With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/950283
B o A t I n g I n B . C . Marinas are a focal point for activity, and many towns experience a steady increase in boaters year after year. Barbara Desjardins, Mayor of Esquimalt, says the city has actively encouraged recreational boating trade for decades by ensuring the public has ample access to the water. "We recog- nize the significant positive economic impact and how it benefits our busi- nesses overall— especially during summer when visitors come in droves with their kayaks and other craft. They not only patronize our waterways, but also our restaurants, stores and other venues." Better still, with the B.C. economy firing on all cylinders, the industry is growing. Brendan Keys, who became a boating enthusiast shortly after emigrating from Ireland in 1989 and today is a partner of GA Checkpoint Yamaha (one of the province's leading inflatable and outboard dealers), says: "Our sales have grown 20 to 25 percent annually for the past three years, and the appeal of the pastime is that you're not just buying a boat, you're buying into a lifestyle, one that is all-inclusive: whether it's a $500 kayak or a yacht you can sail up and down the coast, there's an ideal boat for you." Keys doesn't expect the growth to abate any time soon. "Thanks to retiring boomers seeking the good life, and newcomers to B.C. with a lot of dispos- able income, business will continue to be brisk," he says. "Add the fact that our summers are becoming longer and drier, and you have an industry full of opportunity." But it is also an industry facing its fair share of challenges. B.C.'s white-hot real estate market is causing substantial transformations of cities and small towns, including more waterfront development. "Unfortunately, we're seeing a decline in the number of free and accessible places where boaters can get to the water," says Prittie. Plus, as is the case with many other industries, the recreational boating S p e c i a l F e a t u r e