This year marks the 100th anniversary of the commencement of the First World War. It was called the “Great War” and the “War to End All Wars”. (If only the latter were true. No one thought to call it the First World War, until there was a Second.) Many historians are of the view that the Great War was a defining moment in the history of Canada marking the birth of a truly independent nation.
The First World War is seen by most Canadians as a conflict that took place “over there;” a struggle an ocean away, in the muddy fields of and France and Flanders. That’s mostly true, but just months before the war’s end a bizarre sea battle brought the war to Canada’s shores for the first and only time.
During the last week of October the CPS-ECP held their annual AGM in Quebec City, QC. The event was held at the gorgeous Chateau Laurier and was well attended. Participants enjoyed a fun and productive few days in the heart of Old Quebec. The Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons have now announced their list of members of the Board of Directors as well as the Executive Committee for the 2014-2015 year.
That was the 55th hanseboot: 557 exhibitors from 18 nations, presenting their products and innovations on the nine days of the boat show, from 25 October to 2 November – with more than 490 boats and yachts, and services for all aspects of boating. The exhibits in the halls and the in-water hanseboot at the City Marina attracted some 76,000 professionals, leisure sailors and newcomers.
Our four day Corrosion Certification course hosted by Port Credit Yacht Club, with instructor Kevin Ritz is designed and intended for those with a minimum of 3-5 years practical experience in the marine field. It is highly recommended that certification candidates already have ABYC electrical certification before attempting the corrosion certification program. It is presumed by the course content that candidates have a reasonable understanding of basic concepts such as electrical grounding, electrical current flow, galvanic isolation and basic marine electrical terminology.
The compact McMurdo Smartfind Plus G5 GPS EPIRB features a high performance, multi-channel GPS which brings the location accuracy down to typically less than 62 meters, greatly increasing the chances of rescue in an emergency situation. The battery offers a minimum of 48 hours of operation and has a six-year life.
CC Marine Distributors held their 2014 Trade Show on October 26th and 27th at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls. Vendor participation was strong with 116 on hand many displaying new products for the 2015 season. Owner Charlie Bulmer was particularly encouraged by the number of new dealers in attendance for which this was their first trade show. While final sales numbers are still being tabulated, Rick Chang (VP Sales) was quoted as saying that sales were strong with a great number of orders being placed on both days.
Theme – Taking the Lead: Setting Service Standards and Achieving Business StabilityThe American Boat Builders & Repairers Association (ABBRA) announces its line-up of topics and speakers for the 2015 ABBRA Boatyard Business Conference. The event, which focuses strictly on issues important to boatyards, boat builders and marine service/repair businesses, will take place January 21 – 23, 2015, at the Hyatt Pier 66 Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and will offer conference participants a venue to hear updates on opportunities and challenges facing the boatyard/boatbuilding marine industry sector.
Begin your own journey of discovery at the 2015 London Boat Show. Taking place from 9 – 18 January 2015, this world-renowned event is where adventure starts, pioneers meet and innovation shines. Immerse yourself in the elements and explore a world of boating, brand new craft being unveiled globally, the very latest in technology and show-stopping experiences that will really capture your imagination.
Mercury Marine, the world leader in commercial and recreational marine propulsion and technology, has partnered with FOX Sports Outdoors host Barry Stokes to express disappointment over the passing of Reef Fish Amendment 40 — the plan to divide the annual recreational red snapper quota among Gulf of Mexico private fishermen and charter boat operations.
Boating Industry Canada has closely followed the changes in policy/services/fees along the Trent Severn waterway and Rideau canal waterways that have been legislated over the recent past. It is possible to guess at the ramifications of changes to hours of operation, maintenance crews and other staff and locking fees on both marine-related businesses and boaters alike. However in order for meaningful change to be affected, the government needs to know exactly what your experience has been.
During their recent message to West Marine shareholders in the West Marine 3rd quarter conference call, Matt Hyde, CEO announced that West Marine will close all of their Canadian stores in 2015.
Boating Industry Canada has learned that in the next year, leases on 7 of their 10 stores in Canada expire. We were told that when a lease expires on any of their West Marine stores, the company evaluates it against minimum financial delivery to decide whether to renew the lease. In the case of these 7 Canadian locations, none of the stores meet West Marine minimums. Because of this, the company announced the the difficult decision to phase out of the Canadian stores over the next few years, as their leases expire. It was also stated that through this process, West marine will continue to support their Canadian stores for the next few years.
Sea Ray has been recognized for excellence in customer satisfaction for the tenth year in a row, earning four 2014 Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Awards from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and bringing the company’s total to an unprecedented 59 CSI Awards over the years of the honour.