Hi all,
I hope that this note finds you well and enjoying what’s been an awesome September on the water so far. It has been a busy summer and a while since we checked in, so let’s get down to what’s been going on.
Tamlyn’s Departure
Alas, it’s true – Tamlyn wrapped up her work with KPC and is now on to new adventures. We have been hugely fortunate to have a paddler and coach with Tamlyn’s accomplished records working with us for over eight years. How quickly they passed, eh?
We had the opportunity to gather and fete Tamlyn July 25th. There was a great turn out and it was wonderful to see a cross section of our paddling community – young and old, and those who were involved with the Centre since inception alongside folks who have joined more recently.
Paddling is one of those sports that builds community, and Tamlyn has done much to include and support the diverse array of folks who have become part of this one.
Thanks T, for your expertise and insights, patience and generosity. We’ll see you on the water.
And from Deb Ruggerio who was instrumental in organizing the gathering:
To all who made July 25th such a great event, thank you for the delicious food, assistance with organizing and prep, and the generous contributions for Tamlyn’s farewell gathering.
A total of $ 2,000.00 was received from KPC Members and gift suggestions were greatly appreciated.
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Yeti Cooler and 2 Yeti Mugs
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$500.00 GIft Certificate for MEC
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$500.00 GIft Certificate for Structube
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One Year Membership for KPC
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The Board also presented Tamlyn with a Two-year membership….so we will continue to see her about and on the water!!
KPC Campus Development Project
Recent updates have been dominated by discussions about the various facets of this project. While I don’t want to use up too much bandwidth on this topic, it is also one of the most important inflection points in the life of the KPC. Hence, it is a topic of importance for any who believe that KPC is an important resource for our community.
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Agreement with the City of Kelowna – Our development permit application has been submitted and we are excited for it to be voted on by council soon. We’ve also provided the City with other documents in support of the new campus. We are awaiting word from the City regarding final endorsement of the proposal, that they are recommending to Mayor and Council that the project should advance with City support, and issuing a 25-year lease.
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Construction preparation – In advance of the City’s final approval, work is underway to prepare for construction over the winter. We are optimistic that given this project involves a partnership with the City, we will be able to advance this work expeditiously. Our goal remains to have the construction phase underway by October. The Board is currently assessing options for storage during the winter – members may need to find their own alternative storage for the period of the construction.
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Resource development
Our resource development plan is a multi-faceted approach to reaching our target of $1.4 million. Immediate areas that we are pursuing include the following:
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Financing – A portion of the project cost will need to be funded through conventional financing. We have found a local institution to work with us on the project and hope to confirm very soon the details of our financing.
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Pledging campaign – We recognized that our membership strongly supports the venture and to demonstrate that we have the capacity to fund this type of a project, we initiated an opportunity for our members to express their interest in pledging financial support to the campaign. Due to the short time frames for key elements of the project, we needed to quickly advance this initiative drive. Several information evenings were held to provide more information about the project and the pledge process. Many of you attended and confirmed your interest to pledge support. Members have so far pledged approximately $200,000.
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Some of you may not have been able to join the info evenings and are wondering if it’s too late to pledge support. If you are interested in finding out more about this phase of the project, please reach out to either Murray (president@kelownapaddlecentre.ca) or Angela Kwong (angela@kelownapaddlecentre.ca). Ultimately, any support that you can offer will be greatly appreciated and will contribute to our narrative that KPC is committed to advancing this important stage in the evolution of this paddling community.
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Sponsorship – Led by Jim Bates and Hugh Culver, we are pursuing major sponsors willing to contribute financial or in-kind contributions toward various elements of the overall project. We are optimistic that other Kelowna organizations will understand and endorse our case for support and contribute to the work that is under way.
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Ultimately, I approach life with an optimistic, abundant lens. So too with this initiative. However, pragmatically I would not want to suggest that this project is a done deal. We are tantalizingly close to making this vision a reality and if successful, we will have a facility that will serve a broad swath of the Okanagan for many years to come. A truly exciting opportunity!
At the same time, we are operating in a very tight time window, with some gnarly challenges to overcome. Moreover, if unsuccessful in this initiative our alternatives are at best opaque. We know that the City does not see the status quo as an option. Where to next is unclear. Hence, it is vital that we scale this peak and advance as hoped.
So, let’s git ‘er done!
KPC Paddlers at the IVF World Sprint Championships in Hilo
Congratulations to the many paddlers from KPC who competed at the IVF World Sprint Championships in Hilo last month. Your success did not go unnoticed and raises the profile of KPC at a very opportune time for the centre. More importantly, we are proud of everyone who competed and all those who supported them along the way. It was great to hear what an amazing time everyone had in Hawaii – it was much deserved after all of your hard work and dedication.
Volunteers Needed
Communications for New Campus Fundraising Campaign
We have an acute need for a volunteer to help us coordinate our communications with various constituencies, across multiple media, for the life of the new campus fundraising campaign. Some key functions include:
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Assist the Campaign Committee to develop a communications plan for the duration of the campaign, including key activities, assets required and timing for execution.
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Create, draft, and edit content for the campaign including promotional and marketing materials (e.g. letters and emails, newsletters, and electronic communications).
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Advise on tactics to increase the awareness of KPC online, by enhancing our presence on digital and social media channels.
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Post updates and promote news articles via social media channels using Hootsuite.
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Create content on website for associated program support, research, and advocacy.
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Leaders for School Groups & Classes
With most of our summer staff back to school in one form or another (best of luck to Isaac as he starts his teaching career), there’s a need for support leading school groups and some of our classes. Specifically:
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The Balsam School visits September 9th, 16th, and 23rd from 10am – 11am.
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Springvalley Middle School visits September 13th from 10am – 12pm
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Senior Kayaking on Thursdays from 2pm – 3pm.
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Recreational SUP during the daytime. The 10am Tuesday class has been moved to Thursday evenings from 530pm.
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Recreational kayak.
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To volunteer, please contact Fraser.
September Events
Fall 440 240: This year’s Fall 440 starts on Monday and has been shortened in case the centre closes soon for construction. Sign up here.
Light Up the Lake: This annual tradition is happening Friday, September 20th.
Open House: Invite your friends, family, and neighbors to come learn about KPC on Saturday September 21st.
Celebration Brunch: We’re honoring all the KPC paddlers who competed in Hilo last month with a pancake breakfast from 9-11am on Sunday September 22nd.
CORA Long Distance Nationals: Nationals are being hosted by Penticton Paddle Sports September 28th & 29th. Registration closes September 25th.
Other Upcoming Races
September 18th – Deep Cove Kayaks – “The Whipper”. This is a small boat event for surf skis and OCs. There will be courses of 12 km and 20 km, from Cates Park in Deep Cove, heading up Indian Arm. This is a spectacular area to paddle.
October 19th – Trials for the 2025 World Distance Championship. The trial will be held in Vancouver, likely in English Bay. There’s still lots of time to train and test yourself against paddlers from across the country.
See you on the water D
