Bringing the sport to the people

The Sail Nova Scotia Mobile Sailing School is an outreach program that takes sailing to communities that do not otherwise have access. Rather than expecting children to travel to an established sailing center, Sail Nova Scotia transports boats, equipment, and instructors to the community.

Last year, the program was hosted by the Africville Heritage Museum for 12 African Nova Scotian and Indigenous youth to participate at no cost. These youth spent the week learning to sail on Laser Picos and trying out foiling disciplines with wingfoil, foil boards and Nacra 17.

Sail Canada presented the Sail Nova Scotia Mobile Sailing School at Africville with the Recreation Event of the Year Award for 2025. The museum is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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.

Every summer in July and August, Sail Nova Scotia operates their mobile sailing school which introduces the sport to up to 100 participants.

“We’ve been hearing from the parents that when the kids come home at the end of the day, they can’t stop talking about their experience,” said Africville Heritage Museum Executive Director, Juanita Peters. “I heard a student say: ‘Its not just instruction. We’re able to play, too’.

“This particular program is geared toward African Nova Scotian and Indigenous students, predominantly, because sailing is one of those sports that really has not been open to underserved communities. We want to change that.

“We want to open the doors and give these students a chance to see what that’s like and to see if they can find their place in it. It’s very exciting because these are jobs and careers that can take people around the world. Also, we aim to reintroduce people to the water, and the benefits of it.”

Details: https://www.sailing.ca/recreation-event-award-past-winners/