This gentleman has been involved in snowmobiling since he was a very young lad. He was close to his uncle Jim Robbins, who was an avid snowmobile racer, and always had access to a snowmobile from a young age.
For most of us involved with snowmobiling on PEI for many years now, Gary Dunning really came to the forefront in 1995 when he took on the Arctic Cat dealership. For two years, he operated the dealership from his home in Milton while still maintaining a welding shop and used car lot in North River. In 1997, he moved the Arctic Cat dealership to his building in North River and ran all of his businesses from one location. Gary built the Arctic Cat brand on PEI to heights it had never seen before, thanks to his tireless efforts and dedication to putting his customers first, including making deals from his upstairs office in North River late at night — even close to midnight during the last day of snow-checks.
In 2001, Gary expanded his snowmobile business by taking on the Polaris snowmobile line at his North River location. With two of the four major brands under one roof, he continued to grow his customer base and serve his clients all from the same location for many years.
In 2004, he purchased the former Hi-Tech Toys business on Campbell Road in Winsloe, which included the Harley Davidson dealership. Gary operated out of that building for a few years before making a major expansion in 2007. He expanded the store in North River and moved the Harley Davidson dealership there, combining it with the Polaris dealership, while relocating the Arctic Cat dealership to Winsloe alongside his other power sport operations.
Gary has always been a huge supporter of the PEISA. In my over 20 years of involvement with the organization, you could always count on Gary for assistance with any project we were working on. For many years, whenever we were hosting the “Annual Maritime Go Snowmobiling Rides,” we would start the ride from the Winsloe store, and Gary would often provide snowmobiles for guest riders like local politicians and various members of the media.
In 2014, when the PEISA hosted the Celebration Ride, a three-day ride held across PEI, Gary provided snowmobiles for over 130 riders who came from across Canada and the United States. He and his dealership have always gone the extra mile for snowmobilers on PEI, even delivering snowmobiles to New Brunswick when a customer had an issue with a machine.
Gary has always been a tremendous supporter of PEISA, consistently backing various projects, including sponsoring maps, sign projects, and the PEISA promotional trailer. He also played a big role when we used to host annual snowmobile shows at the Charlottetown Civic Center.
In conclusion, I truly believe that Gary Dunning is an exceptionally deserving candidate for induction into the PEISA Hall of Fame.
