The Authority on Canada's Recreational Boating Industry

Message From The Editor

ADDRESSING THE MARINE INDUSTRY EMPLOYEE AND SKILLS SHORTAGE HEAD-ON

Many years ago now, Canada's Marine industry began to feel the pinch - a shortage of young people coming into the industry and training to be the technicians, marina operators and boating industry executives of the future.

We have written about this many times in Boating Industry Canada, delivered presentations to the industry at the NMMA Canada Recreational Boating Industry Breakfasts at TIBS, and we have been actively talking to the many different organizations and associations connected with recruitment and training of young people.

Georgian College has offered marine industry training for many years. There were other educational institutions as well, but many of them have dropped their marine programs. Georgian is one of the few (or perhaps the only one) still offering courses. In British Columbia, the Quadrant Institute has developed their own program as has the Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association in Atlantic Canada.

We have just returned from a very enjoyable and productive week at IBEX, the International Boatbuilders Exposition where we also spoke to Ed Sherman at the ABYC, American Boat and Yacht Council, and also Pam Lendzion at ABBRA, the American Boat Builders & Repairers Association.

Something has changed. We have been talking about these employee and technician shortages for a long time but at IBEX, everyone seemed to be really working hard at doing something about it.

I also spent time talking to Merritt Alves at IMI, the International Marina Training Institute and she very generously invited me to attend their half-day "Marina 101" seminar held at IBEX. The presenter was Carl F. Wolf and he packed the morning with ideas, facts and answers set out in 9 different presentations.

These were all very practical and although each of the nine presentations had to be held to 15 or 20 minutes, there are full-blown versions of these courses available. In the full versions, each of the nine presentations goes into much greater detail over two or three hours.

Because I see so much value in this for our industry and particularly for marina owners, we're going to cover more of this in detail over the next few editions of Boating Industry Canada News Week.

When you see the tasks and challenges that a marina owner or operator really faces, all laid out in an organized and logical fashion, you get a whole new appreciation for just how demanding a marina career actually is. Stand by!

One last thing…IBEX is the ultimate place in North America to see the latest in new technologies and materials for boat building. Here's a teaser video from the show floor. More news coming…

Andy Adams, Editor aadams@kerrwil.com

Changing Scene

	GEORGIAN COLLEGE AND THE MARINE PROGRAMS ARE NOW PART OF THE ABYC MARINE LEAGUE OF SCHOOLS We have just learned that Georgian College and the Marine programs are now part of the ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council) Marine League of Schools.That means that students enrolled in the Georgian College Marine Programs have an opportunity to participate in ABYC Training... Read More
	CANADIAN DEALERS RECOGNIZED AT GROUPE BENETEAU DEALER MEETING Hurricane Irma forced several Florida area dealers to cancel, but the festivities were excellent, and were enjoyed by a huge crowd of dealers many of whom were celebrating a great 2017 sales season. When the awards were handed out, some Canadian dealers were at the top of the list. Read More
	BOATING ONTARIO AWARDS NOMINATIONS The Boating Ontario Awards of Excellence are a celebration of success and an opportunity to recognize those who have made significant contributions to Ontario's recreational boating industry. These prestigious awards are presented to organizations, businesses and individuals that demonstrate... Read More
	JOIN ONTARIO SAILING - CELEBRATE CANADA'S 150TH BIRTHDAY AND THE SPORT OF SAILING Everyone is invited to join Ontario Sailing to celebrate Canada's 150th Birthday and the sport of Sailing at the 15th Annual Celebration of Sailing Fundraiser on Saturday, September 30, 2017 at the Lakeshore Yacht Club. Read More
	INTERNATIONAL BOATBUILDERS' EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE IN TAMPA CONFIRMS ATTENDANCE GROWTH AND SUPPORTS COMMUNITY Activity and positive energy continued throughout the conclusion of the International BoatBuilders' Exhibition & Conference (IBEX) which included networking events, special education sessions, and new product launches. Overall attendance was up over 2016... Read More

Changing Scene

	IBEX INNVOVATION AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED This morning the winners of the 2017 Innovation Awards were announced during the annual Industry Breakfast at the International BoatBuilders' Exhibition & Conference (IBEX). The Innovation Awards honored achievement in product development in 10 areas of the marine industry. Read More
	OTTAWA SET TO WELCOME LEBOAT Ottawa Tourism is getting set to officially welcome Le Boat, Europe's largest operator of self-drive boating vacations, to the Rideau Canal in 2018 as the company's first destination outside of Europe. Ottawa is seen as an ideal spot to begin or end a Le Boat vacation... Read More
	MARITIME MUSEUM OF BC LAUNCHES NEW SPEAKER SERIES "NAUTICAL NIGHTS" The Maritime Museum of BC is thrilled to announce the launch of a new speaker series titled “Nautical Nights”. This series will be interdisciplinary, exploring topics related to history, science, and the arts. Each month will feature a different speaker and a different theme. Read More
	MARINETECH PARTNERS WITH BRUNSWICK ON NEW POWER STEERING SYSTEM The Panther XPS combines cable and hydraulic steering by using stored power that delivers high-pressure hydraulic fluid to a patented cylinder so the pump only operates when needed—10 percent of the typical run time for power-assisted systems. Read More

New Products

SHOCKLES™ ABSORB JARRING LOADS ON LINES AND CHAINS

Whether tied to a dock or mooring, at anchor or towing a dinghy, lines and chains create enormous stress on cleats, chocks, fairleads and related fittings, especially when suddenly jarred. Shockles™ from Davis Instruments is a patented line of simple, innovative devices... Read More

PREMIERE MARINE CONNECTIVITY COMPANY OFFERS THE ONLY PLUG-AND-PLAY BI-DIRECTIONAL USB TO NMEA 0183 CONVERTER

How much would it cost to replace a laptop, or the NMEA 0183 instrument that has worked dutifully for years and is still humming along? If a boater connects these devices together without knowing the risks involved, this could be a cost that s/he ends up facing sooner than expected or desired. Read More

NEW RARITAN TOILET SWITCHES BETWEEN ELECTRIC AND MANUAL

Electric toilets revolutionized marine sanitation. The problem lies when conserving power or in the event of a complete electric system failure. Raritan Engineering's new PH PowerFlush is a feature-laden toilet that easily and quickly converts to manual flushing when needed. Read More

3Di NORDAC WINS "BEST NEW PRODUCT" AT NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

North Sails 3Di NORDAC was named Best New Product at the Newport International Boat Show awards on September 15th. Introduced in Spring of 2017, 3Di NORDAC transforms polyester fiber into seamless, one-piece sails that are uniquely strong, beautiful, and long-lasting. Read More

People

INDUSTRY MOURNS PASSING OF BILL MARR

Bill Marr died at the Lake of the Woods District Hospital, in Kenora, Ontario. Bill was born in Winnipeg on December 30, 1933 to parents, Bill and Dorothy Marr. The family moved to Kenora when Bill was 11 years old and he instantly immersed himself in town life and the Lake. Read More

Boating Stock Market

THE BOATING STOCK MARKET

Check out all of the upcoming events in your Boating Industry

NMEA International Marine Electronics Conference and Expo Sept 26-28 2017 Bellevue, Washington	World Conference on Drowning Prevention Oct 17 - 19, 2017 Vancouver, BC
CC Marine Distributors 2017 Marine Trade Show Oct 22 - 23 2017 Toronto, ON	... View All Events