What do you do when you need space at your dealership so you can stock your favourite snowmobiles and sledding accessories? Get a bigger store! Last year, Tony Aquino, owner of North Bay Cycle, decided to relocate after 40 years at Trout Lake—adding sleds to his inventory as the authorized retailer and service agent for Polaris Sleds in North Bay.
The new location, on Wallace just around the corner from Circle Lake Park, is the result of a lot of hard work and vision—and a love of sledding. The payoff? Snow. Mounds and mounds of snow. “We’ve got the best winter in a while for sledding,” says Gary Dempsey, North Bay Cycle’s Manager.
The dealership is kicking off its first season as a sledder’s paradise right at the hub of the North Bay Trails System. With an almost three-acre parking lot for trucks and trailers, and a service department that offers parts and service to all makes and models of sled, North Bay Cycle is a one-stop shop for sledding in North Bay.
“We’ve got accessories and apparel in all different brands,” Gary says. “So if you’re from out of town and you forgot something, come on in. We can set you up with what you need.”
“This is a whole new ballgame for me,” says Gary, who, after spending much of his career in automotive sales, has branched out into motorsports. “The people are great. Last week we had some folks come in off the trails with a breakdown on a Friday night, and we had them in the shop and back out within the hour. It’s great to be able to help people out like that. Our priority is to get people out on the trails.”
North Bay Cycle is directly accessible to a trail system that spans thousands of kilometres, from Huntsville over to Mattawa, into Quebec, and up into Northern Ontario. The trails in the region are wide and safe, with services in all directions and an abundance of sled-friendly accommodation along the way.
“One of the things that makes our location special is the access we have to the trail system,” says Gary. The City of North Bay granted right of way to sledders from North Bay Cycle’s parking lot to the trail access at Circle Lake. “It’s all of about two blocks from our parking lot.”
Once on the lake, it’s a quick jaunt down to pick up the trail along Twin Lakes. And from there, the world (or just a whole lot of Northern Ontario) is your oyster. “Any direction you want to go, you can make a weekend out of it,” says Gary.
They also offer storage for sleds, boats, and bikes—something for every season!
