Boating Industry Canada - February 2009

Register Now for the Next
Series of NMEA Marine
Electronics Courses

It was recently announced that due to great support from the Canadian Marine Industry, the NMEA is again offering Marine Electronics Courses in Canada but these start March 4th in Toronto so you will need to move quickly and you must register in order to attend.

The Course Outline and Study Manuals are pre-shipped to individuals attending. Ken Harrison of Summerhill.ca explained to us that successful students will need to review the course materials beforehand to get the most out of their investment.

The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) is the unifying force behind the entire marine electronics industry, bringing together all aspects of the industry for the betterment of all in our business and it is well known that there is a growing demand for educated marine electronics specialists to join this well-paying industry.

The sessions begin with the Toronto, Ontario Courses. There will be:

• March 4th, MEI Marine Electronics Installer

• March 5th, NMEA 2000 Networking

The Toronto courses start at 8: 30 am at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Toronto Airport at 33 Carlson Court,

Toronto. Telephone 416-675-1234 for reservations.

The Richmond, BC courses are scheduled as:

• March 18th, MEI Marine Electronics Installer

• March 19th, NMEA 2000 Networking

These courses also start at 8: 30 am. The location is the Best Western Richmond Hotel and Convention Center, 7551 Westminster Hwy in Richmond. Telephone 604-273- 7878 for reservations.

Atlantic Canada course dates yet to be announced but sessions are planned again this year.

Check out the “NEW” NMEA Website at www.nmea.org. All the courses are listed under “Education”. If you require additional assistance please contact:

Cindy Love NMEA Office: clove@nmea.org 410-975-9425 or, Ken Harrison NMEA International Director: summerhillca@rogers.com

NMMA Canada Responds to
Government Pre-Budget
Consultations

By Sara Anghel

The economy is the number one issue on the government’s agenda and while political turmoil forced this major issue to the back burner before Christmas, the government did eventually survive and initiate a short pre-budget consultation process in which NMMA Canada made a submission. The highlights of our submission are outlined below.

The government should assist manufacturers in getting into new markets and expanding undeveloped market opportunities.

Cross Border Shopping – it is a fact of life but there needs to be a level playing field.

While Canada is not in the same situation as the United States surrounding credit a close eye needs to be kept on the credit situation in

The work share program which allows employers to keep their staff on a part-time basis without having to lay them off should be expanded and continued in an effort to protect jobs and stimulate the economy.

On the environment, the government should support marine manufacturers on going green, eliminating waste, reducing power and natural gas consumption.

On technology, the government would see jobs remain in the country if there was a focus on providing financial assistance/incentives for equipment and technology upgrades, new product development and training. The federal government could stimulate our industry, by raising the 35% current tax credit to a higher level.

The government has previously announced its intention to develop a National Tourism Strategy. The focus has been on how to attract international travelers to Canada. While that is an important component, it is important to realize that in tough economic times, people tend to travel within their borders, therefore campaigns should have a strong element to promote boating within the country. Our industry has a $6 billion dollar impact to our country’s economy in tourism alone and we want to work with the government to ensure that recreational boating is a part of any national tourism strategy and campaign. Having said that, one way to attract those international travelers, especially the ones from the US, is to ensure that they have a hassle-free experience in border crossing.

The government’s budget was announced on January 27. It is a mix of modest tax cuts, increased program spending and significant short-term incentives and spending to boost investment, consumption and employment, the latter primarily through accelerated infrastructure spending.