Summerhill Resorts Acquires Ottawa Valley Properties

A tourism company based in Toronto (Canada) has made investments in the whitewater rapids and rolling hills of the Ottawa Valley by purchasing two popular tourist attractions.

Summerhill Resorts has acquired Logosland in Cobden and a property that Wilderness Tours owned in the past.

Logosland, located on Hwy. 17 offers zip lines, restaurants, rafting, an outdoor water park, hiking trails, campsites, cottages, and a golf course. It’s open from April to October.

It’s an adventure-based tourist spot at the heart of the summertime traffic in the Valley, said Alastair Baird, the economic development manager of Renfrew County.

“It’s exciting to see we’re on the radar of investors out of Toronto,” said Baird. “They see the opportunity for the future in recreation, cottages, and tourism.” 

Summerhill has also purchased over 328 acres of trailer and campground located on 503 Rafting Rd. Wilderness Tours previously operated the property.

The current sites, cottages, chalets, and commercial tourist structures will be used to open an outdoor park for camping in springtime and will include recreational vehicle sites linked to existing water, hydro, and wastewater systems.

The original report submitted to Renfrew County Council emphasized the need to renovate the campground while keeping the park’s natural beauty in the same way it was before its use.

The most appealing aspects of these properties were the gorgeous natural scenery and the close proximity to the city of Ottawa, according to Summerhill Resorts President Bill McGill. “The fact that both met our criteria and they’re only 15 mins apart from each other made it more appealing.”

Baird added that longer-term or overnight accommodations at Logosland,which range from a modern hotel to campsites and cottages and the recently acquired campsite, are vital for tourism.

“Tourism relies on things that attract visitors, and if a visitor comes more than a day, they want a resort or campground, it’s essential to have a broad range of accommodations,” said Baird.

“Daytime visitors are great, but when tourists spend an overnight visit, the spending increases with additional meals and shopping opportunities, so overnight accommodations are very important.”

Wilderness Tours will now run its activities at the RiverRun site as well as by Ottawa City rafting, continuing their outdoor-based adventures for both tourists and locals.

“We are building on what’s there, continuing the work that previous owners have done up until this point, and expanding upon what’s already been done,” says McGill. 

“Both properties became available around the same time. It was serendipitous and allowed us to make a bigger investment in the area than intended.” McGill ended.