2025 Toronto International Boat Show Expands Features, Seminars And Offerings To Attract Outdoor-Minded Consumers

Muskoka411 Staff

2 hours ago

2025 Toronto Boat Show Highlights:

NEW – Golden Hour Dockside Lounge on The Lake: There’s nothing like a summer sunset by the lake, and now visitors can experience that feeling at the Toronto Boat Show! The Golden Hour Dockside Lounge is a place to relax and bask under the ambience of a sunset while sitting on the dock of The Lake. Grab a snack and a beverage on the licensed dock, while people-watching as kayakers and pedal boaters enjoy Glow-in-the-Dark Boating surrounded by colourful LED lights.

NEW – Discover Camping & Boating: A new hub for outdoor-minded enthusiasts who have an interest in camping and boating. The campground environment will feature a variety of tent displays, cottage chairs to sit back and enjoy a smores hot chocolate, while watching educational videos highlighting camping destinations in Ontario. PLUS – meet outdoor educator and popular paddler known as “The Happy Camper” Kevin Callan, who will be at the Boat Show on opening weekend to share tips for your next canoe trip, from planning a route to dealing with bugs, bears and bad weather.

NEW – CJ’s Skatepark & SBC Wake: Did you know that many pro wakeboarders discovered their passion and talent through skateboarding? Balance, gliding, and board control learned in skateboarding are all transferrable skills that can lead to trying wakeboarding, surfing or other wake sports. CJ’s Skatepark is the premier skateboarding training centre in Canada, located in Mississauga. They are bringing elements of their renowned indoor skatepark to the Toronto Boat Show for the first time to offer skateboarding lessons, in partnership with SBC Wake.

Women’s Day at the Toronto Boat Show (Sunday, January 19): A day dedicated to empowering women on and off the water featuring seminars, panel discussions and workshops in a safe and fun environment. Ask questions and learn from experienced female boaters such as Diane Reid, covering topics such as women and cruising, how to make boating fun for the whole family, boat handling and and feeling confident on the water. This year’s Keynote Speaker is Melodie Schaffer, 2023 Rolex Sailor of the Year. She shares her inspiring story of having a career as a biomedical engineer to being a stay-at-home mom for 20 years; and overcoming unimaginable roadblocks to pursue her passion for offshore sailing, setting race records, and becoming the first Canadian woman to race around the world in her Class 40 boat named, Whiskey Jack.

300+ FREE Seminars: The Toronto Boat Show offers the most comprehensive line up of education and free seminars for boaters of all interests and skill levels. There are hourly seminars across six locations/stages featuring industry experts, avid boaters, and professional sailors to share their adventures, or to offer practical tips and advice. Click here for a complete list of seminar topics, speakers and schedules.

Offshore Racer and 2023 Rolex Sailor of the Year, Melodie Schaffer, became the first Canadian woman to race around the world in the 2022/23 Globe 40.

Boating Resource Centre: Boating authorities and recreational organizations such as Parks Canada, Canadian Coast Guard, OPP Marine, Transport Canada and others, will be onsite to provide unbiased information on best boating practices and preparations to get out on the water safely to enjoy boating activities.

Great Canadian Fish Tank: Get an up-close view of how fish react to different lures and techniques through a 40-foot long aquarium filled with 5,000 gallons of water and stocked with native Ontario marine life. Daily seminars by professional anglers demonstrate how different fish react to different types of bait, step-by-step casting methods, and effective tips on how to catch “the big one.”

Georgian College Skills Competition & Marine Technical Training Centre: Canada’s core recreational boating industry employs approximately 45,000 Canadians, but there’s a growing labour shortage and need for more skilled marine engineers and technicians. The Marine Technical Training Centre at the Toronto Boat Show is an educational hub to learn about the many opportunities and pathways to a career in the marine industry; and invites visitors to “Try the Trade” with activities to learn about engine components. Current students enrolled in the marine training courses at Georgian College will take part in the annual Skills Competition on January 18 to showcase their technical knowledge by completing a series of hands-on challenges and tests.

B-ROLL: Toronto International Boat Show

The World’s Largest Indoor lake for Boating: One of the marquee features and engineering feat of the of the Toronto Boat Show is transforming the ice rink inside Coca-Cola Coliseum into a massive indoor lake for visitors to enjoy FREE boating activities and spectacular showcases such as:

The 6^th Annual Indoor Wakeboard Canadian Championships (Opening Weekend): Top professional and amateur wakeboarders across Canada will converge at the Toronto Boat Show to compete at the Indoor Wakeboard Championships for cash prizes. This sanctioned, world-class competition takes flight on Opening Weekend with Men’s and Women’s qualifiers on Saturday, January 18, & finals on Sunday, January 19. Wakeboarding demos, waterski shows, and go-wakeboarding lessons continue throughout the week including Winter Wakefest where visitors can meet pro-riders and watch them perform spectacular grinds, tricks, and flips in The Lake.

NEW – Antique Boat Rides on The Lake for Charity! Buy a ticket to enjoy a unique boat ride on a restored antique cedar strip Richardson 14’ boat, powered by a Tohatsu ALARIS™ 6.0kW electric outboard motor. Proceeds from boat ride tickets will go towards funding the work of Kids & Classics Boatshops Museum. Families can stop by their booth (G157) to purchase a ride ticket and learn to carve a paddle; or register at the sign-in desk at The Lake.

Remote-Controlled Sailing Regatta – Watch as large remote-controlled sailboats compete race around the lake in the regatta series. PLUS – Boat Handling Demos, SUP Races, and on-water test rides of electric vessels and latest products.

For more information about the 2025 Toronto International Boat Show, seminar schedules, and full programming on The Lake, go to TorontoBoatShow.com; or CLICK HERE for the official Show Guide.

Toronto International Boat Show
Enercare Centre, Exhibition Place

Saturday, January 18 & Sunday, January 19:
10am to 6pm
Monday, January 20 – Wednesday, January 22:
11am to 7pm
Thursday, January 23 – LATE NIGHT THURSDAY EXTENDED HOURS:
11am to 10pm
Friday, January 24:
11am to 7pm
Saturday, January 25:
10am to 6pm
Sunday, January 26:
10am to 5pm

Kids 16 and under get FREE admission to the Show!