Get to know the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron. Court Harkness will provide an overview of available services, and their courses in boating from the basics required by law to what you would want to know to do blue water sailing!
The Canadian Power Squadron was organized in the spring of 1938 in a rather quiet, unobtrusive way, without a name, funds, or yet members. Later, along with other boaters, they formed the first Squadron in Canada, known as Windsor Power Squadron. Their charter was granted by the Federal Government on October 27, 1947. As of October 17, 2014, the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons became a single corporate entity registered with the Canadian Government as a Charitable Organization.
CPS-ECP is now recognized as the foremost educational boating authority in Canada. Many local law enforcement agencies and municipal authorities consult CPS-ECP on matters of training and navigational hazards. “Training has been given by our members across Canada to such organizations as the Boy Scouts, Sea Cadets, and law enforcement agencies, to name but a few. Whenever requested, our members are available to teach, lecture, or advise on boating safety.” Their boating courses are available online or in-person.
About Court Harkness
Court’s boating background is mainly sailing although he did own a powerboat for 8 years.
He sailed on tall ships as a teenager while racing sailboats as well. He became a sailmaker in the early seventies and worked in Kingston Marblehead (Boston) and New Zealand. He also did some ocean racing in Florida (S.O.R.C.) and in New Zealand. Presently he is part of the Education Department for CPS-ECP and the Course Chair for the Weather course (which means he was in charge of developing the course!)
He has been a squadron commander for CPS-ECP in both Ottawa and Kingston as well as the District Commander for the Ottawa, Kingston and Brockville area.
This presentation is part of the NSC Winter Speaker program , which promotes ongoing learning about all things nautical, as well as cruising and competitive sailing.
Our contributors and organizers are all volunteers, and they and our audience come from clubs and organizations bordering both sides of the Ottawa River.
The meeting is free to attend, but we ask that you consider making a small donation. All proceeds will go to the NSC Legacy Fund, which supports competitive sailing for youth and Able Sail members.
To register and/or donate, please click here.
The presentation starts at 7.30 pm in the Harbourview Room. The Galley restaurant and bar opens at 4.30pm so that you can enjoy a meal and/or beverage before we start!
We will also be live streaming to our YouTube channel if you do not plan to attend in person. This is where you can also find recordings of previous Winter Speaker sessions. If you choose to attend by YouTube we recommend that you check in to the “waiting room” up to 15 minutes early to check your connection for good quality video and sound. We will be playing content that will both enable you to test, and provide useful information about upcoming events. During the live stream, you can use the chat function to ask questions at any time. The moderator will relay any questions to the presenter at the end of the presentation.