"It is like an extended family because it is so intertwined with our lives."

At a time when most people can barely decide what to do with their life, Tony and Amy Raposo owned a campground. In 1986, the Raposos, then just in their early twenties, decided to make a bold move and purchase a KOA campground. Tony was working fulltime at his parent's family farm, and Amy was finishing her last year of university.

"It was my father's idea, being an entrepreneur," Amy said. "He showed us how campground ownership suited both our talents and interests." In a handshake deal, the Raposos bought a campground just 30 minutes away from home. Back then the newly-married couple didn't run the campground with the same intensity as they do now. "We were so bored during the off season that we would go get jobs. We did that for a couple of years," Amy said.

Those days are over as the business requires around-the-year attention. Barrie KOA is a family-run business with the couple's three children growing up and working on the campground. "We started with the campground, and it is all we have ever known," she said. "It is like an extended family because it is so intertwined with our lives."

Their customer service keeps up with the campers' changing needs. "We do as much as we can for the customers," Tony said. "We are continually upgrading the campground in order to give campers what they want and keep them coming back."

Tony described the couple as "hands on" owners, with a remarkable staff who support and believe in the campground as much as we do". "As our KOA grows, it makes life that much more interesting," Tony said.