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Jacques Bienvenue: The original ambassador
If you read the Journal de Montréal or are even remotely interested in motor racing, you've heard of Jacques Bienvenue! But did you know that he's also a proud ambassador for Safari Condo?
His love of small campers began in the 1970s, when he bought a Westfalia. It was all the rage at the time!
At that time, after working as a mechanic and car salesman, Jacques became a racing driver. Because he traveled all over America, he had a big 40-foot Motorhome , a veritable house on wheels. He kept this big vehicle until 1992, when he stopped racing.
At the same time, he was also an automotive columnist for the Journal de Montréal and the Journal de Québec, a contract position he still holds today. In 1993, Volkswagen Canada offered him a Westfalia as a press vehicle for a few weeks. No problem: he bought back the vehicle at the end of the summer. Why do without a little camper that goes everywhere? He'll have three Westfalia in the years to come... until 1999, when he hears that a certain Daniel Nadeau, in Beauce, is building small B-class campers. There's nothing to stop Jacques from getting to know the man.
Since he knows the little campers and has a solid reputation in the car business, Daniel Nadeau offers to lend him a camper for his next trip to Mont-Tremblant, where a car race is taking place in which Jacques is not taking part! On his return to Beauce, he offers Daniel his support: "I'll tell you what I don't like!" Generous with his time and observations, Jacques Bienvenue makes well-argued proposals to Daniel, who is open to improving the first versions of the Astro Condo. It's the meeting of two enthusiasts that will lead to the development of a beautiful friendship, but also to the improvement of the Safari Condo that Daniel is currently building!
Through his work as an automotive columnist, Jacques is no stranger to visiting factories where all kinds of vehicles are built. That's why he loves the Safari Condo factory: it's beautiful, it's big, it's clean... and they build wonderful vehicles ! Jacques has owned 24 Safari Condo campers since 1998! When you consider that the company celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023, that's quite a number! Now in his 80s, Jacques has a Mercedes 2024 on order. And, would you believe it, a Mercedes 2025 on order too! Jacques Bienvenue is a loyal man, like many Safari Condo owners... With time, he knows what he wants, in all the models offered by the company: two fridges, solar panels, instant water heater, electric awning, cassette toilet... He still can't believe the quantity of options offered, and the quality and finish of the materials used. "It's all so easy to use," he observes. Every year, in one of his columns in the Journal de Québec and the Journal de Montréal, he makes a point of talking about the new features to be found on the year's campers. He explains these changes in such a way that interested parties know what he's talking about!
Like Safari Condo, Jacques is a generous man: wherever he is, on the many trips he has made, he opens the doors of his camper. He can't count the number of people who have visited his camper! That's why he keeps it clean and makes sure he carries brochures of the different models produced at the Saint-Frédéric plant. He can talk about safety, furnishings, engine specs and vehicle components. His automotive sales skills quickly surface to help people think about their next purchase: he knows how to ask the right questions to get people to make the right choices. He knows the product and is happy to be associated with it. In his own words: "Daniel has always gone the extra mile for safety. Today, Safari Condo's campers are CSA-certified, which is a rarity on the market, and not only gives good resale value, but above all guarantees a quality vehicle!"
Jacques Bienvenue is also proud to be part of the Safari Condo family, as are the customers surveyed by Protégez-vous magazine. He knows how important it is that the owners of the company, Daniel first and foremost, but now Dominique and the other shareholders, are also users of the campers they produce. It's this family spirit that Jacques continues to propagate wherever he goes, to both established condists and those considering purchasing the product: "We're all part of the big Safari Condo family. When we randomly meet, it only takes a few minutes and we start swapping travel stories. We're all part of the Nadeau family!"