An outfitter that opened its doors in Algonquin Provincial Park more than 60 years ago continues to grow within the 7,600-square-kilometer canoeist’s paradise in Ontario. The family-owned Algonquin Outfitters set up shop on Oxtongue Lake in 1961. The outfitter has expanded in the decades since to operate more than 12 locations within Algonquin Park and on its periphery.
In mid-January 2023, Algonquin Outfitters announced it had won the lease to the store on the edge of Canoe Lake, celebrating its 13th business establishment.
“The team at Algonquin Outfitters is excited to announce that after an open tender process, Ontario Parks has selected us to be the operator of the Canoe Lake Store concession (known as The Portage Store) in Algonquin Park, starting this season,” Rich and Sue Swift, the owners of Algonquin Outfitters, shared in a recent press release.
The store on Canoe Lake was an institution that’s been soaked with nostalgia within canoeing circles since it opened in the 1930s. Located in the heart of the park, the Portage Store was an outfitter and restaurant – a place to rent gear, grab a burger and meet up with fellow paddlers.
Ontario Parks owns the physical buildings on Canoe Lake, which through an open tender process is leased to a chosen operator. Every 10 years the lease is up for renewal and potential operators are invited to place bids to become the concessionaire. The 10-year lease is a process that’s intended to benefit the province.
