What began as a Â鶹AV woman’s tribute to her late cousin has grown into a nationwide wave of awareness, inclusion, and support for Canadians living with autism.
Kim Inglis launched Making Waves for Autism in 2024 in honour of her cousin Tyler, who passed away in August 2023. He left behind a wife and a young son on the autism spectrum. To pay tribute and raise awareness, Inglis paddled 365 kilometres solo that first year.
Now, a year later, the campaign has evolved into a coast-to-coast movement involving 457 paddlers and raising $63,964. The campaign has now brought in $109,674 for Autism Canada in just two years.
“I didn’t think my mind could be as blown as it was last year,” Inglis told Black Press Media. “And then it ended up being even that much more this year. So, my mind continues to be blown by the success of it and all the support from the community and all across Canada.”
Participation was the main goal for Inglis this year, emphasizing that awareness and acceptance are the ultimate aims.
“More than anything this year, for me, was really about getting the word out and getting lots of participation because ultimately participation means autism awareness, which ultimately means autism acceptance.”
That goal clearly struck a chord. Throughout the month-long campaign in May, Inglis said individuals and teams across Canada found creative ways to take part, whether through stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, rowing machines or even dry-land challenges.
Some paddlers rowed for 24 hours straight, while others formed relay teams to log 365 kilometres in a single day. Kids, seniors, and elite athletes alike took part in events through their local canoe clubs and paddle centres.
“It was exciting to see what the different paddle centres and canoe clubs across the country were doing,” Inglis said. “They had all ages participating… getting everyone engaged, which was really exciting.”
From Nova Scotia to the Sunshine Coast, Canadians jumped on board. In Halifax, the Maskwa Aquatic Club combined for over 500 kilometres in a single day, while 64 members of the Â鶹AV Paddle Club covered 600 kilometres in a day.
At Redbird Brewing, on May 9, in Â鶹AV, 111 people hopped on rowing machines during a community event sponsored by Raymond James.
“The whole concept of that event was to really bring in the community,” Inglis explained. “To be able to jump on a rowing machine, you don’t need to have an existing skill set… it really brought in lots of people from the community.”
Funds raised go directly to Autism Canada’s Community Assistance Program (CAP), which helps autistic individuals and their families get access to services that are often out of reach.
In Canada, the average wait time for a public autism diagnosis can be more than four years. For many families, private diagnosis and therapies are financially impossible. CAP helps bridge that gap by subsidizing psychological assessments, non-covered therapies, and respite care.
“It’s amazing to me to see the immediate, tangible impact of this… Autism Canada is making such great progress… training camp coaches at some of the canoe clubs to better work with autistic kids,” Inglis noted.
The most powerful part of the campaign, she said, is knowing that her cousin’s legacy is making a difference.
Plans are already in motion for 2026 with interest from new clubs and paddlers already coming in.
“I’ve already had a couple of meetings with some people that were wanting to get involved and starting to brainstorm so that we hit the ground running for next year," Inglis added.
While Making Waves is now a national campaign, Inglis remains deeply proud of its Â鶹AV roots.
“The support here has been amazing,” she said. “From all walks of life, people showed up. It’s a big community, but yet it’s still such a tight-knit community to really be able to get together and make a big impact. The success wouldn’t be possible without Â鶹AV.”
To learn more information about Inglis’ mission, or to make a donation, visit the .
