Larry Hundt is hosting his sixth industry reunion in June outside of Toronto.
“I think it’s going to be quite an event for us,” said Hundt, owner of Great Canadian Holidays and Coaches. “It has been some time since we have had a reunion. Many have attended or heard about some of these great events we staged in the past. Now that we have gotten through COVID, this is a great time to come out and catch up with our industry friends.”
The reunion will be Saturday, June 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Great Canadian Coaches, 370 Industrial Road, Cambridge. The event is open to everyone who works – or has worked – in the industry, from owners and managers to drivers, tour directors, mechanics and other staff.
Hundt is asking people to RSVP by June 1 by emailing here or leaving a message at 519-896-8687 ext. 250.
Hundt has arranged for rooms to be available at the nearby Best Western Plus. The cost is $150 plus tax. Those making reservations must call the hotel and mention Great Canadian Holidays to get access and rate in the special room block. The deal comes with a free continental breakfast. The deadline for the deal is May 24.
A chance to capture history
Hundt is also using this reunion to gather history on the companies and people that have built the bus and motorcoach industry. He’s asking attendees to bring their stories – preferably in written form – as well as photos and other materials.
“Part of the objective with this reunion is to get people to tell their story so we don’t lose them,” he said. “When people pass away, there’s a pile of stuff that sadly ends up in the dumpster because people don’t see any value. What they’re doing is dumping the history of a company, individual, and industry in the dumpster.”
Too often, he says, retirees drift away from the industry and their contributions are forgotten.
“The history of these companies can be very colorful, filled with all kinds of achievements and challenges. There’s no end of humorous stories. When you get these people together, they can go on for hours.” Hundt said.
Celebrate in good times
The first reunion began with a funeral.
“We were sitting around after a funeral service for one of our industry people, and we were all kind of reminiscing and telling some great stories,” Hundt said. “They were saying, ‘Well, we shouldn’t be coming to funerals and telling the stories. We should be doing it in good times.’
“We all know there’s a good number of us that aren’t getting any younger, and we really need to gather and enjoy some great banter and stories and not wait until someone dies to get together.”
The reunion will be hosted in a bus bay in his company’s garage. It’s a fitting place because it will give attendees an opportunity to see the latest models of motorcoaches. Hundt is working with manufacturers Prevost and MCI to have some of their latest vehicles on display.
“I have had a lot of fun and gratification staging these reunions and am really looking forward to this upcoming one,” he said. “With each reunion, they get bigger and better.”
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