The Canadian Safe Boating Council would like to share our spring

newsletter with you. It contains a brief overview on the various activities
that we have been working on and some exciting upcoming events.

It's wonderful to have such great collaboration with our U.S. colleagues on such initiatives as North American Safe Boating Week, 
key boating safety messages and events such as Ready Set Wear It, and to see how widely the U.S. version of Cold Water Boot Camp - 
originated here in Canada by Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht and Ted Rankine - has taken off. See the article in this newsletter about the award they received
at the last SARscene conference.  

Also in this newsletter you will find an article about the CSBC’s Canadian Safe Boating Awards event held in January. We had a very strong slate of nominations this year, and are always striving to build on the success of the event and make it even better in the future. If you have any comments or suggestions, our CASBA Chair, Ian Gilson, would be delighted to hear from you at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

As we head into the upcoming boating season, our thoughts are always focused on how the CSBC can help to make boating as enjoyable and safe as possible. We rely on a wide range of partners and dedicated volunteers to get the message out during North American Safe Boating Awareness Week, which runs from May 19 – 25 this year. Read the article in this newsletter, and see how you can get involved!

Jean Murray

At its meeting of February 29, 2012 in Montreal, the Conseil québécois du nautisme (CQN) elected a new Board of Directors to serve the organization's
needs for the coming 12 months. Yves Paquette, who takes up the role of the Board's Chair, is the Executive Director of l'Association maritime du Québec.
He is joined by new Vice-Chair Jacques Hébert, a Director General of Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons, and Secretary-Treasurer Raynald Hawkins, 
Executive Director of the Lifesaving Society (Québec Division). A warm welcome and congratulations to all!

Members gave a well-deserved tip of the hat to outgoing Chair Guy L’Écuyer (a former member of the RCMP). The CQN is a provincially incorporated organization 
of 12 associations/government agencies, which is responsible for Québec’s Safe Boating Awareness Week and the boating safety campaign 
conducted each summer across the province.

AAAH, THE CASBAs ....

Always exciting. Never a dull moment. Once again, the CSBC team of organizers put on a great show to recognize the commitment of outstanding
volunteers in the world of boating safety and marine environmental stewardship – this year, at the Toronto Sheraton Centre on Sunday, January 15^th.

The award categories and winners were:

 

It's back! Time to start your engines, hoist your sails and grab your paddles! 
North American Safe Boating Awareness Week 2012 runs from May 19^th to the 25^th and we need to get busy! We're kicking off the week with
Ready Set Wear It - a variation on the wildly popular record-setting PFD inflation activity that broke 2010's record with a whopping 1,685
inflations! Why not join in the fun? Get a few friends together and register an event near you. If you do it beforeApril 15^th, 
we'll even send you some replacement CO₂ cylinders for participating.

And, if you’d like to help us get the Safe Boating Awareness Week messaging out to boaters in your area as a campaign volunteer, click here right now to learn more! 
Check out the new Radio Public Service Announcements, updated TV Public Service Announcements, timely articles, magazine ads and more,
 that all help us reach out to our fellow Canadian boaters both directly and through the media. We also encourage you to visit our new Volunteer E-Guide 
that provides a step-by-step guide to all your volunteer activities

 

 

The National Search and Rescue (SAR) Program Awards of Excellence have been recognizing the outstanding contributions of individuals and groups towards search and rescue response and prevention since 1995. In 2011, two deserving individuals, the CSBC's own Ted Rankine, along with Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht,Ph.D., received the Award of Excellence for Education and Training. Their ground-breaking work in developing and implementing Cold Water Boot Camp and Beyond Cold Water Boot Camp, as well as their  prevention initiatives, have contributed to increasing the survival in cold water and reducing cold water-related deaths in Canada.

If you know somebody who is deserving of recognition, the National  Search and Rescue Secretariat encourages you to find out more 
about the National SAR Awards of Excellence. The Awards are open to both volunteers and to those employed directly or indirectly in the field of search 
and rescue.                                           

Nominees may include search and rescue volunteers, university  researchers, park wardens, police officers, students, public servants, military personnel, company employees, and emergency services workers.

 

Your safe enjoyment of recreational boating is the number one priority of the Canadian Safe Boating Council.

We achieve this in a number of ways. One is to reach out to you - the  boating community - with education and safety awareness and training. 
But effective legislation, regulations, and enforcement also play a key role in promoting safe boating.

Given our position as a key national organization with a finger on the pulse of the recreational boating community, legislators have long relied on the CSBC to communicate important boating information to our members. This relationship has also allowed the Council the opportunity to share the concerns of our recreational boating world with government. It’s a conversation.

Transport Canada is updating its suite of Marine Safety Service Standards – including those on pleasure craft – and invites you to a conversation. Here’s your opportunity to voice your concerns, make your suggestions, and make a difference to pleasure craft licensing and operator competency. Comments, concerns, ideas are welcome until March 30^th, so don’t wait to share yours by clicking on the link below.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/service-standards-group1-4106.htm

We urge you to encourage fellow boating enthusiasts to share their ideas by sending them this website information.

Join us in this beautiful Muskoka setting for a great three-day learning  experience. There will be presentations and discussions on boating safety
topics from international and Canadian experts, on-water learning opportunities, and networking (not to mention the opportunity to renew old  acquaintances). 
Our indoor sessions will be held at the Grace and Speed Muskoka Boat and Heritage Centre, which boasts an impressive in-water exhibit of working antique boats.And what better location than the Muskokas to conduct our outdoor practical safety sessions?

Lodgings for Symposium 2012 participants have been arranged at the comfortable Marriott Residence, located right at the Muskoka Wharf and next door to the Museum. The closing banquet will be a moving experience, too! Get set to enjoy a delicious dinner with friends and colleagues as we cruise Lake Muskoka!

Registration for both the Symposium and lodgings must be completed by August 15^th to avoid disappointment. If you haven’t registered yet, it’s as easy as clicking here.

We look forward to welcoming you there this September!