4 minute read
Grand Bend
Getting some air
There’s another way to see the expansive Lake Huron shoreline along the edge of Huron County and that’s during a parasailing adventure departing from summertime hotspot Grand Bend.
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Canadian-born Lee Marcoux returned to the area after living abroad once his parents purchased a summertime residence in the coastal town with his family in tow. He fell in love with the area when visiting and eventually purchased a boat and started Grand Bend Parasail in 2012.
Marcoux and his family had spent years living in the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands and Panama (to name a few) where he worked on yachts, but also in the skydiving industry where he inspected parachutes, maintained and packed chutes. Needless to say, safety is a top priority for Marcoux and Grand Bend Parasail.
Open from May to October (for those who don’t mind the chilly temperatures in exchange for gorgeous fall colours along the coast), each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes. The parasailing lasts 10 to 12 minutes and adventurers can take in views over the Oakwood Resort to the north or the Beach of Pines and even further south to the Pinery depending on group size. But Marcoux says that they “let the customer tell us what area they’d like to fly over.”
And while 10 to 12 minutes may not seem like a long parasail, Marcoux says that once people go up they realize it’s quite a significant amount of time to admire the blue waters of Lake Huron from above and grasp how long the beach truly is.
Marcoux works alongside a team that has expanded to include three captains: Captain Sean Bennett, born and raised in Cayman Islands, Nigel Walker, who hails from Australia and is starting this year, and Carlos Ramos, who is Canadian-born but has spent time living in the Philippines. While on board, it’s common to hear English, Spanish and Tagalog spoken amongst crewmembers.
Not only has the team expanded, but the locations have too. While Grand Bend remains Marcoux’s only Lake Huron location, he opened Parasail Adventures Toronto. With its base in Port Credit, parasailing enthusiasts experience the waters of Lake Ontario while taking in the Toronto skyline from above.
Guests are encouraged to book directly online, particularly if there’s a specific date and time desired. A kiosk in Grand Bend provides an opportunity to book last-minute on the off-chance there’s availability. Weekends though in the summer tend to be fully booked, Marcoux says. 77 Main St W, Grand Bend. www.grandbendparasail.com
Roads not required
Thanks to Great Lake Helicopters, the Huron County gravel run is getting an upgrade. New this summer, passengers can book a helicopter flight out of Grand Bend with one stop at one of the lakeshore’s breweries or wineries, or choose three from a list of six options.
With the rise in staycationers, the company is expanding its wine and beer tours to include other smaller establishments in the county in an attempt “to be more inclusive to the other microbreweries and wineries,” explains Great Lake Helicopters owner Dwayne Henderson.
Cornerfield Wine, Bad Apple Brewing and even River Road Brewing are additions to the popular flights to Cowbell Brewing near Blyth where passengers are dropped off to sample beers, have some food and the overall Cowbell experience.
For a more romantic wine experience, passengers can either take a 20-minute scenic flight of the area before arriving at Dark Horse Winery or, the pilot will pick up guests from the winery to enjoy a charcuterie and wine tasting in-flight while flying over nearby Bayfield.
Eddington’s in Exeter is another popular dinner destination with views over Huron County between departure and arrival. And there’s no rushing through dinner with this service. The pilot will wait for guests to enjoy their dinner or, depending on the evening’s flight schedule, return at an agreed-upon time.
Henderson purchased the company at the end of 2020, but said it began operation 17 years ago. The flights range from chartered pickups in downtown Toronto for a flight out to Grand Bend on Friday afternoons in time for cottage weekends and returning on Monday morning to the office, to jaunts out to popular eating establishments in the county, and even landing in a secluded location for a surprise engagement.
The company has a saying that, “if you can imagine it, we can fly it,” says Henderson. He says, “People are pretty adventurous in terms of what they want to do.” Photo shoots, elopements outside of Grand Band with an officiant and photographer awaiting the couple at a predetermined location and even surprise engagements in remote locations are all recent requests. Banner towing down the beach with a personal message is also on that list.
The fleet of 11 helicopters includes the R44, which is the main helicopter in use with a limit of up to 500 pounds or three passengers. All Huron County flights depart from Grand Bend. greatlakeshelicopter.ca/ experiences/grand-bend
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