The Nominating Committee of Sail Canada is calling for nominations from interested individuals who are prepared to help shape the future of the sport of Sailing in Canada and guide the overall strategic plan of the organization. Candidates for election to the Sail Canada Board of Directors must be at least 18 years of age and be a member in good standing of a member club, class or other member organization.
The Board consists of the Chair, six Directors at large and two Athlete Directors. Every year at the Annual General Meeting, Board vacancies are replaced through an election by the Members. The term of office for the Chair is two years and is eligible to be elected for a second term. Directors at large serve for three years in rotation with two retiring each year. Directors at large are eligible to be elected for a second term. Athlete Directors are elected by members of the Canadian Sailing Team in a separate process.
There will be two Director at large positions up for election at the 2023 Sail Canada Annual General Meeting to be held on or about October 25, 2023. One Director has completed a second and final three-year term and one Director has finished a first, three year term. The Chair position is also up for election, the incumbent will have completed a second and final two year term.
The Nominating Committee performs a recruiting role in accordance with Sail Canada by-laws, issuing the call for candidates and publishing the list of candidates with brief biographies.
The Board has examined the professional skills and background of the existing Directors and has determined that the following skills are desired:
- strong financial literacy and expertise, with previous treasurer experience preferred
- government and public relations experience
- fundraising and sponsorship supporting Not-For-Profit organizations
These skill sets would enhance the Board and we encourage people with those backgrounds to apply.
The election process must ensure that there are no more than 4 Directors at Large who self-identify as the same gender. The Nominating Committee is also tasked with ensuring that there is reasonable representation of official languages, regions and differing physical abilities amongst the candidates.
The current Board of Directors and nominations received to date for election to the Board of Directors at the 2023 AGM are as follows:
| Position | Current Board of Directors (year term expires; term number) |
Nominations (received to date) |
| Chair | Hugh McGugan (’23; 2nd term) – ON | Kate MacLennan – AB |
| Directors at Large | Kate MacLennan (’23; 2nd term) – AB Valerie Lavigne (’23; 1st term) – QC Zac Baum (’24; 2nd term) – ON Kelly Lyon (’24; 1st term) – BC Torstein Braaten (’25; 1st term) – ON Barbara Pike (’25; 2nd term) – NS |
Fiona Cochrane – BC Valerie Lavigne – QC |
| Athlete Directors | Rob Hemming – ON Mariah Millen – ON |
The positions of the Board of Directors will be decided by means of a vote by the membership at the Sail Canada Annual General Meeting.
The 2023 Sail Canada Annual General Meeting will be held virtually on or about Wednesday, October 25, 2023.
Any Member entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting shall be entitled to appoint, in writing, a proxy to attend the meeting on that Member’s behalf and to exercise all voting rights. Please see the Bylaws of the Association for detailed membership and voting information. The Sail Canada by-laws are available here; Sail Canada By-laws.
Interested persons should send their name, contact information and qualifications to the Nominating Committee at sailcanada@sailing.ca.
The deadline for nominations to be received by Sail Canada is September 10, 2023.
