2021 Executive Candidates

Visit the following link for your 2022 Executive Candidates: https://old.aquaticpark.com/2022-executive-candidates/

As boats are being lifted from water to sleep soundly on the hard, and we’re hanging up our PFDs, the time has well and truly come to bid adieu to the 2020 sailing season at Aquatic Park. Before we settle in for what will hopefully be a short and forgiving winter, each and every member at APSC is invited and encouraged to join us in a look back upon the year we’ve had, and also look forward to the next to come. The opportunity to do this is at APSC’s 2020 AGM.

During this Annual General Meeting, held virtually via Zoom on November 19 at 7 PM, your board of directors will provide a final update and summary of their year, new ideas will be brought forth for the year to come, and the 2021 Executive Elections will take place.

In order to facilitate openness and efficiency during this year’s election process, it’s my pleasure to introduce your candidates. Continue below to meet your candidates and learn more about their unique plans for Aquatic Park in 2021.

To a refresher on the positions and what each one entails, visit this post: APSC Executive Positions

Remember: nominations remain open and all positions are considered available for any member to run for, regardless of whether the current director is choosing to run for reelection or the number of candidates currently running. Reach out to communication@aquaticpark.com to submit interest.

Commodore

Marcus van Ierssel, standing for reelection
I’ve been a member since 1998, having  spent about half that time on the board with about 10 years as Harbour Master, 1 year as Vice-Commodore, and now 2 years as Commodore. I come before the membership looking for one last year as Commodore, after which I intend to step down to spend more time doing what brings us all together — sailing. 

My time in the club and on the board brings valuable experience to the position of Commodore, as it is important to understand the history and traditions of the club and how we got to where we are today. Now that our license is settled for the next few years, my intention is to return our focus to the other issues that keep the club running — upkeep, flooding mitigation, and assorted other upgrades. I’m excited to spend another summer with everyone, hopefully in a Covid-, flooding-, and drama-free year.

Michael Fong, nominated
As your board member, I have delivered strong results for APSC collaborating with our executive team, Revenue Canada, TRCA, MPAC and Ontario Sailing. I have one vote on the board like any other executive and have made significant contributions through gaining a majority consensus and inspiring action. 
Accomplishment this term includes leading APSC rejuvenation plan with our board to grow revenues, solve serious club finance & tax issues, deliver transformative club facility improvements and develop new future sources of revenue. Continuation of this work and energy is needed to insure a bright future for APSC. 

As your Commodore I will work extremely hard to deliver 3 promises 

1. Revitalize APSC through membership feedback
2. Develop vibrant plans with our board of directors
3. Lead board activities with full membership transparency

Revitalize our club with your voice to drive our board activities. Progress will be made while upholding APSC traditions. This means the membership decides on large mandates and your decisions gets delivered. You deserve greater value for your membership fees and solutions to keep it flat. 

Deliver solid plans – I will lead and inspire our board to develop solid plans for APSC in each of our key areas of accountability to keeping membership fees flat, our finances sustainable and delivering higher membership value. Solid plans and leadership mean progress is unaffected from challenges like flooding, TRCA uncertainty or global pandemics. Solid planning this term delivered membership growth, financial turnaround and club improvements.  

Lead board activities with full membership transparency with regular Commodore club updates to keep you informed, uphold APSC by-laws to provide 4 quarterly meetings to insure you get your say and foster new openness to all board activities. This means all board meeting agendas, notes and votes will be made available, and meetings will be transparent to all members. 

I am passionate about our club, leading your executive team and delivering results for APSC, it would be my honor to continue board contributions and to serve the membership as your Commodore. 

Sincere regards, Michael Fong

Vice Commodore

John Ross, standing for reelection
During my time on the board – regardless of the position, I’ve been an advocate for open communication, and ensuring the board is accountable to the members. Although APSC is already a great club, I’ve also been a supporter of trying new ideas, and changes that have the potential to make it even better. As vice commodore my main role has been to help support anyone else who needs it. I had also offered to take on the fleet program – another interesting idea with potential. Next year I hope to continue this work.

Treasurer

Mike Rossiter, nominated
I have been a member of APSC for three years, and in that time I have grown to know and love the club. I spend a lot of time talking to members, and I have heard their concerns and hopes for the future. I have experience running a small business and a private school. In my work at the school, I am responsible for human resources, facilities management, budgeting and financial accountability.  My experience involves decision-making and collaborative skills which make me well positioned to both fulfill the duties as treasurer and be an effective board member.

Hans Paabor, nominated
I’m writing to express my interest in running for the position of treasurer.  I am an  over-seventy, long retired federal civil servant.  I am also a long standing cruising-sailing addict having spent many decades mostly in self-help sailing clubs when not wandering around Lake Ontario and some ports beyond. I thought my sailing life was over about four years ago.  A big old boat was getting to be too much for me to maintain.  My wife and long-time cruising crew no longer had the mobility to handle sailing.  I decided to “swallow the anchor”. That lasted part of a winter.  Then I remembered Aquatic Park – one of my favourite anchorages – the protected water around it, and thought maybe I could single hand a smaller boat.  Fast forward a few years.

I’ve had a great few years at Aquatic Park  with a little CS22  that I hope to stretch it out a little longer.  I have served on a few sailing club boards at cruising, membership and communication.  I am no longer very useful for the heavier manual work, and have tried make up for it doing maintenance work on club records.  My working background was in computer information systems.  Working with APSC records, I saw a few things that I thought could be improved.  It seemed to me that the better choice would be actually do it rather than trying to get others to do it for me. That said I think with the help and support of the current treasurer, I could do a reasonable job in the position, implement the improvements that I would like to see happen without having to unduly bore other board members.   I have the time, interest, and ability to do a decent job for the club and would welcome the opportunity.  

Social Director

Andres Pang Becker & Chris Speed, standing for reelection
Bringing together the folks of APSC to enjoy fine food and music is what the Social Committee has always done.  We have had the opportunity to help provide memorable gastronomic experiences from breakfast of gourmet café and artisan, vegan organic carrot cake to brunch with farm fresh, free-range heirloom eggs to dinners of rare steak and Italian marinated chicken, to the Thanksgiving entrée with turkey, ham, or stuffed portabella.  Each soirée was garnished with dancing to live music under the stars with sailing friends. 

2020 was a cautious, challenging year; it gave us all the chance to reassess and affirm our desire to gather and celebrate as a club.  Our social survey from this past June garnered useful feedback from you—the changing face of APSC’s membership—for which we are greatly appreciative.   We shall, all things willing, set sail in a grand gravy boat to party once again (as responsibly as ever) in this uniquely green setting of Tommy Thompson Park.  Let’s anticipate 2021 with a tune in our hearts and a hunger in our gut for a good time.

Yours in friendship.

Race Director

Mio Koledin, nominated
As a dinghy sailor and member of Mississauga Sailing Club, I was involved in race duties, as well as race committee. The rules are the same, only the size of the sailboat is different. I have also attended a race seminar held by sailing coach Thomas Fogh, and would like to apply that experience as much as possible as your race director.

House & Grounds

Slav Domurat, nominated
I joined APSC three years ago and I have to say that was the best decision that I have made with regards to my family interest in sailing and my sailboat. I have watched and observed this club fight to stay afloat and to keep our precious and unique location for the fraction of membership price that the other yacht club members are paying in the same area. There are many attributes that makes this club so special, but I think the most important one is the people that are part of this club. Their passion for sailing, water and the wind is what brought them to the club.

The last three years were unstable with regards to the status of our club and to our lease agreement. I think because of that uncertainty, not much was happening with regards to upkeeping our facilities. This year our club reached a major millstone and have signed a five-year lease with TRCA and now we have something to look forward to. With help of our new treasurer, Michael Fong, our financial situation is better then ever. We added few more members, cut down on our expenses, and now as a club have a pretty good financial standing. As a club, we decided to renovate our clubhouse, since it was long overdue, and our facilities were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I think it is time to start investing in our club and setup a three year plan that will basically upgrade all our facilities, so every member of our club and their guests can enjoy them to the fullest and hopefully this way we will attract new members, by doing so.

If I do get elected for the house and grounds position, here are the key things that I want to accomplish next year:

1) Renovate and upgrade our washrooms to a high standard.
2) If possible, build showers, so members will be able to enjoy our facility to the fullest.
3) Install hard roof over our patio at the clubhouse and motor shed.
4) Build a fence (enclosure) around our garbage/recycle bins, so they would look pleasant to look at.
5) Replace wooden walkways, since they are becoming tripping hazard in some cases.
6) If possible, we should probably build a car port structure for our cart that will protect it from the element.

I am not sure if all the projects that have been listed above can be done in next year, but we should do our best to set our goals high and hopefully reach them sooner then later. I have heard a very good idea from one of our club members to assign specific number of work hours for each project based on its complexity. This should be listed on the club’s website and anyone interesting of doing such a project should be able to sign up for it and choose additional members to help him/her out to accomplish the task, if required.

Anyway, I hope that this short summary will outline what I am planning to do for our club and our members if I will be elected.

Hope to see you on the water early in the spring…. 😊 Slav Domurat

Harbourmaster

Brian Burchell, standing for reelection
I would be pleased to stand again for the Harbourmaster role. I feel there is so much more to do and I frankly enjoy working with my team, specifically Barna, who’s contributions are invaluable. He is hands on tools and is our diver. Many others contributed this year to harbour work, including Hans Paabor who did yeoman work assessing the field, and we were able to inspect 1/3 of the 100 moorings. We replaced chain, shackles, and balls, and responded to emergencies. The approach is 100% triaged, the moorings at highest risk of failure are inspected first regardless if they have boats on them or not. We have moved ahead on renewing the hardware that connects the docks, better secured the docks to the lake bed, and cleared the face of the docks from routine mooring. Next year, if re-elected, I plan to designate balls for visiting boats on a colour coded basis so it is easy to accommodate reciprocals depending on the size of their vessels. Mooring pendants (lines) will be already attached for ease of access.

Chief Duty Officer

Brian Lumley, incumbent

Bill Miller, nominated
I have been a member of Aquatic Park Sailing Club for eight years and have served on the board numerous times in various positions. I am now running for Duty Officer Director. If elected, here is my vision for enhancing our club services:

Duty Officer:
1. Review responsibilities and daily duties and develop new tasks that will maintain and protect our new club house and facilities.
2. Depending on the new\old task list, propose a change in the number of work hours.
3. Create protocol for the Duty Officer to manage the new VHS radio in order to respond to visitors who want to stay at the club or for boaters/sailors who have an emergency (ie. monitor channel 68).

Shuttle service:
4. Continuation of the hourly shuttle service and develop a program to enable members to call the Shuttle driver for a pick up at a non-scheduled time. (ie. I need a ride at 1:30)
5. Develop a financial contingency plan so that when the cart needs to be replaced there is money available for the purchase.

Other items:
6. Review the on-site manual and and update it with relevant information which will include procedures for monitoring the new VHF radio.
7. Place an electronic version of the manual on the website.
8. Develop an automated online calendar where members can sign up for the duty officer or cart driver remotely.

I see my contribution as a board member as a positive, progressive voice with developing a long-term strategy to continue to move the club forward and provide enhancements, upgrades and services for members. This will result in a full membership list and improve the quality of services.

Safety Director

Adam Frolic, nominated
We have all walked to the docks and just looked around, so happy to be there.  APSC is an amazing place.  It’s a place I go to relax, enjoy company, and sail sometimes.  And in some ways, I let my guard down.  I can do that because I know that my predecessors on the Safety Committee have had my back in that regard.  I want to use my experience with Toronto Fire to keep it that way, as well as anticipate where safety concerns lie, and take action.  

More than ever there is an expectation that we run a safe club that looks out for all its members, and we can’t turn a blind eye to the reality of litigation, should something happen. I will use my experiences and those of everyone at the club to see where the dangers lie, before there is an emergency. However, we must also be ready if there is one.

Let’s worry about our sheets, not our safety. Leave that to me.

Alison Barlow, nominated
I have been a member of the club for many years and been on and off of the executive, as I believe it is important to participate  – having membership take turns in running the club and getting to know the ins and outs of how it works, and to make it better over time. Regarding Safety – we are all reminded these days how important it is. I deal with Safety regularly in my job, dealing with design & construction. And as a sailor, both keelboat and dingy, I am acutely aware of the ongoing need to practice safety. It is all too easy to figure been there, done that – know it all. That is when things go sideways – or unfortunately for sailors, maybe over or down… I would like to contribute to the club by bringing my background  and years of sailing experience to help with keeping the club and its’ members safe.

Membership Director

Greg Graham, standing for reelection
As Membership Director I am happy to report that we had a stellar year with more than ten new members joining in 2020.  Given the challenges presented by COVID, I think this result for the year augurs well for the future.  The Club is strong and growing.  Our new members are fantastic people and we are lucky to have them.  I want to acknowledge the fantastic job being performed by our Harbour Master, Brian Burchell.  Let’s face it, without well maintained mooring balls, we wouldn’t have a Club at all and Brian and his team are the people we all depend on.  As Membership Director, I wouldn’t be able to get new members settled without Brian’s input on an appropriate mooring ball for their particular boat.  

I am excited to stand again to be elected as the Club’s Membership Director for 2021.  My objective for 2021 is twofold:

1. to gradually progress toward filling all 100 mooring balls in our mooring field with new members committed to sailing and mooring at a Club which is off-the-grid and who value the Club’s natural setting and camaraderie with fellow sailors; and

2. having a workable and accessible membership list available to the Executive and members generally.  Members Hans Paabor and Pam Speed are providing invaluable assistance to me with respect to this second objective. Thanks Hans and Pam.

The job of Membership Director can be demanding and time consuming, however, I enjoy the role because I am passionate about APSC and get a kick out of explaining its merits to potential new members.  

Communications & Marketing

Kate Wilson, standing for reelection 
It has been a wonderful and rewarding experience coordinating communications at Aquatic Park this season, and it’s with enthusiasm that I stand for reelection in 2021. Strides were made this year to increase our presence online, attract new members, and keep our current sailors informed with openness and conviviality during a year that called so strongly for it. I’ve relied on, and been incredibly thankful for the help of others in various on-going projects, including an overhaul of content on our website, and coordinating fresh signage around the clubhouse. These are tasks that I would be thrilled to continue coordinating.

If the membership will have me for another season, my aims will be to increase correspondence, resurrect a digital version of the Mooring Line newsletter, and continue to vote in a manner that steers APSC toward positive, fiscally responsible growth, while ensuring we maintain the spirit of the club that we all know and love.

Member at Large

Tim Kirkwood, standing for reelection
I started on the Board two years ago representing the club at the Tommy Thompson Park Users Group meetings, and more recently, the Outer Harbour Sailing Federation. When our license renewal negotiations were approaching some 3 years ago, our Councillor Paula Fletcher agreed to help bring a divided group at TRCA together to meet with our club, represented by the excellent lawyer Jennifer King who brought an abstract and unmanageable proposal to a negotiated agreement. We now have a five-year lease that everyone should consider a turning point in our club’s development and growth.

My goals for this year, if elected, will be to start bridging the gaps that exist between our club and the TRCA, conservationists and The Friends of the Spit. We have long been adversaries, when I see several possibilities for alliances and cooperation that will help us all. Finally, other opportunities to grow include considering alternate memberships for personal watercraft – canoes, kayaks and so on, and the fleet program really shows promise for those not ready to buy a boat of their own.​ I think we are at the brink of having a great club become an even better version of itself. I want to be part of making that happen.

Bill Miller, nominated

Secretary

Ian Trumpour, standing for reelection
I have been a member of APSC for 8 years, and Secretary for 2 years. The Executive of our club have been preoccupied over recent years, with major issues like taxes and license. Dropped along the wayside has been club upkeep. This past year, money was found within the budget to finally upgrade the clubhouse. Times are changing – no one builds 18 to 30 foot sailboats any more, and the average boat size here has gone from 26’ to 32’. For better or worse, prospective members want more creature comforts, so continued upkeep is required to keep APSC desirable and viable. I will continue to support the gradual, and within budget, upgrading of club facilities.