Semi-AGM Minutes 2020
Semi-Annual Meeting Agenda
Thursday, January 23rd 2020
5:00pm-7:00pm, Brookstreet Hotel, Network Room
Kanata, Ontario
1. Call to Order
a. President welcome and introductions
2. Establish Quorum
Katie Edwards (St. FX/President), Matt Waddell (Western), Dave Leger (Guelph/VP Eligibility),
Walter Martindale (Edmonton), James Dyer (Trent), Jennifer Durward (Ontario Tech), Kate
Gorsline (Ottawa), Ed Fournier (Carleton), Mike Pearce (UBC), Mark Williams (Toronto), Mark
Henry (Guelph), Andrew Todd (Row Nova Scotia), Jenna Pelham (Row Nova Scotia), Amanda
Schweinbenz (Laurentian), Craig Pond (UBC/Past President), Mark Laidlaw (Calgary), Barney
Williams (Victoria), Aalbert Van Schothorst (Victoria), & Katie Bruggeling (Queen’s/Secretary)
3. Approval of the Agenda
DL motioned, EF seconded.
4. Approval of Previous Meeting’s Minutes
JDurward motioned, JDyer seconded.
a. Business arising from the previous meeting’s minutes
No business arising
5. Executive Reports
a. Edwards
KE: Proposed a discussion around safe sport under new business.
Would like to send Holy Cross Rowing Team a note of condolences on behalf of CURA.
Pledged to do 360 review of CURA and all that we do. Put on a national championships but constitution
says we have a broader mandate. How we do ensure the athletes have the experience per the
constitution? How can we tangibly uphold what we have in the constitution?
b. Bechard
KE on behalf DB: Location shift of CUs this year- Brock 2020 and St. FX 2021.
ML: With St. FX in 2021, do we change the cycle?
KE: I’m hoping this does not trigger any shifts in the usual schedule.
KE on behalf of DB: Please respond mean fully to the questionnaire that was sent out.
c. Pond
Semi-Annual Meeting Agenda
Nothing to report.
d. Leger
Eligibility went very well last September with timely submissions and generally in the correct format.
Conversation with Aalbert S. about the possibility of making this automated and electronically through
Regatta Data. Could pursue in the future with approval.
AS: Regatta Data was built around Brentwood Regatta and novice eligibility. Could speak with Richard
Curray. Build in 5 years + novice.
KG: What about tracking transfer athletes?
AV: Yes likely.
DL: Explore the cost and data model
MW: If we’re required to use regatta central, what not keep eggs in one basket?
DL: We approached regatta central and they did not have an interest.
AV: Regatta Central said this kind of programming would require a larger population.
Dan Bechard (VP/Western) joined the meeting.
KE: We want a database to track athletes to make eligibility simple to follow. One hand – regatta data is
willing to do that, other hand we must use regatta central. How easily do the systems talk to each
other? Cost? More work for coaches?
DL: Cost is an issue. Work for coaches should be comparable to current method. What it will do, is
reduce nights of spreadsheet work. If we get something in place that’s more automated, it’s a good
solution as long as it doesn’t add a lot more cost.
MD: Rowing Canada will migrate system to Kinduct.
KE: Been using Kin Duc for awhile and it is functional. Can you explore at least two options? Kinduct is
here this weekend.
6. Regional Updates
a. Atlantic: K. Edwards
We started a new indoor rowing program and it’s having good uptake; “beast of the east”.
b. Prairies: M. Laidlaw
ML: Nothing to report.
c. West Coastal: M. Pearce
MP: We would like to put a proposal together to host Western CUs at Burnaby every year.
Peter Somerwil (Brock) joined.
Semi-Annual Meeting Agenda
d. Central: P. Somerwil
PS: Cold. RO and OUA need to confirm whether they are going to work together at next championships.
ADs to determine whether the hosting will be rotating to all universities.
7. Committee Reports
a. No reports
8. Proposals
a. CURA UBC 2022 – Pearce
Burnaby Lake 2022
Discussion? No
9. Voting
a. CURA UBC 2022 – Pearce
For: 15
Against: 0
Motioned carried.
CURC will be in Burnaby Lake on November 5 & 6th, 2022.
10. New Business
a. USport Letter of Intent
KG: Both good and bad for our university. It needs to continue to be an open championships. Our
university wants to be able to consistently budget for all year. Many U Sport teams’ applications were
not successful.
MP: Getting the letter of intent in does not commit us to becoming a part of USports – should submit it.
KE: The new process for USport applications includes a letter of intent that needs to be submitted at the
end of the month. If we don’t submit, we are out. We can withdrawal later if needed.
PS: Will it help the rowing program at a university or hinder? Try to get an appointment with your AD
and spend time talking with them about the pros & cons.
KE: The subcommittee should prepare a template of questions to bring to the AD. Kate, could it be in the
next month?
KG: Yes.
Mark Williams (Toronto) joined in person.
KE: Any opposition to the letter of intent?
KB: NSO support.
KE: Will talk to Terry Dillion
Semi-Annual Meeting Agenda
b. Safe sport and our role
KE: Are we doing everything we can per constitution?
AV: Meeting this week between Usport, safe sport, RCA, and Rowing BC. Discussion is the alignment
between work safe BC and USport and university and national sport organization values. Clarity on the
tension between these things. Important to engage Rowing Canada with this. We need to be at the table
for these discussions. Safe Sport in itself hasn’t solidified.
MW: Generally know what safe sport but not specific. Don’t really understand what this discussion is.
KE: We need to either state we only host a championships or expand.
AV: Derestriction and area of scope.
KE: One option is to be declarative of our alignment with Rowing Canada and knowledge of the
resources available.
AV: Can one of some of us be party to these conversations within Rowing Canada?
KE: Attempted to in the fall.
MW: Don’t see why CURA is involved. Would fall under university derestriction.
DL: Guelph cross country situation. We’re the Canadian University Rowing Association which makes us
influential. Talking to the men in the room right now – we have to make better men out of our male
athletes that respect women. Set the culture. Less about derestriction – we have to active in cleaning up
situations. Athletes are feeling empowered which is a good thing. As a university coaches, we are tasked
with setting up a safe training and competition environment. At Guelph, we had to sign contracts that
included a code of conduct.
EF: Carleton started that this year.
JDurward: Us too.
KE: But we have a lot of programs like mine where we’re so far removed from the university it’s a
dangerous situation.
JDyer: We don’t enforce beyond eligibility and regattas, is there a way we could all come up with a
definition of what safe sport looks like?
AV: There is an element of acknowledging every coach is a Rowing Canada coach.
KE: We are a part of rowing Canada, but we’re not engaged with Rowing Canada as much.
MP: Why do we address this differently than other areas of safety? Why don’t we model it after RCA?
AV: I agree with that. We need to be at the RCA table and match with RCA. They’re working on a
collective coach code of conduct. Do we want to have CURA rep at the table during this dialogue?
MP: It would be prudent on their part to do that.
KE: Sense of mystery about what is happening around safe sport in general. There’s seems to be a gap
for athletes on how to access the supports of their university, Rowing Canada, and PSO.
Semi-Annual Meeting Agenda
PS: We’re talking about two different things. Is there a volunteer to talk with Rowing Canada and be
involved? Vs. space on CURA website with resources
AS: Yes information on website / the hotline. Each institution should know the process for complaints at
their institution.
KE: Further discussion on rowing Canada and CURA’s relationship?
AV: Yes, talk to Terry Dillon about becoming more involved.
KE: Have reached out multiple times. Was trying to determine RCA’s role in safe sport and how they can
be punitive and it’s limited.
KE: Other business?
PS: On behalf of Peter Cookson…
-Reminder of the Filippi spirit award. Winning university gets an eight or four and pair.
-Looking for coaches to help in rigging survey at the World Championships. Not funded.
-Study being done at Oxford and looking for KIN departments to help with the study in Canada.
PS: We now have three CURA championships scheduled and everyone can help with sponsors for the
championship. We need to drive sponsorship as a group.
KE: In that vein, it would be good to develop a CURA brochure on championships. (Katie E says she will).
11. Adjournment
MW motioned, WM seconded.