June 8, 2021

After five years of success on the mainland of British Columbia, Freedom Boat Club is expanding to Canoe Cove Marina on Vancouver Island.

Sandy Purdon, President of Freedom Boat Club, BC led the expansion of the club outside of the US to BC in 2016. With two successful clubs now operating in the Vancouver area, expanding to Vancouver Island is a natural next step.

“We always knew we would expand to Vancouver Island once we got established on the mainland, and Canoe Cove was always my first choice,” said Purdon. “With close proximity to the ferries, the Gulf Islands and the San Juan Islands, the location offers easy access to every kind of boating for our members at this club and those from the mainland or other clubs from around the world that come to visit.”

Purdon’s partners on Vancouver Island, Tracy and Shawn Ottenbreit, also have a long history with Freedom and own a location in Anacortes, Washington.

“Building upon their success in the Pacific Northwest, we are excited to support the Ottenbreit’s and Purdon’s next venture with the opening of their Vancouver Island club and first location,” said Cecil Cohn, Freedom Boat Club Network president. “Collectively, they have championed the Freedom brand for many years introducing hundreds of members to the on-water lifestyle. Their Vancouver Island club represents a testament to the Purdon’s vision to expand the Freedom brand throughout British Columbia creating opportunities for members to explore the world-class boating destinations and natural beauty of the Gulf Islands, Vancouver Island and the nearby San Juan Islands waterways. We congratulate the Ottenbreit’s and Purdon’s on their new club and look forward to supporting their continued growth for years to come.”

Members of Freedom Boat Club pay a one-time, and then monthly fee to join. Once they’re aptly trained, they have access to the fleet any time, and all maintenance, insurance and training is provided by the club. To make sure the experience stays interesting, the fleet is varied; different boats afford members different adventures. From bow riders to fishing boats, there is something for everyone – and members have reciprocal benefits with any Freedom Boat Club around the world.

For Canoe Cove, the club is a welcomed addition. “We are so pleased to welcome Sandy, Tracy and the Freedom team to the Cove,” says Don Prittie, General Manager at Canoe Cove. “The club is a great addition to our community, creates new employment and fills an important need in the boating industry by introducing new people to boating, and offering a great training program. Once you’ve confidently experienced boating in this area, there’s no turning back, there’s really nothing like it.”

Freedom Boat Club at Canoe Cove has been extremely well received with new members already signed up. The club quietly opened its doors at the beginning of May and is currently setting up operations and installing its initial fleet of five boats.

“We are absolutely thrilled with the response we’ve had from the community already,” said Ottenbreit. “At the end of the day, boating is a social activity and Freedom is social club made up of a great community of people. We’re really looking forward to bringing that to Canoe Cove.”

Freedom Boat Club at Canoe Cove celebrates its grand opening on Saturday, June 5th.

For more information about the club, visit freedomboatclub.com and for Canoe Cove at canoecovemarina.com