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Nanaimo Paddlers is testing the waters (see what I did there?) with club merchandise.  Check out the options here

It's AGM and Elections time! Join us in person for our AGM, Elections and Feature Presentation at Beban Social Center on Wednesday, February 1, 7-9 pm. Our guest speaker is research biologist Linda Nichol and her presentation is about those adorable sea otters that kayakers love to spot swimming and playing along our shores!

Club members may register for this event on Meetup by clicking here.

Annual General Meeting Materials & Information

In preparation for the AGM, please review the following materials in advance:

Agenda
Minutes 2022 AGM, February 2022
Committee Reports
Financial Report and Proposed 2023 Budget
Nominees for Board of Directors

Message from our President:

Help Wanted!

The current list of nominees assumes that the President and Vice President positions will remain vacant and their duties will be shared. This is not an ideal situation and it may be difficult to sustain in the long term. I encourage members to step forward and help “share the load!” Two additional board members will make all the difference.


The Featured Speaker Co-ordinator position will also remain vacant in 2023/23. This is not a board position, so I hope that a few members will volunteer to take this role on together. The role involves securing a featured speaker for each of the club's monthly meetings (except over the July and August summer break), coordinating details with the speaker, and introducing them at meetings. With only 9 monthly meetings, it would be relatively easy to take a few meetings each and cover the whole schedule. The club has enjoyed such success with the featured speaker program, it would be a shame to have to forego this informative and entertaining component of our monthly meetings.

Featured Presentation: So What’s Up With Sea Otters?
Guest Speaker: Linda Nichol


Linda has been studying sea otters on the BC coast for almost 2 decades as a research biologist at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo. She has led innumerable sea otter surveys documenting the size, distribution and foraging habits of the population over this time. Sea otter surveys are conducted from small boats travelling nearshore in exposed coastal areas. There are likely few people who can say they have had the privilege to see up close the wildlife and landscape along almost all of BC’s exposed rugged outer waters from a 6 metre open boat. Linda is also a sea kayaker and she has explored some of these coastal areas on her off time by paddle. Her presentation will focus on the ecology of BC’s sea otter population with an eye to the kayaker’s perspective of the coast and its wildlife.


Note that the club’s current Covid policy requires vaccination for indoor events. Masks are optional.

To register for the meeting click here and follow the information in the meeting event posting. See you there! ​

Julie Bettney,
President

The following information was provided by Ellie Lamb, a bear viewing guide, bear behaviour consultant and bear educator based in North Vancouver. Ellie is the featured speaker at the Nanaimo Paddlers General Meeting on January 4, 2023:

Bear Spray Checklist

BEFORE GOING INTO BEAR COUNTRY

• Buy a 225 g (7.9 oz) bear spray canister with a label that says "for deterring bear attacks."
• Check the canister’s expiry date and replace it when necessary.
• "Practice" using bear spray so you can act quickly and know its range and force.
• Remember that:
  • Bear spray leaves the can at 100 km/hr (75 mph).
  • Bear spray can travel a distance of 10.5-15 metres (30-35 feet).
  • A canister has 7 to 9 seconds of spray in it depending on the size: a 225g can has 7 seconds of spray; a 300g can has 9 seconds of spray.
  • A charging bear can cover 44 feet per second. Generally speaking you would have to be a Navy Seal in order to have the reactions necessary to effectively deal with a situation such as this. 

STORING BEAR SPRAY

• Keep the safety clip on.
• Store the canister away from items that could crush or puncture it.
• Consider storing bear spray in a protective bear spray container. You can purchase one at Mountain Equipment Company or Valhalla Pure Outfitters. 
• Never leave bear spray in a place with extreme temperatures (either very hot or very cold), for example in a vehicle, unless it is in a protective bear spray container.

CARRYING BEAR SPRAY

• Always wear a bear spray canister on your person, in a hip or chest holster, for ease of access. Do not put it in a pack.
• Consider carrying a second can in your pack in case the first can gets used. 
• While sleeping, keep your bear spray next to your flashlight.

USING BEAR SPRAY

• Before relying on bear spray for safety, cut the zap strap on the locking mechanism. This has been overlooked in the past.
• Evaluate the wind direction if you have time, but remember that bear spray comes out of the can at 100 km/hr, so it can still be effective in wind. 
• Remove the safety clip and aim low in front of the bear so the animal runs into the spray. 
• After your index finger goes into the hole, use your other hand to hold and steady the base of the bear spray canister.
• Deploy a burst from low to high. Create a wall, but aim low for the face to start. Assess the situation before the can gets emptied.
• Deploy bear spray at a distance of about 12 metres so the bear has time to react.
• Do not run from a bear.
• Speak in an authoritative firm voice to the bear
• Use human dominance to earn the respect of the bear.

AFTER DEPLOYING BEAR SPRAY

• When the attack is interrupted, retreat.
• Move away from the contaminated area to fresh air as quickly as possible.
• Do not run, but do leave.

FIRST AID TREATMENT FOR BEAR SPRAY

• Move away from the contaminated area to fresh air as quickly as possible.
• Flush exposed skin with cold water and soap.
• Do not rub exposed areas. Instead, pat dry with a towel.
• To flush spray out of the eyes, place your head under water and open your eyes every few seconds. Do not rub your eyes.
• Do not apply lotions or creams to the exposed area.
• If the effects of the spray do not dissipate in 30-45 minutes, seek medical attention. 

FUN FACTS

• "Bear spray doesn’t supply 'brains in a can' in order to survive a grizzly bear attack, but it appears to work a lot more effectively then spraying a bear with bullets.” That is the conclusion researchers presented to more than 300 bear experts at the 4th International Human-Bear Conflict Workshop in Missoula Montana.
• The bottom line is that 98% of people who used bear spray walked away from their encounter unharmed, and none of the people or bears involved died. With firearms, 56% of the users were subsequently injured and 60% of the bears died.

The club covid guidelines have been updated as a result of the latest public health pronouncments.  See the COVID page for the latest information.

Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) takes place Wednesday February 2, 2022, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., on Zoom. Club members may register to attend the meeting on Meetup. 

A brief AGM, including voting and election of the Board, will be followed by our featured presentation, "The Rise and Fall of Brother XII" by Aimee Greenaway from the Nanaimo Museum.

Annual General Meeting Materials & Information

In preparation for the AGM, please review the following materials in advance:

• AGM Agenda
• Year-End Financials
• Year-End Committee Reports
• 2020 AGM Minutes
• 2022 Board of Directors - Slate of Nominees
• Strategic Plan

All voting will be done electronically via Zoom. Results will be tabulated automatically by the Zoom software and shared with attendees. Because Zoom only allows one vote per device, we recommend that members who attend from the same household sign in on separate devices in order to vote independently. 

Featured presentation: "Rise and Fall of Brother XII" with Aimee Greenaway.

The presentation explores the history of Edward Arthur Wilson and his rise and fall as Brother XII, from a spiritual teacher to high-profile court cases, scandads and conspircy theories. 

To register for the meeting and obtain connection information, visit the club's Meetup site and follow the information in the meeting event posting. The meeting will be posted on Meetup at least two weeks in advance. See you there! ​

We are thrilled to welcome three new partners to our Member Discount Program!

• Cackle TV Productions
  Cackle TV Productions is an award-winning sea kayaking and adventure film company owned and operated by Justine Curgenven. Cackle TV Productions produces the popular “This is the Sea” and the “This is the Roll” films, plus other adventure titles.  
  Cackle TV Productions is pleased to offer our members a 30% discount on both DVDs (use the code “nanaimo”) and digital downloads (use the code “whynot”).
  
  
• Ocean River Sports
  Ocean River Sports is a kayak and adventure company located in Victoria, BC. Ocean River Sports offers a full schedule of kayaking courses, tours and rentals, and is home to the Gordon Brown Sea Kayak Centre of Excellence.
  Ocean River Sports is pleased to offer our members a discount on program fees: 10% off when 1-2 members book together; 15% off when 3 or more members book together.​
  ​​
  
• SKILS
  SKILS is a paddle sports training and leadership development company located in Ucluelet, BC. SKILS offers a variety of recreational paddling courses, as well as expeditions, instructor training and guide training.
  SKILS is pleased to offer our members a 15% discount on Canadian-based programs when 3 or more members book together.

These three new partners join the list of fantastic companies that provide special discounts and opportunities to club members as part of our Member Discount Program. Support these companies as and when you can! 

Nanaimo Paddlers is pleased to announce that a spring training program will take place in 2021, according to the following COVID Training Policy, which the Board of Directors approved on February 8, 2021: 

Nanaimo Paddlers COVID Training Policy - 2021 Season

Nanaimo Paddlers will proceed with a spring training program of clinics provided by external kayak instruction companies, so long as the kayak instruction companies involved are operating under the COVID protocol of their industry and the clinics offered follow the club's COVID Training Policy detailed below. Clinics provided in this manner will go ahead regardless of whether or not the club is hosting paddles, provided that provincial COVID restrictions do not tighten in the interim. 

According to the club's COVID Training Policy, all in-person on-water clinics offered to the club by external providers must:

• Be limited to a maximum of 6 participants (not including instructors).
• Take place within the local Nanaimo area, defined as extending from Oceanside to Ladysmith.
• Not include activities that put members within 6 feet (2 metres) of each other -- e.g., rolling instruction or traditional assisted rescues. Self rescues and COVID-safe assisted rescues are permitted. 
• Be provided by an instructional company that advertises and adheres to COVID safety protocols appropriate for the industry. 
• Include financial opt-out or cancellation clauses for the club due to COVID.

Additional Requirements for Training Program Participants

The club asks that all members who choose to participate in spring training program activities adhere to the following protocol:

• Maintain physical distancing (6 feet / 2 metres) at all times (before, during and after the activities, including during launches, landings and breaks), except in an emergency. 
• ​If you must breach physical distancing, wear a mask or face covering and use hand sanitizer before/after. 
• Paddle in conditions well within your level of expertise.
• Stay home if you are feeling sick/unwell.
• Minimize travel. 
• Avoid carpooling.
• Carry/touch only your own kayaking gear. 
• Wear gloves and/or use hand sanitizer to assist with kayak carries.
• Disinfect commonly touched surfaces as required.
• Enter and exit your kayak unassisted.
• Refrain from sharing food.
• ​Do not gather to socialize before or after the activities. 
  
• Familiarize yourself with assisted re-entry techniques that maintain physical distancing.
• ​If you are over the age of 60 or have underlying medical conditions, be informed of your risk, think through your risk tolerance and take extra precautions.