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CanTRA Contacts

Board of Directors: Officers Board of Directors: Directors CanTRA Staff CanTRA Committees CanTRA Examiners Provincial Associations CanTRA Zone Chairs Contact CanTRA

Board of Directors: Officers The purpose of CanTRA’s Board of Directors is move the organization toward its goals in a well-planned, efficient and co-operative manner. The Board collectively sets policies and procedures for the accreditation and certification programs, works to promote CanTRA to the public, sets parameters for the operations of the charity and acts as a court of appeal. CanTRA’s Board is composed of experienced and enthusiastic individuals with a passion for therapeutic riding and service to people with disabilities. Photo:Heckbert Studio, Charlottetown, PEI Daphne Davey President Prince Edward Island Daphne Davey lives in Prince Edward Island. Originally from England, she obtained her British Horse Society Horsemaster's certificate before emigrating to Canada. After exploring the possibilities of therapeutic riding while living in Québec and Ontario, she moved to the Island and co-founded The Joyriders Therapeutic Riding Association of PEI in 1979. She has been a CanTRA Assistant Instructor (CTRAI) since 1990. Daphne’s career has been mainly in the not-for-profit sector, especially using her organizational skills to establish, develop and administer voluntary organizations. She is also a freelance editor. On the equestrian side, she and her horse competed for many years in horse trials and related disciplines. Daphne is a founding board member and honourary life member of CanTRA. Eliane Trempe Past President Quebec Eliane plays an invaluable role in bringing therapeutic riding information to Canada’s Francophone population on behalf of CanTRA and through her involvement with the Fédération Québécoise d'Équitation Thérapeutique. She is a psychology graduate and current counselor for mature students, and has worked with children for over 15 years. Eliane also enjoys recreational trail riding and photography. Eliane is a CanTRA certified Instructor (CTRI) and operates her own centre Les Amis de Joey Programme in St-Louis, Quebec. Gay Wood 1st Vice President Ontario Gay started riding horses in her mid-teens and obtained her BHSAI before coming to Canada in the early 1970s. Having been introduced to therapeutic riding in England in 1973, Gay continued this new interest by volunteering at a therapeutic riding program in Toronto. Gay's involvement with therapeutic riding began as a volunteer instructor at CARD in Toronto and continued at TROtt near Ottawa. Her passion for therapeutic riding has continued through her involvement with the Ontario Therapeutic Riding Association (OnTRA) as a board member from 1984 to 1998, serving as the first secretary and later as president. This included the organization of the OnTRA Games. Gay is a CanTRA Instructor (CTRI, Hon.), CanTRA Coach and CanTRA Examiner. She is also Chair of the Certification Committee and is currently serving her third term on the CanTRA board of directors. In her life outside of therapeutic riding Gay is involved with the Almonte In Concert Chamber Music Series as their past president and as Chair of the Accessibility Advisory Committee for the Municipality of Mississippi Mills. Photo:annmacneill.com Margaret Rigby 2nd Vice President British Columbia Margaret’s equestrian career started in the UK, where she was involved in working with and training a wide variety of horses. She has been coaching people from beginner to advanced in many disciplines all her life, including taking teams to national levels in dressage, eventing and show jumping, and producing many horses for showing, eventing, dressage and show jumping. She has alsorun two large equestrian centres. In Canada, Margaret became involved in therapeutic riding. She is currently a CanTRA Examiner and CanTRA Coach, and a Senior Pony Club Examiner. She has run an 18-horse therapeutic riding centre serving 140 riders a week. Working with horses has helped her to understand how to work with them and keep them happy and sound, which is particularly important for therapy horses. Neil Mahnke Treasurer Ontario Neil Mahnke brings 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, and a passion for volunteer and community organizations to his role as Treasurer with CanTRA. Neil began his career as a Certified Financial Planner with Investors Group in 1992. Currently, as a Senior Executive Financial Consultant with Davies & Mahnke Private Wealth Management at Investors Group Financial Services, he offers financial and investment planning with tax and estate strategies for business owners and individuals. Neil truly enjoys living in the country and strives to improve his community through his work with CanTRA and The Rotary Club of Guelph South. He currently resides in Puslinch with his wife, Kimberley, and daughter, Margo. Neil’s hobbies include travelling, cooking and wine. Anita LeMaître Secretary Quebec Anita has been involved in therapeutic riding since 1999. She is an Equine Technician, English Riding Level 1 Coach and has taught at l"Institut de technologie agro-alimentaire campus de La Pocatière (ITA) since 1988. Anita became interested in therapeutic riding when ITA hosted a therapeutic riding program and was asked to be the Instructor for these activities. Anita is a CTRAI and complements her work at ITA by teaching therapeutic riding at her riding school and breeding farm - La Ventée. Anita is a founding member and President of the Fédération Québécoise d’Équitation Thérapeutique, (FQET). Anita also enjoys raising, training and showing her own horses before she sells them.

Board of Directors: Directors --> Sandra Evans British Columbia Sandra is a certified CanTRA Coach and Equine Canada competition coach who is actively teaching in her home community. Sandra lives in British Columbia and has over 35 years’ experience with horses. Over the years, she has been involved as a rider, coach, stable- and small- business manager, and has close to 20 years’ experience coaching riders of all abilities. Formerly Program Director for the Richmond Therapeutic Equestrian Society, Sandra has a very strong background in therapeutic riding, combined with the knowledge and experience gained as a parent raising a young adult with a disability. Sandra is a strong believer in maintaining a high quality of life for individuals with disabilities, as well as integration and inclusion in our communities. Sandra is a strong supporter of the standards set by CanTRA and is pleased to be able to contribute to the efforts of our national organization. Kim Munich British Columbia Kim became interested in Therapeutic riding when she realized she could combine her love of horses, children and nursing. Kim has been volunteering for the North Fraser Therapeutic Riding Association in Maple Ridge, BC for 6 years. She started as a side walker and then joined the board in 2007. Interested in the benefits of therapeutic riding for children with special needs Kim can see there is room for more research so that we can all share what we are doing. Kim is honoured to be on the CANTRA board and hopes to use her skills for many years to come. Kim is an Assistant Professor at Thompson Rivers University in BC with an interest in community nursing and has also done research in coping strategies. She has a Masters in nursing (maternal-child health) and her PhD dissertation is ‘Coping Strategies of Nursing Students Learning Online. Jeff Tiessen Ontario Jeff is a double-arm amputee, a three-time Paralympian, and world record holder (400-metre track). He is founder and president of Disability Today Publishing Group, a book and magazine publisher. One of his titles is Blaze, a discovery magazine for horse-crazy kids. He also publishes Play to Podium magazine, which focuses on providing parents of kids with special needs with tools and ideas for healthy, active living for the whole family. Tiessen is a respected advocate and highly sought-after public speaker and leadership trainer. He is also an award-winning journalist, an honoured professional in the National Register's Who's Who in Executives and Professionals, and a recent inductee into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame. ___________________________________________________________________________ Honourary Directors: Lisa Burd Australia John Davies North Carolina,USA Mary Longden Australia Dr. Ian Millar Ontario Mea Renahan Ontario Bob Wright DVM Ontario ___________________________________________________________________________

CanTRA Staff Donna Naylor, Executive Director Email: ctra1@golden.net Donna brings over twenty years of business experience to her role as Executive Director. In 2001 she transitioned from a successful full-time career in management with organizations that support people with disabilities, and started her own business as a certified reflexologist. She became Executive Director for CanTRA in December, 2004 and currently balances her role at CanTRA with her reflexology practice. Donna works 28 hours/week on average, though her hours vary from week to week depending on the projects at hand. Louise Niven, Administrative Assistant Email: ctra@golden.net Louise is an essential part of CanTRA's staff, handling many of the day-to-day duties involved in running a national organization. She joined CanTRA as Administrative Assistant in May 2006. With over twenty years of administrative and secretarial experience, working in both Canada and England, Louise now lives with her husband and two daughters in Guelph. Her other hobbies include photography, cross-stitch and researching her family tree. Louise works a 23-hour week at the CanTRA office. Nanci Picken, Development Co-ordinator Email: ctra3@golden.net Nanci has owned horses and ponies since she was 8 years old and was always responsible for their care. She became certified as an English Coach 1 in 1982. In 1990, Nanci was asked to be the Head Instructor for the Georgian Riding Association for Challenged Equestrians (GRACE). It was then that she worked her way up to CTRI by training therapy horses, teaching people with disabilities, training volunteers and candidate instructors, fundraising, and all the aspects of managing a Therapeutic Riding Facility. Nanci remained with GRACE for 11 years. Nanci is also involved with Equine Canada as a Hunter Jumper Recorded Judge and a Senior Steward and spends her spring and summer weekends at horse shows all over Ontario. Nanci has been involved with CanTRA as a Coach, Examiner, Zone Chair, former Board Member, Certification and Standards Committee Member, and currently as Development Co-ordinator organizing technicals, exams, workshops, and Risk Management Evaluations across Canada. Nanci lives with her dog Riley, and 3 cats in Ontario. CanTRA Head Office Tel: (519)767-0700 Fax: (519)767-0435 Mailing / Location Address: 5420 Hwy. 6 N., Suite 11, R.R. #5, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 6J2

CanTRA Committees Certification and Education Co-Chair: Gay Wood, CTRI, Examiner, ON Co-Chair: Nicola Thibodeau, CanTRA Coach, Examiner, ON Certification Group: Sallie Murphy, CTRII, NS Nanci Picken, Development Co-ordinator & CanTRA Coach/Examiner, ON Linda Rault, CTRI/Examiner, AB Education Group: Anita LeMaitre, CTRAI, QC Finance Chair: TBA Donna Naylor, Executive Director, ON Ann Caine, ON Fundraising and Public Relations Chair: Ann Caine, Past President, ON Jo-Anne Chevalier, CanTRA Coach/Examiner, Zone 4 Deputy Chair, ON Sandra Evans, CTRI/ Zone 1 Chair, BC Sallie Murphy, CTRII/ Zone 6 Chair, NS Donna Naylor, Executive Director, ON Nanci Picken, CanTRA Coach/Examiner/ Zone 4 chair, ON Linda Rault, CanTRA Coach/Examiner/ Zone 2 Chair, AB Catherine Sneath, CTRI/ Zone 3 Chair, SK Melanie Stone, CTRII/ Zone 6 Deputy Chair, NF Bill Thomas, CTRI, ON Eliane Trempe, CTRAI/ Zone 5 Chair, QC Hippotherapy Chair: Pippa Hodge, PT, HPCS and CanTRA examiner, BC Danielle Champagne, OT, CTRAI, NARHA therapist and AHA therapist level 2, M.Sc. student with thesis on hippotherapy, QC Eliane Trempe, CanTRA President, CTRAI, QC Judy Todd, OT, BC Medical Chair: Wendy Roberts, P.T./CTRII, NS Bran Davies, P.T., BC Trish Helm-Neima, P.T./CTRAI, PE Gillian Lawrence, M.D./CTRAI, NS Marion Slatter-Blitstein, P.T., BC Standards and Quality Management Acting Chair: Ann Caine, ON Evelyn Fraser, CanTRA Examiner, NS Jane James, CanTRA Coach/Examiner, BC Nanci Picken, Development Co-ordinator, CanTRA Coach/Examiner, ON Karen Sibbald, ON

CanTRA Examiners British Columbia Fionna Christensen, CanTRA Coach Pippa Hodge, P.T./CanTRA Coach Jane James, CanTRA Coach Margaret Rigby, EC Coach 2, CanTRA Coach Alberta Linda Rault, CanTRA Coach Ontario Jo-Anne Chevalier, CanTRA Coach Susan Cressy, CanTRA Coach Sonia Koczekan, CanTRA Coach Nanci Picken, CanTRA Coach Paula Rolfe, CTRI Nicola Thibodeau, CanTRA Coach Hilary Webb, CanTRA Coach Gay Wood, CTRI Nova Scotia Evelyn Fraser, CanTRA Coach International Lisa Burd, Honourary Director, CanTRA Coach,

Provincial Associations British Columbia British Columbia Therapeutic Riding Assocation (BCTRA) Fionna Christensen President B.C. Ontario Ontario Therapeutic Riding Association (OnTRA) Victoria LaCombe President ON Contact via website OnTRA Québec Fédération Québécoise d'Équitation Thérapeutique (FQET) Eliane Trempe QC

CanTRA Zone Chairs Click here for a map of CanTRA's 6 zones. If you would like to get in touch with any of the CanTRA Zone Chairs please email your query to ctra@golden.net and we will forward it for you. Zone 1: British Columbia and Yukon Sandra Evans (CTRI), Chair British Columbia Zone 2: Alberta and Northwest Territories Linda Rault (CanTRA Coach, CanTRA Examiner), Chair Alberta Zone 3: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Nunavut Catherine Sneath (CTRI), Chair Saskatchewan Zone 4: Ontario Nanci Picken (CanTRA Coach, CanTRA Examiner), Chair Ontario Jo-Anne Chevalier (CanTRA Coach), Deputy Chair Ontario Zone 5: Quebec Eliane Trempe (CTRAI), Chair Québec Zone 6: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador Sallie Murphy (CTRII), Chair Nova Scotia Melanie Stone (CTRII), Deputy Chair Newfoundland