White Christmas In Muskoka

While Muskoka has always been known to have a lot of snow, it is very rare to get such a large amount at one time. Last week Muskoka shut down. Roads were unsafe, cars were snowed in, power was out. Everyone stayed home.
With this storm, Huntsville broke records by getting at least 80cm in some places.
Bracebridge was hammered with even more snow. The snow started Wednesday and continued through the weekend. Snow was piled over a metre high. We have passed the average December snowfall of 72cm. Muskoka turned into a winter wonderland.
Power was out all over Bracebridge and both the Town of Bracebridge and the Town of Huntsville declared Snow Emergencies.
Snow plows worked overtime, trying to get the roads cleared. In some areas, regular pick-up trucks with plows were doing the side roads. It took almost a week to get the roads properly plowed.
Looks like this will be a great winter for everyone that loves snow. The ski hills are ready and the snowmobile trails are being prepared. Lake of Bays froze overnight. If we’re lucky, the temperature will stay down and we’ll be able to skate on the lakes early in the new year.
Another white Christmas in Muskoka!
I hope everyone has a great holiday and a happy new year.

An End To A Great Season

My boating season started this year on April 17th on a beautiful sunny and warm April afternoon. The ice was still in and in spite of my best judgment I strapped on the wakeboard and went for the first ride of the year on Lake Muskoka. Yes the Water Was cold at a not so balmy 1 degree Celsius but it was great to get back out on the water after a long, cold and very snowy winter and well worth the lack of feeling left in my toes.

After the longest boating season I have ever had personally you can flash forward almost eight months later on December 5. As Muskoka receives its first real blast of winter weather I put on my winter coat, touque, gloves and a pair of ski goggles, brushed the snow off the boat and head out for a trip across the lake to Pride of Muskoka and back for what I can only assume will be my final boat ride of the 2009 boating season. It is a far cry from that beautiful day in April with my anticipation of the coming season and the warm and sunny days of July and August to boating in December in Muskoka which is a very different experience. It is almost serine as you are the only boat on the lake running along the snow covered shoreline. It feels as though you should be on a snowmobile and not in a boat. Although I am saddened that I’ve been out on my last boat ride of the 2009 season, I’m glad that I live in such an amazing part of our country and that I have the opportunity to spend so much time on the water, and I’m excited for next year, who knows maybe I’ll be able to get out there on April 16th.

See You on the Water.
Brandon

It's the First Snow of the Year

The first winter blast has finally hit Muskoka. Accumulations of heavy snow from 1cm to 8cm deep, blanketed cottage country this morning. The ground is still not yet frozen, so most of the snow evidence melted away by noon, but it was still a stern reminder that winter is on its way. After an unseasonably warm and dry November, the morning of December 1st felt more like, last few brave island cottagers hoping to get to the cottage one more time before the hard freeze up, are going to have to move quickly.
The winter weather is supposed to continue through the weekend and then we are on to a white Christmas in Muskoka!

Just Before The Weather Turns

Just in time before the weather turns

On Friday, all 5 Pride Marine Group locations completed our winterization and shrink wrap season. The weather held as one of the warmest and driest autumn’s in recent history allowing all the work to be completed 10-14 days ahead of location schedules. Looking at the Weather Network for the upcoming weeks, it looks like nothing but rain and eventually cold snow in the forecast for the next two weeks. A well deserved congratulations to all of the technicians and yard staff that were able to bed down 1,167 boats at our 5 locations and an additional 417 boats that have been safely winter serviced and raised in customer’s boathouses across cottage country. To get that amount of work done in less than 6 weeks is truly incredible. With well over a thousand boats on site, there will be lots of off season repairs and accessory installations to be done this winter to keep everyone very busy in January, February and March.

“A rolling stone gathers no moss” (Publilius Syrus) – so we are now in full swing for Boat Show preparations. Stay tuned for big changes in the Pride Marine Group Booth at the Toronto Boat Show this year!

A Tale of 2 Boating Countries

Over the past 2 weeks, I have had the opportunity to experience the incredible difference between the American boating industry and the Canadian boating industry.
Before I left the hotel on Oct 30 for Day 1 at the Ft Lauderdale Boat Show (the largest boat show in the world), I checked my email. An industry publication had broken the story that Genmar's Chapter 11 reorganization (link - http://www.boating-industry.com/output.cfm?id=2345977) had officially moved toward asset liquidation. That made for an interesting dynamic for the Lauderdale Show to say the least. Sales representatives for the Genmar Brands (Four Winns, Larson, Glastron, Hydrosport, Carver, Wellcraft, Seaswirl, Ranger,etc) were reeling while their competitors were too concerned trying to keep their own houses in order to even mention it. Financial forclosures, bank reposessions, "No Warranty Sales", and dealers walking away from inventory issues or customer issues was the theme for 5 days in Florida. The remaining minority of quality, well run manufacturers were struggling to find customers to engage in a normal purchase conversation centred around products, customer needs and value.
Two days after arriving back in to Canada from the Lauderdale Show, I was at the Cottage Life Fall Show in Toronto. What a difference of attitude north of the border. The three day Fall Show has always been a great place for us to reaquaint with customers and build toward the Toronto Boat Show in January. Amazingly this year, twice as many customers decided to purchase boats during the Show than we had ever experienced at the Cottage Life Fall Show before. Not once was the economy discussed in three days. Conversations of customer needs, new products and relationship value were occuring. Customers asked about boat availability and our ability to take care of their long term needs. The show was populated with people smiling and families passionate about cottaging and boating were trying to mentally fast forward through the next 6 months to Victoria Day Weekend 2010.
Our world in Canada is almost back to normal and a steady economic recovery is gaining traction. More than ever, I am very happy to live and work in Canada.