IRON MOUNTAIN \u2014 Iron Mountain officials have identified what they believe is the primary cause of declining tourism and sluggish business activity this summer, and it isn’t the miles of road construction that have frustrated motorists for weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, city leaders say the real culprit is Kingsford YouTuber Jason Asselin, whose decision to leave the area for several days to chase Union Pacific’s legendary Big Boy steam locomotive allegedly caused thousands of railroad enthusiasts to follow him south, leaving Dickinson County noticeably quieter than usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During Monday night’s city council meeting, the mayor dismissed suggestions that construction detours were hurting local businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Road construction has absolutely nothing to do with it,” the mayor reportedly said. “People will happily drive through orange barrels for a pasty. But if Jason isn’t filming an E&LS train, they don’t even bother leaving home.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The statement drew mixed reactions from business owners, many of whom pointed toward the maze of detours surrounding downtown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s hard to spend money here when visitors are spending half the day trying to figure out how to get to the parking lot,” one shop owner remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asselin has become one of the Upper Peninsula’s most recognizable online creators, building a loyal audience of more than 233,000 subscribers, over 53 million YouTube views, and roughly 3,500 videos showcasing the Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad, Great Lakes shorelines, and life across the Upper Peninsula. His videos routinely attract railfans and outdoor enthusiasts from around the world, with many making pilgrimages to Dickinson County after discovering the area through his channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
City officials claim that once Asselin packed his camera equipment and headed west to chase Union Pacific’s Big Boy, those same foamers packed up and followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It was like watching a migration,” one council member allegedly observed. “First Jason left… then the railfans… then the hotel reservations.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local merchants remain unconvinced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many insist sales began slowing only after motorists encountered enough orange barrels to qualify as honorary road commissioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several customers said the endless detours had become an attraction of their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I was just trying to stop for lunch in Iron Mountain,” one visitor said. “Next thing I knew I’d followed so many detours that I accidentally spent the afternoon shopping in Norway before I found my way back.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite those complaints, city officials continue to maintain that tourism numbers directly correlate with the frequency of E&LS locomotive uploads on YouTube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mayor acknowledged another contributing factor: what he described as a recent increase in aggressive panhandlers visiting from outside the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We can handle a few orange barrels,” he said. “But between the out-of-state panhandlers and Jason taking a vacation from E&LS trains, it was simply too much for the local economy.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officials declined to explain how those two factors were statistically connected but insisted the data “felt right.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Residents expressed optimism after learning Asselin had returned to the Upper Peninsula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Within hours, reports surfaced of railfans once again lining crossings, photographing E&LS locomotives, and asking locals where they could find “that exact shoreline from Jason’s last video.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce reportedly upgraded its economic outlook from “Concerning” to “Waiting for the Next Upload.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One downtown restaurant owner summed up the community’s feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We’re glad Jason got to chase Big Boy,” she said. “That’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“…but maybe next time he could livestream himself eating lunch in Iron Mountain every few hours so people remember we’re still here.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As of press time, city officials were reportedly exploring whether Asselin’s filming schedule could be classified as critical tourism infrastructure, making him eligible for emergency municipal funding whenever he leaves Dickinson County for more than 48 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The proposal would also require him to submit a travel itinerary to City Hall and notify local businesses at least two weeks before chasing any historic steam locomotives outside the Upper Peninsula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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