A Bit About Us...

Established in 2004 and is the home of the Damselflyers (Ladies) and Simcoe Flyers (Co-ed).
We are a non-profit organisation located in Keswick, Ont.

Our Mission:
​To provide a diverse membership the opportunity to grow through teamwork and well-being, while engaging and strengthening our community.

We are a community Club which engages and gives back to our community

Team spirit both on and off the water

Our environment- the lake and waterways – are core to our sport and their wellness reflects ours.

As a not-for-profit, volunteer Club we offer value for money to participate in the sport while raising funds to offset costs.

Our History

"THE EARLY DAYS" by Co-Founder Janice McDonald-Zavarce 

With all due respect, Paddling Pansies was probably not the best choice of team names for our newly formed Dragon Boat Team – especially that early team with my husband as drummer. But Hospice Georgina held the pansy in high esteem – I think Sue Williams, one of the founders of Hospice called it a ‘sturdy little soldier of spring’.  Hospice sold hundreds of them every spring to raise funds. It seemed a good name for a brave group of women who really didn't have a clue about dragon boating but had withstood some cold blasts, like the pansy.

BEGINNINGS
In January of 2003, Mary Kirkpatrick and I made up two-thirds of a breast cancer survivors group facilitated by Sue Williams at Hospice Georgina. Mary had seen dragon boats out west and I had just read ‘How to Ride a Dragon’. In the book, a BC oncologist put an end to the constant cautions' women receive to not use their arms in any strenuous endeavors after breast surgery in order to avoid lymphedema. Instead, he formed a dragon boat team that showed that lymphedema (arm swelling) was considerably reduced with exercise and that survival rates increased – probably from the friendship and support of other women. Mary hoped for a local team, and I did too. Sue started the ball rolling and involved the intrepid Rev. Leslie Sedore.  A meeting at Knox United in April with a group of interested (if not perplexed) women from Knox plus local survivors of breast and many other forms of cancer, led to our first team. 
We needed to get ready for the season – fitness was one of our goals. We conscripted Ed Winnacott , a world class kayak paddler, to help us learn to paddle at GL Pool. Widit McLean, a founding member, generously provided us with ‘pool paddles’ to replace our broomsticks. Armed with new paddles, bungee cords, and a couple of canoes, we floundered through some hilarious practice sessions. I don’t think anyone present will ever forget bungee cording the two canoes stern to stern and then paddling like heck in opposite directions. The idea (not sure whose it was) was to provide some realistic water resistance against the paddles. Of course, we dumped within in seconds and quite nearly sling-shot ourselves up on to the deck. Each week we stayed in the canoe for seconds longer. I noticed that the viewing gallery was filling up on our practice nights – Funniest Home Videos had nothing on the Paddling Pansies.
Near the end of May 2003, we entered our first regatta held at Lake Wilcox. We clearly demonstrated our inexperience and enthusiasm when we all eagerly skipped into the provided boat, backwards - leaving two of our paddlers wedged, almost permanently, into a space meant for one. It was kind of a Keystone Cops approach to dragon boat racing for the rest of the day.  By the end of the day, we had completed three races in almost straight lines – and raised funds for on-line support for disabled youth. And we had a blast. So, we added fundraising to our unwritten mission statement along with support and fitness. 
Leslie Sedore said she wanted us to have our own boat before July 2003 so we would really know which end was which. With her connections and the funds raised through both personal and community donations, a boat arrived at Bonnie Boats on June 30. A few of us just had to take it for a spin right then and while out on the lake, blue damselflies landed on some of us, foreshadowing our eventual team's name.

OUR FIRST SEASON
Perhaps ‘Motley Crew 2’ would have been a better name for us. About a half of that first season team were breast cancer and other cancer survivors. All of us had been affected by the loss of a loved one to cancer and wanted to support survivors and get back our mojo so to speak. So, we entered in two more regattas that first season, Port Perry and York Region United Way at Seneca Lake.  
 
Port Perry was a real learning experience – we learned that we really didn’t want to come in last. For YR United Way our members had canvassed for donations and when tallied, the Paddling Pansies won the prize for the largest donation We really were thrilled to win but the prize was a paid entry to the two-day regatta, the Great White North Annual, at Ontario Place – worth about $1000! What were we getting ourselves into? It was kind of like winning the White Elephant – what exactly were we going to do with this prize. As the September weekend race neared Patricia Arango and I had to figure out a way to get our allowed team of 24 paddlers and the 24 wrist bracelets to accommodate the 31 different paddlers who could make one day or the other but not both. The organizers were strict about it. Before going to our last resort and asking Leslie for some divine intervention, we figured that we’d have the day one-ers wear their bracelets loose and pass them off to the day two-ers. The day two-ers were to assume the day one-ers name and respond to it when roll call was taken. Never ask a bunch of honest women to tell a white lie. Fortunately, we confused the officials sufficiently that they let us go. 

I have to say that that first day of racing at the GWN will be in my heart forever. We were so inexperienced and really had a hard time making our paddles go in and out at the same time, but we really put everything we had into it. And just as we were passing the stands, dead last, some supporters started cheering us on. And then more joined, and more until the whole blinkin’ group of spectators were screaming who knows what at us. We were all sobbing at this point and then we looked up to see a bunch of family members jumping and cheering (and crying too) on the arched bridge we were passing under. There was something very, very moving about that day. It was a passage for many of us I’m sure. And we never miss a Great White North Annual regatta either. 

The end of an ERA
Janice left the Club after our 2012 paddling season to move to BC......She is missed. 
Our BUK Dragon boat was named in her honor "BABAAMISE AJIDAMOO" meaning Flying Squirrel in Ojibwa.

The following is the Tribute given to Janice at our AGM in November 2012.

TRIBUTE TO JANICE MCDONALD-ZAVARCE – “THE END OF AN ERA"

This year we bought a boat – which as of this moment still does not have a name; tonight, we will finally give it a name.
Previously our boats have been named by voting on names submitted by members – however your esteemed Executive has decided that the naming of this boat will follow a different protocol due to the “ending of an era” that is coming upon the GDBC.  Before I get to the actual naming of the boat however, I would like to tell you what I mean when I say, “ending of an era”.

Two women were responsible for bringing dragon boating to Georgina – Mary Kirkpatrick and Janice McDonald-Zavarce.  While Mary was only with us briefly before moving back out West, Janice stayed on and through hard work and determination was able to put together a group of women who formed Georgina’s first dragon boat team. 

Janice had a very personal reason for forming the team; as a breast cancer survivor she wanted to share with other survivors the benefits that dragon boat paddling was shown to have for those who had undergone surgery.  So initially she recruited breast cancer survivors but saw that she was not going to be able to fill a boat, so she extended the invitation to all women and before long Georgina’s first dragon boat team was officially formed and were known as THE PADDLING PANSIES!!!!  (CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT NAME!!!!!)  Not sure exactly when that name changed to be the Georgina Damselflyers but I’m sure it wasn’t soon enough!!!

The team began practicing in the Sutton pool using broom sticks as paddles and Janice somehow recruited a Canadian White water C1 champion to come and coach us – which sounds excellent however he felt that we should paddle a dragon boat while kneeling on one knee so that’s how we began practicing.  I think his name was Grant, though I’m not certain of that, and though he really didn’t understand how to coach a dragon boat crew we have to give him credit for coming out.  At one point he just did not come out anymore; I’m not sure how we communicated to him that it really wasn’t working but I’m sure that Janice was very kind in the telling!!   A short time into our pool practices we brought 2 canoes into the pool; how the hell we managed that I’m not sure!  We actually tied one end of the canoe to the wall while we paddled, to create resistance, but as you can imagine there was not a lot of paddling happening as we tipped the canoes constantly!!  We graduated from broom sticks to practice paddles courtesy of Widit and also found ourselves a coach – Kelly Flood – we were on our way! 

Our home base was initially Bonnie Boats in Jackson's Point where we practiced in our teak boat.  Man – with Kelly’s “brutal” practices and pushing around a teak boat that weighed I swear 1 million pounds, we were whipped into shape fast!!  By the time we entered our third regatta we were a force to be reckoned with!!!    (Well, we thought so anyway) 

The water at Bonnie Boats was not protected so we often had to cancel practices but on one night we ventured out anyway, and, well, it turned out that we really shouldn’t have!  The waves were big rollers and they eventually swamped and sank the boat.  What a site we must have been swimming this huge, half sunken boat into shore.  I recall that there were people watching and taking pictures but thankfully nothing appeared in the papers!

Our first ever race was at Musselman's Lake.  I don’t think that we had our first boat yet and so had no experience in loading a dragon boat - so who could blame us for confusing the back for the front???  I’m sure that we were quite the spectacle but I for one wasn’t looking around to see who was watching!!!  And in this same regatta we were almost disqualified as we barely remained within our lane!  We didn’t have a steer’s person so at the very last minute we were running around looking for someone and of course we had to choose someone who had never steered a dragon boat before!  We zigzagged down our lane and I’m sure 5 minutes later we crossed the finish line!!!  I also recall watching the other teams stretching and having healthy snacks while the Paddling Pansies were lounging around and snacking on a table full of donuts!  We really didn’t have a clue, but I remember that we did have a blast!!
 
Our second regatta was the United Way regatta held at Seneca College’s King Campus in King City.  Even though we had less than stellar results at the Musselman's Lake regatta we were still keen and so off we went to try and beat 5 minutes!!!  At this point we were now The Georgina Damselflyers and we raised the largest amount of money of any of the teams entered and our prize for this was free entry into the GWN regatta that at that time was still held at Ontario Place!  For those of you who are familiar with this regatta it is a very big deal – man were we excited – and probably more than a little intimidated.  While our 500 metre times were still 3 plus minutes, we were loving it all so off we went to the regatta – and well, the rest, as they say, is history!!!

Today we have a club with two and ½ teams – the Sport team is on its way – and 100 plus members.... all because of Janice McDonald’s vision of having one breast cancer survivor team in Georgina!  She provided the platform form for many Georgina residents – and even beyond Georgina – to experience & participate in the awesome sport of dragon boating!  This has created many fast friendships, allows us all to be strong and healthy, to enjoy our lake from a perspective that not everyone may have had the opportunity to do so and has even ended up benefiting the Georgina Community Food pantry (and Southlake Regional Health Centre and Rachel’s Journey, etc.) 

There are many more pluses to the fact that Georgina now has a Dragon Boat Club, and this is all Thanks to Janice McDonald-Zavarce – we all owe a ton of Thanks to you!!

Janice stepped down some years ago as President but is still an active paddler with the club – though this is very soon coming to an end – and so we come back to the “ending of an era”.  Janice’s son Carlos has set up home in BC so she and her husband Chris are moving to BC to be closer to Carlos which means that a truly special and very remarkable lady will no longer grace us with her energy, kindness, gentleness and yes – her questions!  (Which she still uses today as stall tactics when she needs a rest between working sets during practice).

Janice – you will be a lifelong member of the GDBC – you will be spoken of often through laughter and with Love and should your life’s path bring you back to Georgina know that our arms are open for you to be a part of our paddling lives again!!!

Now – this also brings me back to the naming of the boat!  You all may not know that Janice is a teacher and has recently retired from teaching on Georgina Island.  During a presentation by her Ojibwa students congratulating her on retirement, she was bestowed with the nickname of “squirrel”.  If you know Janice at all you will know that this is a very fitting title.  So, as with her island students the Executive of the GDBC wanted to find a way to have Janice’s history with the club commemorated so we felt what better way to do this than to name our boat in her honor!  Now, squirrel may be a very fitting name for Janice but maybe not so much for a dragon boat so to make the name better fit a dragon boat we have added “flying” to the name; and for even greater appeal and again in honor of Janice and her history with the Chippewa of Georgina Island, we translated flying squirrel into Ojibwa......our new boat will now be known as Bimise Ajidamoo – flying squirrel!!!!!!

I know that I am not alone Janice, in saying that you will be missed greatly, but remembered with much Love and fondness; hopefully you will remember us in the same way.