February 10, 2026

North American launch of ENVGO’s electric hydrofoil boat and the smashing success of world’s first indoor floating pickleball court made for strong attendance 

 
Summer on the water couldn’t come sooner for attendees who braved challenging winter conditions to get a head start on boating plans at the 2026 Toronto International Boat Show (TIBS).  Ontarians are still digging out from more than 88cm of snowfall in the month of January, the most on record since 1937.  Despite several days of bitter windchills and the City of Toronto declaring a Major Snowstorm Condition on the final weekend of the Show, attendance was strong at 47,286 visitors over the nine-day show which took place from January 17 – 25 at the Enercare Centre in downtown Toronto. 

              • “Despite record snow falls, cold temperatures, and much uncertainty in the world of politics and economics -Canadian boaters braved all these challenges to come out and support Canadian dealers and set their sights on another exciting summer on the water with friends and family.  Positivity all around!”  – Les Dawe, CO2 Inflatables, Dealer for Highfield, Brig, and Zodiac

The sense of renewed optimism was a common thread among exhibitors at TIBS, as well as the Canadian boating industry that is collectively celebrating the recent advocacy success of having the federal Luxury Tax on boats eliminated as of November 2025.  This marks a turning point for many in the manufacturing sector and overall supply chain effect from supporting more than 80,000 good-paying skilled jobs, to benefiting boat dealerships and local businesses.  The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, held a press conference at the Toronto Boat Show on January 20 to lend support for Ontario’s marine industry that annually contributes more than $4.5B to the economy.   

The Premier remarked on the industry’s strength, resilience, and the importance of keeping manufacturing in Canada, and highlighted the need to support Canadian innovation against the backdrop of Canada’s first electric hyrdofoiling ‘flying’ boat made by Waterloo marine-tech company, ENVGO.  The launch of ENVGO’s NV1 made its official North American debut at the 2026 Toronto International Boat Show, where more new products are launched each year than anywhere in Canada.   
 
As first-time exhibitors, ENVGO co-founder Pete Keller shared:
 
“Exhibiting at TIBS provided ENVGO with exceptional media visibility, generating coverage across national, international, and industry-specific outlets. The show organizers offered opportunities for exposure that we would not have achieved otherwise, significantly boosting our NV1 product launch.  We were thrilled to be an exhibitor at TIBS 2026. We loved working with the show organizers and look forward to 2027.”
 
This year’s Show exceeded expectations for many first-time and longstanding exhibitors who have reported strong sales and new leads from qualified attendees.  

              • “TIBS delivered a strong overall show for Regal Boats, highlighting innovation across our fleet of boats from 21 to 43 Ft.  The nine days helped develop momentum for our dealers heading into the Spring season.” – Thomas Medri, Regal Boats

              •  “This was Pace’s second year at the Toronto International Boat Show. With our expanding boat line we needed to increase our footprint at the show and the response was fantastic! We sold several boats, made many quality leads and developed new business relationships.” – D’Arcy Craig , Pace Watersports 

              •  “Even with all the snow days during the 2026 show, we have by far exceeded our sales expectations for the Toronto Boat Show!” – Gary Hubley, Seven Winds Marina, dealer for Crownline & Finseeker

              • “The Toronto Boat show has been a staple in the boating and watersports business for decades.  It continues to attract qualified customers and new people to the boating lifestyle.  We are pleased to report that despite the snowstorms that this year brought, we had a great show. There is so much to see and do at the show  – it is fun and entertaining, the indoor lake is such a great attraction, and we look forward to 2027’s show.” – Donna Rork, Cottage Toys 

Canadian-made Legend Boats held its 40th Anniversary celebration at the Toronto Boat Show to debut its 2026 product range and invited its customers for an appreciation night.   

              • “The Legend team wrapped up another strong Toronto Boat Show, an event that continues to play a key role in our business. Despite the weather, a standout highlight was the second Saturday which delivered a surge of highly qualified buyers,” said Jesse Davis, Legend Boats. 

This year, TIBS organizers introduced some exciting new programming that attracted a diverse and broad range of visitors to its event including the debut of the world’s first indoor floating pickleball court on the largest indoor lake for boaters.  The opportunity to play one of the fastest growing sports in North America (and to play it on water) was hugely popular with visitors of all ages.  The premiere of the Paddling Film Festival was another highlight, selecting the Toronto Boat Show to kick-off its World Tour featuring award-winning films from around the world celebrating the people, adventures, and paddling culture.

Returning events and features such as the 7th Annual Indoor Canadian Wakeboard Championships, wakeboarding and waterski shows, and glow-in-the-dark boating continue to draw out crowds. Themed days included Women’s Day (Jan. 18) and Sailors Day (Jan. 24), as well as a special LIVE virtual event with Canadian skipper Melodie Schaffer and her co-skipper, Colin Campbell as they spoke to audiences remotely from her boat, Whisky Jack, to share their progress during Leg 4 of the Globe Race through Sydney, Australia to Valparaiso.   Schaffer was one of many boaters, experts and enthusiasts who led more than 200 hours of free seminars on a wide variety of how-to topics and inspiring adventures.   New this year was a special appearance by Robert Youens, 71-year-old cancer survivor and record holder for fastest boater to complete the Great Loop. 

Next year’s dates for the 69th Annual Toronto International Boat Show will be January 16-24, 2027.