Do hostels evoke images of backpacking around Europe in your twenties? No longer just a European phenomenon nor solely for youth, hostels have become widespread globally. Now, one has arrived in our own backyard as The Fitz Hostel opened its doors to guests earlier this May in Lion's Head. The Fitz offers dorm and private room options, further enhancing the local accommodation offerings. With a Bruce Trail blaze right outside the front door, entrepreneur and multigenerational "peninsulite" Megan Myles also hopes that The Fitz will serve as a launch pad for outdoor activities. The name is a nod to Captain Fitzwillam Owen who was the first cartographer to chart Georgian Bay, and also the namesake of Owen Sound and Fitzwilliam Island. Like Fitzwilliam, the hostel is charting new territory as the first hostel on the Bruce Peninsula.
If you're unfamiliar with the concept of hostels, no need for alarm, it's not as hostile as it sounds. Hostels, traditionally known as "youth hostels" are far from a novel concept, emerging in the early 1900s in Germany when a field-trip-loving elementary school teacher had his students unroll their bedding in school buildings on weekend outings. By the 1930s, there were over 2000 youth hostels in Germany and another 600 in the rest of Europe, which gave rise to common hostel standards and the International Youth Hostel Federation. In Canada today, there are hostels in most major cities, and Ontario has hostels located in Toronto, Ottawa, Niagara Falls, Manitoulin Island and near Algonquin Park.
In this case, The Fitz will operate on a scale comparable to a B & B, however guests have the option to book a bed in a dormitory, rather than an entire room. In some cases of a small group or family, guests may choose to book the whole dorm (which sleeps 4), or opt for the private double room. Guests use a shared bathroom and have access to a fully-equipped guest kitchen, a cozy common room (with a large harvest table, games, books and fireplace), BBQ and a spacious backyard.
If you are looking for more privacy or your own bathroom, The Fitz likely isn't for you. However, if you are more interested in what you see than where you sleep, The Fitz might suit you well, and maybe enable you to stay a little longer. A hostel provides an affordable option for those without camping equipment, or in the cooler shoulder months. After all, local tourism operators are constantly strategizing how to attract visitors in the off-peak months. And even the most die-hard adventurers or Bruce Trail hikers need a place to shower and do laundry every now and then. The Fitz Hostel's first guest was a solo female from the UK who was extremely grateful to find accommodation more affordable for a solo traveller.
Owner Megan Myles invites you to come check it out for yourself! On Thursday, June 23, 7 – 9 PM, The Fitz will host an open house to celebrate its launch and to thank all the amazing volunteers who have helped out with the project over the past couple months! For more information, check out www.thefitzhostel.com.
source: media release, The Fitz Hostel
