Jan 30, 2024

The 2023 Canadian Safe Boating Awards (CASBAs) were held  Jan 21st in Toronto, at the National Yacht Club. This year was the 25th gala event and the Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC), its members and stakeholders in recreational boating safety assembled to honour the people, programs, organizations and marinas that help to make boating in Canada safer and better for all of us, and to keep the environment clean.
 
The CSBC is proud to announce the following winners of this year’s 9 CASBA Awards.  

Marine Professional of the Year
Sgt. Dave Moffatt as the Provincial Marine and ATV Coordinator for the OPP, responsible for training the OPP’s 380 marine officers along with those from municipal police services, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests and First Nation band constables. He is responsible for 170 vessels within Ontario.

Top Volunteer Dedicated to Boating Safety
Robert Parke for the incredible number of years he has dedicated to the development of educational boating safety programs with the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron, Western Ontario District.

Rescue of the Year
For the rescue of 8 people in two separate boating incidents that occurred at the same time on July 24 on Lake Ontario, near Stoney Creek.
D-crew GAMRU South Shore Search and Rescue
Owen Evans           Ben Cosman           Brent Dawson        Sandy Osborne     Jeffrey Stamper

Best Boating Safety Initiative
America’s Boating Channel for their strong YouTube channel that offers boating safety and boater education videos. Its programming strategy is to place boating safety and boater education messages adjacent to more highly viewed entertainment content to encourage sampling of the boating safety content.  

Visible PFD, Lifejacket wear in Advertising
Mustang Survival for using their 55+ years of experience building survival equipment and leveraging their community of influence to develop material to help educate and inform recreational boaters about marine safety and lifejacket best practices.

Best Media Contribution to Boating Safety
Steve Bull – Waterways TV for the promotion of boating safety through story telling around his boating adventures.

 Special Recognition
Marybeth McLaughlin for her dedication and promotion of positive paddling safety tips through her YouTube channel.

 Special Recognition
Gatineau Police Service, for their work and dedication to promotion of safe recreational boating with an emphasis on education and prevention while patrolling the waterways around our Nation’s capital.

Lifetime Achievement
Ted Rankine, for his contribution and many roles in the CASBAs over the past 25 years.
 
The CASBA Gala recognizes the efforts of the public, volunteers, professionals, agencies and organizations who have distinguished themselves in the fields of boating safety and environmental stewardship. Each CASBA event has shared amazing stories of bravery, innovation, passion and dedication.
 
The CSBC would like to thank our sponsors, without whom the CASBAs would not be possible:
 

            • Gold Sponsor – The Cook-Rees Memorial Fund

            • Silver Sponsor – Salus Marine

            • Silver Sponsor – Maple Leaf Marinas

            • Silver Sponsor – Ontario Power Generation

            • Bronze Sponsor – Mustang Survival

For additional information on the 2023 CASBAs winners, future events and boating safety information, please visit www.csbc.ca.
 
For further information contact:                        Brenda Reeve
CASBA Committee Chair
Canadian Safe Boating Council
casbas.csbc@gmail.com