A Case Study of the Ottawa Valley Whitewater Rafting Industry
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A Case Study of the Ottawa Valley Whitewater Rafting Industry: Standards and Risk Management Ryan A. Howard, HBOR, BA Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Applied Health Sciences (Leisure Studies) Supervisor: Timothy S. O'Connell, PhD Faculty of Applied Health Sciences,, Brock University St. Catharines, Ontario _ Ryan A. Howard © June 2009 ii Abstract This qualitative case study identifies and discusses the standards and risk management practices of the Ottawa Valley whitewater rafting industry and the impacts of the government enforced Special-purpose Vessels Regulations are discussed. Data collection occurred using a single case study design, which included interviews and document analysis. This study found that internal, industry, and actual standards are influenced through a variety of sources. These standards were found to affect the risk management practices of commercial whitewater rafting providers. In general, these standards promoted a high level of risk management within the Ottawa Valley rafting industry. The Special-purpose Vessels Regulations were found to be non-influential in raising the risk management standards of the Ottawa Valley whitewater rafting industry. iii Acknowledgements Grateful acknowledgement is due to the people who have helped me in the process of researching, writing, and revising the following pages. Most importantly, I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Tim 0' Connell for his patience and dedication throughout this process. Without his commitment to this research and my writing, the following pages would be blank. Thank you, Tim, for keeping my pen to the paper and the microbrew cold. My sincerest thanks go to my committee members Dr. Mary Breunig and Dr. Erin Sharpe for the insight and direction they gave to this study. Without their support and endless comments I would still be sitting at my desk today. It makes me smile to think of them, both as mentors and friends. The topic of this research would never have developed without the support and guidance of all the people within the whitewater adventure industry. Having spent the last eight years growing and working in this field, I thank every individual who had faith in me and the patience to teach me what they knew. The water that runs down hills, through rocks, and over ledges will always have a significant place in my life. The findings of this research are the product of the endless experience and commitment to whitewater adventure of each research participant. I thank them for their time and detailed narratives. Whenever words would not come, it gave me great joy to think of all my raft guide friends dedicated to the hedonistic life and providing endless people with the "joie de vivre" of unabridged adventure. What they do is ilpportant to the sanity of the world. None of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family. ( I thank my parents for giving me the opportunities they never had; this hard work is for them. Thanks to every member of my family who su~ported me in every way they could. I so wanted my Granddad to see this final product; I wish I could have shared it with him. Finally, thanks to my partner Samantha for always enlightening my spirit and keeping my mind alive. iv Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents ................................................................................................... iv L1st· 0 fF'19ures ....................................................................................................... Vll.. List of Tables ....................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................... 3 Research Questions ......................................................................... ~ ...................... 3 Scope of the Study .................................................................................................. 4 Definition of Terms ................................................................................................. 4 Delimitations and Limitations ................................................................................. 5 Importance of the Study .......................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .~ .......................................................................... 9 Outdoor Adventure Recreation ............................................................................... 9 Whitewater Adventure Industry ............................................................................ 12 Industry Profile ......................................................................................... 12 Rafting ........................................................................................... 13 Kayaking ....................................................................................... 14 Canoeing ....................................................................................... 15 International Scale of River Difficulty ..................................................... 15 Risk Management ................................................................................................. 17 Incident Cases & Reactions ....................................................................... 25 St. Johns School Lake Temiskaming ............................................ 25 Lyme Bay ...................................................................................... 26 Injury ......................................................................................................... 28 Injury Trends and Rates .......... : ..................................................... 29 Fatalities ........................................................................................ 32 Regulations, Qualifications, and Policies ............................................................. 33 Certification .............................................................................................. 34 Accreditation ............................................................................................. 37 Licensing ................................................................................................... 40 Instructional/Guide Awards ...................................................................... 41 Government Issued Regulations ............................................................... 41 Special-purpose Vessels Regulations ........................................... 42 River Rafting Standards, TP 8643 ................................................ 44 New Zealand - Maritime Rule Part 80 .......................................... 45 v Other Vessel Regulations .............................................................. 45 Pleasure Craft Regulations ............................................................ 46 River & Trip Regulations ............................................................. 47 Ottawa Valley White Water Adventure Industry .................................................. 48 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 50 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 52 Qualitative Research Paradigm ............................................................................. 52 The Qualitative Case Study Research Design ...................................................... 54 Unit of Analysis (Bounding the Study) ................................................................ 56 Researcher's Role ................................................................................................. 58 Data Collection Procedures ................................................................................... 60 Interviews .................................................................................................. 60 Document Analysis .............. :.................................................................... 64 Field Notes ................................................................................................ 64 Data Analysis Procedure ....................................................................................... 66 Verification ............................................................................................... 67 Construct Validity ......................................................................... 68 Internal Validity ............................................................................ 69 External Validity ........................................................................... 69 Reliability ...................................................................................... 70 Ethical Consideration ............................................................................................ 70 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS .................................................................................................. 72 Study Context: The Ottawa Valley Whitewater