Jan 31, 2023
By Andy Adams
It was a standing room crowd at the NMMA Canada State of the Recreational Boating Industry Breakfast on Tuesday January 24th and I was again honored to be the opening host. The program featured several important sessions beginning with the NMMA President and CEO Frank Hugelmeyer who was in attendance to join NMMA Canada Chairman JF Rioux to present a special award to Sara Anghel recognizing her many contributions to the industry and the NMMA Canada. Sara has now departed her position at the NMMA to be the new President of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association.
JF Rioux (left) and Frank Hugelmeyer present Sara Anghel with a award for her service to the NMMA Canada
As the primary sponsor, Wells Fargo again brought Managing Director and International Economist, Nick Bennenbroek to deliver a broad-ranging review of the economic conditions the boating industry in Canada faces. There was a lot to absorb in this session but my overall take-away was that 2023 can be expected to be a good year for boating.
Kevin Williams, Vice President, North American Marketing for the NMMA gave an update on the Discover Boating program.
Bob Clark (centre) and JF Rioux (right) induct Bill Connor of Stanley Boats to the NMMA Canada Hall of Fame
One of the most important sessions was the presentation of the NMMA Canada Hall of Fame Award. Bob Clark, Contracts Manager at MetalCraft Marine Inc., gave the tribute to Bill Connor who established Stanley Boats, the Lighthouse boats brand and who recently bought into MetalCraft Marine.
Jonathan Levine, General Manager at Mercury Canada presented Les Sparks (left) with a special memorial award.
Closing out the event, Jonathan Levine, General Manager at Mercury Canada gave a tribute to Les Sparks for his remarkable 50-year career with Mercury as he prepares to enter retirement.
Thanks to all who got up early to join us for this informative and enjoyable event!
Recreational craft and invasive species – how to manage biofouling to stop the spread

New Biofouling Management for Recreational Boating Report is published
Killer shrimps, sea squirts and the spiny water flea are all examples of invasive alien species that have been introduced to new areas in various parts of the world by recreational craft such as boats, yachts and other small craft.
Invasive alien species are known to be one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss, and their management especially in marine environments is incredibly challenging. Therefore, the most cost effective away of addressing their impacts is to prevent their spread to new areas.
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On January 4, 2023, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) launched Veer, an all-new boat brand designed to support electric propulsion and appeal to the next generation of boaters, and also debuted the first model in the Veer line-up; the X13.
“Recreational boating and fishing are enjoying increasing popularity with younger and more diverse consumers,” said Matt Atilano, Veer Director of Strategy. “We identified a gap in the marketplace and a need to create a more targeted and modern experience for these new boaters, which inspired the design and development of the Veer brand.”
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Garmin has announced their new ECHOMAP™ UHD2 series chartplotters that offer anglers premium features like Ultra High-Definition sonar, preloaded Garmin Navionics+™ mapping with an included one-year subscription to daily map updates, wireless networking for data sharing and support for Garmin’s award-winning LiveScope™ live-scanning sonar.
Available with a 6”, 7” or 9” bright, sunlight-readable touchscreen display with keyed assist, anglers can easily control and operate the functions they depend on for a successful day on the water, including zooming in or out on the map or quickly toggling between different sonar views.
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C-Tow Marine Assistance appoints Jill Noel to Manager of Operations

C-Tow Marine Assistance Ltd., which has been serving and assisting recreational boaters across Canadian waterways for more than 35 years, has announced the appointment of Jill Noel to Manager of Operations, effective January 2, 2023.
In her new role, with an overall goal of building the C-Tow brand across Ontario and throughout Canada, Jill will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations including digital marketing and social media initiatives, company representation at national and local industry events, managing the C-Tow captains, and liaising with marinas, yacht clubs, and marine associations.
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