About Me
 David H. Johnston Toronto, Ontario, Canada I'm a little mean, but I make up for it by bein' real healthy. Say you'll be mine. Say you'll be my beloved!
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Industry Stuff
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Thursday, 13 November 2008 07:02 |
 I just got the email that I have been waiting for a long time. It was the yearly president's report from Paddle Canada filling members in to what has been going on throughout 2008 and I'm happy to report that it is filled with really positive news!
For the first time in as many years, they are not running a deficit budget. They have finally paid off the huge debt that was incurred during the early part of this decade. That debt was like a huge weight around the Association's neck not allowing them to do anything because frankly they had no money. It's great to see that turned around and it's even better that they are going to be investing in resources and programs over 2009.
I'm also very excited that they are planning to expand the instructor's symposium that they ran in Nova Scotia in spring of 2008. Looks like something might happen here in Ontario and hopefully something out in BC.
They are developing a brand new national canoeing program. Because of a legal threat from a Provincial canoeing association here in Canada, Paddle Canada is going to scrap the current program entirely and write a new one. You can read about the background in the Presidents Report yourself as I don't wan to get into it myself. I think it is fantastic and say good riddance to that whole chapter. It's time to move on. By the way, how is that for holding back my opinion? It keeps getting me in trouble!
Paddle Canada has a whole new website that is going to be rolled out sometime in 2009. You can preview it here: paddlecanada.m5i.com. Looking at it, there is still a pile of work to be done and bugs to be worked out but it's a HUGE improvement over the current site.
Finally, the report talks about a pile of other programs that are going to be rolling out shortly including a particularly interesting program to help raise awareness to endangered rivers in Canada.
What it comes down to this. After 6-7 years of basically doing nothing because of governance and budget issues, things are starting to happen again.
Will it be a bed of roses from here on in? Of course not! Paddling and politics both start with the same letter so they tend to go hand in hand.
 Read the full report.
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Industry Stuff 