RED ROCK — Cruise season is far from over this summer, as the town of Red Rock received some visitors on the morning of Sept. 11.
Cruise ship Le Champlain docked in Red Rock as part of its Lake Superior Tour.
Dan Bevilacqua, executive e=director of Ontario Superior Country, said that Superior Country has been working hard to attract more cruise ships along the north shore.
“We've been successful in bringing Viking to places like Battle Island and other ships as well,” Bevilacqua told Newswatch.
He also noted that the stop in Red Rock was the first time they brought a ship right to the mainland of the North Shore.
“Thunder Bay, obviously, gets the largest economic benefit from the ships. However, just by coming into these small communities, we're able to put things together like guided hikes, indigenous interpretation and all kinds of different programming that really spreads the economic wealth around.
"So, this is very big for the small communities along the north shore,” explained Bevilacqua.
Red Rock Mayor Darquise Robinson greeted the guests and introduced them to some of the local First Nation's culture before they were shuttled on a nature walk through the area.
Because of the uptake of cruise ships like the Viking and Le Champlain, she pointed out that it showcases the town to people from France, Germany, and the United States.
“These cruise ships are a big just visual representation of the tourism in the town,” said Robinson.
“It's huge for local tourism. It just puts Red Rock on the map.”
She added that she hopes to see more ships dock in Red Rock in the future.
"I sure hope that Superior Country can build on what they've done so far.
"Again, they advocate for all these communities along the North Shore and I just think that we're going to represent them well here in Red Rock. And, maybe they can bring in one or two more ships again next year," Robinson explained.
Local high school students were also in attendance to speak with the visitors. Robinson said it was a good opportunity to learn about different cultures.
“To have our youth learning about these other places in the world. I think it's great that one of the teachers from the high school has brought their class down. I think it shows that just because you're from a small town doesn't mean that you don't have these opportunities available to you,” Robinson admitted.
After leaving Red Rock, the ship will continue east along the North Shore to towns like Rossport and Terrace Bay before returning to Thunder Bay.