CSBC Newsletter - April 2022 |
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In This Issue
- Message from the Chair
- Canadian Safe Boating Awards
- AGM Notice
- Safe Boating Awareness Week 2022
- Cold Water Workshops
- Weather to Boat
- CSBC Membership Reminder
- CSBC Symposium
- Recreational Boating-Related Fatalities Research
- In Brief
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I have written over the past year in particular of the challenges we have all faced with the pandemic and how it has affected not only our daily lives, but all that we do in our corporate and volunteer roles. I expressed my pride then on how the Canadian Safe Boating Council adjusted, changed and redirected our energies and programs in order to be able to deliver our mandate of promoting Safe and Responsible Boating. That pride is still there today as we hopefully are easing past the brunt of our restrictions. You will see later in this Newsletter that our Canadian Safe Boating Awards (CASBAs), our Board Meeting, our Annual General Meeting and the Fall Symposium will all be in person….face to face. We must all still be cognizant that COVID is still here and we must honour and respect those who will continue to practice cautionary measures. Together, we will continue to move forward to a more normalized lifestyle.
The timing of this newsletter is excellent as it gives me a very public forum to say thanks to the CSBC Board and the many volunteers who have ensured the CSBC maintains its mandate, delivering the programs and maintaining the administration of the organization. The week of April 24-30 is National Volunteer Week and I would like to express to my colleagues and the many we work with a heartfelt Thank You!
I had the fortune of representing the CSBC (and Canada) in the World Forum which was part of the 25th Annual International Boating and Water Safety Summit (IBWSS) held in Washington, DC March 13-16. Most of the forum participants were brought in virtually (as I was) and we were on the screen in front of an audience of approximately 150+. The Moderator was Verne Gifford, Chief of the Boating Safety Division of the U.S. Coast Guard. Participants were from: Australia (Tasmania and Victoria), Canada, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. The topics presented to discuss were: Continued COVID impacts, Education requirements for operators, Qualification requirements for instructors, Boating incident reporting, Enforcement, Lifejackets and Emerging trends. Unfortunately we only had 2 ½ hours and could have used 4 hours, so some of the topics were not fully discussed. I can tell you the trends and regulations are different around the world, ranging from no education required to criminal penalties and health checks being required prior to receiving a boating licence. Some countries have strict mandatory wear rates, with heavy enforcement penalties for non-wear, including boat operator licence suspension. Fortunately, Past Chair Jean Murray was able to listen in on the forum….Jean has been integral in developing our international relations and the CSBC thanks her for the steps taken to put us on the world stage.
As this is my last report to you as Chair of the CSBC I have to say Thank You. Not sure where to start but you, the Members, Corporate and Individual, have allowed me this exceptional opportunity for three years to be involved with an organization that gets it done, and gets it done right promoting Safe and Responsible Boating. To the Board Members I have served with….many of you for many years and some of you new, thanks for your confidence and your commitment to the CSBC. I have worked ever so closely with exceptional Executive Committees and I will include our Executive Support Officer John McMullen here, thank you….an amazing team with exceptional dedication. Of course a lot of what we do would not be possible without our sponsors and partners but in particular Stearns, thank you for your consistent financial and product support throughout the years. Our programs are a success through the work of the team at PlaySafe….not only bringing our programs to life but the many, many extras you provide to the CSBC.
As I sign out as your Chair, my commitment remains to support the Mission of the CSBC and those that follow…..again, THANK YOU.
Please continue to stay safe and I hope that I can see many of you in person at the events of the CSBC in the near future.
Sincerely,
Joe
Joe Gatfield
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Canadian Safe Boating Awards (CASBAs) |
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The Canadian Safe Boating Awards are back! Join us on Saturday 28 May at the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel, 901 Dixon Road, Toronto. The festivities kick off at 7:00 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres, followed by presentation of the Awards at 8:00 p.m. After the presentations there will be an opportunity to mingle with the award winners and the other guests, with coffee and a cash bar available.
This will be a bumper celebration, as we recognize accomplishments in boating safety and protection of the marine environment over the last two years. The CASBA award categories are as follows:
- Marine Professional of the Year
- Top Volunteer Dedicated to Safe Boating
- Safeguarding the Environment
- Marine Industry
- Stearns Rescue of the Year
- Best Boating Safety Initiative
- Visible PFD Wear in Advertising
- Best Media Contribution to Boating Safety
A big thank you to our partners and supporters, including Presenting Sponsor Stearns, without whose support this event would not be possible.
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AGM Notice to all CSBC Members |
Finally! What we have all been waiting for – a chance to meet in person with other folks who are passionate about boating safety. After two years of virtual Zoom AGMs we can meet again in person! In accordance with the Not-for-Profit Act (Section 159.4), the Canadian Safe Boating Council will hold its annual general meeting in person on Sunday May 29, 2022 at 1300 hours at the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel, 901 Dixon Road. The meeting is open to all interested persons, but voting will be restricted to current CSBC members. Please note: there will be no virtual Zoom option for this meeting. The meeting will cover a number of subjects, including a dramatic report on the activities that we have accomplished in 2021 as well as the election of officers for 2022/23. Come and spend an hour or so with us to hear about the great progress we have made in promoting safe boating and to renew acquaintance with others like yourself who support our goals. |
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Safe Boating Awareness Week May 21 - 27, 2022 |
For 2022, Safe Boating Awareness Week (SBAW) will capitalize on social media opportunities to effectively reach out to all boaters across Canada and provide materials to partner stakeholders for in-person participation at local levels.
Our key boating safety messages continue to be:
- Wear Your Lifejacket
- Boat Sober
- Take a Boating Course
- Be Prepared—You and Your Vessel
- Be Cold Water Safe
The focus of the CSBC’s national SBAW outreach activities will be a stand-alone mini-information web site, offering a variety of materials (to either copy, repost or download) providing you, SBAW advocates, with plenty of information to share with your own constituents and conduct your own media outreach. CSBC’s outreach will also include an introduction to regional boating safety spokespeople. The spokespeople will be you … representatives from boating safety organizations, enforcement, and government agencies … all key boating safety partners.
This SBAW regional approach is partnership-focused, supporting CSBC’s members, boating safety agencies, associations and individuals who want to conduct their own activities.
If your organization is interested in participating with us in the new CSBC SBAW activities or our other CSBC campaigns throughout the entire summer, we would love to hear from you. Please contact John McMullen at [email protected] to explore opportunities.
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Don’t miss out! The CSBC’s final spring 2022 Virtual Cold Water Workshop with Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht will be held on Tuesday April 19 and Thursday April 21. These Zoom Workshops run from 8 p.m.-10.30 p.m. Eastern time and cost $75. For more information, and to register, go to Cold Water Workshops (csbc.ca)
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The 2022 boating season is fast approaching! This means boaters will soon be heading for open waters. Get prepared now by downloading the Weather to Boat App.
The CSBC’s Weather To Boat App is Dynamic, Powerful, FREE…. and most important… it could SAVE YOUR LIFE!
Weather to Boat is sure to become your “Boating Go-To” App. So much more than just weather, it provides information to help make your boating experience safer and more enjoyable.
Get all the key information you need in one place:
- Up to date Marine and local ‘City’ weather forecasts for your boating area
- Pre-departure checklists
- Geo-referenced Marinas and Boat Launches
- Rules of the Road
- Safety Equipment required - specific to your boat
- Dynamic interactive trip planner with emergency contact alerting
- Fishing information
- Boating tips and videos
Unsure whether to boat? Scan the code to download the FREE ‘Weather to Boat’ app, and SHARE with your family, firends and colleagues to help keep them safe on the water!
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Our mission is to promote safe and responsible recreational boating throughout Canada. We know we are making a difference, but we can’t do it without your support!
Please renew your membership in the CSBC for 2022 today. The corporate/group membership fee is $250, the individual membership $75. If you are a member, please consider renewing now. If you are not a member, we need your support if we are to continue delivering CSBC’s many worthwhile programs. Go to https://csbc.ca/en/about-us/membership.
Don’t forget! The Canadian Safe Boating Council and Stearns/Coleman Canada have come together to offer you and all of the members of your organization a 40% discount on the purchase of a wide variety of products shown on the Coleman Canada website! Coleman (colemancanada.ca)This discount applies to the full line of Coleman Canada products, as well as Stearns PFDs and lifejackets. Also see exciting PFD and lifejacket offerings from Stearns (click on Stearns logo at top of Coleman web page).
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Learning, networking, energy and fun! Plan to join us for our in-person Symposium at the Westin Resort in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, from September 13 - 15, 2022. This year’s theme is On the water, we are a community. We’re already working hard to develop the program, which will have a Quebec flavour. More details to follow, in the newsletter and on our website. www.csbc.ca
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Recreational Boating-Related Fatalities Research |
The Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada (DPRC) is leading a two-phase research project focused on recreational boating-related injuries for Transport Canada’s Boating Safety Contribution Program titled: Online mapping of drowning incidents in recreational boating across Canada.
In the first phase, the DPRC provided a written report on recreational boating-related fatalities in Canada (2008–2017) with data from its drowning database. This report is now available:
The findings in the report significantly contribute to our knowledge about recreational boating-related injuries and will assist local communities, governments and law enforcement in developing targeted initiatives to reduce boating fatalities.
The second phase of the project includes the creation of a corresponding online map of recreational boating-related fatalities, which will be released later this year. For more information, please contact Barbara Byers, Senior Research Officer, DPRC [email protected]
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Preparations are underway for the Spring 2022 National CMAC meeting that will take place virtually. The tentative dates are Tuesday, April 26 – Thursday May 5, 2022. Registration is not currently open. Information will be added to the Transport Canada CMAC Webpage as it becomes available.
During the darkest days of the pandemic restrictions, many of us enjoyed Tripping the Rideau, a TV Ontario three hour film of a boat journey down the Rideau Canal (also available on the TVO website). TVO will now be broadcasting Tripping the Bruce, which takes you on an epic three hour sailboat journey along the rugged north shore of the Bruce Peninisula. You’ll sail the 34 kilometres of breathtaking coastline, witnessing soaring cliffs, white pebble beaches, the best-known ferry in Ontario, and the famous sea stacks on Flowerpot Island. As you discover the majesty of the Bruce, you’ll also dive below the surface to explore some of the most perfectly preserved shipwrecks in the world. Broadcast dates on TVO are April 15 and 17, and on demand at TVO.org and TVO’s YouTube channel.
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