ANNUAL SOURCE DIRECTORY ISSUE SERVING CANADA’S RV INDUSTRY SINCE 1971 VOL 41 NO 2 Pierre Bélanger, ON Gérard Dufresne, QC Garth Bromley, MB CANADIAN RV DEALER OF THE YEAR Meet the Nominees! Sylvia Thistle-Miller, BC Ross Hodgins, AB Kevin Cropper, SK 2013 Source Directory INDUSTRY PROFILE: ROBERT MAINGOT, Cross-Canada Update SAL Group Canadian RV Show Calendar RBC INKS FOUR-YEAR ENDORSEMENT WITH RVDA CANADA 1121 Invicta Dr., Unit 2, Oakville, ON L6H 2R2 Publications Mail Agreement #40010957 contents 9 in this issue Cover Story: Canadian RV Dealer of the Year 6 The nominees are…. In The Spotlight: 9 RV Care Expands 12 RBC Royal Bank inks four-year endorsement 12 with RVDA of Canada. Association Updates: 14 RVDA of BC 16 RVDA of Alberta 16 RVDA of Saskatchewan 18 RVDA of Manitoba 18 Ontario RVDA 19 ACVRQ 20 Atlantic RVDA Canadian Hospitality Night 26 The highlight of the annual Louisville RV Show! 16 28 Canadian RV Show Calendar RV Lifestyle DEALER NEWS Source Directory: 29 RV Manufacturers 32 Parts & Accessory Suppliers/Distributors 53 RV Associations AD INDEX Atlas Trailer Coach On The Road Again ........ 19 26 Products ......................... 17 Professional Money ........ 28 Danzy Distributors .......... 25 RBC Royal Bank .............. 5 EverGreen RV ................. 23 RVIA Louisville Show...... 15 Federated Insurance ........ 9 Scotiabank ..................... 20 Gen Deck........................ 36 StagParkway ................ IBC GE Capital .....................IFC TCF Inventory Northern Lite .................. 14 Finance ........................... 11 NTP ................................. 21 TD Auto Finance ..........OBC Volume 41 Number 2 | RV Lifestyle Dealer News 3 Publishers MESSAGE Dealer News Think Volume 41 Number 2 Publisher Positive! William E. Taylor Associate Publisher Melanie Taylor Vice President Special Projects/Editor Norm Rosen s Canadian RV dealers, manufacturers and suppliers gather in Louisville to Technical Director launch the 2013 model year, the overall tone of the industry is positive – Garth Cane the Canadian economy is stable, consumer confidence in the RV industry Assistant Editor A Darryl Eden is strong, and all indicators point to a strengthening in all sectors of the Canadian Marketing / Special Projects RV market. April Meeks Production Manager This is a time for growth and enthusiasm at manufacturing, distribution and Marlene Jolicoeur retail levels, as the number of Canadian RV enthusiast families expands throughout the nation. ADVERTISING SALES Jo-Ann Searls Melanie Taylor Over the years, we have observed the North American economy from the unique Norm Rosen Roy Baird perspective of the RV industry. In challenging economic times, our industry provides ADMINISTRATION William E. Taylor the most affordable alternative for the family vacation lifestyle. In times of prosperity, President the RV experience offers a sense of freedom unmatched in the recreational sector. RV Roy C. Baird VP/General Manager touring and long-term RV camping are recreational lifestyles that embody the highest Norman Rosen degree of family values – thanks in no small part to the professionalism and customer VP/Special Projects Jo-Ann Searls oriented approach of the RV dealers and campground operators who assure that every Public Relations Director family derives the greatest benefit from their RV experience. At RV Lifestyle Magazine, Vie en Plein Air, and RV Lifestyle DEALER NEWS EXECUTIVE OFFICES we are proud to sponsor the 22nd annual Canadian RV Dealer of the Year Award. This Toronto: 1121 Invicta Drive, Unit 2 special honour is dedicated to the memory of Walt Paseska, whose selfless devotion to Oakville, ON L6H 2R2 Tel: 905-844-8218 Fax: 905-844-5032 the RVDA movement in Canada, to his customers, and to the community at large was Montreal: an inspiration for RV dealers throughout the nation. 970 Montee de Liesse, Suite 310 St. Laurent, PQ H4T 1W7 Please take a few minutes to read the profiles of the RV professionals featured in Tel: 514-856-0787/88 Fax: 514-856-0790 Vancouver: this issue, and join us as we honour the six Canadian RV dealers who are nominated 1745 Rufus Drive for this year’s award. North Vancouver, BC V7J 3L8 Camping Canada’s RV Lifestyle Dealer News is published by Camping Canada Magazine Ltd. Reproduction of any mate- rial appearing in this magazine in any form is forbidden without prior consent of the publisher. Advertising rates available on request. Camping Canada Magazine reserves the right to refuse any and all advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements of facts made by its advertisers Bill Taylor, Publisher or independent columnists. RV Lifestyle Magazine CANADA POST CANADIAN PUBLICATION Vie en Plein Air MAIL SALES PRODUCT AGREEMENT NUMBER RV Lifestyle DEALER NEWS 1360280 © 2012 CAMPING CANADA MAGAZINE PRINTED IN CANADA 4 RV Lifestyle Dealer News | Volume 41 Number 2 Congratulations 2012 RV Dealer of the Year Nominees! On behalf of our entire sales and service team, congratulations on your outstanding performance and leadership. Sylvia Thistle-Miller Gérard Dufresne Ross Hodgins Triangle RV, Caravanes de la Petite RV City, Sidney, BC Nation, Gatineau, QC Morinville, AB Garth Bromley Pierre Bélanger Kevin Cropper Transcona Trailer Sales, Earlton RV, Cropper Motors, Winnipeg, MB Earlton, ON Naicam, SK Canadian RV Dealer of the Year Who will be Dealer of the Year? The nominees are... By Norm Rosen ach year, the RVDA of Canada, in Econjunction with Camping Canada’s RV Lifestyle Magazine Vie en Plein Air and RV Lifestyle Dealer News, invites nominations from across Canada for the Canadian RV Dealer of the Year Award. The award was created in 1988 to honour Walt Paseska, of Walt’s Trailer Sales, Headingly Manitoba, whose long- term contribution to the RV industry, the RVDA movement, and the commu- nity at large distinguished him as one of Canada’s leading proponents of the RVDA movement. While other awards recognize the most successful dealers, the Canadian RV Dealer of the Year is selected by his or her peers and this honour carries the respect and recognition of the RV com- munity as a whole. The criteria used in selecting the recipient of the Walter Paseska memorial Canadian RV Dealer of the Year Award include: • Commitment and participation in the For the 2012 award, your RVDA of Wayne Hambly RVDA at the provincial or national level. Canada selection committee includes PEI Home & RV Centre the past four Dealer of the Year Award • Recognition by customers and peers recipients, a representative from David Dobson as a person with the highest integrity the award’s sponsor, RV Lifestyle RV World and credibility in both work and per- Magazine, and a representative from sonal life. the RVDA of Canada. Daniel Morin Roulottes Desjardins, St-Jerome, QC • Contribution to the community. Marty Vellner Vellner Leisure Products - Jo-Ann Searls • Long term dedication to the RV indus- Chairman RV Lifestyle Magazine try, and promotion of the RV lifestyle by the acting dealer principal of a recognized Tom Ramsay Eleonore Hamm full service RV dealership. Meridian RV President, RVDA of Canada 6 RV Lifestyle Dealer News | Volume 41 Number 2 The nominees for the 2012 Dealer of the election. Other commitments include the in August of 1963 and Garth started his Year Award are as follows: Foire Gourmande, a successful Quebec/ career in the business when he 14 years Ontario regional food product fair and old, working and training in the dealer- PIERRE BÉLANGER Entre-Amis/Between Friends, a Quebec/ ship after school and on weekends. Garth Earlton RV Ontario linkage effort. He currently started to work full time in 1977 and over Earlton, Ontario chairs a local philanthropic foundation the years has trained and worked in every which has been established since 1996 department of the dealership. In 1991, Ontario RV Dealer of the Year - 2012 called La Fondation Communautaire du Garth and his brother Terry purchased Témiskaming. The Foundation has built the RV dealership from their parents, The following profile contains excerpts a Community Health Clinic in Earlton and in 1995 they purchased the land and from the RVDA of Ontario’s nomination and a senior citizen residence. The building. The dealership then moved and letter to the nomination committee. Foundation has also helped to establish 13 shortly thereafter the Bromley’s went bursaries given to Secondary School stu- into partnership with Dennis Rondeau, “Pierre Bélanger’s experience ranges dents attending post secondary education. from a key role in manufacturing the Pierre has an affinity for nature and Boler RV to owning and managing a agriculture and has maintained this in large multi-product RV dealership. In Bisons du Nord, a 480 acre, 200-head 1976 he opened Earlton Camping Centre buffalo ranch established in 1972. The Limited with a total of 7 employees. ranch sells breeding stock and meat ani- Today, after store expansions, he now has mals. Pierre has also served as a long a total of 20 employed in his operation. time director on the Canadian Bison Pierre has a commitment to public Association (C.B.A.) and as a founding affairs that originated in his early 1970’s president. In addition, from 1983 to 2002, activities involved with the development he owned and operated the Earlton Zoo, a major northern tourist and educational attraction which hosted exotic as well as regional animals. When not politically involved, Mr. Bélanger also works as a trainer and speaker on management for owner-oper- ated businesses. He often does French lanugage training seminars for The Spader Management Group in Québec. The common thread in his public involvement are his regional and franco- phone roots and his firm belief in sustain- able community development through local effort and enterprise. In 2007, Laurentian University in Sudbury, ON buying into Rond’s Marine next door to awarded him a Doctor of Laws honorary Transcona Trailer Sales. degree in recognition of his contribution Garth takes a very active role in man- to his community.