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 looking for a new chair for the club's Hosting Committee -- could it be you? 

The Hosting Committee Chair provides overall leadership to our wonderful trip hosts and serves as a key point of contact for club members and the Board of Directors on matters related to hosting. Please find a detailed description of the position below. 

If you are interested in taking on this position or have questions, please contact club President Julie Bettney at president@nanaimopaddler.org.

Nanaimo Paddlers Hosting Committee Chair - Position Description
(Updated: July 5, 2021)

The Hosting Committee Chair provides overall leadership to trip hosts and serves as the point of contact for club members and the board of directors on hosting related matters.
The Hosting Chair shall:

1. Encourage participation of present hosts and help recruit/approve new hosts.
2. Establish a current list of hosts and host mentors on an annual basis.
3. Maintain, update and distribute all documents related to hosting as needed.
4. Encourage hosts to remain within club standards and parameters of hosting as stated in the Nanaimo Paddlers Hosting Handbook.
5. Submit short updates of activities to the Board of Directors for the regular monthly meetings and to club members for the Annual General Meeting.
6. Respond to emails sent via hosting@nanaimopaddlers.org.
7. Coordinate and/or set up support activities for the group such as orientation sessions for new hosts, skills development workshops and host appreciation events. (Optional)

Want to learn how to plan your own overnight or multi-day trip? 

Adventuress Sea Kayaking is offering club members a special price on its Trip Planning 101 course May 8 & 15, 2021! 

​For more information or to register, visit Trip Planning 101 for Paddlers. 

Club partner BC Kayak Centre is please to offer club members a time-limited discount on the order of Gearlab paddles -- 10% off and no shipping for orders placed by May 30, 2021. 

For more information or to place an order, visit Gearlab Special Pricing for Nanaimo Paddlers Members.

Now accepting submissions.  For guidelines and details see the Contest page.

CLUB PADDLES REOPEN MARCH 16, 2021
 
 
Public Health Officials in Nanaimo have confirmed that club hosted paddles are permitted as long as we adhere to our Covid-19 Guidelines for Paddling. Therefore, with the recently announced relaxation of some restrictions, the Board of Directors has decided to restart club paddles effective March 16/21.  
All paddlers are reminded to review and adhere to the Covid-19 Paddling Guidelines listed below. It is up to every club member to remain vigilant in upholding the recommended Covid-19 safe practices when participating in club paddles.
 
Nanaimo Paddlers Covid-19 Guidelines – March 16/21
 

• Paddles should minimize the likelihood of adverse conditions.
• The number of permitted paddlers is solely at the host’s discretion, but in no event  shall it exceed more than 8, including the host.
• Face masks should be used if distancing requirements cannot be met at any time.

All paddlers, except for those living in the same household, should:

• Avoid carpooling.
• Use hand sanitizer on a regular basis.
• Maintain an appropriate social distance when assisting other members in transporting, loading, and unloading kayaks.
• Carry their own gear. 
• Enter and exit their kayak without assistance.
• Maintain minimum 2-3 meter distance from others.
  • Before and after the paddle
  • during launchings and landing.
  • while on the water, unless involved in a rescue.
  • during breaks on and off the water
• Not congregate before or after the paddle. 

 

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! 

Join us March 3 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. on Zoom for a virtual kayaking expedition to Haida Gwaii! 

Yves Aquin and Patti Stevens of Go Kayak paddled the length of this wild island archipelago in 2009, covering some 400 miles from Rose Spit in the north to Cape Saint James in the south. The heart of their journey was their trip through Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, a place of spectacular beauty and profound significance. Join Yves and Patti as they share stories and photos from their travels in this wild and magical place.

For more information or to register for the meeting and access the Zoom link, visit the event posting on Meetup. 

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.