MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Fall 2017

FALL 2017 ML BLUE 27 This summer I made an amazing discovery: there are good numbers of international travellers backpacking their way through our backyard. I’ve been one of those overseas travellers—making my way along bus routes to youth hostels, learning from the locals and seeing the sights that make the area unique. I just didn’t realize this was happening here, until now. And maybe that’s because Canada doesn’t traditionally boast the same hostel network other countries do. But at long last, there’s a game-changing small business owner and Lion’s Head local looking to change the accommodation landscape on the Bruce Peninsula. Megan Myles opened The Fitz Hostel in 2016 and it’s quickly become the place for international travellers and other budget- conscious visitors to the Bruce. It’s an amazing place to start your adventure. With shared and private accommodations, Myles has created a space that’s welcoming, homey and packed with information and ideas. There’s the coveted wifi network, the rack full of local maps and brochures, a blackboard schedule of local events as well as a customized Google map with suggestions of things to see and do in the area, that go beyond the often crowded Grotto. I spent a day at The Fitz last summer and I honestly just wanted to stay. On the day of my visit, there was a crockpot of chili simmering in the kitchen and endless pots of chamomile tea. A pair of German backpackers came in the front door, loaded with heavy backpacks and relieved to have been picked up by a Lion’s Head local while hitchhiking in Springmount. In addition to the two Germans, there’s a guy from Switzerland, a dad and his three kids in another dorm, a British traveller who is working at the hostel for a few weeks in exchange for board, and a couple from Quebec who’ve booked last minute to avoid setting up their tent in Tobermory in a downpour. In a time when many on the Peninsula are panicking about the influx of tourists, Myles is advocating for a different approach. Her focus is on educating visitors, helping them connect with the land and the people here and teaching them to respect the region during their visit. Myles began working with the Bruce Peninsula Environmental Group back in high school and now serves as the chair. This summer BPEG released a visitor manifesto meant to kick- start education on sustainable tourism. It’s just the beginning for the group who is currently working with Regional Tourism Organization BruceGreySimcoe to undertake a destination management plan for the Peninsula with a focus on sustainability. In a perfect world, Myles would like to see more young families move to the Bruce to open businesses and build the community; with this sustainable plan, that dream may well become a reality. thefitzhostel.com —Allison Kennedy Davies UP FRONT In a time when many on the Bruce Peninsula are panicking about the influx of tourists, Megan Myles is advocating for a different approach. FITZ HOSTEL THE PENINSULA’S FIRST AND ONLY ALLISON KENNEDY DAVIES