Annual Symposium

Quebec City / September 2026

CSBC 2026 Symposium — Education Builds Safer Waters

The 2026 Symposium will take place in Quebec City from September 22–24, 2026 at the Château Laurier Québec.

This year’s theme, Education Builds Safer Waters, will explore how our community educates and promotes safe boating practices across Canada.

Topics/activities for the symposium include:

• Discover how the CSBC supports recreational boaters through education and awareness programs.
• Learn how the Royal Life Saving Society UK and its partners achieved a national breakthrough in water safety education.
• Find out why cold water remains a serious risk—even in summer—and gain practical takeaways during a mini Cold Water Workshop.
• Explore how social media can be used as an effective tool to educate and engage boaters.
• Hear from a law enforcement panel on how enforcement, prevention, and education can work together to improve boating safety.
• Gain insights from leading organizations, including the Canadian Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Québec, Nautisme Québec, Mustang Survival, DSS Protection, Canadian Hydrographic Service, Transport Canada’s Office of Boating Safety, and more

By sharing knowledge and experience, we can build the skills, awareness, and confidence needed to make Canada’s waterways safer for everyone. We hope you will join us in Québec City this fall!

Register for the 2026 Symposium today!! Rates go up August 15, 2026. Fill out the form at the bottom of this page or visit the Symposium Registration page

Date: September 22-24, 2026
Location: Quebec City, QC
Hotel: Hôtel Château Laurier
Hotel Information: https://hotelchateaulaurier.ihotelier.com/book/dates-of-stay?groupID=9465896

Participant testimonials demonstrate that CSBC Symposiums consistently hit the high-water mark:

• It was a great symposium from start to finish. Everything was well run and managed, it went by too fast in my opinion.
• It was great to hear the roles of all the different organizations as it related to prevention and boating safety, ie, JRCC Trenton, Parks Canada, the Canadian Ranger Patro, CCG, Navy, UK etc.
• This was a well-executed event and a valuable opportunity to engage with partners across the marine safety spectrum.
• The Waterways Cafe session: Okay, this was excellent. I always dread the breakout groups with flip charts. This was different—switching tables, using the texting tech, and using the crayons were all great changes!