August 11, 2026

The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) Board of Directors has appointed well-known Canadian marine electronics authority, Ken Harrison as the NMEA’s Ambassador to Canada. The board has tasked Harrison with being the NMEA’s “eyes and ears” in Canada with the goal of expanding the association’s standards and training resources across the country. As the current wave of marine industry retirements creates a loss of senior people, and new products bring in ever-more sophisticated electronic advances, the Ambassador program has been created to recruit, train and promote a new group of young people to carry the standards and service levels to new heights.

As a concrete demonstration of the association’s commitment to our industry in Canada, NMEA President, Mark Reedenauer has extended the offer of NMEA membership to Canadians at the same $450 price as US or International Members, but accepting our Canadian payment at par – a substantial saving for Canadian members.

NMEA 2000 technology (and even the NMEA 0183 standards which were introduced in January of 1983) are incorporated into more and more marine products and at ever-more basic levels. To understand and service new boats, engines and accessories, our marine technicians will need the foundational knowledge and education that NMEA courses can provide.

The NMEA has developed many courses and a substantial range of training resources that can support your technicians. From basic to advanced levels, the NMEA courses are the essential building blocks young technicians need to keep up with the rapid advances we are seeing in the new marine products.  In 2027, NMEA Plans to bring at least two in-person training events to Canada- one in the winter months around Vancouver and one in late summer around the Halifax area. There are also virtual training courses that are offered on a monthly basis by NMEA. These are live instructor-led courses where attendees can ask questions as if in a classroom setting.

While the manufacturers of the brands and products you offer for your customers generally all have support for your technicians, those resources focus on just one proprietary ecosystem, not on the foundational knowledge that NMEA courses teach and that your techs need to succeed with the varied service needs of other brands.

The NMEA has resources that could be delivered as a one-day workshop offered in your area as well as larger and more in-depth courses that could be offered through established educational institutions.

In upcoming editions of Boating Industry Canada News Week Digest, we will provide more information on the courses available through the NMEA and again, we will look for your expression of interest to guide Ken Harrison and the NMEA in future plans for electronics education.

Let’s lay the foundation for building a better future by asking you to do one simple thing: please send us an email simply saying that you do, or do not have staff who would consider signing up for NMEA courses. Please send your email to andy@opmediagroup.ca