CSBC
Newsletter - Spring 2012
The Canadian Safe Boating Council would like to share our spring
that we have been working on and some exciting upcoming events.
A Message from the Chair of the CSBC
As this newsletter goes to press, I have just returned from the International Boating and Water Safety Summit and National Safe Boating Council meetings in San Diego. The summit is a great learning and networking event and there was a healthy contingent of Canadians there.
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 15th.
The award categories and winners were:
Rescue of the Year – The Hamilton Police Marine Unit of Hamilton, Ontario for the rescue of a group of student rowers during a sudden gale in April 2011 in Hamilton Harbour
Marine Professional of the Year – Colin Hiscock of Transport Canada in Lewisporte, Newfoundland for his role as an extreme marine safety advocate
Top Volunteer Dedicated to Safe Boating – Duff Dwyer of Midland, Ontario for his lifetime volunteer role in the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) and the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons (CPSS)
Special Recognition – Marty Tannahill of the Ontario Recreational Canoe and Kayak Association in Toronto, Ontario who is revered for his expertise as a paddling instructor
Ontario Power Generation’s Best Boating Safety Initiative – The Lifesaving Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories for its Lifejacket Loaner Program
Safeguarding the Environment – Campion Marine of Kelowna, British Columbia for its Green products and procedures in sport boat manufacturing
Marine Industry – “RESCUE STREAMER” Distress Signal – invented by Dr. Robert Yonover of See/Rescue Corporation and distributed in Canada by TSL Response Technologies Ltd. in Caledon, Ontario
Visible Personal Flotation Device (PFD) Wear in Advertising – The Lifesaving Society of Quebec for its video promoting lifejacket /PFD wear by fishermen
Check out the full story here on each of these impressive award recipients.
SAFE BOATING AWARENESS WEEK 2012
North American Safe Boating Awareness Week 2012 runs from May 19th to the 25th 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 15th,
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
NATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE PROGRAM AWARD OF EXCELLENCE WINNERS ...
TED RANKINE AND DR. GORDON GIESBRECHT!
Ted and |
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.
Their work has had a significant impact both in the first responder and boating safety communities and in the public, at home and around the world. Over 5000 DVDs distributed to a wide variety of agencies, organizations and individuals have been used to drive home the importance of prevention. The result? A solid shift in boaters’ attitudes about wearing lifejackets and a stronger awareness of how to improve cold water survivability. Click here to change your attitude.
Warmest congratulations, Ted and Gordon!
THE NATIONAL SAR SECRETARIAT IS CALLING FOR AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE NOMINATIONS!
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.
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 30th, 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.
SYMPOSIUM 2012 AND COLD WATER WORKSHOPS
It seems these annual get-togethers just keep getting better and better!
And the 2012 CSBC Symposium - being held in historic and picturesque Gravenhurst, Ontario from September 23rd to 25th- promises to be no exception.
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 15th 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!