Charter Date: October 30, 1980
Who We Are: The Canadian Antique and Classic Boat Society, which operates as ACBS-Toronto, was formed in 1979 and incorporated in 1981. We exist to celebrate the beauty and the rich heritage of vintage boating in Ontario, Canada, and around the world. Currently we have over 600 family and corporate memberships.
What We Do: Part of our mission is to work with and support non-profit organizations having links to our interest, events, or venue communities. ACBS-Toronto has donated more than $50,000 in the past to Muskoka Steamships and Discovery Centre to support several projects. We have also supported other like-minded organizations including the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston, ON, the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, ON, and the wooden boat building program offered at IE Weldon Secondary School in Lindsay, ON as part of the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) partnership with Fleming College. All of these organizations have had representation at our shows in the past.
Since our first boat show in Toronto in 1982, this event has continued annually with few exceptions and is one of the highlights of the club with over 100 boats being shown each year along with crowds averaging 4000 to 5000 people. The show is now held in Muskoka and is the largest of its kind in Canada. It is also considered one of the premier shows in North America and appears on many bucket lists.
In addition to our annual summer vintage boat show, our club offers member events throughout the year. We begin in January with a display at the Toronto International Boat Show. In February, we offer our Winter Workshop, and at the end of April, our members kick off the boating season with our annual Spring Tour of local Muskoka boat shops and the opportunity to catch up on winter tales over lunch. Our summer vintage boat show is the highlight of the year. Over the rest of the summer and into the early fall, we look forward to local rendezvous and gathering with fellow club members. Our year is completed with our Annual General Meeting in December.
How We Communicate with Our Membership and Beyond: Our award-winning magazine, Classicboat, is published quarterly and features a wide variety of articles on restorations, barn finds, and boating history as well as stories shared by our members. In addition, a regular e-blast called Classicboat Connection is sent out to all members with information about recent and upcoming events. Our Facebook page is well viewed, and we are venturing further into social media. The Members section of our website (https://www.acbs.ca) contains digital copies of all back issues of Classicboat as well as an online directory that allows members to update their profiles and share helpful information such as boat histories and restoration tips. For promotion at different events, we have the ACBS-Toronto Membership Tent with large photo displays and volunteers to answer questions.
How We Engaged Our Members During the Pandemic: When the pandemic made close contact impossible, our club leadership created a virtual show that allowed members to feature their boats (and enjoy others) online rather than in person. In 2021, the virtual show attracted 3943 users, with 5947 sessions, indicating many users returned for more than one session. In addition, a virtual winter workshop and spring shop tour were also developed and live streamed. The spring shop tour had the added benefit of being able to include shops that wouldn’t normally be included on the physical tour due to distance.
During the same period, we created what is now known as International Vintage Boating Day to be held on the third Saturday of August each year. The goal of this event is to get as many vintage boats on the water in as many different venues as possible. All ACBS members are encouraged to gather on a local waterway with friends and family or to organize a larger event to celebrate this day. In 2023, boaters participated from across North America and parts of Europe.
Big Cruise for a Big Cause: In 2012, the Muskoka Steamships recreated the famous 100 Mile cruise that had last been run in 1958. Historically, the cruise (which had been running since 1922) would leave Gravenhurst and travel through Lakes Muskoka, Rosseau, and Joseph before stopping at Natural Park on Little Lake Jo.
100 Mile Cruise
ACBS-Toronto participated in the recreation by enlisting over 100 vintage boats to accompany the RMS Segwun and the Wenonah II as they traced the original route of the SS Sagamo. Many of the vintage boats followed the entire route while others joined at different points along the way. The event became known as the “Big Cruise for a Big Cause” when participants were asked to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society, ultimately raising over $12,000 for that organization.
How We Do It: To run all these events, we have a strong volunteer corps known as the WAVE (We Are Volunteers Engaged), and currently just over 100 of our members have registered. WAVE members are passionate and dedicated people who organize and facilitate all ACBS-Toronto events and activities and play an invaluable role in the success of the club.
It’s All About the Boats and the People: At ACBS-Toronto, our tagline is “It’s the boats and the people”! We welcome you to visit our website and Facebook page and to join us for our next summer vintage boat show on July 12, 2025.