Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been spotted vacationing in Georgian Bay near Pointe au Baril, Ont. in Parry Sound. The township is known to host the secondary residences of some big names, including the Weston family, who own Loblaws and Shopper’s Drug Mart.
The Prime Minister’s summer home on Lake Harrington, 30 minutes north of Ottawa, is reportedly undergoing an $8.6 million renovation, forcing the family to pick a different vacation destination. According to Georgian Bay residents, this is the first time Trudeau and family are known to have vacationed in the area.
Many locals have kept their eyes peeled for the PM, but currently there are no confirmed sightings. However, Trudeau’s press secretary confirmed the PM had spent time vacationing in Ontario and Quebec earlier this month. Supposedly he’s staying on one of the nearby islands. “A few people said that they thought they saw him get into a boat,” says Ashley Roy, office manager at Pleasant Cove Resort.
While Trudeau himself hasn’t been spotted, his presence has been noted. Jeff Boyle, who works at Rock Pine Resort Cottages, says he’s seen at least 30 RCMP boats with eight to 10 officers on each cruising through the bay. “They’ve been known to follow some boats around,” he says to assess them as a threat.
The RCMP boats have given the area’s marinas a boost, though, Boyle adds. Payne Marine, located on the south shore of Sturgeon Bay, confirmed that it’s consistently had three to four boats a day fueling up at their marina.
Beyond the RCMP presence, residents say Trudeau’s visit has done little to disturb their day-to-day activities. There’s been no Trudeau-mania overrunning Pointe au Baril. In fact, Roy says that the people she’s spoken to aren’t overly excited about it. At most, his visit has provided a good talking point.
The lack of excitement may be due to the area’s right-leaning politics. “This area has voted Conservative consistently for the last 20 years,” Boyle says.
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