Contents:
Welcome to the London Canoe Club!
I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell you about the board of directors’ plans for the 2010 paddling season. I have been a canoe club member for almost 20 years. I first joined to take advantage of the canoe lessons program, soon learned to love canoe tripping and then tried out the Voyageur canoes and historical reenactments. I’ve taken a few paddles in the marathon canoes, and soon after I fell in love with dragon boating and raced for the canoe club’s team for 10 years. I have tried out a few kayaks but lessons are still on my to-do list. I served as board President and Vice-President for a few years in the early 2000s and am extremely happy to serve again.
Before I tell you about the plans for 2010, I want to remind everyone why the canoe club is here; our mission is as follows…
The London Canoe Club promotes and encourages paddlesport activities with participation for families, individuals and groups in London and district; with emphasis on safety, education and enjoyment of the environment.
How can we achieve this mission? The answer is simple; support from our members and our community; seeking new partnerships and working with those partners to make our mission a reality.
In 2009 we partnered with the Lower Thames River Conservation Authority to use space at Sharon Creek Conservation Area for our programs. Once again this year we plan to use Sharon Creek Conservation Area as our base during the months of June, July and August. We welcome members to volunteer their time to assist at this location. We will be holding both canoe and kayak lessons this summer. (link to information?) We have a number of canoe and kayak trips planned with something for everyone from half day local trips to longer out of town trips.
The London Canoe Club will play a part in National Canoe Day and Clean up the Thames activities. We’ll post all events on the website so you can stay informed.
How can you help? Be involved! Oh, and bring a friend. Simple, isn’t it.
The board of directors is looking to the future with optimism and excitement. Join us.
Paddles up,
Janet Taylor
Welcome to the London Canoe Club 2008!
I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season and is preparing for the exciting events at the London Canoe Club. The Board of Directors are in place and we have many new faces and lots of ideas to€ make our Club a safe and fun place for the summer.
I want to express my gratitude for all who have endured this past year with our club and I hope you will continue as we work to build our membership back. Please encourage all your family and friends to check us out. They will be very surprised with many of our new programs and events.
If you want to help in any of the areas such as coaching, volunteering and planning, just contact a Director and we can find a spot for you to help us... Remember your club is as good as it’s members!
This is a new season with a new dam so let's all enjoy the summer on the water. The latest word is that we will not have water until June 15th because of the fish spawning requirements, but we will be opening the club shortly thereafter. Because of the late opening, we will be planning trips to Sharon Creek and other places in the spring. We may also be opening the boathouse more days during the week in the summer to allow more time at the club. Keep an eye on the newsletter and "upcoming events" on the website for current information. Also, don't forget to check out the pool sessions in January, February and March.
Thank you,
Addie Gushue
To All Members,
I thank you for your support. Your membership in our Club through this difficult year has heartened and motivated your Board. The club was mostly deserted this summer except for the few weeks our kid's camp was there. However, we did dock repairs and some clean up.
The repair of the "dam" Springbank Dam was a real, and unpleasant, experience for our Club. As the photo shows, the dam reconstruction is complete. Now we must rebuild the Club for next season. Please work with us, as we are "under construction" to make it very exciting.
The Annual General Membership meeting is November 28 at the Civic Gardens at 7 pm. In addition to our elections, we will have a peek at the Thames River, through the eyes of the Thames Revisited Group, as they travelled by canoe from London through Chatham to Lighthouse Cove on Lake St. Clair.
Of the 2007 Directors, 4 have resigned, effective the AGM. Charlie Williamson (Treasurer) and Judi Sofalvi (Sprint & Day Camp) have 2 years left in their terms, Terry Mroz (Newsletter) and Robin Whimster (Membership) have 1 year left in their terms. It is sad that we have lost good Directors … relocating, new careers to pursue, or just in need of a change. I will really miss them, and wish them all the best in their new endeavours. I have enjoyed working with them. We all worked very hard to make your club a clean, fun, and welcoming place. We need directors to serve out their unexpired terms.
Join us at the London Canoe Club 2007 Annual
General Meeting
Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 7:00
p.m.
London Civic Garden Centre,
625 Springbank Drive, London,
Ontario
Agenda
Welcome & Introductions
Review
of 2006 AGM Minutes
Directors' Reports
Nomination &
Election of Directors
Break for Refreshments
Guest Speaker
Pat Donnelly
Urban
Watershed Program Manager
City of London
Postcard from the Past-Revisiting the Thames
River
Come and learn about the heritage & history of the
Thames River & the experiences of the Thames Revisited Group
In addition, the terms of 4 directors have expired, as enacted at last year's AGM. 3 of them have indicated their wish to run again. So this is a Special Invitation for members who really want to help to join the Board for 2008, or offer their expertise in particular endeavours. We encourage all members, new and old, to come forward, who wish to add their voice and ideas to our decisions. Help us to make the London Canoe Club the best place for water recreation in London.
If you are interested in helping on the Board, or in any other capacity, call one of our Board Members, or contact us by e-mail at information@londoncanoeclub.ca. Come to the AGM, and make your wishes known.
Remember our membership discounts when you renew your membership. It is our way of thanking you for your support through this last year. For 2007 members only, when renewing, single membership is $30.00, family membership is $37.50. If in doubt, contact us at memberships@londoncanoeclub.ca.
I look forward to seeing you at the AGM.
Addie
Gushue
President
Hello All Members,
The good news is that we received a $12,800.00 grant from the Ontario Communities in Action Fund. Chris Bentley, MPP, announced the grant officially in a ceremony at the Canoe Club, ably supported by our other London MPP’s, Deb Matthews and Khalil Ramal. The event was attended by some Directors, the Day Camp, and our Sprint coach, and was well covered in the media. I hope you saw it, and were as thrilled as we were.
The application was encouraged and supported by Chris Bentley, and the grant will be used for those purposes specified in the application. The Board will meet early in September to oversee its disbursement.
We have also received a very welcome $200.00 donation from Kellogg’s.
We are moving forward with dock repairs, and the plans to rebuild our memberships for the coming year. Remember that we are only as strong as our members, so please get involved.
Our Day Camp has worked well, and our Sprint team has been very successful in their competitions. We wish them well at the Provincials and the Nationals. Off-site canoeing and dragon boating is continuing. So we have been active as much as possible this year.
I want to say "Thank You" to all who joined this year, kept the faith, and stood strong with our Club. I am very proud of how we have persevered during this very low time in the Club’s history. Next year, we will come back bigger and better!!!
The latest unofficial word is that the dam will be completed in October. We expect the Club to open in mid- to late June for the 2008 season.
Keep checking our website as we move forward.
Addie Gushue
President
Hello All Members of the Canoe Club,
Well, what can we say about this year?
I am bitterly disappointed that the Springbank Dam is not complete, and that work on it will continue through the summer. We have met with the Environment & Transportation Committee of the City, and been recognized at Council. We have met with the Ministry of Natural Resources. We have toured the Dam site. We have contacted our Provincial Members of Parliament. The fact remains that we will have no water in the river this summer. There is a slender hope that they will finish quickly, and give us a few weeks at the end of the season.
On our website, and in the newsletter, you will see some information about each of our programs. Your Directors are meeting more often than usual to explore alternative venues, and we will work on alternative and social events during the summer. Your ideas and help are welcome.
The impact on our Club is severe, both for programs and for finances. To encourage you to hang in with the Club, we are offering membership and storage incentives for 2008 to those who remain with us through this season. Let us think positive for a great season in 2008! See the Message from your Membership Director (below). Please stay involved as we want to keep our spirit alive!
We also plan to enhance the facilities at the Club, through new docks, repairs and clean-ups, in addition to other activities, such as barbecues, instruction courses, and maybe fund-raisers such as car washes and garage sales.
If anyone has any suggestions, please let us know. We will appreciate your help through these difficult times.
Addie Gushue
No water this year?
As you will have seen in the press, and on our website, there will be no water in the Thames River this year. The Springbank Dam reconstruction will continue through the summer. This will have a severe impact on our programs and our finances.
What Programs will continue?
At
our recent Board Meeting, the Directors made the following decisions
about programs:
Sprint Program will be relocated. Judi Sofalvi will make the arrangements.
Day Camp will continue, if we can find another location. The search is on.
Tripping, away from the Club location, will be increased, if possible.
Lessons will take place, if possible. We are exploring other locations, particularly the Ponds, which we have used in previous years.
Dragon Boat. Each team is responsible for searching for alternate locations.
Marathon & Voyageur are frequently in other locations. That will continue.
General Recreational Canoeing & Kayaking will be not be possible this year.
We are negotiating with the City and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority about access and fees for locations under their control.
If anyone has a barn, or other secure storage location close to suitable water, please contact the Board.
What about Membership?
The Board also decided as follows:
Various groups
must have valid memberships through 2007:
Directors, Coordinators, and Staff.
All people participating in any program of the Club.
All people with boats in storage.
Any external group who wishes to retain access privileges to LCC facilities.
The following incentive is offered to all members, including those listed above:
Membership for 2007 will be at normal rates, $40.00 for a single membership, and $50 for a family membership.
Any person who is a member through 2007, will be eligible for 25% off their 2008 membership. For those members, their 2008 membership will be $30.00 for a single membership, and $37.50 for a family membership.
Any paid-up member may request to have their 2007 membership fee refunded.
Please contact Robin Whimster by e-mail at
memberships@londoncanoeclub.ca
, or by mail to our mail box:
London Canoe Club P.O. Box 24010,
Westown RPO London, ON N6H 5C4
What about Storage?
The Board also decided as follows:
2007 storage fees will remain at $120.00 per berth, with the existing arrangements for shared berths and kayaks stored in the corner.
Any person who retains their storage through 2007 will be eligible for 25% off their storage fees for 2008. For those members, 2008 storage fees will be $90.00 per berth, with the same 25% reductions for shared berths and kayaks stored in the corner.
If anyone wishes to remove their boat from storage, they may claim a pro-rata refund of their storage fees after they have vacated, for any full months remaining in the year.
If anyone removes their boat from storage, claims a refund of fees, and wishes to return in 2008, they must join the waiting list for a vacant berth.
Novack's and Nova Craft Novack's and Nova Craft offer a 10% discount for London Canoe Club members. If you are contemplating purchases this year, consider whether you will save by being a Canoe Club member.
Regrets The Board sincerely regrets that our 2007 season has been so badly disrupted. We hope that you will support your Club through this season. If you have ideas for alternative sites or activities, please contact the Board. We look forward to an exciting season in 2008.
Robin Whimster
Membership & Storage
On Monday February 19th, 2007 London City Council approved a recommendation that reconstruction of the Springbank Dam continue this summer on July 1st following the fish spawning season in April, May and June.
The impact of this is
severe.
It means that there will be no paddling or rowing on
the Thames River this summer.
This closure will have its greatest impact on the hundreds of children who use our facilities every summer. Children from the Boys and Girls Club, Community Living London and our own Childrens Day Camp will be affected. Many other groups also use our facilities during the summer. Our Olympic paddling program, growing dramatically until last year, will suffer greatly. High performance athletes who cannot train properly, cannot compete at high levels and risk injury.
There are two main reasons for this decision:
1/
The contractor hired to do the reconstruction of the dam was unable
to stay on schedule primarily due to the large amount of rain during
the fall and winter of 2006/07.
2/ During fish spawning season
(April/May/June) the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources will not
allow construction to continue.
The Springbank Dam is made up of four gates. Two of these will be complete by the end of March 2007. Apparently the remaining two gates cannot be closed during July, August and September, because the logs normally used to close these gates are no longer available.
Currently your board of directors is attempting to put contingency plans in place but we realize that nothing we can do will be as convenient and effective as having the Thames reservoir filled for the summer. We ask for your understanding and help while we are dealing with this issue.
The Springbank Dam has been part of the landscape since 1929 and many Londoners do not realize it but having the Thames River readily available to us is a jewel.
Visitors from other provinces and states marvel at the amount of sheltered flat water we have running through the middle of our city.
Some groups have been advocating that the summer season should be shortened or removed entirely to allow fish to migrate freely. We should point out that presently fish cannot get past the Fanshawe Dam on the north branch of the Thames. Neither can they swim past the weir at Labatts on the south branch once water levels drop in May.
Having the Thames River available to the people of London from May to September is an important part of our lives. Many of our tax dollars are spent on recreational facilities. If we don't let our governments know how much we value this treasure it could easily be lost.
As we make plans and as new information becomes available we will post it on this website.
Attached to this notice is a list of your provincial and municipal representatives for the city of London. Please let them know how you feel about having the Thames River accessible for recreation during the summer. If we act together we can ensure that our voice is heard.
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Provincial Representatives |
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London North Centre |
Deb Matthews |
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London West |
Chris Bentley |
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London Fanshawe |
Khalil Ramal |
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City of London |
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Mayor |
Anne Marie DeCicco-Best |
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Deputy Mayor |
Tom Gosnell |
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Controller |
Bud Polhill |
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Controller |
Gina Barber |
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Controller |
Gord Hume |
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Ward 1 |
Roger Caranci |
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Ward 2 |
Bill Armstrong |
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Ward 3 |
Bernie MacDonald |
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Ward 4 |
Stephen Orser |
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Ward 5 |
Joni Baechler |
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Ward 6 |
Nancy Branscombe |
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Ward 7 |
Walter Lonc |
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Ward 8 |
Paul Hubert |
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Ward 9 |
Susan Eagle |
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Ward 10 |
Paul Van Meerbergen |
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Ward 11 |
David Winninger |
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Ward 12 |
Harold Usher |
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Ward 13 |
Judy Bryant |
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Ward 14 |
Cheryl Miller |
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Hello All Members of the Canoe Club:
Well, Happy New Year! 2007 has arrived!
Your Directors hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday with your families and friends. The weather has been unbelievable, record breaking, and not very pleasant for snow activities.
The AGM was well attended and lively. The presentations were very interesting. I want to thank all that came out and contributed to the discussions and decisions.
The new Board has started work and all the Directors are busy with their new portfolios. If anyone wants to help as a coordinator, or assist in any of the activities or duties, please contact a Board member. The Directors are listed here with their portfolios and phone numbers. We would be glad for your assistance.
Please feel free to contact any Director with ideas, suggestions or comments about our activities, programs and administration. All ideas are discussed and appreciated.
This year we will be doing more repairs to the club to make it more safe and secure.
As you can see in the newspaper, the Springbank dam is front page news. If the weather holds out, it will be finished by the end of March. However, the fish migration study will delay the opening once again. We expect to open in the second half of June, as last year. Please try to be patient with the situation. The Directors are working hard for some alternatives.
Have a safe & healthy winter,
Addie Gushue
President
Dear Members,
Over the past few years several board members who had served for five years have left the board. This year the Canoe Club board determined there was a real lack of continuity in the knowledge and experience available to the board and that this was detrimental to the Canoe Club.
At the Annual General Meeting last November 29th, 2006 a proposal was made to change the manner in which board members are elected in order to address this problem.
I am pleased to report that this proposal passed.
Each year at the AGM four board members will be elected for a three year term. Together with eight board members already serving they will make up the twelve members that the Canoe Club bylaws require.
This is very similar to the way other public organizations such as Mountain Equipment Co-Op structure their board. It provides continuity yet there is still an opportunity for new additions to the board each year.
Board members will now be elected for a three year term and will be limited to two - three year terms before being required to step aside from being a board member for at least a year.
Since this process will begin at the next AGM in November 2007 not all board members elected for this year will serve three year terms. In order to manage this transition some board members will serve one or two year terms.
Here is your new board and their respective terms:
One year
Addie Gushue
Sharon Jones
Mike Sukava
Rachelle Cronk
Two year
John Harvey
Dave Symington
Robin Whimster
Judi Sofalvi
Three year
Terry Mroz
Charlie Aberhart
Simon Tanner
Charlie Williamson
Thank you all for your support and best of luck to the new board of directors for 2007.
Simon Tanner
Vice-President