Cottage owners, start your engines this long weekend: Survey reveals over half of owners would visit their cottage more often if commute time were shorter

Geranium Corporation set to unveil Friday Harbour at Big Bay Point on Lake Simcoe, an hour from Toronto

TORONTO, June 25, 2012 /CNW/ - As the Canada Day long weekend approaches, it's the question topping the mind of many Ontarians: when should we leave for the cottage? According to a recent survey conducted by Geranium Corporation and Replay Resorts, more than half of the province's cottage owners plan their route around traffic volume and drive two or more hours to get to their destination.

"Going to the cottage is a culturally engrained Ontario pastime, but the time we spend in traffic getting there is clearly one of the least enjoyable parts of the experience," said Mr. Earl Rumm, Chairman of Geranium Corporation. "The new resort destination that we'll be unveiling next month, Friday Harbour, will create an entirely new category of lakeside living experiences without the painful commute time."

Ontarians clearly love going to the cottage: Over 60 per cent of cottage owners report making the trip several times per month and yet over half say they'd visit and enjoy their recreational property more often if the commute were shorter.

"The challenge people are dealing with is, the more historically popular cottage areas, like Muskoka and the Kawarthas, are quite far from the city centre and traffic in the GTA continues to increase," said Bill Green, COO of Replay Resorts. "With Friday Harbour on Lake Simcoe, the commute time is only an hour from Toronto; it's so close, you can even take the GoTrain because the station is only seven minutes away."

Friday Harbour is currently one of the largest developments of its kind under construction in North America. The new 600-acre development, which will be formally unveiled next month, will feature: a 40-acre 1,000 slip marina; a 200-acre nature preserve and trail system; an 18-hole golf course designed by Doug Carrick; an eventful Marina Village with shopping and dining experiences, and multiple market real estate offerings.

Survey Findings:

The cottage owner survey was conducted by Vision Critical and a summary of the results are as follows:

• 53 per cent drive two or more hours to their cottage
• 62 per cent go multiple times per month
• 57 per cent plan their route around traffic volume
• 55 per cent would visit their recreational property more if commute was shorter
• 59 per cent would enjoy their property more if commute was shorter

About Geranium Corporation
Geranium Corporation has been a key player in the Ontario home building and land development business for over 30 years. Established in 1977 as a residential builder, Geranium is one of only a few, fully integrated land development and building companies in Ontario. Geranium's independent home building division was recently named the 2012 Builder of the Year by BILD.
www.geraniumcorporation.com
www.geraniumhomes.com

About Replay Resorts
Replay Resorts is a Canadian-based company focused on the planning, design and operation of destination resorts. Replay's leadership team is one of the most capable and experienced in the industry.
www.replayresorts.com
www.fridayharbour.ca

About Vision Critical®
Vision Critical is a global research and technology firm that creates software and services solutions for over 600 clients, including one third of the world's top 100 brands. The company has offices across North America, Europe and Australia as well as a Global Partner Program that provides other research companies and consultants with access to top-of-the-line technology. Its Sparq™ product is the most widely adopted community panel platform on the planet.

For more information or to set up an interview, contact:

Jessica Swan
Narrative PR
[email protected]
416.922.2211 ext. 3289