Thank you, Madam Chair.
My name is Jay Morrison and I'm representing Paddle Canada today as the environment chair. I should also mention that I'm the secretary of the Canadian Safe Boating Council.
Paddle Canada welcomes the opportunity to comment on Bill C-69. We have been engaged with the public right of navigation since amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act were first proposed in 2009. Closely related to navigation rights is the question of safety, and Paddle Canada has been coordinating its work with the Canadian Safe Boating Council. Paddle Canada has several recommendations with respect to the bill.
The mission of Paddle Canada is to promote recreational paddling instruction, safety, and environmental awareness. Paddle Canada's 3,000 certified instructors teach canoeing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding to more than 10,000 Canadians every year. For the millions of recreational paddlers in Canada, we are the organization that is most concerned with their public right of navigation.
The mission of the Canadian Safe Boating Council is to promote safe and responsible boating throughout Canada. The CSBC contributes to a declining mortality rate for recreational boaters but the annual toll is still much too great and most deaths are highly preventable. When you are boating, wear your life jacket.
Allow me to do a very brief demonstration.