By Zachary Greco
Spring was in the air and the arenas were packed with boats and RVs last weekend for the 14th Annual Quinte Sportsman, Boat and RV Show.
From Friday to Sunday, the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre was filled with everything to do with the outdoors for the biggest sportsman show between Toronto and Ottawa.
The new renovations and expansion of the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre have allowed for more room for the show. This year’s show was the biggest yet, with more than 80 vendors showcasing and selling outdoor goods, giving showgoers a chance to shop around and get the best deals they could find.
“There’s pretty much anything you can fit into the place from one end to the other,” said show organizer Jeff Cox.
Quinte residents of all ages and walks of life attended the show.
“This year has been the best show ever,” said showgoer Steve Hannah. “There’s lots of displays, trailers, everything.”
“There is something here for everybody and everyone should take it in. It gets you into the spring feeling,” said Hannah.
Rifles, shotguns, bows and crossbows were available for hunters along with a plethora of fishing tackle and rods for anglers at the show.
For the non-hunters and anglers, there were enough trailers, RVs, Argos, ATVs and boats to keep people busy looking for hours.
“We started the show so we could have a place of our own to show trailers instead of going to Toronto or Ottawa,” said Cox whose family owns Carl Cox RVs.
With free parking and a roughly 30-minute drive, the show was a no brainer for the outdoorsmen of the area, instead of driving to Toronto or Ottawa.
“If the city would like to co-operate, I would like to make it larger next year,” said Cox. “There’s still more of the building not being used.”