Dale Ohm, who runs Robinsong Bed & Breakfast on Welland Street, together with her husband Terry, says it’s the local community that keeps her going.
“We bring people to Thorold from all over the world and we send them downtown to shop and eat. It’s a way of giving back.”
Dale Ohm started Robinsong Bed & Breakfast in 2002 after she retired from being a school principal.
“I loved what I did and I wasn’t going to retire if I didn’t have something to do,” says Ohm, “I like to have a purpose, so we started with one room and then we added a second and now we have three.”
Dale and Terry Ohm bought the Robinsong house in 1988, but Dale used to dream about owning it long before that.
“We used to go for walks when we lived on Carlton Street and I would always figure out a way to walk past this house. I guess I just liked the look of it,” says Ohm.
When Covid-19 hit Ohm says she was forced to put the B&B on pause.
“We normally would start in April but we didn’t actually start having guests until the fall. Our prime time is usually from April until October so we only had two months and we weren’t as busy as normal. It was maybe a third, maybe a quarter of what we would normally see in terms of guests.”
While this season has been a bit better, the B&B is still not up to its usual numbers.
Says Ohm, “It’s definitely a slow year, and we ask that only people who are fully vaccinated come because we don’t want anybody coming who may infect another guest.”
While Ohm says she is used to hosting guests from around the world, she now sees a lot more Canadians who come and visit.
“I always tell them, we’re in the heart of Niagara, you can basically get anywhere without having to stand in line. We have a history and a heritage and of course the canal is right here. Canadians are just as amazed. They didn’t know this existed. How do you think the ships get around Niagara Falls?”
Now that things are opening up again Ohm hopes more people will come and discover Thorold again.
Says Ohm, “Thorold is the best kept secret of Niagara, it really is. It’s not busy, it’s not crowded, it’s very civilized. It really is a great place to live.”
