Ideas and opportunities set sail

This week The Pilot features some photo highlights from the boat show that was held in conjunction with the North Atlantic Marina & Recreational Boating Conference in Lewisporte.

In the coming weeks there will be articles appearing from some of the highlights of the conference and speakers such as Stan Cook, chair of the Tourism Association of Canada; views on marina development looking at studies and reports from Neil Dawe, president of Tract Consulting and Bob Fraser, vice-president of Gardner Pinfold; Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation Clyde Jackman; Zita Cobb, president of the Shorefast Foundation; gala event coverage with guest speaker Thomas Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association; coverage of the formation of the first Northeast Coast Marina Association and highlights from the in-water demonstration portion of the boat show.

June 18-21 was jam-packed with people eager and optimistic to look towards the future of recreational boating in this province. In addition to the guest speakers and boat show, a lot of work happened in the conference with key representatives from communities and government agencies coming together to further this important industry.

The ideas put forward will be used to build on the natural opportunity Newfoundland and Labrador has at it continues to become a draw for recreational boaters both at home and abroad.

As Stan Cook pointed out in his talk, he saw the value in icebergs and the business potential they held. That vision of what his clients wanted was spot on and has become one of the building blocks for Stan Cook Sea-Kayak Adventures. This province is just seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to exploring the opportunities in marinas and recreational boating. What lies beneath the surface will be a beautiful thing to see as these ideas start to become realities in the not so distant future.

Karen Wells