After more than 40 years of serving Thunder Bay and the region, Norm’s Boating Centre Inc. will close its doors.
Its owner, Norm Willis, says it’s time. The familiar shop that has been a staple on May Street for 38 of Willis’s 40-year business will wind down operations, clear out inventory and close on May 1.
“After 40 years, I think that’s enough,” he said. “I bought my first boat, it was a wooden boat, and I started working on it, and it went from there. We used to do a lot of fibreglass work and boat painting and then we got into new boat sales.”
Willis said the boat sales industry in Thunder Bay is quite competitive because consumers and other dealers buy from out of town.
“But during the COVID pandemic, we actually sold a lot of boats,” he said. “People couldn’t travel, so they decided they would go fishing instead.”
Willis couldn’t pinpoint just one highlight of the business and said that every time he had a happy customer, it was memorable.
“I saw the joy on people’s faces when they came in to pick up their new boat,” he said, adding that it was because they’re going out to enjoy themselves.”
Willis specialized in the Legend line of watercraft and sold mainly fishing boats ranging in size from 12 to 20 feet. For more than 35 years, Willis hosted the annual Thunder Bay Boat Show that took place at the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition Coliseum.
“But this year is a retirement year,” he said. “I went on a cruise instead.”
Willis plans to continue to enjoy his retirement, cruising the Arctic and the Caribbean.
