Ron Harding was one of the founders of this industry and was well known, well liked and well respected long after he retired in the late nineties. Ron died February 28, 2022, at the age of 84 at Collingwood Hospital after an accident at his home.

Back in1966 Ron, and his business partner Terry Whalen, began a tour operation aptly named Great Places, flying charters in those early days with Wardair and introducing Canadians to new destinations including St. Lucia and San Juan. Skiing was also a big part of Great Places programme with Ron’s “Movie Nights” at the Austrian Club in Toronto proving fertile ground to sell ski packages to Austria and Aspen.

They also produced one of the first tour operator flight bag giveaways – white with orange and brown (this was the seventies) directional arrows edging the perimeter. Years after Great Places was no more, those bags could be seen on Toronto streets.

And then there were the parties. No telling of tales about Ron Harding, would be complete without the parties. Ron’s parties were famous. His warehouse apartment on Adelaide St West opened onto a roof terrace and was an ideal spot where the industry regularly gathered to eat, drink and dance the night away. The music was loud, the booze flowed and if deals were made and gossip exchanged – all the better.

The Great Places offices were next door and if I remember correctly you could actually climb out an office window and onto Ron’s apartment terrace.

In the early seventies, Great Places closed and Ron went to Sunquest where he worked his superior marketing talents to help grow Sunquest into a major force in the tourism marketplace before he retired a couple of decades later and moved to Collingwood.

At his 80th birthday a few years ago, friends came from across the country. Ron Harding was one of a kind, a fun guy, a good friend, a mentor to many, and an inspiration to our industry.

Our condolences go to his partner Fran Kartechner, and to all Ron’s family and friends. He will most certainly be missed.

A family gathering and celebration of life will take place in the spring.