Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons / Escadrille canadiennes de plaisance (CPS-ECP) has been connecting enthusiastic recreational boaters across Canada for 70 years and has played a major role in boating culture in Canada. CPS offers boating safety courses every year to recreational boaters, as well as providing qualification for the Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC), which all recreational boaters in Canada require in order to legally operate their vessels. CPS is a charitable organization with more than 32,000 active members. Its volunteer instructors help recreational boaters improve their boating safety knowledge as well as their vessel handling and navigation skills.
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Canadian Power Squadron was founded in Windsor, Ontario in 1938 when a group of boaters traveled to the Detroit Power Squadron to take the United States Power Squadrons Coastal Navigation Course. Upon their successful completion of the course, they formed the Windsor Power Squadron, closely followed by the formation of Squadrons in Sarnia, London and Toronto. With growth throughout the past 70 years, CPS now has 166[1] Squadrons from coast to coast in all provinces and the Yukon Territory. CPS was incorporated in 1947, and in 1985 changed its name to Canadian Power & Sail Squadrons, which reflects the fact that almost half of its membership are sailors. At that time, the French name, Escadrilles canadiennes de plaisance was formally adopted.
Membership in CPS is more than 32,000 with approximately 5,000 of those members residing in Quebec. There are more than 4,000 members who volunteer their time for CPS to help promote the Boating and PCOC courses to the general public, as well as providing various services for the membership. A majority of the volunteers are involved in the training aspect of the organization, developing and writing courses and instructing in classrooms across Canada throughout the year.
Members of the public who successfully complete either the CPS Boating Course (called Piloting until 1972) or the CPS PCOC Course become members of the organization. Full members are then permitted to fly the CPS flag on their vessels and receive six issues of Canadian Yachting magazine, four of which contain the member publication, The Port Hole. In Quebec, members receive four issues of L’Escale Nautique magazine, which contain the French member publication, Le Hublot. The members also have the opportunity to take a number of advanced and elective courses. Throughout the years a number of member benefits have been developed, including the opportunity to purchase an extensive CPS Members Insurance policy, which offers a discount based on the courses members have taken. Member benefits can more than offset membership dues.
Along with the CPS Boating Course and the CPS PCOC Course, there are a number of elective courses, which are open to both members and the public alike. These include topics such as Fundamentals of Weather, Global Weather, Marine Maintenance, Distress Signaling, Extended Cruising, Maritime Radio, and Seamanship Sail. There are also a number of electronic courses including, Finding Your Way With GPS, Navigating with GPS, Electronic Charting, Radar for Pleasure Craft, and Depth Sounder. CPS is constantly updating and developing courses for recreational boaters throughout Canada.
Boaters may also go to the CPS Distance Education Centre and sign up for instruction on the use of a marine radio, which leads to a Restricted Maritime Radio Operator’s Certificate. The certificate is required by law in Canada for use of any marine radio installed on a vessel. CPS is the exclusive provider of the Restricted Maritime Radio Operator’s Course on behalf of the Canadian Government.
Advanced courses offered by CPS include Seamanship (formerly called Piloting), which prepares boaters for travel on Canada’s great lakes. Advance Piloting delves into subjects that include more information on tides and currents to prepare boaters for ocean travel. There is also a Celestial Navigation Course for instruction in navigating by the stars. For the volunteers who serve the organization, CPS offers Officer Training and Instructor Development programs. Many of the courses offered by CPS enhance members’ expertise in their private lives as well.
CPS offers its members volunteer opportunities such as instructing or proctoring local classes or taking a position on the Squadron Executive Committee. Members can also volunteer at the District and National level by serving on a variety of committees, which are responsible for training, public relations, marine reporting, environmental issues, publications, communications, conferences and meetings, development of Port Captains, membership, and other areas.
CPS holds a National Conference, rotating to a different region in Canada each year, at which it recognizes its various partners, offers a variety of seminars on new developments, rewards its volunteers, and gives members a chance to do what boaters do best, socialize and share boating stories. Through CPS many long-standing friendships have developed among members from across Canada.
CPS has a Headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where paid staff help the volunteers in all aspects of running the organization
In October 2005, CPS passed a five-year Strategic Plan, which has resulted in a number of changes within the organization to enhance its public image and to encourage people to take CPS courses and join the organization. CPS has improved its ability to update courses on a regular basis to meet current standards, and most courses now include CD’s as part of the training material received by a student.
Over the past few years, CPS developed a number of partnerships with like-minded organizations such as ICOM, MariTech, Weems & Plath, Satellite Communications Source Inc., Canadian Yachting Association , National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), United States Power Squadrons, and others, to the mutual benefit of each organization. This has provided the opportunity for sharing resources, offering more member benefits, and providing specific rewards for volunteers.
CPS works closely with Government agencies such as Transport Canada and the Office of Boating Safety in order to meet the highest standards and to provide one of the best PCOC programs available across Canada and the only card recognized by the United States National Association of State Law Administrators (NASBLA), as well as developing an extensive Pleasure Craft Courtesy Check (PCCC) program in all regions of Canada.
As CPS continues to change and grow, the organization will strive to ensure that it increases awareness and knowledge of safe boating by educating and training members and the general public, by fostering fellowship among members and by establishing partnerships and alliances with organizations and agencies interested in boating.