Bruce Rice has helped introduce a lot of families to boating here on the Big Rideau and around the province. Many of them came back a number of times 
to purchase their second, third, etc. boat through Bruce. He treated everyone with honesty, and ethics regarless if it was a gorgeous new cruiser or a small value used boat sale. One of the most common comments I had the pleasure of receiving is "Bruce did a great job taking care of us; you are lucky to have him on your team." They are of course right, or I should say "were". All good things must end, and Bruce decided to sell his last boat at Len's Cove in October of this year. Bruce is retiring.
Some of you may not know that Bruce grew up here locally in Forfar and went to public school and high school, with dad (Doug Horsfall). He was one of the very first dock boys at Len's Cove, and there are lots of stories of hard work, cars, and mischief. He went to Eastern Ontario Institute of Technology (EOIT) which became Algonquin College at the old campus on Lees Avenue while dad attended Carleton. Dad and Bruce came home every weekend where they loaded up on clean clothes and great food. Bruce left EOIT after his first year and started the Store Management Course at Woolworths in Smiths Falls. His sales career continued with his move to Kingston as a member of the Whig Standard advertising department where a number of good customers and a strong work ethic propelled him to the position of Sales Manager. After a major overhaul after an ownership change, Bruce decide to control his own destiny by purchasing his own business, a grocery store in Verona which he operated with Joan's help and his older son, Elliot. Hard work, long hours built their business to a strong position until IGA opened a large supermarket in town which changed the financial climate there. Loyal to his employees till the end he made sure they were all compensated before the close of their store. With his interest in the family farm in Forfar still strong he moved home again and served on the board of the Cheese Factory there while trying to recreate the farm into a viable business. Working in the boat sales department at Len's Cove was a natural for Bruce having been a dock boy during his high school.
The lure of living locally and being part of something he was passionate brought him back to us back in the 1990s. I personally learned many things from Bruce, and Len's Cove owes many happy boater's beginnings to him. He has been instrumental in developing Len's Cove as a year round boat buying force in Eastern Ontario. We will all miss his wit, insight, and love of what he did best - help people buy great new and used boats.
We are very lucky to have many team members work for for very long tenures at Len's Cove. Thank-you Bruce for many, many great years. Enjoy your retirement!
Of course Fraser, Mandy and Sean are still here to help you if you are boat shopping. Luckily the team has learned from Bruce and feels the same way - we only sell you one type of boat - the RIGHT one.
