GKP Enters its 8th Year | Nicholas Mills Trial | and Your Feedback Please!

Get Kids Paddling Begins Its 8th Year!

Eight years later and we are still advocating to get more kids paddling. Thank you for your support.


Nicholas Mills Trial

On October 6, we should have the verdict in the Nicholas Mills Trial. The impact of that decision will be ours to address. 

Get Kids Paddling has already developed a position paper on the drowning which was published in our August Blog. That position was referred to in the following Toronto Star article.

Here are two relevant reports on the trial:

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/09/02/why-did-jeremiah-perry-drown-how-a-system-meant-to-keep-ontario-schoolkids-safe-may-have-opened-the-door-to-compromises.html

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/09/03/judge-delays-decision-in-case-of-toronto-teacher-charged-in-teens-drowning.html


What’s happening?

What happened in your area this past summer, or what are your plans for the upcoming year?

Has Covid-19 or other forces shut you down your effort to get kids paddling? Write and let us know. If you don’t want to go into detail, let me know and I’ll contact you.


Visit Us!

Our first Steering Committee meeting of 21/22 will take place on Tuesday, September 28 at 7:30 pm ET, and you’re welcome to join us. See how below.


Your Input is Requested!

And finally, help our Blog “managers” resolve an ongoing discussion.

One of our managers thinks that our readers need more instruction in how to respond to us, and that it why the Blog hasn’t become a nationwide forum.

Another manager believes that blogs are passé, and that twitter, instagram or other social media should be used instead.

Tell us what you think. (You could also, of course, let us know what’s happening in your area, or what the impact of the trial has had, or whether you want to come to the Steering Committee meeting on Tuesday. Or just write to say, “Hi”.)

Your responses or lack of them, will give us direction. Send us your input on any subject in this post by using the comments section below!



Best wishes.
Dave Goldman,Chair, Get Kids Paddling

December 2020 Update from Get Kids Paddling

Hello again!

Our planning teams have been very busy over the past few months and we are very pleased to share some of their efforts. 

We’ll be interested in hearing your thoughts. Write us.


Survey

Below is a survey asking WHERE paddling instruction is available for kids in Canada.

We hope that its results might lead to a national registry, or at least the beginnings of one. Results will be published on this website.

The survey also asks respondents to consider engaging in a national dialogue. Those discussions may result in sharing good practices, and assistance, right across Canada. What great opportunities for promoting kids’ paddling!

Please help by forwarding the survey to paddling organizations, companies and instructors you know.  

https://forms.gle/f5difbayRvZ7JDAc9


Visual

Together with Erica Bota from ThinkLink GraphicsGet Kids Paddling has produced an exciting visual to capture a 2-hour discussion where 7 people spoke openly about their paddling experiences, primarily on canoe trips.

Click the image below to view, download, and share a higher-resolution version of the illustration displaying how Erica captured the conversation.

Feel free to share this graphic widely. Did it resonate with you? Tell us. 


Schools

Our Schools Committee is wrestling with many factors regarding school paddling programs, a major one being risk management.

Bob Henderson has shared one of his recent pieces entitled A Case for School Canoe Trips: Rethinking Risk 

And check out Bob’s blog website HERE, especially, Thoughts and Admittedly a Bit of a Rant on the Wilderness Superhero “Look at Me” Adventure Narrative.


Finally for now – Happy Holidays, stay safe, and don’t forget to write. You can do that by sending us a message through the comment section for this post- or reach out to us directly through our contact page.