A QUARTER CENTURY AND COUNTING
We reflect as THE DRIVE turns 25!
This year marks THE DRIVE Magazine’s silver anniversary! Over a quarter century, THE DRIVE has stood as the voice of Windsor and Essex County, putting a mirror to our region and culture through stories from the heart and eye-grabbing imagery.
Conceived by Kevin Kavanaugh in 1999, THE DRIVE has evolved over the years. The late Dave Hunter and Mark Long entered the fray in 2001, helping to further shape a magazine that reflected their community, telling stories of wonderful people, of small businesses striving, local athletes doing amazing things, and showcasing Windsor-Essex’s arts and culture. The magazine was acquired by Paul St. Pierre and the Landscape Effects Group of Companies in 2017, which only served to amplify the magazine’s voice and help cement it as a touchstone in the local zeitgeist.
When I came onboard in January 2020, I was a mere beat writer for a local paper, a transplant from Grey County, who did not
know much of Windsor-Essex. Over the years, I’ve grown to love and appreciate what this region has to offer. Part of my immersion in local culture came thanks to THE DRIVE. With my first stories, then editor Sabine Main asked me to reach into my heart and pull out the two most important stories I could think of at that moment. To this day, my story on my late friend Jennifer Horvath, her battle with ovarian cancer, and the bond that it strengthened between her and her mother is still my favourite story—and thanks to THE DRIVE, I could tell it.
To me, what makes THE DRIVE special is what’s at its heart—community. THE DRIVE is all of us, reflected on paper. It’s our story, it’s our faces on the pages. These stories are homegrown, they are our lives that we are telling, these are our hearts that are bleeding on the paper. This is our story about what drives us, as people and as a community, and that’s what makes it special. This was Dave Hunter’s vision.
Here are some of our stories…

Kevin Kavanaugh, Founder
Kevin founded THE DRIVE in late 1999 with the intention of producing “an artistically driven, black and white, entertainment/lifestyle magazine.” The focus was to keep the stories outside of the box, keeping it local with tales from across Windsor and the surrounding area.
“The name was derived from a number of influences, but the main one refers to the Windsor-specific nuance that we seem to like to simplify names of things in the city,” explains Kevin. “Devonshire Mall is simply called “The Mall” and the strip spanning the city from east to west, which is adorned by prestigious, world-class residential properties, Riverside Drive, is known as THE DRIVE. Hence, we felt this was an appropriate name for the publication which aimed at offering the city an esteemed perspective on what our community had to offer.”
“Simply put, we had THE DRIVE to offer Windsor a unique, cultured, artistic perspective, featuring the places, people, businesses, and outright gems that call this city home,” he states. “Well, it worked!”
After just over a year-and-a-half of publication, he says that he was approached by Dave Hunter and Mark Long, who pitched the idea of getting involved with the magazine at the ownership level. “It was a win, win, win with Dave’s natural ability to sell and cultivate business relationships, Mark’s design sensibility, and my focus turned to the creative side by continuing to photograph and conceptualize the
cover and feature story layouts,” says Kevin, who stayed with the magazine until 2012. “The combination just made sense and worked seamlessly moving forward.”
When pressed for a favourite story, he says that our long-standing coverage of the saga of Danielle Campo is at the top of his list and “dear to his heart”, stating that she is “such an incredible person from our community.”
“I love the fact that THE DRIVE remains a signature publication that this city can be proud of,” he states. “One that like-minded businesses can identify with, our community can get involved with, and visitors from abroad can be intrigued with. It’s lovely to see THE DRIVE continue to highlight the stories that strengthen the fact that Windsor is a world-class place to live, work, and visit.”

Steve Pomerleau, Photographer
Steve joined THE DRIVE about a year after its inception and photographed for the magazine for about half a decade.
“What I was mainly producing were the covers, fashion editorials, regular advertorials, and stories—images of whoever Dave was doing a story on business-wise,” he explains. “[The covers] were always meant to have that draw, and humour was oftentimes the key factor. In making that happen, there needed to be something out of the ordinary that made people kind of turn their heads sideways. There was always an effort made to make something either funny or interesting to the point where people were intrigued by whatever the image was.”
Steve describes Dave as a helpful, motivated, and community-minded man. “It was just a great time every time I worked with Dave,” he says. “He got to trust me to the point where he just said, ‘This is what I’m looking for, here is the contact information for the people. Get a hold of them and make it happen.’”
He says that his favourite assignment was shooting Mike Holmes in Mississauga. Apparently, at one point, Dave’s trademark sense of humour brought the shoot to a standstill with a quip that left Holmes and Pomerleau in stitches—probably NSFW.
“It’s very rare for publications to have this kind of staying power and I think a lot of that comes down to the quality of the imagery, and, let’s be honest, Dave was the character that got along with everybody and made friends with everybody,” he explains. “Paul St. Pierre and THE DRIVE team have taken it to a whole other level, but I think the staying power really comes down to the fact that THE DRIVE’s very community-minded and always has great imaging and great stories.”

Trevor Booth, Photographer
In 2004, Trevor was looking to start a photography business. To plug his new venture, he chose to gain exposure by launching it with an art show, showcasing his work from the previous seven years working on a cruise ship. He invited Dave and Mark hoping to get coverage or even work, and soon he was photographing for THE DRIVE. He’s been with us ever since!
“The way THE DRIVE has highlighted, propelled, and enhanced local people, businesses, and organizations is second to none,” praises Trevor. “Truly the pinnacle of the Windsor-Essex region’s publications. A true historical representation of this part of Canada that will be looked upon for generations to come.
“On a personal level, how THE DRIVE Magazine launched my photography business and allowed me to make an amazing living at the height of my career, how I meet hundreds, if not thousands of people in this region, some I still call friends to this day—without THE DRIVE I wouldn’t have been able to meet these amazing people.”
Trevor has experienced a lifetime of adventures with THE DRIVE: flying to Las Vegas to photograph Darren Banks at the The D Hotel, digging through the old archives at Canadian Club, meeting local celebrities, local business launches and charities, walking around Boblo Dance Hall before the island became private, and seeing rare sights.
“The old storage room, which was where the Hiram Walker’s pool was, housed a room full of old ledgers, confiscated bootlegger bottles, and old artifacts that have truly never been seen by the general public,” recalls Trevor. “I was granted access to this room to photograph. I luckily spent a couple hours just taking it in and photographing the amazing history that was collected.”
He says that it has been amazing and surreal to know he’s been with the magazine for 21 years. “There’s so many memories, photos, stories, and so many people and lives that this magazine has touched, and I can say with pure conviction that I’m beyond grateful for being such an integral part for so many years.
“On the other hand, it’s a sombre thought knowing the man, my dear friend and inspiration, isn’t here to be a part of this monumental achievement. Dave Hunter WAS the magazine for so many years before it grew and expanded to the amazing team and people we have now. He would be beyond proud of what it has become and excited for the future of where THE DRIVE is heading.”

Paul St. Pierre, Owner
In 2001, Paul St. Pierre was put on the front cover of THE DRIVE. In 2017, he purchased it. The commonality was his friend, Dave Hunter. Paul says that getting on the magazine’s cover was a big springboard for him.
“I’ve always loved print, I’ve always believed in print, and I had just had some great success just prior to purchasing it,” says Paul. “I loved what it represented. Dave and I were sitting in my backyard one day just talking about the next steps and where to take it, and from that conversation came a chance to purchase the mag and really get involved by bringing it under the envelope of the Landscape Effects Group of Companies.”
Since then, he has revelled in the ability to shape the future of THE DRIVE and sees it as a platform to express some of his creativity and show his passion for his community.
“The most impactful stories, for me, are when people are up against adversity,” explains Paul, recalling his favourites in THE DRIVE as those on the remarkable Danielle Campo and Ironman Lionel Sanders. “I started my business out of the back of a hatchback Chevette and took the business to where we are at today. It’s a pretty motivating story in itself. Seeing the underdog, we’re seeing the person who’s having some challenges, rise through those challenges. Those are the stories that grab me every single time.”
He says that THE DRIVE team, spearheaded by managing editor Breanne McGinty, relishes the chance to highlight and inspire the great people of our community. “Content is important to me,” he adds. “We’re constantly trying to push ourselves. We’re trying to constantly push our writers and creative
team and not stay static, keeping the integrity of the mag in order, while pushing boundaries and looking forward.
“It’s heartwarming to carry on Dave’s Legacy. Taking that positioning, the magazine has a lasting legacy in the Windsor-Essex community. It’s incredible, it’s doing exactly as I’d hoped. We’re really proud of our community and what we’re able to bring it. We are going to continue pushing those boundaries, living on, and continuing Dave’s legacy. It’s something I’m proud of and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next 25 years brings!”