Economic thaw here means good things for Canada

Visitors and exhibitors say they saw signs of a recovering economy Sunday in a room sprinkled with mounted, stuffed fish.

The All-Canada Show at Pheasant Run in St. Charles featured 200 exhibitors with displays pertaining to fishing, hunting, boating and lodging, while visitors kept them busy talking for the duration of the four-day show.

"We are building our clientele," said Todd Hacault, owner of Tamarack Island Wilderness Lodge in Ontario, Canada. "The economy is getting better and people are here because they want to book a lodge."

He has exhibited his business for the last four years, the entire time he and his wife have owned the lodge.

Scott Trandel, of Sycamore, said he has been vacationing in Canada almost annually for 30 years. He hasn't gone for the last five years because of the sagging economy, but he brought his son Philip with him to shop for a new fishing lodge with the intent of going later this year.

The show also featured seminars, and a free hunting simulator.

For more on future shows, visit Allcanada.com,