Parade of Homes

In 2006, a record 84 show homes were entered in the Fall Parade. The following year, 99 show homes were on display and 140 entries are typical today. The Manitoba Home Builders' Association (MHBA) had introduced a spring Showcase of New Homes three years earlier, and its Fall Parade of Homes was about to turn 18 when members hit on the idea of creating a magazine to promote both events. Three MHBA builders — Brian Hastings (Qualico), the late Guy Hobman and Randy Jaquet (Randall Homes) — asked former Free Press vice-president of sales Laurie Finley if he could help make it happen. "They wanted to know if the Free Press would be interested in partnering with them to become the printer, publisher, distributor, sales arm — all of those things," Finley says. "I went away and came back with a proposal for them that really allowed them to get to the point where the publication would not cost them anything if we were able to drive advertising levels to a certain level." The Free Press took a financial risk on investing in the magazine, but it paid off for both parties over time. "It was a true partnership. It really took both sides to make it the success it was. They had to ensure that they pushed with their membership to support the magazine and on our side, we obviously looked at trying to enhance it in as many ways as we could as we went along." Canada's largest Parade of Homes quickly grew in size and stature, from 20 featured builders in 1998 to 34 in 2000, when a tongue-in-cheek Qualico Communities ad promoted River Park South as the "future home of the next #99," thanks to two indoor rinks at the Dakota Community Centre — now home to the Jonathan Toews Sportsplex. In 2006, a record 84 show homes were entered in the Fall Parade. The following year, 99 show homes were on display and 140 entries are typical today. PROMOTING THE PARADE — Cont'd from page 4 Randy Jaquet at a Randall Homes show home in Linden Woods in 1998. FREE PRESS PHOTO BY JOE BRYKSA 6 Parade of Homes Spring 2018

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