Family Vacations at Ontario Resorts Defy Statscan Study Results

(EMAILWIRE.COM, April 11, 2007 ) Port Severn, Ontario -- A recently released Statscan study finds that people are spending less time with their loved ones, largely because they are working more, watching television alone, and eating by themselves. However, Severn Lodge, an Ontario resort has sought out ways to make the time that families spend together on family vacations filled with fond memories by offering a variety of resort activities.On a typical work-day in 2005, workers spent 44 fewer minutes with their families than two decades earlier, 206 minutes or 3.4 hours, compared with 250 minutes or 4.2 hours in 1986. Taken over a year, the decline is equivalent to five 40-hour work weeks. The Statscan study found that the length of the work day was the main factor influencing how much time people spent with their families. In 2005, the average work-day was nearly 9 hours which is ½ hour longer than 20 years ago. “These statistics don’t surprise us. We have been seeing this phenomena playing out for at least a decade, if not longer,” says Rick Breckbill, owner of Severn Lodge (http://www.severnlodge.on.ca), a popular Ontario resort that has been catering to family vacations for many years. As one of the few remaining traditional Muskoka resorts, Severn Lodge has been in the family vacation business for nearly a century. Breckbill continues by saying, “We have definitely observed the effects of not only more hectic work schedules, but we are also seeing that the kids are involved in many more organized activities in the summer months than when I grew up. Families tell us that it is difficult to find a week in the summer where all family members are available for a family vacation.” Despite the Statscan results, Breckbill says that families are still taking their family vacations, and that this market has been very strong for many years. “One of the main reasons we are attractive to families is that we offer an all inclusive vacation, so planning the vacation can be done with one simple phone call. Mom, Dad, and the kids can do their own thing, and Mom doesn’t have to do any cleaning or preparing of any meals.” Severn Lodge does appear to offer just that! This Ontario resort offers deluxe waterfront accommodations (some even have Jacuzzi’s and fireplaces), fine country dining, and a host of sports recreation opportunities. The list of things offered is long and includes a heated outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool spa, sandy beach as well as excellent lake water swimming, water-skiing and tubing, sail boating, canoeing, pedal boating, outboard boat & jet-ski rentals, mountain biking, a network of wooded hiking trails, tennis, fishing, shuffleboard, horseshoes, and more. In addition, there are fully supervised children’s activities and evening entertainment during the summer months. With a variety of resort activities available, Severn Lodge is seeking to make the time that families do spend together quality time that is filled with fond memories.Another factor making Ontario resorts popular is the fact that most of them are located less than 2 hours by car from Toronto, which is their biggest market. For families in southern Ontario, this eliminates the problems associated with longer trips where the high cost of gasoline and the hassles involved with flying can significantly add to their vacation costs. For those families that live much further away, Toronto airport is very convenient, as most Ontario resorts are just a short drive from the airport. Breckbill says, “Most of our guests do live in southern Ontario; however we have had guests from 33 of the 50 U.S. states and other provinces, as well as, from England, France, Germany and other European countries.”Severn Lodge is located in the heart of the world famous Muskoka – Georgian Bay lake district and near Algonquin Park, all of which are well know internationally. The rugged beauty of this area is characterized by pre-Cambrian granite rock outcroppings, crystal clear lakes, and wind swept pines. All of these factors add to the popularity of family vacations in Ontario resort country. Severn Lodge is one of Ontario Canada's premier lakeside resorts in the heart of the world famous Muskoka - Georgian Bay lake district. For more information or to book your next family vacation, please visit ,a href="http://www.severnlodge.on.ca">http://www.severnlodge.on.ca or call Rick Breckbill at 1-800-461-5817.Distribution by http://www.first-page-seo.com and http://prnn.com.###This press release was issued through GroupWeb EmailWire.Com. For more information on press release distribution, go to http://www.emailwire.com.

Kevin Dill

hillaryalane@yahoo.com