When the dealers from British Columbia got together 50 years ago for their first RV Dealers Association Board of Directors meeting, the suits they wore — wide lapels, fat ties, fly-away shirt collars — probably were a little different compared to the 2026 gathering coming at the end of August.
But those in attendance in 1976 — including Harvey Goodwin of Chimo Travel Homes, who was president that first year — knew they were setting an important precedent for their province that has continued for the past 50 years.
On Aug. 26-28, the current incarnation will celebrate its 50th anniversary during a gathering at Harrison Hot Springs Resort with festivities including a sturgeon fishing tournament, golf tournament, banquet and silent auction where funds will be split between RVDA of B.C. education for technician training and a children’s hospice in Abbotsford.
M.J. Wiggins, executive director of the RVDA of B.C., said she is relieved with the success of the event so far, considering the Canadian RV industry is in a similar downturn to the U.S. industry.
‘We weren’t sure how this was going to go, but you know what? Our hotel is sold out, my fishing boats are sold out. My golf tournament – I think I have one spot left for one team,” she said. “So, it’s nice to see that people care about it.”
Wiggins said the organization takes pride in its history and continues to lobby and advocate Parliament members in Ottawa to try to achieve goals that benefit the industry as a whole.
She said that, if anything, those efforts are more important in the modern RV setting than they were in the beginning when there were a number of Canadian-based RV manufacturers and suppliers of related products.
B.C. was home to several of those manufacturers, such as Vanguard.
She said important work has been done recently in Parliament concerning lifting of tariffs that affect the RV industry and helping to define the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which reinforces Canada’s strong economic ties with the United States and Mexico.
The provincial association has worked closely with RVDA of Canada as well as the Canada RV Association (CRVA) and other provincial groups to advocate for the industry.
Looking back at that first meeting, Wiggins said there were 93 delegates in attendance, including her own father.
Keeping things in the family, Jason Bell of Chemo RV is the group’s current president, following in the footsteps of his father, Jack Bell, who was president from 1998-2001.
This year, 90 people are expected to attend the August meeting including some big names in Canadian RV industry such as Shane Devenish of CRVA, Ken Dobson and Eleonore Hamm of the RVDA of Canada, as well as members of RVDA of Alberta and the Canadian Camping Association.
Registration remains open, and anyone who is interested can contact Wiggins at info@rvda.bc.ca or 778-574-4522.
Below are archive photos of the first meeting in 1976, courtesy of the RVDA of British Columbia.
