Inspired by great-grandfather's near death, scholarship winner hopes to make life safer for fishermen
Collings-Mackay, a fourth-year business student at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., and a fourth-generation lobster fisherman, is one of eight recipients this year of the scholarship for Atlantic Canadian business students. He has a business focused on creating a life-jacket for commercial fishermen that is less cumbersome than traditional ones.
The life-jacket would inflate automatically when someone hits the water and would have a GPS feature that sends out pings to nearby boats and emergency services detailing the overboard person's location, said Collings-Mackay. A strobe light on the jacket would also help make it easier to locate the person.
Collings-Mackay said his company, CM Marine Safety Equipment, is working with a law firm and hopes to file patent applications within the next few weeks.
He said the company has been working with an engineering firm to develop a prototype of the life-jacket and aims to get it built this summer. The device would be tested in preparation for approval by regulatory agencies such as Transport Canada and the United States Coast Guard.
"Engineers and lawyers aren't cheap," said Collings-Mackay, a 22-year-old from Montague, P.E.I. "And it's going to be great to be able to keep pushing this project further down the road and get it one step closer to saving somebody's life. This is what this award means."
For Collings-Mackay, safety on the water is personal.
1958 tragedy
In June 1958, his great-grandfather and a colleague had just sold their catch for the day. When they were going back to shore in a light plywood dinghy — according to the June 6, 1958, Charlottetown Guardian — the boat capsized, throwing the pair into a swift outgoing tide. Collings-Mackay's great-grandfather managed to grab on to a mooring rope that was running between a buoy and a boat anchored ashore, and pulled himself to safety. His colleague, Ernest Brown, was swept away with the tide and died.
And on Collings-Mackay's first day of fishing, which came after his first year of university, he got a reminder of the dangers on the water.
When a boat pulled up beside the one Collings-Mackay was on, he noticed a man who was soaking wet and a bit wobbly. When the man had been out at sea, he was knocked overboard but managed to survive.
Collings-Mackay asked himself why the person wasn't wearing a life-jacket. But he soon had a different perspective about life-jackets when he was out working.
"You realize why people don't wear them and how they're just completely inadequate for the job," he said, noting they're bulky, get caught on things and get in the way of carrying out one's duties.
As well, Collings-Mackay said, there's a stigma around life-jackets.
"Fishing is a very generational, traditional industry," he said. "People fish with their fathers and their grandfathers and they never wear them, so why would they? And I think there's also a bit of a peer pressure there as well to fit in maybe, as silly as it may sound."
Fishing deaths
From 1999 to 2021, the average number of deaths per year on Canadian commercial fishing vessels was about 12. In nearly half of the instances, a lack of personal flotation devices was the reason.
Mary Oxner is one of Collings-Mackay's accounting professors. She said the scope of what he is working on is far more complex than businesses many other students set up.
"This is an expensive thing to bring to market," she said. "It requires extensive testing, it requires a patent, it requires legal consult, it requires technical and engineering support … it's a complex thing to do when you're a young 20-something-year-old to try to pull all of those supports and resources."
Collings-Mackay's entrepreneurial aspirations are a far cry from his original life plans. Growing up, he always figured he'd join the military. (He does serve in the Nova Scotia Highlanders reserve unit.) He said his parents, who are teachers, encouraged him to focus on getting an education.
'It's really giving me a purpose'
School didn't always come easy to Collings-Mackay, who struggled and had to be tutored in math in secondary school, which is surprising given he majors in accounting today.
"If I didn't come to school, I would have never done this project," he said. "And I think it's really giving me a purpose, something that I can achieve and strive towards."
That motivation comes in part from the people who have invested in his company, but also the safety of loved ones.
"Whenever I pitch, I say it's no greater motivation than having all your friends and family out there fishing every day without a life-jacket on," he said. "It's a tragedy waiting to happen."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Montreal Gazette
5 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
Concordia students' rocket launch in northern Quebec makes history
Concordia University's rocketry club made history early Friday morning, launching the most-powerful student-built liquid-fuelled rocket ever made toward space. It was the first rocket launch in more than 25 years to take place on Canadian soil, and the first ever in Quebec. Students who had driven more than 1,000 kilometres from Montreal to the launchpad north of the Cree village of Mistissini cheered and whooped as the 42-foot-long Starsailor rocket blasted off around 5:30 a.m. More than 40 current and former students who had worked on the development of the rocket travelled to the region to be part of the historic moment that had taken more than seven years to achieve. Members of the Cree community helped with the sendoff, supplying the land for the launch and constructing makeshift homes for the students to live in for weeks while they prepared for takeoff. 'Everyone's crying,' said one team member, captured on a livestream of the event. 'We're shivering because we're cold, but also because we're excited.' Fueled by liquid oxygen and jet fuel, the rocket quickly became a small flash in the sky and then disappeared as it shot upward at speeds estimated at 4,000 kilometres an hour. It remains to be seen whether the student club achieved its ultimate goal of becoming the first civilian group to send a liquid-fuelled rocket into space. To do so, the rocket will have to fly 100 kilometres into the sky past the Karman line, recognized as the boundary to outer space. Computer recordings of the flight will determine how fast and far it travelled. Students noted during the flight that the rocket did not fire for as long as expected. Team members had been planning for the engine to burn for at least 30 seconds, but one member noted it appeared there were only 23 seconds of thrust. Whatever the ultimate outcome, Concordia's student-led rocketry club achieved a historic sendoff, firing the first rocket to be launched on Canadian soil in the 21st century. To power Starsailor, the team members had built in 2021 the most powerful student-built rocket engine ever recorded, stronger than the first engines built by Elon Musk's SpaceX corporation. It was then that they knew they had something capable of sending a rocket into space. The remote location was chosen to reduce the chance of a catastrophic accident in case the rocket veered off course. Transport Canada rerouted commercial air traffic in the region to allow for the launch. It took several years for the students to granted permission from Transport Canada for the launch. The rocketry division of Concordia's University's space club began working on Starsailor seven years ago as part of an international student competition offering a $1-million prize. When the deadline for the competition ended without their building a working rocket, students decided to continue with their quest, with most members graduating and others stepping in to fill their positions. Since 2018, more than 700 students have had a hand in designing and building the rocket and its multiple components, with aid of faculty from the Gina Cody School of Engineering and dozens of sponsors. 'If they're successful with their launch, it will be the first amateur liquid-fuelled rocket to reach space in the world ever,' Adam Trumpour, founder of the university rocketry competition Launch Canada told the Montreal Gazette in June. 'So it's absolutely historic.' The club estimates it has collected more than $1 million in cash through fundraising, university and government grants and corporate donations. Another $4 million in donations came in the form of free tools, equipment and software. Prior to the launch, the students drove more than 10 hours north from Montreal to the launch site and stayed for days in uninsulated wooden huts where they could sleep and prepare for the launch. They had to wait for more than a week before the weather conditions allowed them to proceed, as storms passed through the region. A period of low winds was needed so that the rocket would not be blown off course On Friday morning, amid dead calm as the sun began to rise, all conditions were finally in alignment. Now comes the recovery mission, as team members attempt to find the rocket containing more than 60,000 components and computer recordings. If things went as planned, parachutes deployed, allowing the rocket to float back to Earth. Telemetry devices designed by the students will hopefully allow them to track the whereabouts of Starsailor. 'Goodbye everyone (heart emoji)' Space Concordia wrote in the comments section of their livestream broadcast. 'It was a blast.' This story was originally published August 15, 2025 at 7:39 AM.
Winnipeg Free Press
18-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Robust federal collection, analysis of UFO data could dispel misinformation: report
OTTAWA – Systematic government collection and analysis of data about mysterious sightings in the sky could help Canada better prepare for incidents like the sudden appearance of several high-altitude balloons over North America two years ago, says a report from the federal science adviser. One of the balloons, which wafted above western Canada in early 2023 before being shot down off the U.S. coast, apparently originated from China and carried sophisticated equipment. The balloon episodes generated intense public speculation before fading from the headlines. The final report of the science adviser's Sky Canada Project says the incidents highlight the importance of government investigation of what appears in the sky and how difficult it is to distinguish between natural occurrences, common technological devices and potential security concerns. The report, released this week, says Ottawa should assign a federal department or agency to manage public data on celestial sightings and set up a service to collect testimonies, investigate cases and release analyses. The report explores the public's decades-long fascination with unidentified flying objects and their association with extraterrestrial life, noting a recent shift to the more nuanced concept of unidentified aerial (or anomalous) phenomena, known as UAPs. The report says the evolution in terminology has the potential to reduce the skepticism and ridicule that has sometimes greeted UFO sightings. 'Stigmatization can have significant consequences, such as discouraging witnesses from coming forward and hindering scientific inquiry,' the report says. 'The new, more encompassing UAP terminology can help promote greater transparency, credibility and acceptance of research in professional and scientific circles and in the wider public.' The report says while many sightings can be attributed to optical illusions, atmospheric phenomena or human activity, a minority remain unexplained for a myriad of reasons, including a lack of reliable data that prevents rigorous scientific analysis. Unexplained sightings generate interest and can be the source of misinformation or disinformation, diminishing public trust, the report adds. 'When people are repeatedly exposed to false narratives, they may become skeptical of credible sources, including scientists, journalists and government institutions.' Unusual sightings have drawn the attention of various federal agencies since the early days of the Cold War, with the Defence Research Board establishing a committee called Project Second Storey in 1952 to examine occurrences of 'flying saucers' over Canada. The report notes Transport Canada currently maintains the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System for incidents affecting aviation safety, including UAP sightings, while the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Department of National Defence may also receive reports through their operational networks. In addition, police forces sometimes hear from witnesses, and civil society organizations, such as Ufology Research of Manitoba and MUFON Canada, compile and analyze data from citizens, the report notes. However, there is no 'cohesive and standardized system' for reporting and follow-up in Canada. The report points to the United States, France and Chile as interesting examples of co-ordinated, transparent and scientifically driven approaches to UAP reporting. It says the federal government should choose a trusted and recognized scientific organization, such as the Canadian Space Agency, to manage public data about sightings. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. The report also recommends the lead organization play a significant role in dispelling misinformation and disinformation by responding to public and media inquiries related to sightings, and by documenting and communicating common misinterpretations of observations. In addition, data should be made available to the public for transparency and to support research. The space agency did not respond to a query about the report in time for publication, and the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Department said UAPs fall outside its mandate. The report says adopting robust scientific methods and communicating more transparently about sightings would amount to 'a significant step forward in promoting public understanding and combating misinformation.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2025.
CBC
08-04-2025
- CBC
Manitoba researchers decry funding cuts after premier's invitation to U.S. scientists
A call from Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew for scientists in the U.S. to consider moving here has researchers in this province demanding more funding to give those who relocate a reason to stay. In an open letter to the provincial government, dozens of scientists, researchers and academics questioned how it expects to attract new talent, given cuts to the agency responsible for providing the bulk of research funding in Manitoba. "Manitoba currently ranks last in Canada for provincial per capita research funding — a stark reality that contradicts the government's recent enthusiasm for attracting international researchers," states the letter, which by Monday evening had received nearly 250 signatures. The letter was spurred by comments Kinew made during a scrum with reporters at the Legislative Building on March 28. He said the province is planning to engage in outreach to U.S. scientists, many of whom have faced funding cuts and restrictions on their academic freedom under the administration of President Donald Trump. "And what I would say is, come to Manitoba," Kinew said. Those comments drew mixed reactions from Manitobans like Robert Beattie, an assistant professor in the department of biochemistry and medical genetics at the University of Manitoba, and the lead author of the letter. He says cuts to Research Manitoba — which funds studies on health, natural and social sciences, engineering and the humanities — began under the previous Progressive Conservative government, but recent budgets have done little to reverse the trend. When adjusted for inflation, funding for the agency fell by nearly 60 per cent, from more than $31 million in 2016, to $13 million in 2023. The 2025 budget includes a $100,000 increase to Research Manitoba. Beattie says he and others in the province would welcome new research talent from south of the border, but he worries a lack of available funding will limit how much Manitoba can take advantage of the opportunities. "It's hard to foresee how we can welcome new researchers into the province when we are already struggling to keep the current ones here," he said in an interview. Dylan MacKay, another signatory to the letter, has faced the consequences of the province's funding cuts. "I started my independent career in 2018…. And just as I was coming into the time where I could be applying for that [funding], the pool of money that I could apply for dropped by more than 50 per cent," said MacKay, who researches nutrition and chronic diseases at the U of M. MacKay has worked on recruiting committees, and has had difficulty filling positions as candidates take opportunities in other provinces. "Research is like a seed, right? You need good soil and care and the right environment to get that maximum potential. And that hasn't been the case in the last 10 years…. The soil has dried up." Minister plans to meet with researchers Advanced Education Minister Renée Cable told CBC News she plans to meet with the researchers on Tuesday morning. She said increasing research funding is a priority for the provincial government. "I know the goals in the last two years was to stop the bleeding as we've seen sort of across government, the previous administration cut and cut and cut some more," Cable said. "[Current funding] may not feel like enough. We're pleased that we've stopped the cuts now and we're moving in the right direction." In the letter, Beattie writes that funding research is a sound investment for governments, yielding at least $4 for every $1 invested.
