How eastern Ontario's tourism sector is meeting climate change head-on

Eastern Ontario tourism businesses that invite guests to enjoy the great outdoors say climate change is impacting their bottom line and forcing them to adjust their business models.

Sarah Wynn and her husband Jim know this first-hand. They've owned and operated Wynn Farms since 2012, an apple orchard and agri-tourism destination in Bath, Ont., near Kingston.

"Weather, in all honesty, is our biggest help as well as hindrance," she said. 

This past spring, an unforeseen snap frost forced the couple to take drastic measures to save their apple trees.

"We ended up finding bales of hay and setting them on fire to try to keep the air warmer, to keep the [apple] buds safe," Wynn said.

Outdoor tourism relies on the natural environment, particularly in rural regions, but unpredictable weather caused by climate change, such as frequent rain and wildfire smoke, have created a unique challenge.

In Ontario in 2023, rural businesses were twice as likely as urban businesses to expect climate change or weather to present an obstacle, according to Statistics Canada.

At Wynn Farms, diversity has been the key to success — when setting hay bales ablaze just won't cut it.

The Wynns have added a corn maze, a flower garden and a pumpkin patch since they took over the farm. Next summer, they'll offer strawberry picking.

"If the flowers fail one year, we hope the apples are going to be an incredible crop to make sure that at the end of the day, we can still offer guests tourism experiences and we can still pay the bills," Wynn said.

Turning to social media

Claudia van Wijk, owner-operator of whitewater adventure outfit OWL Rafting, said climate change can severely impact her business, too.

When the Ottawa River overflowed its banks in 2019, van Wijk had to close for three weeks. Last year, it was wildfire smoke.

"The smoke was not an issue when you were on the river, but it was in Toronto and Ottawa, so people stayed [home]," she said.

This year, van Wijk said clients seem preoccupied by the rain, even though whitewater rafting is already a wet experience.

Van Wijk said her team is trying to allay those worries by posting educational content on social media and the company's blog.

Extending the season

Neither diversification nor social media alone can solve Jake Mason's woes. The owner and operator of Parachute Ottawa said for his skydiving business to fly, weather conditions must be just right.

"For myself, the perfect day is 20 to 25 degrees with low winds, not a cloud in the sky," he said.

Mason said he's noticed weather patterns changing more rapidly in recent years. His team has to pore over forecasts before a jump to figure out if it's safe.

"This year it's been lots of rain and weather fronts," he said. "Last year the smoke and the fires really affected us. And the year before that it was … a tremendous amount of wind."

There's no shortage of interest in skydiving, and Mason said his bookings have grown steadily. But cancelled flights meant the number of jumps completed in 2023 was "significantly lower" than in previous years, he said.

To adapt, the company has started taking bookings earlier in May and later into October, which the generally warmer weather has allowed.

Ripple effect in rural communities

Nicole Whiting, executive director of Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization (OHTO), said the success of these kinds of businesses is crucial for the rural community she serves. 

"We are a region that is defined by our natural assets," she said. "So much of what makes our region special is also what can be a very high risk."

"Rural and remote tourism can be transformative, and many communities increasingly rely on the benefits of the visitor economy to grow their communities," according to the federal Ministry of Tourism's latest growth strategy. Fifty-six per cent of all Canadian tourism jobs are in rural areas.

"We really believe that tourism can strengthen communities. If we didn't have this investment in the tourists … our rural communities will suffer," said Whiting.

How to 'get out of crisis mode'

Jeff Jackson, a professor at Algonquin College, OHTO board member and owner of Algonquin Fly Fishing, believes the government could do more.

He's been researching the impact of climate change on North America's outdoor recreation, tourism and education sectors, and said they're all feeling the burn.

"They're having to deal with the day-to-day [of climate change], but nobody's actually jumping beyond that and trying to [figure out how] we will get out of crisis mode and be able to operate in this new environment," Jackson said.

Jackson is urging the Canadian government to look to Australia, where damage caused by wildfires in 2019-2020 was so catastrophic it became known as the Black Summer. 

"The [Australian] government's response was to try to get ahead of it with a well-funded, research-based initiative to come up with a resiliency program for the future," Jackson said.

Australia invested in better weather prediction and forecasting technology, for example.

Jackson said following that example would be a good start, but more research and better data are needed to really understand Canada's unique predicament.