As the boats dropped their anchors and the paddle boarders rowed closer to the shore, the Windermere Lake boat concert was revving up as the Mastercraft engines revved down.
Held on the personal dock of Canadian businessman and former Dragon’s Den panellist, W.Brett Wilson, the event not only attracts both locals and tourists, it also brings in big bucks for charity.
Canadian country music singer, Brett Kissel has been the main attraction of the concert since its conception in 2020. The original event was organized on the lake not only to raise money for the Columbia Valley Community Foundation’s Covid-19 Response Fund, but also as a means to abide by social distancing restrictions at the time.
Raising a total of $85,535 in proceeds from their first concert, both Wilson and Kissel were ready to keep the success of the party going by making it an annual one.
As they headed into their fifth year this August long-weekend, Wilson touched on the uniqueness of their concept. Stating that he isn’t “aware of anyone else in Canada that’s running a large, dedicated, community based charity.”
Officially dubbed as the ‘Brett Brett Baltac Boat Concert’, the hoe-down has raised over $500,000 in proceeds for the Columbia Valley Community Foundation.
Wilson says that since 2022, the money raised has been designated “specifically for the use of adolescent mental health causes up and down the valley.”
This year not only did Kissel make his regular appearance, he was also joined by two more Canadian country singers.
Morgan Kleiber was first to take the stage alongside Kissel, with her powerful voice immediately grasping the attention of those in attendance. Afterwards Calgary artist Paul Brandt then joined the other two on stage.
As the concert progressed, so did the weather as dark clouds began to roll into the sunny valley and concerns of thunderstorms were beginning to take account.
Dawning matching shirts, Wilson joined Kissel to address that they were monitoring the incoming change of weather and even joked that the patrolling RCMP boat was somehow working to block any potential weather changes.
While unsure that the sun would outlast the possibility of incoming rain, Kissel made sure not to leave the crowd on a potential weather warning. With his last few minutes on stage Kissel closed out the evening with a lively cover of John Denver’s ”‘Thank God I’m A Country Boy.”
As of the end of August, the Brett Brett Boat Concert for 2025 has raised $63,000 for the Columbia Valley Foundation.
Pleased with the event’s success, Wilson also expressed his sentiment towards the communities of both Windermere and Invermere.
“I’m pretty proud to be a small part of that big, beautiful place.”
