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ORCKA and Paddle Canada Presentations
On Wednesday, 18 November and Wednesday 25 November the club received briefings from Bruce Hawkins, the President of the Ontario Recreational Canoeing and Kayaking Association and from Andew Westwood, a member of Paddle Canada's Program Development Committee.
The purpose of these briefings was to allow the club to make a decision as to what certification program is should use, beginning with the 2010 season. There will be a meeting of the Exec at the Argyle Street Y at 1900 hrs on 7 December to make a decision. All members are invited to attend.
ORCKA Presentation -- Bruce Hawkins
Bruce stated that the focus of ORCKA was on recreational paddling. He said that the two biggest trends affecting paddling today were litigation/liability and aventure or eco tourism. He noted that ORCKA qualifications had been recognized by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Envrionment, Scouts Canada, Guides and the Department of National Defence as well as by several First Nations.
The ORCKA program has just been revised. The biggest changes were:
- the division of most disciplines into 3 levels from 2 to allow easier progression from level to level;
- the separation of Moving Water into Moving Water (playboating) and River Running;
- the separation of the practical and pedagogical content in Instructors' courses so that now instructor candidates can pass the practical by taking a course and then take a 5 day pedagogical course instead of doing a single, 10-day course.
Bruce said that the ORCKA Canoe Tripping 3 (Trip Leader) course had been recognized as the standard required for commerical guiding. This was a 5-day course and would normally cost about $600-$800 to complete. [Note: the club ran this course last year at a cost of $60 plus camping expenses for members.] There was extensive discussion regarding ORCKA's requirement that Trip Leaders have first aid, swiftwater rescue for WW trips, and cross disciplinary paddle certification and the realism of expecting volunteer organizations from attaining these skiils. Bruce responded by saying that these were the minimum ORCKA judged to be safe.
Certification of Flatwater Instructors is a 5-day course. The club could run its own instructor course by bringing in an outsider examiner. Experienced paddlers could "challenge" for the Basic Instructor level. The would likely be a three day course with one day to practice skills.
ORCKA Level 2 Instructors (i.e. Moving Water, Lakewater(Canadian Style) and Tripping) can become instructors in other disciplines by completing the Level 3 practical skill course in the other area.
All ORCKA courses have to be given under the auspices of an organizational member. This is to ensure an appropriate level of risk management. [Note: the YCCC is an organizational member. This costs $125 per year.]
Bruce addressed liability issues. He said that he expected that in the next 3-5 years Ontario Parks would demand certified trip leaders from any organized trips in provincial parks, including those led by volunteer organizations. He clarified ORCKA's definition of "trip" versus "training event." According to him, Moving Water Instructors were certified to lead to course at Palmers Rapids, but not leading the group down the Lower Mad. This would be a "trip" and would require Trip Leader certification as well.
He clarified the new River Running curriculum as being taught in boats without saddles, a load of gear and deck covers. Individuals could move from Moving Water to River Running (and the reverse) by challenging for the qualification (i.e. be tested without taking the whole course).
Paddle Canada -- Andrew Westwood
Andrew began by noting that PC was a new program, still partly under development. It was intended to be national in scope and to include current concepts in paddling skills and instruction. PC includes both canoes and kayaks and the domains of Rivers, Lakes and Oceans.
PC has a single Instructor qualification for all disciplines based on a 4-day course. The course may be given on 2 weekends. PC Instructors are certified to teach any discipline one level below what they have qualified in regarding skills. Thus, someone with intermediate WW skills could instruct basic WW.
PC has 3 skill levels in all disciplines to allow easier progression. Canoe Dance and Coastal Canoeing were two programs still under development. PC also had a Waterfront Clinic and an Introduction to Canoeing course which was suitable for childrens' camps and camp counsellors.
Andrew noted that PC administration was intended to be instructor-friendly and low cost. Instructors did not need to sponsored by an organization. PC maintains web based tools for instructors to register courses and completion of courses by individuals. Registration costs $20 per course, regardless of the number of students. [Note: ORCKA registrations cost $5-15 per student depending on the course.]
PC does not use a "challenge" or "testing clinic" approach. You have to take the skills course to be recognized. The exception is that PC is allowing the transfer of current certification from ORCKA and elsewhere without test or fee until 31 December 2009. Registration as a PC instructor would then cost $70.
Andrew explained that PC does not consider its Tripping course a guide certification course. Andrew had not heard of any move by the province to require trip leader certification for any group.
The PC Instructor Trainer program is by apprenticeship and on-line course. You must have taught a minimum of two course at all lower levels in a discipline to become and Instructor Trainer. There are no restrictions in an Instructor Trainer qualifying Instructors in her own club.
PC instructors are covered directly for $5 million for alll PC-registered courses.
PC courses do not have to be open to the general public.
The PC WW manual will be published this Spring.
Discussion
The club discussion of these two presentations is on-going. Some of the poiints I have heard so far:
- ORCKA's trip leader standard (requiring mutliple certifications and cross training) is unrealistic;
- there is some skepticism regarding the intentions of the province to make formal qualification a requirement for trip leaders in parks (the Exec is looking into this);
- ORCKA Instructor courses are too lengthy and too expensive;
- ORCKA Moving Water Instructor requires individuals to achieve advanced level skills before being able to teach beginners;
- PC is a new organization and does not have a complete curriculum yet;
- the PC model of a single Instructor qualification and certifying instructors at one level below their own skill is attractive and would allow the club to expand the potential number of instructors.
