February 2020
CSBC Newsletter - February 2020
In This Issue

  • Message from the Chair
  • Canadian Safe Boating Awards (CASBAs) 2019
  • Michael Vollmer Inducted into NMMA Hall of Fame
  • CSBC at TIBS
  • CSBC Partners on TC Rental Boat Safety Program
  • Safety First Marine
  • CSBC Membership – Time to Renew
  • Lifejacket Maintenance
  • Coroner Recommends Mandatory PFD Wear
  • New Marching Orders for Ministers
  • In Brief
Message from the Chair
Joe
As we are heading into the final stages of winter, I need to reflect on recent activities of your Safe Boating Council. The CSBC hosted the 22 nd Annual Canadian Safe Boating Awards (CASBA’s) at the National Yacht Club in Toronto on January 19 to a full capacity crowd. The details of the event are covered further in this Newsletter. However, I would like to thank the volunteers who made this event the success it was and the sponsors, especially our presenting sponsor Stearns/Coleman; without the support of our sponsors the event could not happen.

Also, the Board and Executive Committee have been meeting and I thank all of them and their supporting organizations for their time and commitment to the CSBC and embracing the mission of Safe and Responsible Boating in Canada.

In the last couple of Newsletters I have talked about the external influences on Boating Safety and the vessel itself. 
Now I would like to address how we, as boaters, need to be diligent in order to be that ‘Safe Boater’ and that influence on others to magnify the appreciation for boating safely.

  • Are you prepared? Do you and those with you have all the safety equipment required for that adventure on the water….be it pleasure, sport, swimming, paddling….whatever is your pleasure?
  • Is the safety equipment up to date and always within your reach? Are your lifejackets sized to each passenger and are you wearing them? Don’t forget personal needs such as water, soft drinks, snacks, lotions etc.
  • Are you legal? If you are the vessel operator there are minimal requirements for boat operator certification. Note that I state minimal….depending on the waters you are on you may require additional knowledge and education to embark safely. There are many factors to operating a vessel including environmental conditions, other boaters and the actual worthiness of your vessel….make sure it is ready and know its capabilities.
  • Have a plan and if you are to be out for a while, it never hurts to let someone on shore know where you are going and your expected return time….a basic Trip Plan.
  • I mentioned water and soft drinks earlier….this excludes alcohol or any other mind-altering substances….illegal on land and on the water when operating a vessel. There are specific regulations that will allow consumption and as a responsible boater we need to know when and where….and still never Boat High!

As you can see, much of the above includes the elements of the CSBC five key Boating Safety messages:
  1. Wear your lifejacket
  2. Boat sober
  3. Take a boating course
  4. Be prepared – you and your vessel
  5. Beware of cold water risks.
 
Each and every one of us needs to lead by example. By our example we will instill in those around us the need for Safe and Responsible Boating. You may never know the influence you have made or you may never know that you saved a life through your actions, but actions speak loudly and we must be those advocates. I remind you of the last line of National Safe Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) President Cody Jones’ opening remarks: “Let us serve as one voice and as one team”.

Recently many of you received your Membership renewal notice and I hope that you have renewed your support of the efforts of CSBC….we need your support as an individual, organization or corporation to continue not only the messages of CSBC but the influences we maintain on Boating Safety in Canada. New Memberships are always welcome. Further information on Membership follows in this Newsletter.

The CSBC Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Toronto. Further information will follow on the details, however you may want to mark your calendars if you are interested in attending.

The Annual Symposium will be held this year in St Andrews by the Sea, New Brunswick at the Algonquin Hotel. The dates are September 29 to October 1. The theme is We are all in the same boat – let’s talk. As the agenda develops and the details are finalized, we will keep you informed but you may want to mark this down now: a great event in a beautiful location in Eastern Canada.

In closing, thank you for your support and if you are interested in supporting the CSBC or becoming involved, please contact the Immediate Past Chair Gullick at [email protected]

Remember….’Life’s roughest storms prove the strength of our anchors’.

Respectfully,

Joe
Canadian Safe Boating Awards (CASBAs) 2019
The 2019 Canadian Safe Boating Awards (CASBAs) were held on Sunday, January 19 in Toronto, at the National Yacht Club. At this gala event, the Canadian Safe Boating Council, its members and stakeholders in recreational boating safety assembled to honour the people, programs, organizations and marinas that help to make boating in Canada safer and better for all of us, and to keep the environment clean.
 
The CSBC is proud to announce the following winners of this year’s 9 CASBA Awards: 
 
Marine Professional of the Year
Deborah Lineberry as owner operator of Paris Marine Ltd who focuses significant personal and company energy to boating safety and education, especially to the women in her community.
 
Top Volunteer Dedicated to Boating Safety
Jason Rodgers / André Bastille for the incredible number of hours they individually donate to boating safety with the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.
 
Safeguarding the Environment
Canot Kayak Québec for the development of sustainable activities and projects and the delivery of environmental awareness outreach.
 
Marine Industry
SeeArch Inc for creating a personal safety device that helps significantly in locating someone in the water, but also assists with their reboarding
 
Stearns Rescue of the Year
For the rescue of 5 individuals on Lake Erie on July 15, 2019.
Jeff Anderson           Laura Ferriss              Rick Malott
 
Best Boating Safety Initiative
Sail Nelson for creating the Nelson Safe Boating event to support Safe Boating Week and promote water safety in the Kootenays.
 
Best Media Contribution to Boating Safety
Cam Woolley for his invaluable support of the water safety community through his broadcast platform in the Greater Toronto Area.
 
Special Recognition
Calgary Police Marine Unit for their dedication in keeping the Bow River waterway around the City of Calgary safe through both patrols and the promoting of safe boating.
 
Special Recognition
Chad Buchner, Parks Canada for his leadership and stewardship of boating safety for his employees and boaters who use the Trent Severn Waterway
 
The CASBA Gala recognizes the efforts of the public, volunteers, professionals, agencies and organizations who have distinguished themselves in the fields of boating safety and environmental stewardship. Each CASBA event has shared amazing stories of bravery, innovation, passion and dedication.
 
The CSBC would like to thank our sponsors, without whom the CASBAs would not be possible:
 
  • Presenting Sponsor – Stearns
  • Gold Sponsor – Ontario Power Generation
  • Silver Sponsor – Salus Marine
  • Silver Sponsor – Yamaha
  • Silver Sponsor – Mustang Survival
  • Silver Sponsor – Playsafe Productions
  • Bronze Sponsor – SiriusXM Marine
 
For additional information on the 2019 CASBAs winners, future events and boating safety information, please visit www.csbc.ca .
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Canada presented Michael Vollmer with the 2020 NMMA Canada Hall of Fame Award at the Recreational Boating Industry Breakfast on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at the Toronto International Boat Show. 

The NMMA Hall of Fame Award is the Association’s highest honor. Established in 1988, it recognizes individuals who have, or continue to generate, substantial and lasting contributions toward the advancement of the marine industry. It honours individuals whose names and deeds are synonymous with the pursuit of quality, innovation, and perfection within their respective spheres of expertise.

Michael was introduced by John Gullick, Past CSBC Chair. Michael was ‘in at the beginning’ as one of the founding signatories when the CSBC was created in 1990, and served for 28 years on the CSBC Board. He continues to be a CSBC Director Emeritus.

Congratulations, Michael, on this very well-deserved award!

John Gullick, CSBC Past Chair, Michael Vollmer and Sara Anghel, NMMA Canada President
CSBC at Toronto International Boat Show (TIBS)
Many thanks to the Ontario Provincial Police, who supported the CSBC’s display at TIBS, and to those of you who stopped by to say hello and talk about boating safety and the work we do. Thank you as well to the CSBC volunteers who staffed the booth, including John McMullen, CSBC Executive Support Officer, pictured below on the left. A test of your CSBC knowledge: who is the CSBC “celebrity” on the right? Answer at end of the In Brief section*.
CSBC Partners on TC Rental Boat Safety Program 
With thanks to Cheryl Gallagher, Playsafe Productions  
The CSBC is now hosting a new Transport Canada Rental Boat Program on our website! After 4 years of assisting Transport Canada, (cobbling together existing materials) to inform rental boat operators about their responsibilities in educating their renters about safe and legal operation of the boats they rent, early in January Transport Canada and the CSBC went live with a brand new Rental Boat E- learning centre… Best Practices in Rental Boat Safety Course

Those who operate power recreational rental vessels in Canada require either proof of competence or they must participate in a rental boat education program, generally consisting of a dockside rental boat checklist. This checklist provides boat renters with the information they need to safely operate the boat to be rented in a specific local area for the specific rental period. Recently, Transport Canada completed the production of a Best Practices in Rental Boat Safety Course, directed towards marinas and others who make a business out of renting boats. Important topics include safety, client screenings, client briefings, local knowledge, safety equipment, maintenance and emergency preparation and communications.

The CSBC took the raw program materials from Transport Canada and created an interactive, online educational package for rental boat operators. As part of the best practices program, a completion test was developed to ensure the participating rental boat operator understands their responsibilities and works to achieve a best practices model from which to operate. At the successful completion of the course, the rental boat operator will be properly informed with the knowledge and skill set necessary to run a successful rental boat operation.

The program is now live on the CSBC web site and will be hosted there for years to come. If you are in the business of renting boats, the Best Practices in Rental Boat Safety Program is the key to your success and the safety of your customers. Visit www.CSBC.ca to take the course or to learn more.
The CSBC has had many firsts with our outreach activities over the years, and a recent one is Safety First Marine (SFM). Created in part with contribution funding from the Search and Rescue Secretariat’s New Initiatives Fund, SFM was created to respond to the critical issue identified by the Recreational Vessel Courtesy Check program which revealed that approximately 40% of boats did not have all their legally required safety equipment on board. 

Safety First Marine (SFM) is a free, e-education system designed to teach marine sales staff about boating safety equipment to educate and assist them in helping their customers better equip their boats. In addition to important information about all required equipment, it also includes information about “important to have aboard” gear and a variety of topics to help reduce SAR incidents. And to round out the program, the online portion also has a downloadable App, so the information can be available literally in the palm of their hands. 

Marine sales staff are uniquely positioned to discuss equipment and accessory needs with boaters face-to-face before they head out on the water. The knowledge that SFM provides marine sales personnel helps them to improve boaters’ awareness and understanding of boating safety equipment that is legally required, could save their lives and definitely contributes to a better boating experience.

SFM was launched during the 2018 boating season, and the marine industry has been very receptive to the program. Even with seasonal turnover in marine retail staff, the evergreen content of SFM will provide a long term benefit of the program as the content on the website and the app will remain relevant, with only the need for minor updates as legal requirements change. In short, Safety First Marine has been designed to instill a culture of boating safety and to provide marine retailers with the knowledge and confidence to help them better communicate it to their customers.

Now is the perfect time to check out and continue to share the Safety First Marine program within the marine industry. Ensure your local marina is able to proudly display to all their customers that their staff have the training they need, so that customers can be confident that the marina will provide them with all the advice they need to make good decisions on equipment, information and services. Visit safetyfirstmarine.ca insert link and create your free account to access the online learning modules.
It’s that time of year! By the time you read this newsletter, those of you who are CSBC members will have received a request to renew your membership for 2020. If you are not already a member, please take a moment to consider joining the CSBC. It’s easy – just go to https://csbc.ca/en/about-us/membership . The corporate membership fee for 2020 is $250, and the individual membership fee is $75.
 
We can’t do it without you.  The Canadian Safe Boating Council is in the business of promoting safe and responsible boating throughout Canada. Your membership fees will help maintain and grow numerous and highly worthwhile CSBC events and activities, like the Safe Boating Awareness Week Campaign, the Annual Symposium, Cold Water Awareness programs, www.SmartBoater.ca and the Canadian Safe Boating Awards (CASBAs). As a member of the CSBC, which is a non-profit organization, you are recognized as a proud supporter of safe boating in Canada and can be confident in knowing that your membership dollars do make a difference!

Special membership benefit
The Canadian Safe Boating Council and Stearns/Coleman Canada have come together to offer you and all members of your organization a 40% discount on the purchase of a wide variety of products shown on the Coleman Canada website! ( https://www.colemancanada.ca ) This discount applies to the full line of Coleman Canada products, as well as Stearns PFDs and lifejackets (click on Stearns logo at top of web page). Paid CSBC members are given instructions on how to place orders and take advantage of this exciting offer.
Lifejacket Maintenance
A new Ship Safety Bulletin has recently been posted to the Transport Canada website at www.tc.gc.ca/ssb-bsn/. To go online to view or download the bulletin, please click on the following link:
 
SSB#12/2019  – Inspection and Maintenance of Inflatable Lifejackets and Personal Flotation Devices
Coroner Recommends Mandatory PFD Wear
A coroner examining the drowning of a 55 year old man in Gaspésie last summer has recommended to Transport Canada that the wearing of personal flotation devices (PFDs) be made mandatory in small craft such as rowboats, canoes and kayaks. She also urged continuing efforts by the Lifesaving Society to sensitize the public to the dangers of drinking and boating. To learn more (in French only), go to https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/01/14/une-coroner-propose-dobliger-la-veste-de-flottaison
New Marching Orders for Ministers
New mandate letters have been issued to Federal Ministers by the Liberal Government. They lay out expectations and priorities each Minister is to deliver on, and there is a central tracking system to ensure they do. Among expectations for all Ministers are:

  • working closely with Indigenous Peoples
  • substantively engaging with stakeholders, including the not-for-profit and charitable sectors, and
  • evidence-based decision-making.

In our review we did not identify any specific commitments relating to boating safety, but the following are priorities for specific Ministers that relate to CSBC activities and interests:

Minister of Transport

  • Continue to improve the safety of Canada’s transportation sector through a review and modernization of relevant legislation and regulations;
  • Work with the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to implement the Oceans Protection Plan to deliver 24/7 emergency response for incident management, to increase on-scene environmental response capacity, and to develop near real-time information on marine traffic with Indigenous and coastal communities.
  • Work with partners to begin a process to design and introduce programs that support making Canada’s major ports among the most efficient and cleanest in the world.

Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

  • Lead, with the support of the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and the Minister of Natural Resources, and in consultation with provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples and business stakeholders, in developing a comprehensive blue economy strategy to help guide future government actions and investments that enable Canada to grow its oceans economy to create good middle class jobs and opportunity for coastal communities while advancing our conservation objectives.
  • Work with the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to implement and further develop the Oceans Protection Plan. With the world’s longest coastline, Canada must have a world-leading plan to protect it and marine species at risk. Pursue additional initiatives working with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples and all Canadians to better co-manage our three ocean coasts.
  • Work with the Minister of Public Services and Procurement on the full renewal of the Canadian Coast Guard fleet, continuing the revitalization of the shipbuilding industry, creating middle class jobs and ensuring Canada’s marine services have the modern ships that they need.
  • Work with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to introduce a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent by 2030. This plan should be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
  • Implement the Ocean Plastics Charter and the G7 Charlevoix Blueprint for Healthy Oceans, Seas and Resilient Coastal Communities.

Minister of Defence

  • Work with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Northern Affairs and partners through the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework to develop better surveillance (including by renewing the North Warning System), defence and rapid-response capabilities in the North and in the maritime and air approaches to Canada, to strengthen continental defence, protect Canada’s rights and sovereignty and demonstrate international leadership with respect to the navigation of Arctic waters.

For more information, go to https://pm.gc.ca/en/mandate-letters
In brief
Donald Roussel, senior advisor to the ADM, Safety and Security, Transport Canada is retiring in February 2020. As ADM Safety and Security and Director General, Marine Safety and Security, Donald has been a strong supporter of the CSBC for many years, and we have greatly appreciated his openness and collaborative approach.

Welcome to Bruce Hayne, who has been appointed Executive Director of Boating BC. The CSBC looks forward to working with you. To outgoing Executive Director Lisa Geddes, thank you for all your support over the years - it was a real pleasure working with you, and our best wishes for the future.

And another warm welcome to Mimma Spagnolo, who has been appointed National Executive Director of Canadian Power and Sail (CPS). CPS and the CSBC have worked closely together on many boating safety programs and initiatives over many years, and we look forward to our continuing collaboration.

The International Boating and Water Safety Summit will be held in Glendale, Arizona from April 5 – 8, 2020. To learn more, visit www.IBWSS.org.

The National Spring 2020 CMAC meeting will take place at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa from April 15 – 17, 2020.

Survival 2020, the International Red Cross First Aid, Injury Prevention and Aquatics Conference, is being held from October 4-7, 2020 at the Grey Eagle Hotel and Conference Centre in Calgary, Alberta. This biennial event connects community leaders, academics and prevention and safety trainers from around the world.   Click here for more information.

*Identity of CSBC “celebrity” at TIBS? Al Will, long-term CSBC supporter and Chair 2007 - 2009. It was great to see you, Al!