BELFAST, P.E.I. — When COVID-19 restrictions meant that business was going to be slow for tourism operators like Josh Lindsay, the campground owner decided to do something fun and unexpected for his visitors.
Lindsay, the 33-year-old owner of Ben’s Lake Campground in Belfast, P.E.I., started with a fish hook.
“I decided to post this fish hook up online and see if anyone wanted to trade for it," he said.
He made a trade every day. It started with small trades like a sanding block, four jars of pickled peppers and three boxes of Freezies.
“One lady just showed up at the lake with a car full of stuff, asking to make trades with me,” he said with a chuckle.
The trades kept getting bigger. A signed Dion Phaneuf NHL jersey, smart watches and gold jewelry were just a few of the things involved.
As his trades grew, so did Lindsay’s social media following.
“I was getting messages online of people saying, ‘You’ve given me something to look forward to. Every day, I look forward to what you’ve gotten next, or what you’re doing now.”
He ended up with a sailboat.
This was right around the start of summer. Things were getting busy at the lake, and Lindsay had to ask himself what to do with the boat.
“The optimal time to sail is when I’m running my business," he said.
He approached his groundskeeper with an idea to give away the boat and engage the people who had been following along.
“We’d created this big following of people online that wanted to participate in this story, but a lot of people didn’t have something to trade that made sense.”
Lindsay decided to do a treasure hunt on his campground, where teams had to find clues and map pieces to find a golden fish hook. The prize was an entry into the draw for the sailboat.
About
- Josh Lindsay, age 33
- Owner of Ben's Lake Campground in Belfast
- After running a successful trade and treasure hunt at this business this summer, Lindsay helped develop Aspire P.E.I. The non-profit is focused on supporting positive mental health by getting people engaged in nature.
- “Getting active outdoors is really good for people’s mental health in general, and it certainly seems to me that’s a growing need," says Lindsay.
The fish hook was the same one Lindsay started with. To get it back, he traded a collection of hats to the man he’d originally traded it to.
The event started July 1 and ran throughout the summer, until Lindsay drew a name to win the boat.
Now the plan is to run the treasure hunt annually, Lindsay said.
“It was just a lot of fun. People would come out with smiles on, and just be happy to get active and get outdoors, and do something different.”
The response to his ideas and business this year gave him a personal sense of validation, Lindsay said.
“Seeing people respond so well made for a fun atmosphere to work in, and there was also a rewarding aspect. It made me feel a lot more confident in myself and where I am as a person, but also where I am in business.”
Through the process, he has been able to grow his business while exploring new opportunities.
Lindsay is also hoping to expand the campground after the publicity from this year. He launched a new website for the campground and has been trying to host more events.
He ran a haunted woods for Halloween, and he was planning a Christmas event, but it had to be cancelled because of the new circuit-breaker restrictions in response to COVID-19.
As for his long-term plans for himself and his business, Lindsay laughed.
“I have lots of ideas. This brain doesn’t stop.”
