Armdale YC's Broader Reach Program: Winner of Sail Canada's 2022 Recreation Event of the Year Award

Sail Canada © Sail Canada

Sail Canada has announced that the Armdale Yacht Club's Broader Reach Program in Nova Scotia was named Sail Canada's 2022 Recreation Event of the Year.

The Recreation Event Award recognizes a club, an organization, an individual or a group, which is Canadian based and affiliated with Sail Canada, that has contributed to the promotion of recreational sailing in Canada. Nominations were evaluated based on a time period ranging from January 1 to December 31, 2022.

Launched in 2020 and expanded in 2022, the Armdale Yacht Club's Broader Reach Program, led by Anthony Rosborough, aims to expand access to sailing to the broader community in the Halifax Regional Municipality and other communities in Nova Scotia, notably to new Canadians. Through a mixture of support from provincial sport and recreational funding organizations as well as private donations, they are able to offer these experiences at no cost to participants. In 2022, 35 Canadian newcomers of all ages were introduced to sailing.

"It feels incredible and it is really special that folks across Canada would recognize our efforts all the way down here in Halifax. Thank you so much," said Anthony Rosborough, Sail Training Officer at Armdale Yacht Club.

"Broader Reach started a few years ago as, really, an idea to increase access and participation in sailing for folks who might not otherwise have access or wouldn't consider it as a sport or recreation option. So, it's really targeted towards getting underprivileged or underrepresented folks involved in sailing."

"This program is a really incredible volunteer driven initiative where we have a lot of incredible and seasoned sailors over here, who are dedicating their time to show new Canadians out on the water," said Schnell D'Souza, Head Coach of the Broader Reach program.

"And what makes Broader Reach possible is our relationships and partnerships, including our long-standing relationship with the YMCA Center for Immigrant programs in Halifax, which has allowed us to tap into a huge audience of newcomers to Canada," added Rosborough. "We've also partnered with the Boys and Girls Club here in Halifax, and that has allowed us to get about 25 kids out on the water this summer to learn to sail, and these kids are from underprivileged backgrounds. This is really important work that we're only able to do because of these relationships with community organizations."

More information on the Recreation Event Award is here.