By Jeff Silverstein
There’s something special happening these days in Collingwood, the small Ontario town that sits on the southern shores of Georgian Bay.
And no, it isn’t the opening of a new, year-round gondola near the Village at Blue Mountain – though that’s in the planning and approval stages – or the opening of a new golf course.
The whole region, stretching from Collingwood to the nearby towns of Thornbury and Meaford and further south to Kimberley and Creemore is benefiting from the influx of a new energy and spirit of entrepreneurship that is arriving on the heels of a whole new generation of people in search of community and a four-season destination that offers more than big city living.
A recent stay at the Somewhere Inn Collingwood, a cozy boutique hotel on St. James Street in downtown Collingwood, opened my eyes up to this larger transformation that is happening in the Southern Georgian Bay area.
With just 10 rooms tucked into a charming old century house, the Somewhere Inn Collingwood is the brainchild of Joel Greaves, a Toronto-based entrepreneur who in a previous life worked in telecom and marketing.
It was about four years ago, during the pandemic, that Greaves started to observe there was a larger lifestyle shift taking place – a shift that presented an opportunity to deliver hospitality in a more bespoke kind of way. What he saw taking shape was a new generation of traveller in search of slow travel and the desire to experience things like a local.
Before opening the Somewhere Inn in Collingwood, to test the waters, Greaves bought and restored a 1970s motel in the Ottawa Valley that catered to hunters, fishermen and snowmobilers.
The vibe – a charming and stylish mix of modern and vintage with comfy beds, vintage loungers, bespoke furniture, nightly fire pits, the absence of TVs and a sauna and cold plunge area – became a sort of proof of concept.
Soon after he turned his attention to Collingwood and in early 2024, he bought the property on St. James Street. He already had family living in the Collingwood area, so he knew it reasonably well, but he saw something much bigger happening. Unlike other destinations within reach of Toronto like Prince Edward County, Niagara-on-the-Lake or Muskoka, Collingwood offered something more.
With close to 1.5 million annual visitors a year just to Blue Mountain Resort alone and a growing appetite for folks from Toronto to get out of the city, embrace nature, and just slow down, Greaves saw a compelling business opportunity.
“There’ s a new generation of traveller in search of slow travel and experiencing things like a local,” says Greaves. “And downtown Collingwood delivers that now in spades. There were already a lot of retired professionals living in the area. But COVID was a big boom, with a lot more professionals my age and young entrepreneurs moving up and starting to open cool shops, bars and restaurants.”
Collingwood, a town of only 25,000 people, now punches well above its weight.
And it isn’t just winter skiing anymore that draws people here – it’s festivals, a thriving food scene, the waters of Georgian Bay, great biking and hiking and a burgeoning arts and music scene that have all acted as an anchor, spurring growth across the entire Southern Georgian Bay region.
Collingwood, in a word, has finally got some swagger.
New, buzzy restaurants like the Georgian Bay Surf Club, The Tremont Café, Gibson & Company, Bello Pizza, Bar Gondola, and Bocado Collingwood are all injecting a cool factor without it losing its small-town charm.
And it isn’t just retirees who are moving here. The whole Southern Georgian Bay area has become a magnet for young, hip, ambitious couples who want to leave the city and be closer to nature and be more involved in their community.
When we arrived at The Somewhere Inn Collingwood, things were different right from the moment we opened the door. Gone was the tired old check-in desk. Instead, it was a seamless process where we were sent a code in advance to access both the front door of the hotel and our room along with a text message inviting us to drop by the coffee shop/wine bar for a welcome drink. How nice is that!
It didn’t just take the hassle out of checking in, but it meant that our first interaction with the hotel staff was with a charming young barista who kindly welcomed us and shared some of her favourite spots in the Collingwood area.
Inside the cozy old century house, all 10 rooms share a similar vibe – a little coffee station, big chunky headboards with convenient plug-ins, a vintage lounger, and in-room soaker tubs.
To round things out, in winter, a barrel sauna and cold plunge appeal to skiers, and the hotel has recently partnered with a ski valet company so guests can now book skis and boots that will be delivered to the hotel with fittings done on site.
In summer, things heat up and the wine bar spills out onto the patio and theme nights like Bring Your Own Vinyl or card nights lend the place a cozy, familiar atmosphere.
Greaves sees it as part of trying to deliver a more curated experience where things happen more organically and seamlessly than in most other hotels. And when you spend a night here, you come away with the feeling that a lot of small decisions were made to make the whole experience feel more like you were staying in someone’s house.
“We have this mantra with our staff that days off matter,” says Greaves. “We look at it as a privilege that people are going to spend their days off with us. And so that feeling of being relaxed, disconnected and taken care of is incorporated into everything we do. Every small decision adds up to a feeling for guests, and what we are selling is a feeling – a feeling of being rejuvenated.”
I was so taken with this larger transformation unfolding in Collingwood and the Southern Georgian Bay area that I asked Greaves to introduce me to some of the other young entrepreneurs who have fled the city and headed north.
Greg Youzwyshyn, one of four partners behind the Georgian Bay Surf Club, a buzzy new bar/restaurant + surf shop on the main drag in Collingwood, is very much a part of that new wave.
“COVID taught us a lot about what we want in life,” says Youzwyshyn. “What I found was I missed the outdoors in Toronto. We were stuck inside our houses which after growing up on the west coast was tough. I missed going to the beach, and skiing. And Collingwood and the Southern Georgian Bay area give you all of that.”
The food takes centre stage here with a menu that embraces surf cultures from around the world. Lunch leans more toward casual dishes with the menu offering up a variety of tasty bowls, tacos, sandwiches, and a lobster roll that rivals anything I’ve had on the east coast, and shareables are available all day.
But the surf inspired dinner menu that embraces foods from Mexico, Morocco, Portugal and the west coast of Canada steals the show with the most delicious duck wings I’ve ever had (think Duck wing confit crisped to perfection with a chef inspired rub or sauce that changes frequently) and a marbled Iberico pork chop that is to die for with a smoky romesco sauce.
We’ve returned several times already and the bar is always humming with a cocktail menu that revolves around three spirits – tequila, mezcal and rum – and a wine list that embraces an additive free, terroir, coastal expression (all wines are sourced from within 100 miles of any coastline around the world).
If you are looking for a unique gift you can head upstairs and check out different clothing and lifestyle brands that have been carefully curated from around the world.
The idea of creating a globally inspired restaurant that embraces the vibrant culture of freshwater surfing in Ontario first started to take shape in 2015 when Youzwyshyn and his partners started an Instagram and Facebook page for hardcore surfers who embraced the waves of Georgian Bay.
At the time there were maybe a few dozen people, but they would organize meet ups at local restaurants, have a pint and learn more about the local surf culture. Then COVID hit and Great Lakes surfing started to become a thing.
All of the sudden Youzwyshyn was getting messages from people all over the world looking to learn more about the unique surf culture in Georgian Bay.
“People were looking to do something outdoors and surfing allowed for that,” Youzwyshyn says. “And that’s when things really started to manifest themselves and we got the idea to create space to connect with that surf culture, not just here but around the world.”
Mission accomplished. The beautiful space has a decidedly cool, upscale, youthful vibe that feels like a real destination restaurant.
This same spirit and energy can be found at another bar just down the road. Tucked at the end of a narrow alley just off Hurontario Street, Gibson & Co. sprang from the vision of Keaton Grieve and Luke Anderson.
Back in 2017, after graduating from college, they saw the first wave of change happening in Collingwood and decided to move up from Toronto and give it a go. That summer they opened Gibson & Co. and they haven’t looked back.
Part European-style café, part cocktail/wine bar, the place has a decidedly casual, speakeasy kind of vibe where the atmosphere is laid back and chill.
“We try to straddle the line between being a hidden gem as well as a local spot,” says Grieve. “Most of our business is during the day as a café. We are only open Friday and Saturday evenings when it’s more wine bar and snacks, but what we found was the trick to Collingwood is presenting an elevated product in a more relaxed atmosphere so we’re trying to bring a higher level of food and beverage while still being casual.”
Places like Gibson & Co. and the Georgian Bay Surf Club have become hubs where people are making new social connections. And when people see a business doing well, it has a way of inspiring others.
For Alix Haddy, that was very much the case. After helping her husband Keaton Grieve open Gibson & Co., in 2019 she opened Good Grief Coffee Co., a specialty coffee roaster in the quaint town of Thornbury.
Roasting their own beans at night, this bright coffee shop works with sustainable importers and ships their beans worldwide. Not surprisingly, the place is buzzing all the time with locals and visitors stopping by for some of the best coffee and treats around.
More recently, Good Grief opened a second location right next door to The Pine in the nearby town of Creemore.
And in case you needed any more convincing that this region has experienced a wave of energy and is now very much on the culinary map, you need look no further than The Pine.
This fine-dining restaurant owned by the husband-and-wife duo of Jeremy and Cassie Austen has elevated culinary standards in Southern Georgian Bay to a whole new level, drawing foodies from all over the world.
In fact, the innovative and contemporary Chinese-inspired tasting menu recently earned a Michelin Star and is ranked number 19 on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants in 2025.
The accolades keep pouring in, with diners describing it as “amazing from start to finish” and “extraordinary” to “the best tasting menu ever!”
When my wife and I dined there recently, we were completely smitten by the experience. The 20-course tasting menu was impeccably choreographed and presented with a level of service that was both elegant and seamless.
The whole concept is really a love letter to Asian cuisine told through the lens of local ingredients.
Chef Jeremy has lived all over the world, with many formative years spent in China and Southeast Asia as well as Italy. Originally from Thornbury, he returned home with his wife and first launched The Pine Dinner Series on her family farm in the tiny hamlet of Proton Station in 2019. Soon after they opened a 12-seat restaurant in Collingwood.
After a nearly four-year successful run there, they finally outgrew the space and found the perfect spot for their next move – a converted gas station just 20 minutes away in the town of Creemore. It was an unlikely spot, but it proved to be perfect.
“As the restaurant grew in popularity, we needed something bigger,” says Chef Jeremy. “Collingwood didn’t have anything that felt right, but this building in Creemore came up for lease and had everything we needed — a large kitchen, a big dining room that wouldn’t limit what we wanted to do, and an amazing backyard where we could have a garden and an outdoor kitchen. So, the space itself really sparked the whole move, but it was perfect for what we wanted to create.”
Indeed, what they have created is magical – a 24-seat restaurant that has a very cozy and hygge atmosphere. The aesthetic is very minimal, natural and calming, allowing the food and Chef Jeremy’s creativity to take centre stage.
When we arrived on a snowy evening, there was a lovely wood burning fire outside the front door to greet us, helping to set the scene and make the space feel warm, welcoming, safe and peaceful.
Inside, everything has been designed to make sure the kitchen and all the magic that happens there is in full view. And while there is intentionally nothing intimidating about what they have created, there is hyper attention to detail.
And that even extends to the presentation, and the unique cutlery and dishware. Each dish that comes out of the kitchen is artfully presented in such a way that it feels like what you are experiencing is incredibly tasty edible art.
Some of these items can be purchased at an adjacent retail space called Juniper where you can buy unique centrepieces, serving ware, beautiful lines and giftware, including items used for the restaurant’s dishes and flatware.
Chef Jeremy and the team work closely with at least ten different potters and some pieces were brought back from their travels and time spent abroad in Asia. “When you’re sitting at the table, you notice all these tiny details, and they add up to something special if you’re paying attention. That’s why our service is the way it is – we want people to pay attention,” says Chef Jeremy.
As for the food, the flavours of every dish – and there are many of them artfully presented – explode in your mouth. And despite the service being incredibly on point, the whole sensory experience has a very relaxed vibe allowing you to enjoy the food even more.
Standout dishes included the Wuxi lamb ribs (spareribs are mainstay around a dim sum table) glazed in lamb fat molasses with sundried cherries from Niagara and fermented huckleberry. And the Cantonese scallops which were a one bite wonder served in a typical southern Chinese style, steamed with fried garlic and made into a mousse with smoked sturgeon from New Brunswick and all dressed spices made from fermented chilli.
The albacore tuna was also superb, as was the sweet and sour black cod served with caramelized goat’s butter.
This is an intimate and immersive dining experience that blends local ingredients with Chef Jeremy’s global influences – with an attention to detail and lighthearted approach that somehow makes the tasting menu more accessible and tastier.
Just the very act of converting an old gas station and reinventing the space tells you everything you need to know about The Pine – this is an inventive place that embraces global influences while also staying true to its Canadian roots.
And while Chef Jeremy jokes that it may be the best gas station food in the world, I would venture to say it is one of the most interesting culinary journeys I’ve ever taken.
If You Go:
Somewhere Inn Collingwood
128 St Paul St
Collingwood, ON L9Y 4X9
705-999-5990
Georgian Bay Surf Club
135 Hurontario St
Collingwood, ON L9Y 2L9
705-446-0808
hello@georgianbaysurfclub.com
Gibson & Co.
93 Hurontario St Unit 3
Collingwood, ON L9Y 2L9
705-293-3500
The Pine
7535 County Road 9, Unit 3
Creemore, Ontario L0M 1G0
info@thepinecreemore.ca
Juniper
7535 County Road 9, Unit 3
Creemore, Ontario L0M 1G0
junipercreemore@gmail.com
Nearby & Noteworthy:
Heart’s Tavern and Bar – Named one of Enroute Magazine’s top ten new restaurants in Canada in 2022, this is a unique rural dining experience nestled at the bottom of the Beaver Valley.
235334 Grey County Rd 13
Kimberley, ON N0C 1G0
519-599-6768
info@heartsgreycounty.ca
Down Home – A Michelin recommended farm to table restaurant in the rolling countryside of Grey County in Markdale. A tasting menu under the guidance of Chef Joel Gray that works with local producers and regenerative farmers.
135299 9 Line
Markdale, ON N0C 1H0
705-446-4233
Naagan – Intimate 17-seat restaurant offering a 12-course Indigenous tasting menu that fuses Ojibwa cuisine with modern culinary techniques prepared by Chef Zach Keeshig in nearby Owen Sound.
info@naagan.ca
Casero Kitchen Table– Fabulous tacos open year-round in downtown Owen Sound.
946 3rd Ave E Building A
Owen Sound, ON N4K 2K9
519-416-8226
