Wildwood Motorsports rides off into the sunset

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This article was published 11/12/2021 (1394 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Wildwood Motorsports has left the building. And that building won’t be selling motorcycles or snowmobiles any more.

The Pembina Highway shop, which had been in business for 40 years, permanently shut its doors on Remembrance Day.

“Due to extreme product shortages and ever changing conditions in the recreational industry over the past years, Wildwood Motorsports has made the tough decision to close come winter 2021,” the company posted online earlier in the year.

Its owners did not respond to repeated interview requests.

Wildwood’s closure comes amidst a boom in powersport sales. Products have been flying off the shelves, according to Paul Germain, the shop’s founder and landlord.

“It’s disheartening,” the former professional racer said. “In my estimation, (the closure) could’ve been avoided.”

Germain began the company in 1981 and sold it in 2017 — at 68 years old, he was ready to retire. But, he keeps a steady presence in the industry through chairing the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame and involving himself in the Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council, among other things.

“Dealers are making better profit margins than ever, even with limited availability to products… You didn’t have to sell as much to make as much,” Germain said, adding some shops have struggled.

He noted Wildwood Motorsports became more barren as the year progressed. The company didn’t go broke — but, it didn’t intake enough stock.

“There’s a lot of sentimental attachment to (the store),” Germain said. “I’ve had a lot of people say they’re sorry to see it go, as I am… I was hoping (the owners would) take it to the next level, which, never happened.”

Thousands of customers found rides — from BMW and Ducati motorcycles to snowmobiles and dirt bikes — during the shop’s tenure. It was one of Canada’s oldest Yamaha dealers, Germain said.

The 8,000-square-foot space has been listed on REALTOR.ca for over 50 days. There’s no rush to find a new tenant, Germain said. The current renters have it until mid-April.

“I’m… not worried about it, because we have a lot of people looking,” Germain said. “There isn’t an urgency to jump on the first offer that comes along.”

He plans to lease the building for five years with an option to purchase after. Base monthly rent is $13,333, according to the online listing, but it isn’t set in stone.

The place will likely convert to a professional office, based on current interest, Germain said.

“Say a lawyer, accountant, dental, something like that,” he said. “That’s really what it would lend itself primarily to.”

Others, including clothing retailers and folks in the automotive industry, have also expressed interest, according to Georges Bohemier, the site’s realtor.

“We’ve got a great property, great location, well looked after,” he said. “It’s got a wide array of clients that are interested.”

Pre-Wildwood, the building was a car wash, hence the two access points, Bohemier said.

The brands Wildwood Motorsports once exclusively sold in the city, including Ducati, are now settling in similar shops across Winnipeg and just beyond. So, too, are the store’s former staff.

The closure comes as a “real bummer” to Ford Widrig, who’s bought there for five years.

He’s looking for a second ATV: as a Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, local, he sometimes uses the four-wheelers to go grocery shopping and take his kids to school.

Wildwood Motorsports provided more options than up north, better deals and friendly staff, Widrig said.

“Sales people sometimes, maybe they’re a little too aggressive, maybe they’re a little too removed,” he said. “I never had any of that with Wildwood. They were really easy to deal with.”

He’d contact the service centre every couple months, via phone or email, for advice on fixing his machines (he owns two snowmobiles too).

“I’m sad to see them go,” he said.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com