The first long weekend of the year saw a fair amount of people out enjoying the lakeside scenery, but it wasn’t warm enough to jump in the bay.
On Sunday morning, the boardwalk at Centennial Beach had a steady stream of walkers taking in the nice weather and fresh air.
While many clamour for the cottage country of Muskoka, some families leave Toronto to hit the halfway point for more time on the grass and less in the car.
Susan Glim and her family are from Oakville and told BarrieToday they actually have a rental cottage in Muskoka that they are headed to tonight, but they stopped for breakfast and to stretch their legs at Centennial Beach.
“We often grab the same rental property just north of Bracebridge and head straight there, but the kids wanted to run around, and we were all hungry,” said Glim. “We actually lived in Innisfil before the kids were born, but for work reasons, we had to head to Oakville. I still wish I was in this area, though.”
The Victoria Day long weekend is a sure sign that summer is on the way, and the heavy cottage country traffic of Highway 400 becomes a weekend tradition.
For some, it's better to get the day started with less time in the vehicle.
Gurvinder Sagoo said he and his wife and three children typically come to Barrie on a long weekend as they don’t like to drive too far to get their feet wet.
“It's too cold today, but we like to just feel the water on our toes, and the kids like to splash around,” Sagoo said. “We’re from Newmarket, but in the summer, we spend almost every weekend here in Barrie. The drive to Muskoka is too far for the kids, and Barrie is just as beautiful, if not more.”
With Monday set to reach a high of 20, the city’s beach should be busy again, with some heading downtown to grab a bite to eat.
“I admit, the kids just want McDonald’s, but we will make them have something from a restaurant on the main street,” said Sagoo. “The food is better, for sure.”
