Corenne Taylor

Friday Harbour recently celebrated the completion of one of Canada’s largest inland marinas, right in the heart of Innisfil, with a truly memorable afternoon complete with delicious food, exciting games, and a Juno award-winning performer. In a previous article, Canadian Yachting took readers on a tour of the marina basin, including the intricate steps taken to encourage and preserve wildlife, weeks before Lake Simcoe was ushered in. On September 12, with the marina completely flooded, Friday Harbour entertained over 2,500 guests, including media and the 450+ families that have already purchased residences, with a deluge of entertainment that would rival that of the marina filling itself. 

The day began with presentations by dignitaries that included Steven Del Duca, MPP Vaughan, Minister of Transportation; Julia Munro, York-Simcoe MPP; Gerry Marshall, Simcoe County Warden; and Gord Wauchope, Mayor of Innisfil, who thanked Friday Harbour for “believing that Innisfil was the place for this magnificent resort, which has already provided tremendous economic benefits to our town.” When completed, the resort will generate approximately $4.4 million and $2.4 million annually in taxes for Innisfil and Simcoe County, respectively, in addition to creating 1,000 permanent jobs on the resort and 1,500 jobs offsite. Throughout construction, the resort has already generated close to 8,000 person years in employment. 

Following the speeches, festivities kicked off with a fleet of food trucks serving up every dish imaginable, along with plenty of activities for kids and parents alike. Guest were treated to the Juno award-winning musical talents of Jim Cuddy and the Jim Cuddy Band, which played well into the afternoon. If Saturday’s festivities were any indication of what guests have to look forward to when the completed marina village opens to the public, there certainly won’t be any disappointments.  Once completed, the 600-acre resort will feature up to 2,000 condominiums and hotel residences, a 1,000 slip marina, an 18-hole championship golf course, a dedicated nature preserve, and a marina village with 40 new shopfronts and 4.5 kilometres of newly created waterfront.  

For more information, please visit www.fridayharbourresort.com or stop by the Friday Harbour sales centre located at 10,000 Dufferin Street, on the grounds of the Eagles Nest Golf Club, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in Vaughan.