With with year's tourism season up in the air for Pelee Island, officials are looking for feedback from residents and business owners moving forward.
The municipality hosted a town hall meeting Wednesday via video chat with the majority comments focusing on shifting efforts to next year's season, assuming the COVID-19 pandemic has come to an end.
Clayton Walls owns the Stone House 1891 restaurant on the island and says even the best case scenario doesn't look promising.
"When you do the math it looks like about 9 per cent of the volume we would have had last year. We can't survive on 9 per cent of the traffic volume to Pelee of what it was last year. So we're optimistic, but I think it's very unlikely," he says.
Walls doubts people would come even if it was business as usual.
"Three out or four people aren't going to take vacations this year while 75 per cent of those people can't afford to take one because of what COVID has done to their financial situation. Also, 65 per cent of people say they're going to avoid mass transit like a ferry or a bus and they're going to do that until a cure is found," he says.
Walls says Pelee might be the getaway destination people are looking for come next year.
"We need to double down on next year. Save our money from this year. The fresh air, the nature, the simplicity of life, no traffic, no pollution. We still have those things going for us and I think it's important that we focus on that next year," he adds.
The island's annual pheasant hunt has been cancelled — that event has been taking place for more than 80 years and typically draws about 1,000 hunters, generating an estimated $250,000 in economic benefits through accommodations and restaurants.
The 7th annual Island Unplugged Music Festival has also been cancelled as well.