Bill
Taylor recognized by the Southern Georgian Bay Chamber
of Commerce
 On
February 24, 2004, the Honourable Garfield Dunlop, Member
of the Provincial Parliament for Simcoe North, Ontario,
presented the prestigious Southern Georgian Bay
Chamber of Commerce "President's Award" to William
E. Taylor, Publisher of Power Boating Canada Magazine
and President of Poker Runs Inc.
(Right: Picture of the award. See large
picture)
In his address to the assembled guests, the Honourable
Mr. Dunlop had the following remarks, which are featured
on the citation accompanying the award:
"It is an honour and privilege to acknowledge the
dedication and commitment you have given to achieve
this prestigious award. I am certain that your family
and friends are very proud of all of your accomplishments.
Ventures such as yours are at the heart of our economic
climate and progress."
The
Honourable Garfield Dunlop, MPP Simcoe North, Ontario.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
William E. Taylor,
President & Publisher,
Power Boating Canada Magazine,
Poker Runs Inc.
Boating enthusiasts throughout Canada have enjoyed reading
Bill Taylor's Power Boating Canada Magazine
since its inception in 1985. For this generation of
outdoor enthusiasts, the magazine reflects their nautical
lifestyle in a manner that is both entertaining and
informative, with a distinctly Canadian flavour.
But there is much more to Bill Taylor than you might
expect… an avid outdoor enthusiast, Bill broke into
the publishing business more than 40 years ago as a
sales representative, setting records for advertising
sales in every position he held. Bill was also among
the top motorcycle racers in Canada, winning in the
ice races, motocross, and road race categories, and
on the snowmobile racing circuit as well.
With his partner, Andre C. Gagnon, Bill ran the very
first snowmobile show in Canada, followed by the first
motorcycle show a year later.
With his contacts in the snowmobile and motorcycle industries,
and his background in advertising sales, it was a natural
move for Bill to channel his skills into his own business.
In 1969, spurred on by his success working for other
publishers, he started CRV Publications Canada, based
in Montreal. The company was the first to publish magazines
for Canadian snowmobile enthusiasts, and soon branched
out into the recreational vehicle market with Camping
Canada's RV Lifestyle Magazine. All of Bill's
titles were published in both English and French language
editions.
Bill's interest in pleasure boating inspired the creation
of Power Boating Ontario Magazine in 1985.
The title was an instant success, and at the request
of the power boating industry Bill expanded the scope
of the publication in 1986 to create Power Boating
Canada Magazine.
Inspired by the popular television show "Miami Vice",
Bill turned his flair for promotion up a notch. As part
of the national promotion of the new flagship publication,
Power Boating Canada, Bill wanted to
display the Miami Vice boat at shows across Canada.
The concept evolved quickly, but the original boat was
booked solid, so Power Boating Canada
and Wellcraft boats created a replica of the 43' offshore
performance boat featured on the hit television series.
Bill's Power Boating Canada team hit the
road, exhibiting the "Vice Boat" at shows from sea to
sea. The sleek deep-vee race boat attracted attention
throughout the country among all types of boaters, and
fans began to follow the "Vice Boat" to on-the-water
events throughout eastern Canada. There were even "Don
Johnson" look-alike contests, where winners would enjoy
a weekend aboard the "Vice Boat" as guests of Bill and
Marilyn Taylor.
Bill saw the tremendous potential for performance boating
events, and along with his team - Marketing Director
Richard Crowder and Chief Boat Tester Doug Dawson, created
the first Power Boating Canada Georgian Bay Poker
Run in 1986. Following a course that brought
the fleet of performance boaters to five towns along
the shores of Georgian Bay, the Poker Run participants
enjoyed the sights and sounds of the region, collecting
a sealed envelope with a single "Poker Run Card" at
each stop. At the end of the run, the sealed envelopes
containing the playing cards were opened by the judges,
and the Poker Runner with the best hand was declared
the winner.
This concept enabled performance boaters to enjoy their
sport in a safe and organized manner, and attracted
tens of thousands of spectators to the area… the boats,
every one an example of the leading edge of marine technology,
were paraded on their trailers through the host town,
and all spectators were invited to view the boats at
their moorings both prior to and after the event.
Over the years, the Power Boating Canada Georgian
Bay Poker Run has become one of the most popular
tourist attractions in the area, bringing thousands
of cottagers to the waterfront to see "the Lamborghinis
and Maseratis of the water", and attracting a fleet
of spectator boats that now numbers in the hundreds
at each "Poker Run card stop".
The Power Boating Canada Poker Run has
made Penetanguishene, and the neighbouring Georgian
Bay communities household names among performance boaters
throughout North America, bringing international attention
to the region as one of North America's finest boating
destinations.
Each year, the Georgian Bay Poker Run
is promoted extensively through Power Boating
Canada Magazine, and Bill's U.S. publication,
Poker Runs America Magazine. Published
accounts of the event, complete with spectacular photography
of the boats and the tourism attractions, have been
enjoyed by millions of readers and visitors to the Power
Boating Canada and Poker Runs America
websites.
Through his efforts, Bill Taylor has brought thousands
of boating enthusiasts to the area, directly and indirectly
generating many millions of dollars in revenue for the
local tourism industry, as well as very generous donations
to local charities. On Poker Run weekend,
the sleepy August morning may be interrupted by the
thundering roar of hundreds of performance boats firing
up tens of thousands of horsepower, but for businesses
in the Georgian Bay region the music of those engines
rings cash register bells throughout the area.
Power Boating Canada also owns and operates
Poker Runs in the 1000 Islands; Montreal; Sorel, Quebec;
Lac Leamy, Quebec; Quebec City; Toronto; and Bill's
U.S. publication, Poker Runs America, stages events
in Sarasota, Florida; Fort Myers, Florida; Cleveland,
Ohio; and Alexandria Bay, New York. Poker Runs America
also sanctions several other events through its subsidiary,
the American Poker Run Association.
For additional information, please contact Poker Runs
Inc. at 800 354 9145. (Page Top) |
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