News is Not All Bad in Cancellation of Nova Scotia In-Water Boat Show
Boating Industry Canada contacted the Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association and spoke to Executive Director Tim Edwards following the announcement that their 2011 boat show was to be cancelled.
Edwards explained that due to limited availability of Maritime-built boats that could be made available for display, the group felt they had to cancel the Nova Scotia In-Water Boat Show this year. The show had been scheduled for Jul 22nd to 24th at the Bishop’s Landing site on the Halifax waterfront.
According to Edwards, “This difficult decision has been reached after much discussion with potential exhibitors, and our Board. The bottom line is we cannot hold a boat show with only a handful of boats.”
We learned that a significant number of Nova Scotia-built boats were in fact, exported to distant markets, usually in the US and could not realistically be brought back for the show. Slow market conditions in the past year also contributed to the challenge of finding sufficient examples to create a solid show.
The positive news is that NSBA members are generally more busy with new construction now and the group plans to hold the Nova Scotia In-Water Boat Show again in 2012 – maybe to coincide with the Tallships’ visit to Halifax.
As an interim measure, plans are in discussion to selectively exhibit Nova Scotia-built boats at summer events in markets targeted for development in Canada and the US, particularly in Ontario.
