Anyone who has been part of Paddle Canada over the past 20 years or so, especially in the canoeing community, will know Priscilla Haskin. In 2007, she joined the Board of Directors as the Alberta Director, a position she held until 2016. During those years, she also served as our Treasurer, President, and continues to sit on our Canoe Program Committee, of which she is the current chair.
Priscilla’s contributions to Paddle Canada have been many, but perhaps the most noteworthy are; leading a great team of volunteers for updates and development of our canoe programs, being part of the team that developed the PaddleSmart Program, and she has put 1000’s of people through the Paddle Canada Canoe Program over her years as an instructor.
Aside from instructing, her favourite “job” has been her involvement with the Canoe Program Committee. “The meeting and sharing of ideas with a group of professional, passionate and dedicated paddlers has been inspirational for me. The hardest part is not being able to get people together, face to face and paddling together. To actually see what people are doing and then to articulate that, is far better than trying to describe it over the phone. It does take time, being open and patience. I am in awe of the members patience and their time commitment to program development. It makes me proud to be part of a team that has and continues to produce high quality programming.”
Priscilla lives and paddles in Alberta where she operates Haskin Canoe, offering wilderness experiences to the general public and schools. She is still actively working with the Canoe Program Committee, “My passion has always been to look at what and how we teach paddling skills. New ways and ideas from other instructors have been so inspiring. I continue to teach and promote our national program, help out where ever I can, and look to inspire others in paddling adventures and new ways of keeping paddling current in our ever-changing environment.”
