FALL TRAVEL SHOWCASE
Author Archives: MS
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& Juliet
PRE-BROADWAY NORTH AMERICAN TOUR!
Juliet’s new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name! Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there’s life after Romeo. The only thing tragic would be missing out!
Castle of the North: Le Manoir Richelieu
August 27-30, 2022
Welcome to Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu! A country escape on the St. Lawrence River, so vast you just might think it’s the ocean. The 120-year-old landmark Manoir feels another world away. Indeed, it is — set in the celebrated playground of barons and magnates on the shores of the river, framed by the Laurentian Mountains. It’s an idyllic place famed for whale-watching, rolling landscape makes for scenic sightseeing. U.S. President William Howard Taft, who summered here, once described the air “as intoxicating as champagne, but without the morning-after headache.” Come with Maple Leaf Tours and enjoy the warm authentic Charlevoix hospitality and sterling service. Stay for the restful ambiance, myriad bucket-list activities and alluring joie de vivre. Drink in the water-to-mountain views and stroll the cliff-top gardens. Try your luck at roulette in the casino or lounge away the afternoon basking by two outdoor pools. There’s no hurry here, no agenda — only inspiring natural beauty, quaint little hamlets to discover and whatever else your heart desires. Bienvenue (welcome)!
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING MCCOY COMMUNICATIONS
| Dear friends, On behalf of Maple Leaf Tours, I want to sincerely apologize for the communication that has been sent out by McCoy Bus Service that has caused great confusion and upset. I was a co-founder of McCoy Bus Service and Tours for 24 years, from 1993 – 2017. In 2017, my former business partner and I divided the companies, and I took McCoy Tours and renamed as Maple Leaf Tours while the Bus Company continued with coaching. Since 1997, as a indigenous entrepreneur, I have worked tirelessly to continue to rebuild under our new name Maple Leaf Tours as Eastern Ontario’s premier Motor Coach Tour, Travel and Cruise Company. Unfortunately, recently McCoy Bus Service accessed our old email newsletter database and chose to send out a mass email to our unexpecting clients. This has caused great distress and hurt to many of our clients who have had life changes such as the passing of spouses, children or parents as well as experienced life changes such as marital status or employment. We have been dealing with clients who have been reaching out by phone, email and in person, extremely upset that they have been contacted by email and by phone, without their consent, especially for family members and friends who are no longer with us. We are saddened that this has harmed so many of our clients. We apologize for the lack of consideration of how peoples’ lives may have changed. I am personally distressed at this infringement of your privacy. We strongly advise that if anyone does not wish to receive any further communication to unsubscribe or block them. This was done without my knowledge and I want to reassure you that we have not shared any of your information and that none of your personal data has been provided by Maple Leaf Tours. We have not given out any information whatsoever and I am personally appalled at the lack of integrity and respect shown for your privacy. It was very poorly done and a sign of how they intend to conduct business. Please know that your information with Maple Leaf Tours is secure. In 2023, I will be celebrating 30 years in the Tour and Travel business and I pride myself on running an exemplary service with integrity and honesty. My heart aches for those who contacted us sharing pain and sadness, I am truly sorry for the distress and confusion this has caused. I will always make myself available and if you have been personally affected by this please contact me directly at Kristine@MapleLeafTours.com or call me at the office at 613-384-0012. Most sincerely, Kristine Geary Owner, Maple Leaf Tours |
From the Mackenzie, to McCoy, to Maple Leaf Tours, the story continues…
I am a Dene Woman, I am a Viking. From humble beginnings to the career of a lifetime, this girl from the North came from the banks of the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories to the banks of Lake Ontario. It’s been a journey with many twists and turns in the road and the adventure continues.
I grew up along the banks of the Mackenzie River, in Norman Wells, NWT with my Indigenous mother, Edith, a trapper, and my brothers. As a young child, my mom was taken away from her family and sent to Indian Residential School in Fort Providence then Grollier Hall in Inuvik, NWT. Mom met my Danish father who worked briefly for an oil company and me and my brothers came along shortly thereafter. I grew up on the land and attended Indian Day Schools in Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope, NWT. Being outdoors and around nature is in my DNA. From helping Mom on the traplines in the winter on skidoo or dog sled (rabbits on the snare lines), to helping skin moosehides, caribou hides and drying meat and fish as well as making Bannock – I did it all. We lived in a small, one room shack on the banks of the Mackenzie River, with no running water or plumbing. We hauled water from the river or snow in the winter for cooking, bathing, drinking. During the winter months we had a “honey bucket” in a corner beside the door if we had to go to the washroom during the night. I am a proud member of the Sahtu Dene. It wasn’t always that way, we were taught to be ashamed of who we are. My mom spoke Slavey and I loved hearing her utter words that she could still recall. After Residential School, she couldn’t remember much having been forbidden from speaking her language. I also lived in Destruction Bay, Yukon (Mile 1083 Alaska Highway. 3 hours North of Whitehorse, on beautiful Kluane Lake) where we would climb abandoned dredges from the Gold Rush to escape black bears on the shoreline. Climbing Mount Logan and sitting near the Dall Sheep seems surreal now but it was just our life. I remember those days of adventure so fondly. Later on we moved to Whitehorse. If you like, next time you see me, ask me to give you a sample of my moose call!
At 15, I left the north to live with a paternal Uncle and Aunt in Kamloops, BC, my first experience outside of the North. As Rotarians, they introduced me to the Rotary Exchange program that took me to Italy for a year where I caught the travel bug! I will never forget standing in the middle of Piazza San Marco in Venice in utter disbelief, as if I was in a dream. All I could think about were my friends and family up North, “If they could see me now!” I barely believed it myself. After becoming fluent in Italian, the following year I worked in Paris for a year as an Au Pair and became fluent in French as well. A chance meeting at an Italian marcato (marketplace) introduced me to a new friend from London, Ontario where I moved while I was waiting for a Visa for Austria where I hoped to visit and learn German. The amazement and wonder of traveling and seeing the world made me come alive. I have been passionate about travel and sharing the experiences with others ever since.
Life however, had other plans, and I met my future husband and business partner, Shawn Geary in London. Not long after, we moved to Kingston as Shawn was from Napanee. I had two jobs: Office Manager for the Dermatology Clinic of Drs. Danby, Margesson, Blakeman and Sapra as well as at The Bay, so Shawn could return to St. Lawrence College full time as a mature student. I worked to support us, all the while attending night classes at St. Lawrence College myself. During the college years, Shawn helped out by working part time as a butcher at A&P in the Frontenac Mall as well as driving part time for Ivan and Mary McCoy who owned McCoy Limousine Service on Portsmouth Avenue in Kingston. In 1987, Shawn and I were married and it was my honor to have Dr. Bill Danby give me away at my wedding. Drs. Danby and Margesson even loaned me the money to purchase our first home. He remained a wonderful role model and mentor for many years until his passing. My role at the Dermatology Clinic grew to management and Shawn took a job at Royal Bank/Trust upon graduation. Then one day, my friend Alberto from Italy, came to visit. He was arriving in Syracuse, N.Y. and I found that there was no transportation to transfer him to Kingston so Shawn & I seized an opportunity. We decided that Shawn should leave the bank and we began CAN-AM Shuttle Service, a daily return passenger shuttle service from Kingston to Syracuse. To support us, I would continue to work full time at the Dermatology Clinic during the day and Shawn would drive the shuttle. At night we cleaned office buildings to help pay bills. When Ivan and Mary McCoy decided to retire they contacted us to ask if we would be interested in buying McCoy Limousine Service. Having no money at the time, we used the cars as collateral to borrow some money from the bank, Dr. Bill Danby invested in me and Shawn’s parents loaned him some money, while Ivan McCoy took back the balance of the purchase price. Over the years the business was moved from Portsmouth Avenue to Steve Fonyo Drive then to Midland Avenue where our three daughters, Alison, Nicole and Danielle, were born. With me at the head of the Tour Division and Shawn running the Bus Department, the business continued to grow and in 2005, an office and garage facility was built at 566 Cataraqui Woods Drive in Kingston’s west end where I am currently a principal owner and landlord. To inject needed funds into the growing business I continued my full time management position at the Dermatology Clinic while spending nights and weekends planning new and exciting tours, cleaning the vehicles all the while raising my three girls while Shawn was away driving. Diving right into the tour and travel side of the business, I began adding overnight tours which expanded the business even further so the business was re-named McCoy Tours to continue to build on the McCoy brand that was becoming so well known. My tour division was so successful that we opened a second office in Belleville, Ontario about 80 Kilometers west of Kingston and Margaret is still there to greet our wonderful clients.
In 2017, myself and Shawn parted ways both personally and professionally. The McCoy Group of companies was divided in half with me rebranding the tour company from McCoy Tours to Maple Leaf Tours as Shawn wanted to keep the McCoy name. Starting over as a single parent and a newly named company was exciting and terrifying. On my own, I worked endless hours to build back under a new name, Maple Leaf Tours. Long into the nights and every weekend, I laboured with the help of my entire team that came with me to Maple Leaf Tours. We developed new and exciting motor coach getaways to new destinations. I expanded Maple Leaf Tours to Europe with Betty leading our first group to Ireland and I launched an entire cruise division partnering with Norwegian Cruise Lines to develop both No Fly and Fly cruises around the world!
My heart is full of gratitude for my wonderful, loyal customers who have been by my side through it all. They continue to inspire me to work harder and plan wonderful adventures that help us make memories together. Many clients remember me taking my girls on our tours, sometimes in baby carriers so I could nurse them while clients were enjoying a musical theatre tour! We truly are a family, a Maple Leaf Tour Family. My Tour Directors treat my business like it is their own and they are by my side to support me every day. It is a blessing to be able to share your passion with clients who are so thankful for wonderful experiences. All the hugs and Thank yous are so lovely but I take the greatest pride in seeing the happiness and smiles on guests faces when they return from a tour and can’t wait to book their next trip.
Being a Certified Aboriginal Business by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business has brought me great pride. I know my Mom, my girls’ Ehtsu/grandmother, is smiling down on me, seeing all that I have accomplished. I feel her beside me every day, encouraging me. As I look to the future, I know that there are so many more roads to explore, exciting adventures that await, new friends to be met and happy memories to be shared. I’d be honored if you’d join me.
Mahsi Cho. (You can take the girl out of the North but you can’t take the North out of the Girl.)
Kristine (Chrissy to all my Aunties)
We are Open!
Monday, Feb 14, 2022
It’s been a while and we have missed you! Well, happy news – we are open!! (again, really!) Our friendly Maple Leaf Tours family is so happy to announce that both our Kingston and Belleville offices are ready and thrilled to welcome you back! Our doors and arms are open wide with happy faces ready to greet and assist you with your tour and cruise planning! Please stop by and say hello, pick up our new 2022/20223 calendars as well as a free Maple Leaf Tour carry all! (Please note that our Belleville office has moved to 45 Wilson Avenue, Unit 4) so come and see Margaret in her new digs!
We continue to work hard planning tours for your vacation pleasure! A heartfelt thank you to all our wonderful clients who have been so amazingly supportive and kind, reaching out and keeping in touch while we had to halt operations for almost two years. With the safe and gradual return to travel we are announcing more tour programs every day to thrill every delight: Day Tours, Theatre experiences, Museum Discoveries, Canadian holidays, US trips, Cruise vacations, European adventures and beyond!!
We know that the travel experiences we share are magical and can sometimes be transformative. As we share journeys, experiences, meals, songs and even hugs, we learn as we see the world through someone else’s eyes. Over the past 2 years, we’ve been reminded of this and look forward with anticipation of so many new memories to make and previous ones to laugh and share when we all get together again…soon!! When you are ready to Hit the Road we are here – ready!
With our sincerest gratitude,
Kristine Geary and the entire Maple Leaf Tours Family
In Office Visits Postponed
In accordance with the Ontario COVID-19 Public Health Measures, our offices will be closed for in person visits until further notice. We are still available to be reached by phone or email during our regular office hours.
Kingston: 613-384-0012 OR Belleville: 613-969-8884
Email: Info@mapleleaftours.com
We look forward to when we can safely welcome our clients back in office, until then, stay safe.
Kristine Geary & The Maple Leaf Tours Family
This is Us…HERstory
| I am a Dene Woman, I am a Viking. From humble beginnings to the career of a lifetime, this girl from the North came from the banks of the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories to the banks of Lake Ontario. It’s been a journey with many twists and turns in the road and the adventure continues. I grew up along the banks of the Mackenzie River, in Norman Wells, NWT with my Indigenous mother, Edith, a trapper, and my brothers. As a young child, my mom was taken away from her family and sent to Indian Residential School in Fort Providence then Grollier Hall in Inuvik, NWT. Mom met my Danish father who worked briefly for an oil company and me and my brothers came along shortly thereafter. I grew up on the land and attended Indian Day Schools in Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope, NWT. Being outdoors and around nature is in my DNA. From helping Mom on the traplines in the winter on skidoo or dog sled (rabbits on the snare lines), to helping skin moosehides, caribou hides and drying meat and fish as well as making Bannock – I did it all. We lived in a small, one room shack on the banks of the Mackenzie River, with no running water or plumbing. We hauled water from the river or snow in the winter for cooking, bathing, drinking. During the winter months we had a “honey bucket” in a corner beside the door if we had to go to the washroom during the night. I am a proud member of the Sahtu Dene. It wasn’t always that way, we were taught to be ashamed of who we are. My mom spoke Slavey and I loved hearing her utter words that she could still recall. After Residential School, she couldn’t remember much having been forbidden from speaking her language. I also lived in Destruction Bay, Yukon (Mile 1083 Alaska Highway. 3 hours North of Whitehorse, on beautiful Kluane Lake) where we would climb abandoned dredges from the Gold Rush to escape black bears on the shoreline. Climbing Mount Logan and sitting near the Dall Sheep seems surreal now but it was just our life. I remember those days of adventure so fondly. Later on we moved to Whitehorse. If you like, next time you see me, ask me to give you a sample of my moose call! At 15, I left the north to live with a paternal Uncle and Aunt in Kamloops, BC, my first experience outside of the North. As Rotarians, they introduced me to the Rotary Exchange program that took me to Italy for a year where I caught the travel bug! I will never forget standing in the middle of Piazza San Marco in Venice in utter disbelief, as if I was in a dream. All I could think about were my friends and family up North, “If they could see me now!” I barely believed it myself. After becoming fluent in Italian, the following year I worked in Paris for a year as an Au Pair and became fluent in French as well. A chance meeting at an Italian marcato (marketplace) introduced me to a new friend from London, Ontario where I moved while I was waiting for a Visa for Austria where I hoped to visit and learn German. The amazement and wonder of traveling and seeing the world made me come alive. I have been passionate about travel and sharing the experiences with others ever since. Life however, had other plans, and I met my future husband and business partner, Shawn Geary in London. Shawn was the owner/operator of a Wholesale Warehousing Industries (WWI) office and I was hired by head office to work in the office. Not long after, we moved to Kingston as Shawn was from Napanee. I had two jobs: Office Manager for the Dermatology Clinic of Drs. Danby, Margesson, Blakeman and Sapra as well as at The Bay, so Shawn could return to St. Lawrence College full time as a mature student. I worked to support us, all the while attending night classes at St. Lawrence College myself. During the college years, Shawn helped out by working part time as a butcher at A&P in the Frontenac Mall as well as driving part time for Ivan and Mary McCoy who owned McCoy Limousine Service on Portsmouth Avenue in Kingston. In 1987, Shawn and I were married and it was my honor to have Dr. Bill Danby give me away at my wedding. Drs. Danby and Margesson even loaned me the money to purchase our first home. He remained a wonderful role model and mentor for many years until his passing. My role at the Dermatology Clinic grew to management and Shawn took a job at Royal Bank/Trust upon graduation. Then one day, my friend Alberto from Italy, came to visit. He was arriving in Syracuse, N.Y. and I found that there was no transportation to transfer him to Kingston so Shawn & I seized an opportunity. We decided that Shawn should leave the bank and we began CAN-AM Shuttle Service, a daily return passenger shuttle service from Kingston to Syracuse. To support us, I would continue to work full time at the Dermatology Clinic during the day and Shawn would drive the shuttle. At night we cleaned office buildings to help pay bills. When Ivan and Mary McCoy decided to retire they contacted us to ask if we would be interested in buying McCoy Limousine Service. Having no money at the time, we used the cars as collateral to borrow some money from the bank, Dr. Bill Danby invested in me and Shawn’s parents loaned him some money , while Ivan McCoy took back the balance of the purchase price. Over the years the business was moved from Portsmouth Avenue to Steve Fonyo Drive then to Midland Avenue where our three daughters, Alison, Nicole and Danielle, were born. With me at the head of the Tour Division and Shawn running the Bus Department, the business continued to grow and in 2005, an office and garage facility was built at 566 Cataraqui Woods Drive in Kingston’s west end where I am currently a principal owner and landlord. To inject needed funds into the growing business I continued my full time management position at the Dermatology Clinic while spending nights and weekends planning new and exciting tours, cleaning the vehicles all the while raising my three girls while Shawn was away driving. Diving right into the tour and travel side of the business, I began adding overnight tours which expanded the business even further so the business was re-named McCoy Tours to continue to build on the McCoy brand that was becoming so well known. My tour division was so successful that we opened a second office in Belleville, Ontario about 80 Kilometers west of Kingston and Margaret is still there to greet our wonderful clients. In 2017, myself and Shawn parted ways both personally and professionally. The McCoy Group of companies was divided in half with me rebranding the tour company from McCoy Tours to Maple Leaf Tours as Shawn wanted to keep the McCoy name. Starting over as a single parent and a newly named company was exciting and terrifying. On my own, I worked endless hours to build back under a new name, Maple Leaf Tours. Long into the nights and every weekend, I laboured with the help of my entire team that came with me to Maple Leaf Tours. We developed new and exciting motor coach getaways to new destinations. I expanded Maple Leaf Tours to Europe with Betty leading our first group to Ireland and I launched an entire cruise division partnering with Norwegian Cruise Lines to develop both No Fly and Fly cruises around the world! My heart is full of gratitude for my wonderful, loyal customers who have been by my side through it all. They continue to inspire me to work harder and plan wonderful adventures that help us make memories together. Many clients remember me taking my girls on our tours, sometimes in baby carriers so I could nurse them while clients were enjoying a musical theatre tour! We truly are a family, a Maple Leaf Tour Family. My Tour Directors treat my business like it is their own and they are by my side to support me every day. It is a blessing to be able to share your passion with clients who are so thankful for wonderful experiences. All the hugs and Thank yous are so lovely but I take the greatest pride in seeing the happiness and smiles on guests faces when they return from a tour and can’t wait to book their next trip. Being a Certified Aboriginal Business by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business has brought me great pride. I know my Mom, my girls’ Ehtsu/grandmother, is smiling down on me, seeing all that I have accomplished. I feel her beside me every day, encouraging me. As I look to the future, I know that there are so many more roads to explore, exciting adventures that await, new friends to be met and happy memories to be shared. I’d be honored if you’d join me. Mahsi Cho. (You can take the girl out of the North but you can’t take the North out of the Girl.) Kristine (Chrissy to all my Aunties) |
NEW COVID 19 POLICIES
Dear friends,
It’s been so long and we’ve been lonely too, we’ve missed you! Now that we are on the move again, it’s time to make new friends, share memories and begin to put the spark back into our lives! We’re ready to take you to the places you’ve longed to see or revisit. We’ve worked hard to implement new policies and procedures. You can read our complete commitment to safe and healthy travel below. We’re doing our very best to ensure your travel plans are safe with us. Let’s get together soon! Smiles, laughter and elbow bumps (yes, we said it!) await!!
Kristine and the entire Maple Leaf Tours family.
