October 2018
Canadian Safe Boating Council Symposium 2018 Report
Making a reboarding device: Ted Rankine, Playsafe Productions, and Carl Wolfe, Canadian Rangers
The CSBC Symposium was held in Victoria, B.C. from October 4 – 6. It gave us a great opportunity to meet members of the local community and learn more about boating safety issues in B.C., as well as to have broader discussions about national and international boating safety initiatives.  

Following is an outline of the presentations. The presentations will be loaded onto the CSBC website ( https://csbc.ca/en/events/annual-symposium/2018-symposium-presentations ) as they are available .

Transport Canada
  • Yvette Myers, Executive Director, Oceans Protection Plan, Pacific Region
  • Michelle Maruk, Manager Small and Fishing Vessel Design and Equipment Standards and Boating Safety
  • Ada Tam, Manager, Office of Boating Safety, Pacific Region

Canadian Coast Guard Update: Roger Girouard, Assistant Commissioner, Western Region

Canadian Red Cross Update: Shelley Dalke, Director, Swimming and Water Programs
 
Paddle Canada: Graham Ketcheson, Executive Director
 
Boating B.C.:  Don Prittie, President
 
Royal Canadian Search and Rescue: Ralph Mohrmann, Director of Readiness
 
Visitor Safety at Parks Canada: Sebastien Marcoux, Visitor Safety Adviser
 
International Boating Safety:
  • Boating Safety in Ireland: John Leech, CEO Irish Water Safety
  • Boating Safety in Tasmania: Peter Hopkins, General Manager, Recreational Boating Safety, Marine and Safety Tasmania
 
Panel Discussion: Safe Practices in the Boating Industry in B.C.:
  • Moderator: Clara Reinhardt, Canadian Red Cross
  • Liane Kern, Trotac Marine
  • Ian MacPherson, Nanaimo Yacht Charters and Sailing School
  • Larry Glowasky, Bayview Yachts
 
Coastal Rowing: Janice Mason and Ian Graeme
 
Waterwise Program and World Drowning Conference: Dale Miller, Executive Director, Lifesaving Society, B.C. and Yukon
 
Boating Safety in Victoria Harbour: Mariah McCooey, Harbour Master, Port of Victoria, Transport Canada
 
Lifejacket Harmonization
  • Overview: Roxanne Standifer
  • Harmonization/Innovation Products: Stearns, Mustang, Salus
 
U.S. National Safe Boating Council Update: Peg Phillips, Executive Director and Yvonne Pence
 
CSBC Boating Safety Education Projects: What`s New
  • Barbara Byers, Chair, CSBC Education Programs and Project Director
  • Ted Rankine, Playsafe Productions and Project Manager
  • Ian Gilson, CSBC Director

BC boating industry panel
Symposium delegates were welcomed by Esquimalt Nation Hereditary Chief Edward Thomas, Don Prittie, President of Boating B.C. and Margaret Lucas, City of Victoria.

The location of the beautiful Laurel Point Inn gave delegates the opportunity to observe the diversity of marine traffic in busy Victoria Harbour, and a whale watching trip with Orca Spirit Adventures offered brisk sea breezes to energize us before the closing banquet. A big thank you to Stearns for their generous donation of lifejackets for all participants!

The CSBC very much appreciates the financial and in-kind support provided by our sponsors and partners, both for this event, and on an ongoing basis. In addition to the sponsors of this year’s Symposium, listed below, CSBC Chair John Gullick took the opportunity at the Opening Reception to give a special thanks to the organizations that have continued to support the CSBC on a long term basis, year in and year out. Without them, the CSBC would simply not be able to function, and we are deeply grateful.

In recognition of this, John presented the following organizations with a CSBC Long Term Supporter Award “ in grateful recognition of your continuing support of the CSBC’s activities and programs”:

  • L`association maritime du Québec
  • Boating B.C.
  • Boating Ontario
  • Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons
  • Canadian Red Cross
  • Cook-Rees Memorial Fund
  • Fresh Air Educators
  • Mustang Survival
  • Paddle Canada
  • Pattison Outdoor Advertising
  • Play Safe Productions
  • Royal Lifesaving Society
  • Salus
  • Stearns
  • Yamaha
Stearns
Lifesaving Society

Many thanks to the Symposium Committee, led by Committee Co-Chairs Larry Jacobs, Rick Cassels and Clara Reinhardt, together with Ron Kroeker, Ian Gilson, Alain Roy, Mal Blann, Jean Murray and John Gullick, as well as to the local organizations who supported the Symposium activities. Our thanks go as well to the following industry sponsors, whose financial support made the Symposium possible:

Symposium Presenting Sponsor : Stearns

Gold Sponsors: Boating B.C., Cook-Rees Memorial Fund for Water Search and Safety, Yamaha, Orca Spirit, Point Hope Shipyard, Vector Marine

Silver Sponsors: Mustang Survival, Salus Marine Wear, Oak Bay Group, Victoria Harbour Ferries

Bronze Sponsors: Canadian Tire Corporation, Forsch Marine, iMarket Marine, Whitehall Apts, Holiday Inn, The Sam Group.

Here are highlights of what Symposium delegates said about this year’s event:
 
“Better than ever”
“Interesting range of presentations”
“An all round success”
“An exceptional Symposium, lots of great content”
“Lots of great content! Awesome stats and media outreach”
“This whole agenda was excellent and very informative”
“Great hotel, location and presentations”
“On this survey there is no option for excellent, which several of the presentations merited”
“Excellent presentations on relevant information”

97% said the Symposium met or exceeded their expectations, and the vast majority of respondents said they plan to attend again in future.

We are already working on plans for next year’s Symposium, to be held at the Waterside Inn, Port Credit, Ontario. Plan to join us next year from 18 – 20 September, 2019!    
CSBC Volunteer Recognition Awards 2018
From left to right: Alain Roy, Jean Murray, Ian Gilson, Larry Jacobs, Rick Cassels
The CSBC relies upon the hard work and commitment of volunteers to deliver our safety programs and events, and to run the organization. The annual Volunteer Recognition Awards recognize outstanding contributions to the CSBC. The following awards were announced by John Gullick, CSBC Chair, at the Symposium in October. Congratulations, and grateful thanks, to the award winners:

Ian Gilson

CSBC Distinguished Service Citation - In grateful recognition of your substantial contribution to the CSBC over many years, including to the CASBAs, the Symposium and cold water training, and as boating safety promoter extraordinaire

Rick Cassels

CSBC Certificate of Merit - In recognition of your tireless efforts to secure sponsorships and your ongoing commitment to supporting and promoting the CSBC in all its activities

Larry Jacobs

CSBC Certificate of Merit – In recognition of your passion and commitment to boating safety and the CSBC

Jean Murray

CSBC Certificate of Merit – For your continued professionalism and support of the CSBC

Alain Roy

CSBC Certificate of Merit – In recognition of your valuable contribution, loyalty and commitment to the CSBC

Volunteer recognition awards were also announced for the following individuals, who have retired from the CSBC Board in the last year. John Gullick expressed his appreciation for their commitment and hard work.

  • Karen Harrington – CSBC Certificate of Service
  • Cynthia Hodgson - CSBC Milestone Award
  • Robert Dupel - CSBC Milestone Award
  • Mike Dean - CSBC Certificate of Service
  • Susan Daly - CSBC Certificate of Service
  • Retiring Director Michael Vollmer had already been presented with a CSBC Distinguished Service Citation and Milestone Award in conjunction with the May CSBC Board meetings.
Canadian Safe Boating Awards (CASBAs)
The 2018 CASBAs awards gala and dinner will be held on Sunday January 20, 2019 at the Westin Harbour Castle, in Toronto. This is the 21st Anniversary of the CASBA Gala, created to spend an evening with colleagues and friends as we recognize those whose who have risen to the challenge of making boating a better experience for all. Each CASBA event has shared amazing stories of bravery, innovation, passion and dedication. It is an honour for the Council to be hosting our twenty-first gala.......we hope to see you there. Register now!

Award categories include the following:

STEARNS - Rescue of the Year
Marine Professional of the Year
Top Volunteer Dedicated to Safe Boating
Ontario Power Generation - Best Boating Safety Initiative
Safeguarding the Environment
Marine Industry Award
Visible PFD Wear in Advertising
 Best Media Contribution to Boating Safety
Special Recognition Award
                                                           
The CSBC welcomes and appreciates the contributions from sponsors that make this event possible. To find out how to become a sponsor, click here. https://csbc.ca/en/about-us/sponsorship
Lifejacket Donation Program
We all know that wearing your lifejacket can save your life. But what if the cost and availability of lifejackets in your community is a major hurdle? In the CSBC’s work in Northern communities in the last several years, we have found that lifejackets are often not readily available, and those that are available are very expensive. Working with the Canadian Rangers and Stearns and with financial support from Transport Canada’s Boating Safety Contribution Program and Public Safety Canada’s Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund, the CSBC has been able to bring hundreds of lifejackets into remote communities, together with education initiatives and lifejacket exchange programs. But we know that this is just scratching the surface of the real need in many other remote communities.

We are excited about a new initiative that will help to address this problem: gathering gently used, still serviceable lifejackets and arranging to transport them to remote communities, where they can have a second life – and perhaps save a life! Here is how our partners are helping us make a difference:

Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons (CPS-ECP) announced at their Annual Meeting on October 20 that they will be partnering with the CSBC and the Canadian Rangers to collect gently used Lifejackets and PFD’s through their Recreational Vessel Courtesy Check program on the docks in 2019. The Canadian Rangers were on hand for the announcement and it is a perfect fit for CPS-ECP and CSBC to enhance boater awareness of the needs of the North while placing valuable lifesaving devices in the North through the Canadian Rangers.
In brief
Did you know that you can direct your United Way Campaign donation to any registered Canadian charity? Please consider donating to the Canadian Safe Boating Council; our registration number is 875659864RR0001.

The SARscene 2018 conference is being deferred to the spring of 2019. It is planned that SARscene 2019 will take place in Sydney, Nova Scotia, with the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office as the provincial co-host, in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Ground SAR Association. Public Safety Canada will be holding a strategic planning session this fall with SAR leaders from across the country to help inform priorities and the organization of the conference.  For more information, click here.

The 2018 Boating B.C. Conference will be held on November 20 and 21, 2018 at the Pacific Gateway Hotel, Richmond, B.C. Online registration at www.boatingbc.ca/2018conference.

The next National Drowning Prevention Alliance conference will take place in New Orleans from April 15 – 19, 2019. More information at www.NDPAconference.org.

The International Boating and Water Safety Summit will be held in Jacksonville, Florida, from March 24-27, 2019. More information http://www.ibwss.org/.

Oceans North, in conjunction with Ducks Unlimited Canada and World Wildlife Fund Canada, has released Canada`s Arctic Marine Atlas, which provides a wealth of information about the changing Arctic. Topics include ice thickness at various times of the year, Inuit settlement regions, ice travel and open-water shipping routes, the locations of marine protected areas, ocean currents and the geography of the seabed. https://oceansnorth.org/en/canada-arctic-marine-atlas/