Appointment of new CPS Executive Director

Richard Bee, Chief Commander of the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons is pleased to report that the organization has completed the search process and hired a new Executive Director. Their new Executive Director is Walter Kowalchuk. He will be joining CPS-ECP on September 4, 2012.

Walter was born and raised in Edmonton Alberta and moved to the Toronto area in 1984. He is married with two children. His wife Susan is the Program Manager with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel. His oldest son, Aaron, is heading off to the University of British Columbia in September to begin his studies in pursuit of a degree in Kinesiology. His younger son, Logan, is a competitive hockey player who, in April, celebrated winning the All Ontario Provincial Hockey Championship with his team mates on the Mississauga Terriers Bantam AA team. Walter has been an active volunteer in various capacities in his community. Walter has a Degree in Recreation Administration from the University of Alberta and is a member of The Canadian Society of Association Executives.

For the past 18 years he has been the General Manager and Secretary of the National Yacht Club in Toronto, a not for profit member driven recreational boating club. Throughout the majority of his career he has worked in voluntary not for profit organizations that deliver educational, recreational and social programs and services. These include: National Yacht Club, Lions Foundation of Canada and the West Scarborough Neighbourhood Community Centre. He has extensive experience working with Boards of Directors and with volunteers at all levels of organizations in program and service delivery.

Please join us in welcoming Walter to CPS-ECP!

Related Articles


Starcraft SV 16 OB

By Craig Ritchie

Photos by Starcraft Marine

Building great boats has always come down to a mix of art and science, and that’s particularly true when it comes to meeting the biggest challenge of all—creating an appealing yet affordable family runabout. Buyers want a boat that is affordable but not stripped to the bare bones.

Enter Starcraft and its delightful SV 16 OB, an all-new-for-2025 family deck boat that elegantly balances comfort, amenities and affordability.

Read More


Destinations

The Erie Canal – An Extraordinary Waterway

By Mark Stevens

Photos by Sharon Matthews-Stevens

As I shift our chartered canal boat into neutral, I’m soothed by the soundtrack of bird calls, the occasional plaintive horn of a distant train and the hum of our engine.

I reach for the VHF to radio the lockmaster in charge of Erie Canal’s Lock 32 dead ahead. Our boat spins gently in the current like a maple key in a mud puddle.

“This is Onondaga,” I say. “Headed westbound and requesting passage.”

Read More