MIDHURST, ON — CWT Vacations/Blowes & Stewart Travel Group Ltd. is working with Simcoe County and Lake Simcoe Regional Airport (LSRA) to promote new air-inclusive packages to New York City, with new charter flights from LSRA starting in September 2020.

The airport is midway between Barrie (pop. 148,000) and Orillia (31,166). The two Ontario cities, about a 90-minute drive from Toronto, are growing fast.

CWT Vacations/Blowes & Stewart Travel Group Ltd. (carlsonwagonlit.net) is offering the NYC packages with return airfare from LSRA, and three nights accommodation.

CWT Vacations/Blowes & Stewart Travel Group is based in Peterborough, ON with offices in Barrie, Belleville, Toronto and Wasaga Beach.

LSRA is an attractive option due to its convenient location in Simcoe County, proximity to the GTA, size and border services opportunities, say airport officials.

As of January 2020 Simcoe County will acquire an increased ownership stake in airport and together with the city of Barrie, the two municipalities will oversee growth and expansion at LSRA. Long-term investments should bring runway expansion and a new business park and other infrastructure on the site.

“The initial support we have received from the County of Simcoe and Lake Simcoe Regional Airport has been exceptional,” says Scott Stewart, Owner/President, CWT Vacations/Blowes & Stewart Travel Group Ltd. “We look forward to continuing to work together in the future, and to continued growth at the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport.”

City and airport officials hosted community partners yesterday at LSRA to celebrate the airport’s “soaring potential”. New York City is the first stop as growth at the LSRA takes off.

City of Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman said: “It’s a big step forward to have service from Lake Simcoe Regional Airport to a global destination like NYC. This service is another sign of Barrie’s growth and the importance of the airport to our region.”

County of Simcoe Warden George Cornell thanked CWT Vacations/Blowes & Stewart Travel Group Ltd. “for bringing this opportunity to Simcoe County and connecting our residents to New York City from our own backyard.”

The Lake Simcoe Regional Airport Strategic Plan can be downloaded at https://simcoe.civicweb.net/document/45119.