2nd Annual General Meeting - Ascent N.B.
October 4th, 2014
Cochrane Lane Cliffs, New Brunswick
Attendees:
- Marty Theriault
- Greg Hughes
- Chris Norfolk
- Adam Morgan
- Steve Adamson
- Joe Kennedy
- Shawn Bethune
- Denise Hamel
- Sam Stiles
- Leah Belyea
- Mike Parker
- Mike Currie
- Jen Barth
- Marc D’astous
- Sonia Wilson
- Jon Adamson
- Miles Clayden
- Alex Manley
- P.J. Adamson
- Audree St-Amour
Recap of Ascent N.B.’s First Year
Following some opening remarks the meeting co-chairs (Marty T. and Adam M.) reviewed the initial year of Ascent N.B. and listed its major milestones:
- Formation of the club, adoption of the constitution, and the reason for being
- Election of the first executive
- Registered as a not-for-profit organization in N.B.
- Major partnering organizations
- Website / social media development and use for communication
- Trail maintenance day 2013
- Major access related activities (described below)
The Hatchery - Ascent N.B.’s first test came a few months into the mandate. With the discovery of the Hatchery, a local landowner became nervous of the traffic volume and closed his land through which the trail crosses. Greg Hughes carried out a successful negotiation on behalf of Ascent N.B. members and quickly found a resolution which will see a new trail located and parking passes issued for next year. The Hatchery is one of the best ice destinations in N.B. and so this represented a significant success for Ascent N.B. early on! Members planning on using the Hatchery during the winter of 2014/2015 should contact the executive for a pass.
J.D. Irving Ltd. - J.D.I. is the largest private landowner in N.B. They own a significant proportion of N.B.’s overall climbing crags including:
- Bear Mt./Cloud Base
- McQuirk’s Mt.
- Parlee Brook and surrounding ice
- The Hatchery
- Glebe Rd. ice
Chris N. has been in contact with J.D.I. over the past 6 months working on a long-term access agreement. The first phase of the agreement is in place now. J.D.I. has recognized the crags as climbing destination and has indicated them as such on the company’s internal maps and database. Signage has been put up indicating them as climbing areas. The second phase is to formalize the agreement with a legal agreement. The only requisite is that Ascent N.B. provide a liability insurance policy protecting the landowner from damages in the amount of $5 Million. This policy has been purchased and J.D.I.’s legal department is reviewing a few final contract changes recommended by the Ascent N.B. executive (thanks to Dom Caron for advice). The agreement is expected within weeks.
C.F.B. Gagetown - Marty T. surprised the entire meeting with news that Ascent N.B. has officially won a long-term access agreement with the base! This is an improvement over the existing U.N.B. Rock & Ice club agreement for 3 primary reasons:
- It’s long-term in nature and does not expire annually.
- It is extended to all crags on base land including Cochrane Lane, Mt. Doug, Bald Peak, Sunnyside, & the Quarry.
- The agreement clearly includes year-round access and therefore covers ice climbers.
With this agreement comes several significant responsibilities:
- Call-in procedures are mandatory for all Ascent N.B. members. Prior to entering base property we must call 506.422.2000 (ext. 3121) and be prepared to give names, a cell phone number, a license plate number, and a location. There is no exceptions and we must continue to do this even if the range control staff are inconsistent in their responses. Please do not jeopardise this access agreement!
- Ascent N.B. must provide a $5 Million liability insurance policy protecting the landowner (we have done this).
- Ascent N.B. must put in place a functional volunteer-based high-angle rescue team capable of extracting climbers from crags on base. This is currently Ascent N.B.’s top priority for the winter and will be led by Marty T. with a rescue weekend coordinated by Steve A. Any members interested in becoming involved should contact the executive.
Mid-Year Financial Update
Chris N. gave an update on the club’s finances. Since Ascent N.B. did not begin collecting membership or sponsorship funds until spring April 1st is the official year-end. As of Oct. 1st (exactly mid-year):
Revenues:
- General Memberships - $920
- Leader Memberships - $800
- UNB Rock & Ice Donation - $1250
- Precision Pilates Donation - $500
- Fredericton Volkswagen Donation - $250
Total: $3720
Expenses:
To Date: $2617
In order to stay healthy and cover expected costs associated with the insurance policy, Ascent N.B. needs to accomplish the following in the next 6 months:
- Sell all of our t-shirts and stickers (please buy some!)
- Attract at least one more corporate partner.
- Attract at least 20 more student members.
- Attract at least 20 more general members.
In the long-term, Chris N. mentioned that Ascent N.B. is pursuing stable funding via several grant avenues including The Dept. of Wellness, Culture, and Sport N.B. as well as Community Funding via Mountain Equipment Co-op.
Marc D. made the offer to the group that he would take on the project of fundraising for Ascent N.B. with an annual target of $3000. Thank you Marc!
Floor Opened to Member Input for Projects / Ideas for Next Year
Rescue Services - The topic of rescue services generated significant discussion with interest in identifying alternative resources/teams to carry out this function. There are no private companies capable of conducting this service within N.B. and so the idea of a sub-contract was dismissed. There is however an experienced Canadian Armed Forces team based in C.F.B Greenwood in N.S. Generally it was agreed by all members that this team would be ideal however they may not always be available. Certainly in the event of an emergency the clear procedure is to call both 911 and Range Control. At that point, a rescue team from Greenwood may be dispatched in additional to any climbing volunteers available locally. Ascent N.B. intends to proceed with the development of the volunteer group as committed however with the plan to always seek whatever resources it can to aid in providing this service to the community.
Memorial Boulder Plaque - With the tragic passing of local climber: Cory Hall, the community is looking for a means to honor him, as well as other fallen friends. After some discussion, there was general consensus for a memorial plaque to be placed on the boulder at the Cochrane lane lookout. It would be removable, high-quality, and the cost would be covered by Ascent N.B. Steve A. volunteered to look after this memorial.
Elections
All 3 executive positions were put up for re-election. Results:
President: Chris Norfolk (elected by proclamation)
Vice President: Greg Hughes (re-elected by proclamation)
Secretary/Treasurer:Mike Parker(elected by proclamation)
The new executive will assume their roles on Nov. 1st, 2014.
Big thanks to retiring president Marty Theriault for all his hard work in Ascent N.B.’s initial year.
Goals for 2014/2015:
Following the election, Chris N. outlined what he saw as the executives’ priorities for next year:
- Securing the C.F.B. Gagetown agreement
- Securing the J.D.I. agreement
- Establishing the volunteer rescue team
- Growing to 100 members
- Securing stable funding
Meeting adjourned