Thinking outside the box

Local businesses using funding to create winter activities in Cavendish

CAVENDISH, P.E.I. – P.E.I.'s popular North Shore is getting a push from local businesses and the province to shift it from a summer tourism spot to a year-round attraction.

Tourism Cavendish Beach, in partnership with other Prince Edward Island tourism associations, is providing a second round of funding through its Ignition Fund to businesses interested in supporting off season tourism in the fall, winter and spring.

Darcy Butler, destination manager for Tourism Cavendish Beach, said the purpose of the fund is to encourage Cavendish businesses to operate in some capacity during the off season while removing some of the financial risk.

“We definitely want to extend the season, where possible, and we want to be able to grow revenue streams for our operators,” he said.

“If we can offer some sort of input into their business that makes it easier to reduce the risks for them to take that leap into winter or even late fall or early spring, then that is what the fund is for.”

Uptake on this round of funding has been a bit slow, as operating in the winter does not work for many businesses in the area, said Butler.

However, he said other businesses have shared a desire to stay open and have used the funding creatively to extend their seasons.

One of those businesses is Fairways Cottages, which has applied for both rounds of the Ignition fund to help expand its accommodation offerings in both the spring and winter.

“These funds have allowed us to think outside of the box and be creative,” said Sandi Lowther, managing director at Fairways Cottages.

Lowther said this round, they used the funding to winterize two of their cottages, allowing for a private getaway for couples to experience the beauty of the North Shore during the winter.

Despite the winter packages not being complete, due to a supply issue causing a delay in getting two custom hot tubs for the cottages, Lowther said the response to providing winter accommodation has been positive.

“Even though we didn't have the perfect product in place for the consumers, we were surprised at the demand for winterized units – pleasantly surprised,” she said.

Lowther said the company also made heavy investments into winterizing its laundry facilities, office and accommodations for managers to stay in to serve guests during the off-season.

She said those investments, while costly, will help extend their season and further push the area toward becoming a year-round destination, an initiative Lowther hopes more businesses will jump in on.

“What I love about this initiative is as a destination we are now talking about winter,” she said.

“There is a mindset among Islanders, specifically, that Cavendish closes Labour Day Monday. It doesn't. Our second busiest month is September and now into October.”

Lowther said while the number of families visiting Cavendish drops off after the long weekend, many adults are looking for things to do in the area later in the year.

That fact was made evident by the success of the Good Tidings on the North Shore event, which saw retailers in the area reopen from Nov. 6 to Dec. 12.

“It was just unbelievable,” said Lowther.

“You could go to the main corner in Cavendish and people had to overflow park at a service station across the road because of the demand for the product. It was something new and exciting.”

Lowther said initiatives like Good Tidings and the newly announced partnership between Tourism Cavendish Beach and Parks Canada to allow for winter trail grooming and bike and snowshoe rentals are just further proving Cavendish could become a winter destination.

Making that shift, though, will take time and effort from local businesses, tourism associations and the government, she said.

“I think there is an opportunity over time, and I think it is going to take time,” said Lowther.

“It's not going to be an overnight success story, it's going to take three to five years to grow our seasonality, but it sure is exciting as a business owner.”

“It’s not going to be an overnight success story, it’s going to take three to five years to grow our seasonality, but it sure is exciting as a business owner.”

Sandi Lowther