Calgary and area's premier recreational paddling club.

Board of Directors

We would like to introduce the current Board Members. Our Board is entirely run by volunteers and the club is deeply grateful to these individuals who have offered their time and expertise to the club.

The Board mandate is to promote and support recreational paddling by providing educational and social opportunities to all members in the context of safe and fun paddling. Our board would like to hear from you. Questions, concerns or comments…you can either email the club directly or get in touch personally with any of our board members.

Tina Barzo - President

Originally from Ontario, where she paddled the iconic lakes and rivers of the great Canadian shield, Tina moved west in 2001 and has been a club member since 2006. She usually paddles one of her two Bell solo canoes, most of the time with her trusty sidekick Bosco, and she also owns and paddles a tandem Mad River Explorer with hubby or whoever will jump in with her. In addition to paddling many of the canoe club trips multiple times, Tina paddled several rivers in New Zealand in 2013/14 (Purrari, Catkins, Clarence, Whanganui and BlackWater Rafting) and adventured on a Nahanni River trip (2016), Wind River in the Yukon (2018), and Keele River (2022) and Costa Rica rivers in 2024 & 2026! She also loves organizing women-only canoe trips.

Her full-time job is Leader of Volunteer Engagement for Parks Canada in Banff National Park and she lives in Canmore. Tina looks forward to serving the club on the board, paddling with new and old friends in the Bow Valley and beyond, and honing her canoe tripping skills as well as sharing experiences with others. She is also Vice President of Paddle Alberta.

Rose Koziel– Vice President

Rose’s sport-of-choice has been canoeing since childhood, and she did a good amount of local river trips with her scout group as a teen. After the dark years (those away from canoeing) she picked it up again in order to transport her then 4 year old and all the families camp gear on group trips. These years, although mostly on flat water, honed her solo endurance and tripping skills.

Moving water was always calling though, and she started to answer it more consistently in 2023, when she started to focus on the local white water. She has managed to convince Sadie that she does actually like to be in the play boat, despite occasionally swimming. In the off-season she spends a bit of time at the gym, keeping her paddling muscles built and working on her grip strength.

Jude Williams - Treasurer

Jude has lived across Canada (from the Yukon to Newfoundland) with the majority of her life spent in Calgary. Her introduction to BWCC was through paddling lessons.

A member of BWCC since 2019, cycling is her mainstay. (Her beloved ‘wheels’ are 40+ years young). She is a regular AQ Outdoors customer continually benefitting from their graduated approach to kayak instruction and emphasis on safety. Her 12′ Oldtown Sorrento's crossover capabilities align with her paddling goals of finishing each excursion safely.

Marie Weingartshofer – Secretary

I grew up in Nova Scotia and had very little experience on moving water. My first river canoe trip was in Northern Ontario during university. I swam twice on that trip. When I moved to Calgary, I joined the Calgary Ski Club and through some of their members, was introduced to Bow Waters. I took my first lesson before a trip on the Milk and was glad as it helped me when I got hung up on a rock and I knew what to do! I’ve been a member since 2006 and have enjoyed the many BWCC benefits including solo lessons, instruction at Harvie Passage, wilderness first aid and white-water safety courses. The club discounts are fun too. I also love to hike, x-country ski and practice yoga. I’m looking forward to contributing to the club as a member of the board.

Amr Arnous – Member Representative

About Amr...

Heike Pauli - Member Representative

About Heike...

Colleen Flegal - Member Representative

I am a native Calgarian and am happy to have finally joined the club. Despite knowing about the club for many years it took me a while to join. My paddling journey started in 2021 when a group of friends and I rented canoes and kayaks to paddle part of the Red Deer River. It was my first experience with paddling and camping. This trip led to a couple of weeks paddling and camping around Murtle Lake in summer 2022. I bought my kayak in late 2022 and started to explore the waters around Calgary during the summer of 2023. I joined the club in 2024 and enjoyed meeting the other members and participating in a number of the club trips. I like the diversity of trips offered by the leaders and the great camaraderie amongst the members. My hope is that the club continues for many more years and by joining the board I can help promote the club and encourage others to join as well.

Jack Kerkhof – Member Representative

I have had the pleasure of being a member of Bow Waters for the past 19 years. Initially drawn by the promise of safety and camaraderie in paddling moving waters, I soon discovered a vibrant community of like-minded friends and passionate paddlers. Over the years, I’ve embarked on countless memorable trips, received invaluable mentoring, honed my skills through dedicated training – all while forging lasting connections with fellow adventurers.

I find joy in a diverse range of excursions, from gently guiding novices on tranquil ponds to embarking on scenic day trips, multi-day expeditions, and challenging whitewater runs.

As a member of the board my primary goal is to serve the club by contributing my experience as a retired IT professional to enhance our club’s online presence. I envision a new, dynamic website that engages and informs potential and existing members using modern, user-friendly design principles. I aim to ensure the club benefits from an attractive, informative, and easily maintained online platform.

Past Board Members

We would like to thank these 2024-25 board members who have so kindly volunteered thier time and skills to helping make Bow Waters the fantastic club that it is today:

Rick Volpel – Treasurer

Rick is a born Calgarian who has lived in several parts of Canada but he has settled down in the city of his birth. He enjoys paddling solo and tandem canoes in flat and not-so-flat water where he has become adept at ‘going inverted’ using his 180 degree roll. He also builds and repairs canoes, particularly the wood and canvas kind. He has retired from a career in health services and is somewhat retired from business consulting although he continues to instruct for the Continuing Education Department at the University of Calgary. His paddling exploits include extended multiday trips, but he can also be found hanging around the city and enjoying day trips with great friends and paddling partners from the Club.

Cindy Heselton Vice President

I grew up in southern Saskatchewan and paddled birthday trips on the Moose Jaw River with my dad in a 16 ft Grumman canoe. I have always loved outdoor experiences since finding my parents books on camping and bushcraft as a kid and moving to Calgary in 1996 opened up opportunities to hike, backpacking and cross country skiing. Prior to joining Bow Waters, I enjoyed the odd multi-day paddling trips with friends both in canoes and sea kayaks. I joined Bow Waters with my husband Amr late in 2019 after injuring my foot and having just bought a canoe a few months earlier. My canoes seem to be reproducing and my paddling skills are improving. I've served on various boards in the past and I look forward to contributing to the leadership and organization of the Bow Waters Canoe Club.

Michael Kary - Member Representative

Michael Kary is a Safety Professional hailing from the prairies of Alberta. His journey has been shaped by a passion for adventure, a commitment to safety, and a love for the great outdoors. Born and raised amidst the landscapes of Alberta, he developed a deep connection with nature from an early age. With over 15 years as a search and rescue volunteer, he has honed his skills in navigating challenging environments to assist those in need. Paddling is a particular love of his, but he is a true jack of all trades, delving into a variety of outdoor pursuits with a spirit of curiosity and enthusiasm. At home, he is a proud father to two adventurous boys who share his love for exploration and have a keen knack for finding adventures in everyday life. He is also engaged to an amazing and equally adventurous lady. Their family is a tight-knit unit that finds joy in discovering new horizons together. If he is not immersed in safety protocols or exploring the outdoors, you'll find him juggling a myriad of hobbies, most often related to creating things. A self-proclaimed master of procrastination, he somehow manages to find time for his various interests, driven by an insatiable curiosity for life's many facets.

Former Board Members from 2023-24

Evan Jones – Treasurer

I have been a club member since 2004. I am a tandem paddler, usually with my wife, Fiona. Our paddling skills and enjoyment of the sport have improved greatly through the mentoring, courses and boat rentals offered by the club. I really enjoy attending and coordinating the multi-day club trips. Together with the skills and friends that we have made on club trips we are able to do a number of classic northern Canadian canoe trips most years. I served on the board as Treasurer from 2014 to 2016, shortly after retiring from many years of running my own business. The BWCC treasurer position is a quite challenging, I will try and give it my best.

Kris Major - Vice President

I’ve always liked all kinds of outdoor activities, but when I first joined Bow Waters over 20 years ago, I fell in love with river canoeing. Later these paddling trips also included lakes and sea using both canoes and kayaks. Bow Waters is a really great club where people can meet, learn new skills and find great trips to go on. I hope I can help the club become even better and looking forward to getting out on the water lots in the coming year.

Simon Kerkhof – Member Representative

Simon started paddling with Bow Waters when he was 3 years old with his parents, doing overnight lakes and rivers trips. In the past years Simon is an avid white water paddler in his open canoe. Simon enjoys the outdoors not just through paddling trips with the club but through the mountains, biking, backcountry skiing, cross country skiing and climbing as well. As a member representative on the board Simon hopes to help the club reach out to new and current members and share the experience of canoeing to all.

Tanya White – Member Representative

With my hubby Tom at my side or should I say behind me in the stern, I enjoy paddling our tandem canoes and kayaks in our beautiful province. Even though I consider myself still a Novice, I hope one day to graduate to Intermediate. I was previously on the BWCC board circa 2015 – 2017 helping with marketing functions and other duties. I must have done a pretty good job since I was invited back.

When I’m not enjoying the outdoors, I may be found playing with my grandchildren, dancing Zumba, and using a different kind of paddle to play pickleball. And, if after working my day job, I have spare time and energy – I love to travel, read and enjoy painting.

I look forward to serving as the newest Member Rep and helping the board and our members.

Jude Williams - Member Representative

Useful Links

Email: info@bowwaters.org

BOW WATERS CANOE CLUB