September 16th 2024
August 29th was a wonderful day! A mix of sun and cloud with no rain in sight. Temperatures in the mid 70’s for those of you, who like me, still think in Fahrenheit. Warm enough to be outside in shirtsleeves even on into the evening. You just never know when you get into the last week of August. Can be unseasonably warm and sunny, but it can also, on occasion, have a real chill in the air. Especially into the evening. We lucked out!
The reason that particular date and weather were important is that it was the occasion of our annual Broker B.B.Q. Always held outside and generally in late August.
It’s taken a lot of different forms over the years. Originally it was held in the backyard of our Broker, Wayne Quirk’s home. Agents were different it seems back then. The young ones liked to party. The older ones seemed to have boundless energy. As a result, it would on occasion be going strong to the wee hours of the morning.
Over time, with the growth of RE/MAX Garden City Realty, along with the installation of a pool in our broker’s backyard, it was necessary to relocate the event. The first move took us to Place Polonaise, a delightful waterfront facility on the border of Grimsby and Stoney Creek. But that land was just too valuable to keep as a meeting hall and pavilion. Development closed that down.
So, more recently, we have relocated to Henley Island. A 
spectacular sanctuary right in the heart of St. Catharines. In the middle of Martindale Pond, it’s owned by the Henley Rowing Association, and this year hosted the World Regatta with some 2,800 rowers from all over the world. We were able to sneak in right on the heels of that event.
Always a fabulous venue, it seems each year enhancements are added. The clubhouse has been renovated. New tables have replaced the old. And our amazing catering service, Dave Moukperian from Fiddlers Pour House downtown added tablecloths and décor.
The food centres around Dave’s famous B.B.Q.’d ribs. Done on a huge outdoor grill on site. But this year, the spread was even more elaborate than usual. Pulled pork, salads, veggie kabobs, chicken kabobs, roast potato wedges, veggie lasagna, rolls, the list goes on. And for dessert, along with cupcakes and lemon squares, there was strawberry rhubarb cobbler and apple cobbler. And all that is just a highlight of the available fare.
Another evolution to this event is the expansion to include spouses, guests and kids. And because we continue to grow (37 new hires since January, 2023) this year included name tags which included tenure with RE/MAX. The engagement periods varied from 40 years to 1 day. Wonderful networking event. And there was a photo booth as well as props to enhance the moment.
Never sure exactly how many people will show up, but advanced numbers put us at around the 180 mark. Not sure we actually had that many with last minute cancellations that inevitably come up, but I think it’s safe to say this was the largest turnout we’ve ever experienced.
Many thanks to Deb Quirk for all the arrangements, phone calls, name tags, and incidentals like banners, and decorations, menu planning and all the other things that go on behind the scenes to make an event like this not only possible but exceptional. And of course, to Domenic Cortese of D.J. Dominoes for filling the air with fabulous sound.
In the past, we’ve occasionally called it our Fall Round-Up. With that in mind and a look ahead to next year, maybe we’ll roll out a western theme. Stay tuned.