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Shawn Talbot Photography
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Story and photos by Perry Mack
I asked Peter Wingfield, Designer at Campion, what was on his mind most these days. ‘Having fun”, he replied without hesitation. Not something you want to hear from an employee unless that employee’s goal is ‘making’ fun. And that is the goal for Canada’s largest independent boat builder, which manufactures a complete line of dream-fulfilling watercraft in their 9,290 square metre facility in the Okanagan.
It’s been rough road for boating manufacturers since 2008 when the recession hit and the taps for new boat demand turned off. For many, the rough road turned out to be the end of the road, but not for Campion. Times were lean but the company held together by cutting costs and never compromising on quality. And like many agile companies, they took advantage of the downturn to quietly acquire great boat brands, adding Svfara, Reinell, Infinyte, and Bluewater to their already strong lineup, which includes Chase, Explorer, Biltmore and Allante.
You can now purchase a quality Canadian built boat to fulfill your dreams whether those dreams involve fishing, performance, towing, cruising or boats that can meet more than one need at the same time. And with approximately 100 dealers in 30 countries, you can fulfill those dreams almost anywhere on the globe.
Innovative designs are the hallmark of Campion and the Infinyte and Biltmore boats are no exception. Infinyte are eco-friendly electric powered boats that compliment Campion’s effort to not only construct eco-friendly boats but also build all boats in a more ecofriendly way. Many environmentally unfriendly chemicals are used in all types of manufacturing. Yet Campion has taken bold, often experimental steps, in the last few years to build greener boats using bio resins, low emission gel coats, Ecomate flotation foam and 3 dimensional glass matting which requires less resin.
But back to fulfilling dreams. The explosion of the popularity of the pontoon boat is well documented throughout the boating industry. But why settle for aluminum pontoons with unusable space when you can have all the advantages of a pontoon design but enjoy the hull space as well. Enter the Biltmore, a fibreglass hull based on a pontoon style design that offers you the social ambiance of a pontoon boat with the luxury of a hull.
While the Bluewater boats aren’t currently in production, the Reinell brand is very well known and provides an entry-level product to the Campion line-up and has been very well received. At times, new Reinell boats fill the factory floor. Their durable design and quality often make them the perfect choice for boat rental companies as well as cost conscious consumers that still want a quality built watercraft.
Campion doesn’t build the cheapest boats on the market, thank goodness, but your extra dollar gets you a quality Canadian built boat from a manufacturer dedicated to not only building the best boats but also by using the greenest methods available. For more information on Campion boats visit www.campionboats.com. Your local dealers include Little River Boat World in Sorrento www.lrboatworld.com (250) 675-2321, Banner Recreation in Kelowna & Vernon www.bannerrec.com (250) 979-2889.
Go ahead and wave the Canadian flag, buy Campion.