I did not have the good fortune of growing up on the Bay, although visited many times in my teens. I was fortunate enough to marry a gal (Joan Leonard) who had spent her entire life on the Bay, so I consider myself a very lucky Import.

My father-in-law was a big believer in the future of Honey Harbour Boat Club and I feel privileged to serve my second term as a member of the Board of Directors. My first term at HHBC was started in 2006. I served as Vice President Operations and eventually as your President 2012 – 2015.I am deeply honoured to return to the Board in 2020 and serve as the VP Operations before assuming the position as your President. I am humbled to assume this role for a second time.

I currently sit on the Committee of Adjustments for the Township of Georgian Bay, the Executive Committee of Georgian Bay Association (GBA) as well as a member of the Cognashene Cottagers’ Association Board of Directors.

Georgian Bay and the Boat Club are paramount in my life and I serve with great pride. I also would encourage others to consider joining the board of HHBC. I found it to be a very rewarding experience to give back and work alongside others of a similar mindset.

As a third Generation Cottager in the Honey Harbour/ Cognashene area, I’ve spent Summers here for my entire life.
In my early years (up until the age of 14), my family resided in the Smith Cottages in North Bay, Honey Harbour, where my Grandfather had initially bought frontage and divided it it into lots for each of his children.
In 1976, we moved to Governor Island in Cognashene. My Father Douglas Smith (one of the original Founders of the Boat Club), bought an Island that he hoped would serve as an oasis in Georgian Bay for several generations of his Family.

My work career has been spent within our family business, currently as the 3rd generation President of J.D. Smith, a Vaughan based 3rd party Logistics.
Over the years, my wife Kathryn, and our sons Luke (28), Jeremy (26) and Benjamin (22) have all developed a passion for “life on the Bay”.

My Father always said that a boat access cottage wasn’t worth much without a stable and reliable place to keep your Boat (one of the main reasons for the establishment of the Boat Club).
I’m thrilled to give of my time to The HHBC Board, and help contribute in a small way to the continued growth of our unique and exceptional Marina and Club!

My connection to HH, began when I was in my 20’s. My parents had a cottage in Wasaga Beach but I always loved boating on the Bay. We explored Georgian Bay and discovered Beckwith and Beausolei Islands; like all of us, I fell in love with Eastern G Bay. My wife Marilyn and I started looking for a cottage of our own in the early 2000’s and found a nice Viceroy on North Bay HH. We settled in with our 3 children (Cole, Corbin and Brooke) who were young at the time and this immediately became our summer happy place. In 2014 we ventured out to Cognashene and made Ava Island our new summer home!

Professionally, I’ve had a 35 year career in finance and operating roles in businesses operating across Canada and the US. With this experience and my CPA designation, I’ve enjoyed my 6 years on the HHBB Board and role as Treasurer.

I retired as Vice President Law and Government Affairs with Hewlett-Packard Canada in 2013.  I have broad General Counsel and Corporate Secretarial experience managing a legal team for Canada.  I was the responsible fiduciary for all legal aspects of the several business units.  I was a member of the Board of Directors of several subsidiaries and other corporate Boards.  I have experience in government affairs, corporate brand, media relations, employee communications and philanthropy.  I also have extensive Board and Industry Association experience and community work experience.

I first came to the Bay when I was 9 to visit friends in Go Home Bay.  I visited the Bay over many years and finally we were lucky to purchase our piece of heaven on Payette Island in 2003.  Our family are long term members of the Boat Club, and I am honoured to serve on the Board as Secretary. 

I have been fortunate enough to enjoy summers on Georgian Bay all of my life. Originally at my family cottage near Lafontaine, with summers at Camp Kitchikewena and then when Laura and I bought our own family cottage on Bone Island. We have enjoyed the services of the HHBC for some twenty plus years and can’t say enough about the calibre of service and staff we have been fortunate to deal with over that time.

We started off with one boat in dry dock and eventually grew to several boats with a slip as full members. Our first year was also the first for the new GM – Curtis and he has done a stellar job in our opinion. We have run across many of the ex-summer staff since their tenure as HHBC, now as successful young adults and they attribute their experiences here as a positive influence to help them on their journeys.

The Honey Harbour Boat Club represents an outstanding model for what a marina should be and I am very proud to be on your Board of Directors to help ensure these same high standards for future generations.

My Honey Harbour summers started in 1992, shortly after I met my husband to-be. Jon’s grandmother had a cottage on Bone Island and his parents purchased our cottage in 1969, becoming early members of the HHBC. The cottage became ours in 2003, and we spend as much time in HH as we can (not retired yet!). Ours is the cottage with solar panels between Wigwam Is and Webber Is. My cottage hours are spent kayaking, swimming, hiking on Beausoleil, reading and spending time with family & friends! On the HHBC Board, I bring experience as a CPA/CA and as a Board Director in both the private and NFP sectors.

Being a born and raised Bay Girl has provided me a different lens as the years have passed.  No matter where I’ve been or why, my heart has stayed right here in Georgian Bay.   Whether I was racing in the Indian Ocean on an Ngalawa, transiting the passage North to the East Coast to escape hurricane season or circumnavigating Lake Ontario as a captain of 9 people or 2, a part of me has always been that girl heading to work in Honey Harbour through the open Georgian Bay in my little 14 foot Bee boat.

My career has seen me as a small business owner in midstream Oil and Gas, 18 years and counting.  I’ve had the opportunity to sit on boards as an investor in Canadian JV’s. My start was in the family business surrounded by boats working the office and the trade shows amongst some truly great Canadian Entrepreneurs.

I’ve joined the HHBC board to offer my industry knowledge, business acumen, education and community spirit out of respect for all those who have come before us making HHBC the great place it is today.  I am so happy to be home and part of the team.

John is a newly retired Human Resources executive with over 35 years of professional experience in both the financial services and technology industries.  John also has extensive Board experience, having served over eight years on the McMichael Canadian Art Collection Board of Trustees, and currently serving on two Financial Service company Boards.  John is a long time Georgian Bay cottager, having been first introduced to Honey Harbour and the Boat Club at the age of seven, while his wife Sharon and children Jake and Jaime are lifetime “Harbourites”

Starting his career as a Jr Project Manager and working his way up to Vice President in Commercial Construction, the past 20 years have provided Ken with a keen understanding of Building sciences and technologies. This knowledge will offer valuable insight into the growth and maintenance of the Honey Harbour Boat Club. Being a Georgian Bay Cottager all his life, Ken has enjoyed the services and hospitality that the Boat Club offers its members each and every day. He is honored to have the opportunity to give back and his focus now will be helping to maintain the level of excellence that the boat club continues to offer its members today, and for future years to come.

As a fourth-generation cottager, I am both grateful and humbled to have spent a lifetime enjoying summers in Honey Harbour and Cognashine. My family’s roots in the area trace back to 1916 when my great-grandfather Wyndowe, built a cottage on Little Beausoleil Island. A few years later, my grandparents, the Fergusons, acquired Island #180 (Windswept), just south of Minnicognashene Island in Cognashene.

I enjoyed a 28-year career with a Fortune 500 company, specializing in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and sales enablement tools including Salesforce.com. As an HHBC Director, I look forward to assisting the Boat Club with future technological and communication advancements.

I now call Honey Harbour my home operating a Real Estate and Water Taxi business from my Cottage on the north point of Roberts Island, on Big Dog Channel.

With many of my family members serving on the HHBC Board over the years, I am honoured to follow in their footsteps…