Please join us at 4:00pm Pacific Time on Sunday, January 21st, 2024 for the first CORA Town Hall of the year when Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, aka Dr. Popsicle, will provide us with a special presentation on cold water safety.
Now retired, Dr. Giesbrecht, Ph.D., was a Professor of Thermophysiology in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, at the University of Manitoba where he operated the Laboratory for Exercise and Environmental Medicine and studied human responses to exercise and work in extreme environments. He has conducted hundreds of cold water immersion studies that have provided valuable information about cold stress physiology and pre-hospital care for human hypothermia. Dr. Giesbrecht has studied drowning physiology and prevention as well as prevention of vehicle submersion deaths. Other research interests include human physical and mental performance in other stresses such as altitude (hypoxia) and diving (hypobaria).
Dr. Giesbrecht was dubbed Professor Popsicle in a feature article in Outdoor Magazine in 2003, and has appeared on the “Late Show With David Letterman” in 2004, “The Nature of Things with David Suzuki” (twice), and the “Rick Mercer Report” (three times). He has also been featured on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel and several National Network News Networks in both Canada and the US.
CLICK HERE or on the image below to watch a recording of the town hall session.
The purpose of the Hugh Town Memorial Builder Award is to recognize volunteers who have made significant and exemplary contributions to the Outrigger Canoe Racing Discipline of Canadian Outrigger Racing Association (“CORA”) within Canada in the Builder Category.
The CORA Board has approved Policy and Procedure relating to selection and awarding and administering the Award as per the Hugh Town Memorial Builder Award Policy.
The Hugh Town Memorial Builder Award is awarded after the CORA AGM. The CORA Board has reviewed nominations received for the past season and has recognized Annie Boulding of Comox Valley Canoe Racing Club as the 2023 recipient of the Hugh Town Memorial Builder Award.
Annie Boulding has a 40-year legacy of selfless volunteer effort to paddlesports in general and outrigger canoe racing in particular. She has made contributions to support Canadian paddlers at the international, national, provincial, and club level. She was a member of the Canadian National Whitewater Team and did Molokai Na Wahine several times long before CORA was founded. Annie was founder of the Comox Valley Canoe Racing Club (CVCRC) that has hosted the popular Comox Island Iron for many years. Annie has not served on the CORA Board or with Team Canada, but has been a member of Team Canada from the very first time that Canada participated as a member nation at the 1992 Sacramento IVF World Sprints
CORA wishes to extend a round of appreciation to Michele Genge for sharing personal insights as Guest Speaker on behalf of Annie Boulding at the 2023 CORA AGM.
CORA hopes to have a Hugh Town Memorial Builder Award photo-op on March 10, 2024 at Nanaimo Ocean Paddling Centre as part of the 2024 Nanaimo Crazy 8 and NPI Attack. Please join us for the presentation to Annie Boulding (2023 Recipient) with the Saysutshun and Protection Islands backdrop in the distance.
For more information about the Hugh Town Memorial Builder Award, CLICK HERE
CORA is hereby issuing an Open Call for Member Clubs to submit 2023 Repair, Maintenance and Equipment (RME) Grant applications. An “Open Call” means that the “once every 2nd year” limitation is removed and Member Clubs who received an RME Grant in the preceding year may apply.
The following rules and conditions apply to the 2023 Open Call:
RME Grant Applications must be submitted on-line through the CORA website’s RME Grant application form:https://www.canadianoutrigger.ca/cora-forms/repair-maintenance-and-equipment-grant-application/ . The eligible expenses for the RME Grants remain the same (see sections 1 and 2 of the Eligibility Criteria on the RME Grant application form). This grant does not apply to the purchase, in whole or in part, of new or used canoes.
The deadline for the submission of 2023 Open Call RME Grant applications is 11:59 pm (Pacific), Sunday, November 19, 2023.
The CORA Board will consider the applications at its pre-AGM board meeting on November 25, 2022 and reserves the right to consider factors other than time/order of receipt (i.e. size of Club, financial need, frequency of previous RME Grants) in awarding grants. Preference may be given to Member Clubs eligible in 2023 but who have not yet submitted an application.
There are 6 grants available and the maximum grant amount remains at $1000.00.
Member Clubs for whom 2023 is their first CORA membership year remain ineligible for an RME Grant until 2024. Ottawa River Canoe Club and Vikki-Lynn Canoe Club are ineligible in 2023.
Member Clubs who have already received, have been approved to receive or already submitted an application for a 2023 RME Grant are also ineligible for the 2023 Open Call (i.e. only 1 RME Grant per year). In 2023, the following Clubs have already received an RME Grant: Aumakua Cub Nautique, Club Bon Accueil, Kelowna Paddle Centre and Vernon Paddling Centre.
A CORA club must (a) have paid its CORA Club membership fee, and (b) have at least 6 paid-up individual CORA members (i.e. an OC6 crew) to be considered “in good standing” for the purposes of RME Grant eligibility.
The following CORA Member Clubs may be eligible for the 2023 Open Call if they have paid their CORA Member Club membership and have 6 paid-up individual CORA members. Beside each Club name is their CORA Member Club status and the number of paid individual CORA members affiliated with that Club as of November 2, 2023. Any deficiency in the requirements must be remedied before an RME Grant application can be approved by the Board.
Successful 2023 Open Call recipients will not be eligible for another RME Grant until 2025 (except through a 2024 Open Call, if applicable).
Neither invoices nor receipts are required with your application, however, successful applicants must submit all receipts (not just invoices) before December 31, 2023. Receipts MUST be dated in 2023.
In your application under “Estimated Expenses”, indicate if your expenses have already been incurred or whether they are future expenses. In the case of repair work or services, preference will be given to applications for reimbursement of costs already incurred. In the case of goods or equipment, preference will be given to goods already purchased or to goods that can be reasonably purchased by the end of the year (ie off the shelf items, not customized items).
If your expenses cannot reasonably be incurred in 2023, you should apply in 2024 for a 2024 RME Grant.
Receipts should name the Member Club to the extent possible (ie excluding retail store cash register receipts).
Payment will be made by e-transfer or by cheque payable to your Club, not individuals.
