The Winnipeg Pin Collectors Club was originally formed in 1987 by six pin collectors from Winnipeg. The founding members were:
- Bob Walpole (club’s first President)
- Denis Gregoire
- Ron Kolbauer
- Ron Boily
- Len Peltier
- Ken Burdett
It was decided in 1987 that with membership, and subsequent renewals, you would get a free club pin each year. At that time, it was also decided that the pin would depict Winnipeg and/or Manitoba landmarks. Since then, the pin club’s pins have featured Manitoba animals and birds. The only exception is the 2012 – 25th Anniversary pin which features the pin club’s logo.
During the first year, the club’s total membership was 22. Club meetings were first held in the cafeteria of the Norquay Building in downtown Winnipeg & then the Via Rail Train Station. For several years afterwards, the meetings were held at the Vince Leah Community Centre. The meetings are now currently being held on the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 P. M. on the Main Floor of the Norwood Branch of the Canadian Legion at 134 Marion Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. There are no meetings in July and August.
Membership peaked in 1990 (the year of the Western Canada Summer Games), to a high of 157. Members reside throughout Canada, portions of the U. S. A., The United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Germany, France and Australia. In 1988, to promote the club, members started displaying their pins in various malls around the province. This went on for several years. Also in October, 1988, club members took a cruise on the Paddlewheel Queen riverboat.
In the past, the club has actively participated in and/or organized pin trading activities at major events in Winnipeg:
- 1988 CBC Television televised one of our meetings and aired it on their national program, “Breakaway”.
- 1989 Pandas came to Winnipeg (Our 1989 pin depicts their visit)
- 1990 Western Canada Summer Games
- 1991 Safeway World Curling Championships
- 1991 Grey Cup Championship
- 1999 Pan American Games
- 2002 North American Indigenous Games
- 2002 Manitoba Senior Games (Morden, MB)
- 2003 Western Canada Summer Games (Selkirk, MB)
- 2003 Ford World Curling Championships
- 2006 Grey Cup Championship
- 2007 Club’s 20th Anniversary Celebration
CBC Television televised one of our meetings and aired it on their local Program “Completely Winnipeg”. - 2008 Tim Horton’s Brier
- 2012 Club’s 25th Anniversary Celebration was held at the Norwood Legion on May 7that 6:30 P. M. There were 25 door prizes, a 50/50 draw, a pin draw, an attendance draw, a 25th Anniversary birthday cake, a fruit tray, a vegetable tray, refreshments and many other surprises. Media Representatives from radio, newspaper and television were invited.
- 2015 Participated in three days of pre-Grey Cup Festivities at the RBC Convention Centre. President, Ron Boily, was interviewed by Shaw about Pin Trading at the Grey Cup Festivities
- 2017 Participated in pin trading at the 2017 Winnipeg Canada Games which was held at The Forks during the period July 29, 2017 to August 12, 2017.
Each year our club organized a pin trading event on July 1st (Canada Day) at The Forks in Winnipeg. Table space is free to club members. Thousands of people attend the festivities at The Forks on Canada Day & our club displays get excellent exposure there.
The summer wind-up has been held annually during June, and at Christmas, we gathered at the Canad Inns Destination Centre – Transcona’s buffet restaurant for a Christmas party.
Every second Wednesday at 10:30 A. M., several members of the pin club meet for breakfast. The group was given the title of The Breakfast Club by one of our Australian members. The title has stuck ever since.
For the past several years, members have met for brunch at 11 A. M. on New Year’s Eve at the Aalto’s Restaurant in the Canad Inn, Transcona which is the North Eastern part of Winnipeg. The popularity of this event has grown into quite a social gathering with members bringing their spouses, family, relatives and friends.
In 2009, club members went for a night cruise on the Paddlewheel Queen.
The pin club has three sister clubs located in Quebec, Alberta, and B. C. Each of these pin clubs has annual pin shows. For more details, please see below:
Le Club des Collectionneurs d’Épinglettes Inc. in Quebec – Established in 1984. It is Canada’s largest pin club with several affiliated branches. The various branches have pin shows throughout the year. The Quebec club is the second largest in North America. To learn more about their pin shows, visit their website at: http://clubepinglettes.unblog.fr/
Pacific Pin Club in Vancouver – Established in 1986. To learn more about the pin club please visit their website at: http://www.pacificpinclub.org/
Calgary International Pin Club in Calgary – Established in 1989. Their International Pin Show is held in Calgary, Alberta every year during the September Labour Day weekend. To learn more, visit their website at: http://www.calgaryinternationalpinclub.com/
The above is a brief history of the Winnipeg Pin Collectors Club. We offer lots of encouragement to new pin collectors. Our club’s membership list (contains contact information and also describes what they collect) allows members the opportunity to network with pin collectors around the world in their endeavours to locate a “hard-to-find” pin.
The pin club’s mailing address is:
Winnipeg Pin Collectors Club
c/o R.J.P. Boily
16 Donald McClintock Bay
Winnipeg, MB R2G 3N3
rjpboily@shaw.ca
Phone number: 204-667-6811