Red Deer Log Cabins

I went to an industry workshop in April, where we were actually helping the workshop leaders build a packaging workshop.  As participants we were expected to form affiliations with other businesses, to build packages for tourism.  Interesting, however, the other businesses are all from a tight geographic location, far from here.  Due to the nature of tourism organizations, there is nothing local representing this armpit of Algonquin Park directly.

In a roleplaying exercise, I was handed $600 hypothetical $$s, then subjected to a list of requirements that cannot be fulfilled in this area.  The workshop leader was stunned when I turned the money back, and suggested that he approach a much more expensive business with more resources in a more populated area.

Some people will promise anything to get as much of your money as possible.  At Red Deer in Madawaska, there is little to spend money on besides the roof over your head (or a place to pitch your tent). 

One of the reasons a lot of other campgrounds are crowded and suburbanized is for capitalization, i.e. so that every square foot of the place has been monetized (otherwise known as dedicated to the God of Currency).

I leave room to breathe.  Of course, I'm not getting rich this way, but my clients' experiences have great quality.

Why would you leave the city to be crammed in next to your neighbours?
I go to the city if I want to be in a crowd.  It's expensive there.

If you want to give your wallet a rest, this place is a good choice.  However, if your identity is tied to swiping plastic during your leisure hours, I don't have a lot to offer.
The closest WalMart is over an hour away...

Timmy's is coming to Barry's Bay.!  Building has begun.
It's almost like Barry's Bay is joining the rest of the world.  This summer we have 2 new gas stations (an Ultramar and a Shell) which has been great for us, because we now have the lowest prices for gas in the area.  THAT is a treat.  The gasoline alley has moved to Barry's Bay, Bancroft's loss.  There has been a lot of real estate turnover, so likely there will be new enterprises next summer.
Maybe they'll get a Burger King too?

Update:  Timmy's is supposed to open October 5, staff have been hired, uniformed, and sent for training in Bancroft.  It's going to be a 24 hour location.

Went to the corner store this evening just before closing.  Other years, Highway 60 has been a stream of traffic on Fridays.
The road was DEAD!.
Canoe outfitter has everything rented, so they are doing well apparently.  But a serious traffic shortage overall.
Then one of the Campapalooza Moms dropped in to pick up things that were left behind.   She had just driven through Algonquin Park, and also noted that the traffic was very light.

Well...my cabins are full...campers still on the way too.  Normal Friday here.

The pumps are ON!  Madawaska Country Store now sells gasoline.  The drought is over.
Strangely there are also 2 new gas stations in Barry's Bay, a Shell and an Ultramar.  The Esso finally has some competition.
Note: debit or cash only accepted for gas in Madawaska.  Make sure you get a receipt.

I was up very early, so went for a little tour through the area, to look at the parking lots of various tourism properties before everyone was up and moving around.
The busiest place is the most expensive one.
All but one small business accommodation property had between 0 and 50% occupancy.  The one different one was close to full (probably 10 of 12 units).  A different other property that is affiliated with the expensive one was 50% full.  It's in such an ugly spot, I don't get it, follow the 'garbage disposal' signs to get there.
It's the middle of July, a Saturday night/Sunday morning, and there is no crush of tourists.  Right next to Algonquin Park, in Whitney!

On the other hand, the cabins are full here for the upcoming holiday weekend, but there STILL IS LOTS OF CAMPING available for August 1 to 4 (or 5; seems a lot of people have a flex this holiday too).

Well, the lazy hazy days of summer it's not.  Not cold out, but not hot.  I wonder if that is why Bancroft is so quiet?  I didn't realize it until I was heading back here yesterday, but there were no traffic hangups on the main drag.  Traffic was like off season levels.  The bridge repair is finished; I think that is way ahead of schedule.

On the other hand, despite a bit of rain, it's very enjoyable out.

Well, that was the strangest Canada Day weekend ever.  Here we are on the holiday, and there are only weekly vacationers left on site.  There were only 4 Algonquin Park Overflow clients all weekend.

A great time was had by all.  Wow, really dramatic rain storms, but nothing dangerous or scarey.  Lots of fantastic tropical type weather for general enjoyment.

I've been in to Madawaska, and see that the local corner store did not manage to get the gas pumps up and operating, so advice is to still gas up on the way in.  I will update when it's a go.

I had a visit on the weekend from someone new who is booked in for a big event in August.  They are reading my blog!  I have fans, sort of.  Good to know.  Inviting all of you to peep up!  You can ask questions, make comments, etc.  This was never intended to be a monologue...

Very muddy
Good turnout, but not as good as last year

It's been a long day of preparing for tourists.  The water is finally in the system.  This is only possible because the lines are just below the ground a few inches.  Yesterday I had a snag, where there was still frost ground around a pipe leading to a cabin.  There is still frozen ground 3 feet down; the installation of gas tanks at the corner store has ground to a halt because they can't dig yet.

Fish are jumping!  Under a mackerel sky at sunset, which was a red glow in the northwest sky, as the rest was under cloud.

Lots of bird sounds, far too many for me to identify.  Birders, where are you?  I think there is a pileated in the grounds.  I have been hearing him for more than a month, and today I saw the characteristic hole in a tree.  The old weather forecasting tree beside the office window is DEAD, and that is what the woodpecker has been working on.  Strangely I haven't seen him yet, just a case of not looking at the right time.  Either he is working on a couple of trees, or there is more than one in the 'hood.

The creek was running backwards today.  The dam at Whitney is letting water into the system.  Last night, under the stars, the falls was ROARING.

The Madawaska Country Store is installing gas pumps.  The drought is over!  I'm going to bet it will be an Esso, because the owner also has a store in Harcourt, where he has an Esso.

It no longer exists. 
Anyone who was avoiding the area because it was too loud here that weekend in the middle of August can come back.

WEMF has been sold to a bigger outfit, who is focusing on events in large population centres, aka cities.  No more party all night, but as a cog in the DJ concert presentation industry, my client says it "suits all the girls who want to walk on stilettos with their tits out to there"...so it suits the scene.
Concert over at 11 pm. 

If they had done that here, it would have been a fine event.  Those of us who were not there could have had sleep and skipped the nervous breakdown after hours of thump, thump, thump.  Or as I stated at the time, it is contrary to the Geneva Convention to refuse a prisoner sleep; that is a form of torture. 

All gone now.

After one, or was it two? oops, 11 day of local gasoline, there are signs back up on the pumps.  No gas.
Remember to gas up on the way into Madawaska.  Bancroft has best deal, the CanTire keeps the Esso hopping.

Yesterday was an offsite day.  The lads and I went to Wilderness Tours to whitewater raft on the Ottawa River.  It's a promotional situation offered to OVTA (Ottawa Valley Tourist Association) members.  It was fun, and a great reason to be away for a day.  As there were no arrivals expected, it worked out fine.  We just did the rafting, not the barbq or dance afterwards; it's too far from here to stay and party.
So it was all very interesting, but it was not nearly as extreme a sport as I had expected.  A lot of it was floating downriver and listening to the river guide.  Turns out we were given a condensed version, and not the most exciting part of the river.  4 rapids in 2 1/2 hours.  Too much talk as far as I was concerned, and not nearly enough excitement.  All in all, a bit of a time waster.  I can't see promoting them having not had the real tour, and I don't appreciate their use of my time this way.  After the experience, I thought the (theoretical) price was high, and then was told that we were not shown the best part of the river for action.
It was nice to be on the river for an afternoon, as that is a rare experience for me.

"The lads" are my current volunteers.  One is from France, the other from New Caledonia.  One is a construction supervisor, the other a mechanical engineer.  They are very skilled people, and I am blessed to have them here, fixing things that others, who were paid, did not do correctly.  If anyone wants the name of a couple of lousy contractors, I am compiling quite a list at this point.

There is gasoline available again in the hamlet of Madawaska.  It can be found at Algonquin Bound Outfitters, on the north west corner of Highway 60 and Highway 523.

Passing by Algonquin Bound today, I see there is still no gas to be had in this town.  Hope they get that cured by the weekend, there is a trail ride.

No signs of life at the little restaurant either.

For those of you who haven't been in the neighbourhood for a while, please note the following changes to the booming metropolis of Madawaska...
1.  Currently there is no gas station.  The AllStar Variety has been bought by Algonquin Bound outfitters, and they are still waiting for their gas contract to commence.
2.  The post office is still in that building.
3.  The great little restaurant that opened in town last summer, The Mad Diner, has folded up, and Mike is gone.  Too bad, he was an excellent cook.  Rumour has it that someone else is going to open there, but who knows what will be offered.

Wow, things are just rolling along!  The entire world is coming to Madawaska!  After years of operating Red Deer, and trying to generate alliances, they are coming to me!  We have a digital photography workshop by Digital Wilderness the weekend of July 8/9.  Please contact them directly if you are interested in the workshop, I am just doing the accommodation part, and the workshop setting.  Accommodation fees are per usual.