Port McNicoll: A Gem Unearthed!
Situated on the shores of Georgian Bay and its 30 000 islands, Port McNicoll was built in 1908 and became the eastern destination for Canadian Pacific’s steamship fleet. The port operated until 1967 as the Great Lakes’ second largest port facility. The somnolent village is currently the site of a planned $1 billion investment project that will galvanize its transformation into a vibrant community nestled around the bay on 800 acres of shoreline land.
Skyline International Development Inc. is building the community for urban dwellers who want private marina space in an exclusive community. With a Victorian style, Port McNicoll will see more that 1.5 million square feet of commercial space added to the region, with boutiques and restaurants slated to open in the near future.
“There is currently no high-end accommodation that boaters can access by water anywhere on Georgian Bay, so this fills a need in the market."
Mara Burton, town planner for Tay Township
The reconstruction of a historic train station, a high-end luxury resort, gardens, as well as the repatriation of the Keewatin (one of the region’s last steamships and a link to Port McNicoll’s past as a cruise destination) could transform Port McNicoll. Prices for properties at Port McNicoll will range from $200 000 to $4.5 million for estates on the water.
The president and founder of Skyline, Gil Blutrich, won the 2004 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Award for Hospitality and Tourism and has been called "one of the most promising Israeli real estate entrepreneurs of the next generation” by a leading Israeli finance magazine. Skyline International Development Group Inc. has quickly become a major conduit for foreign investors interested in the Canadian real estate and hotel markets, and recent successes for the company include Toronto’s Pantages Suites Hotel and Spa and the Cosmopolitan Toronto Hotel.
For more information on tourism investment opportunities throughout Ontario, please visit: www.investinontario.com/tourism/regionalinvest.asp.