the diversity of Ontario experiences.
Northwestern Ontario (Region 13C) is home to five great Ontario Signature experiences.
Thunder Bay’s Fort William Historical Park is both an Ontario and a Canadian Signature Experience. One of the largest living history attractions in North America, it is devoted to re-creating the days of the Canadian fur trade and features culture, crafts, medicine, business, domestic life and heritage farming. It also offers a variety of programs including overnight experiences, education programs, artisan workshops, conferences, banquets, festivals and recreational opportunities. www.fwhp.ca
Sail Superior is an OSE that offers a myriad of experiences on Thunder Bay’s waterfront and further out on Lake Superior including harbour cruises, wine and cheese outings, fireworks viewing on Canada Day and lots of Big Lake adventures including hiking the Giant and lighthouse exploration. There are also sailing classes and charters. www.sailsuperior.com
OSE Wilderness North is the only collection of lodges and outpost cabins in Northern Canada offering lodge to lodge adventures and world class angling. Celebrating “25 Years of Awesome”, they offer such adventures as Iconic Canada: A Journey Down the Allanwater River, wilderness retreats, some featuring Indigenous cultural experiences, Journey to the Centre of the Universe, fly fishing excursions and outstanding fly-in fishing. www.wildernessnorth.com
The Grace Anne II yacht (an OSE and CSE) has been an elegant fixture on Lake of the Woods for the past eight decades. As a seasoned hostess to royalty, celebrities, and Fortune 500 executives, she was and continues to be the epitome of relaxed elegance and uncompromising craftsmanship. Onboard experiences include fine dining, card games and massages and for the adventurer there’s fishing, water sports, wilderness excursions and sport shooting, to name a few. www.graceanne.com
Another 80-year veteran in tourism and an OSE is Totem Resorts on Lake of the Woods in Sioux Narrows. They offer a range of accommodations from Totem Lodge (“all the comforts of a five-star resort in the wilderness”), Yellowbird Lodge and Chalet (“gourmet meals, luxurious service and five-star accommodations”), Wiley Point Wilderness Lodge (“affordable luxury in the wilderness”) and French Portage Outpost (“a five-star nature adventure”).
Are you ready to become an Ontario Signature Experience. Take the self-assessment at: http://contentservices.tourismpartners.com/api/documents/4A6RG0rpTkW-BdMFMl2mVA/download
For more information on the OSE program please contact: E-mail: nicole.leaper@ontario.ca Tel: (416) 314-7378
