Sea Kayak Instructor & Trainer Mentorship Opportunity 

Hello fellow sea kayak instructors.  

My name is Christopher Lockyer and I am the director of coaching with Committed 2 the core sea coaching www.committed2thecore.com We would like to extend the invitation to any current Paddle Canada instructor looking to progresses through the system. 

As an instructor trainer I feel it is important to creat opportunities for those who are looking to take there instructor or instructor trainer status to the next level and we want to help. So we are putting this out there to you all. We are willing to take two mentors on any of the programs that we are currently publicly advertising on the Paddle Canada website. 

Paddle Canada and the American Canoe Association Stand Up Paddleboard Committees Working Together

Starting April 1, 2013, the SUP Committees for both Paddle Canada (PC) and the American Canoe Association (ACA) will be working more closely together.  A member from the ACA's SUP committee will sit as a non-voting liaison member on PC's SUP committee and in return a PC SUP member will sit on ACA's committee as a non-voting liaison member.  The committees both feel this will go a long way towards strengthening SUP instruction in North America, but also help the ACA's and PC's working relationship in the future.  

We are seeking your input today into the development of a new national program called PaddleSmart, a paddle sport awareness program, which will be developed and added along side of other successful programs under the AdventureSmart banner.  

We are excited to announce that Paddle Canada has been awarded a contract from the National Search and Rescue Secretariat (NSS) to produce a PaddleSmart 30-50 page manual and presentation by March 31, 2013.  Launching of trainer courses and development of outreach and additional instructor materials will follow in the years to come.  

This opportunity aligns itself very well with Paddle Canada's 3 Year Float Plan for Success with it's focus on youth, since the main target audiences of these programs are schools.  

Paddle Canada is pleased to accept $50,000 in funding towards it's 2012 - 2013 Project: "Expansion of Paddle Canada Services: National Paddling Week, Conferences & Instructor Development".  Paddle Canada is thrilled to be one of six contribution program partners. Education & Safety Awareness for Canoe / Kayak / SUP users is a high priority for Transport Canada.  This fits ideally into what Paddle Canada does:  provide excellent national paddlesports training, keeping recreational users safe on Canada's waterways.

The following is the Government of Canada's Press Release Announcement on the May Long Weekend, kicking off Safe Boating Awarness Week:

OTTAWA, May 18, 2012 /CNW/ - The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today celebrated North American Safe Boating Awareness Week 2012 with an announcement of $322,000 for six boating safety awareness projects under Transport Canada's Boating Safety Class Contribution Program.

"North American Safe Boating Awareness Week marks the beginning of the boating season in many parts of the country," said Minister Lebel. "Our government is pleased to be working with stakeholders on worthy projects aimed at reducing boating fatalities and injuries on Canadian waters."

This year's recipients under the Boating Safety Class Contribution Program are:

• Paddle Canada
• Canadian Red Cross - Atlantic Zone
• Newfoundland and Labrador Search & Rescue Association (NLSARA)
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
• Regional District of Alberni-Clayoquot
• Fédération québécoise du canot et du kayak

Minister Lebel also reminded Canadians of the following tips to stay safe on the water:

• Always ensure that you and your guests wear a lifejacket that fits properly.
• If you are operating a motorized boat, carry proof of competency on board at all times.
• Take a boating safety course.
• Carry the required safety equipment for your boat such as paddles, a bailer, flashlight, buoyant line, anchor, etc.
• Keep clear of swimmers, divers and other boats.
• Navigate your boat on the correct side of the buoy.
• Wear proper clothing and check the weather forecast before heading out.
• Do not drink and boat.

Data collected over the past two decades indicate that the majority of boating-related deaths in Canada were linked to recreational boating activities such as fishing, powerboating and canoeing, often in small open boats on inland rivers and lakes.