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Pacific Partners Boating Bulletin

February 2025

Comments in Canada Gazette, Part I – Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations

We are pleased to inform you that the comments received during the consultation on modernizing the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations (VORR), held from September 14 to November 28, 2024, have been published.

The comments can be accessed in the Canada Gazette, Part I. These comments provide valuable perspectives from participants and will help guide the next steps in the modernization process.

We thank all participants for their time and input during the consultation.

To stay informed about future updates on VORR modernization or other initiatives related to marine safety and security, please contact the Canadian Marine Advisory Council (CMAC) Secretariat at cmac-ccmc@tc.gc.ca and request to be added to their distribution list.

Thank you for your continued engagement.

Careless Operation and Boating Sober

Avoid Dangerous Behaviors

Never try to spray swimmers, or cut in front of or try to jump the wake of other vessels. Some of the worst boating incidents happen when operators misjudge speed or distance.

Operate at a Safe Speed

Remember that you may have to stop or turn suddenly to avoid a collision, so operate at a safe speed. A safe speed depends on:

image005.png• your ability to see ahead – slow is the only safe speed in fog, mist, rain and darkness;

• current, wind, and water conditions;

• how quickly your boat can change direction;

• how many and what types of vessels are near you; and

• the presence of navigational hazards such as rocks and tree stumps.

Be very careful when boating where visibility is poor, such as entering or exiting a fog bank.

A boat’s wake can damage other vessels, docks and the shoreline. It can also be a risk for swimmers, divers and people on small boats that might capsize. Be aware of how your boat’s wake might affect others when choosing your speed. You will be responsible for any damages or harm you cause.

Impaired driving on the water

Boating under the influence of alcohol, or drugs is illegal. It is also a danger to yourself and others. Staying sober is your responsibility. Boating while drinking or taking drugs can lead to dangerous situations. When boating impaired , you are not just a danger to yourself but to others too. Each time you operate a boat, you are responsible for the safety of your guests and other people using the waterway. You must always be prepared and alert. Mixing alcohol and drugs with boating is far more dangerous than you may realize. Fatigue, sun, wind and the motion of the boat may dull your senses. Alcohol and drugs intensify these effects, leaving you with reduced fine motor skills (for example, hand-eye coordination) and impaired judgement.

Consequences

Impaired driving, whether on land or water, is punishable under the Criminal Code of Canada.

image007.jpegConvictions for a first offence can result in:

• fines

• prohibition from operating a boat or motor vehicle

• seizure of the boat for a period of time

• possible prison terms

The laws and penalties for when a boater is considered impaired follow provincial and territorial driving laws.

Disposal of expired flares

Anyone wishing to dispose of expired marine flares contact the distributor for instructions on how to do it in a safe, environmentally appropriate way. Here is the list of current flare distributers and other entities that accept flares for disposal in Canada:

Distributers

Location

Flare types accepted

Contact Information

CIL

Lachute, QC

Orion

Other brands for an addition disposal fee

450-566-0655

DSS Marine

Dartmouth, NS

Comet

Pains Wessex

902-835-4848

info@dssprotection.com

Spartan Industrial Marine

9 locations in Atlantic Canada and Quebec

Nammo

Hansson Pyrotech

Other brands for an addition fee if it is not visibly damaged or in poor condition that could pose a health and safety hazard

902-468-2111

info@spartanmarine.ca

Collection Services

Location

Flare types accepted

Contact Information

Fireworks Factory Inc.

Rockyford, AB

(Western Canada)

Any marine flares subject to a disposal fee

1- 403-533-3899 (office)

1- 844- 404- 6767 (toll free)

admin@fireworksfactory.ca

Canadian Ammunition Disposal Services (CADS)

Nationwide

Able to dispose small quantities of marine flare subject to a disposal fee

905-977-9899

https://cadsammunitiondisposal.comtom@CADSAmmunitionDisposal.com

Safe Boating Guide

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Hello,

The Office of Boating Safety is reaching out to partners around British Columbia spreading boating safety messages.

The Office of Boating Safety does the following:

Pleasure Craft Licencing

Pleasure Craft Operator Competency

Rental Boat Best Practises

Boating/ Waterway Restrictions

Safety Equipment

Boating Safety Outreach and Education

Training Enforcement Partners

The Enforcement partners who have the power to enforce the CSA, 2001 are BC Parks, RCMP, Municipal Police, Conservation Officers, DFO

Liaising with Regional Districts, Municipalities and other Local Authorities

Safety audits of Waterways and Businesses

Please reach out to the Office of Boating Safety with any questions or concerns that you have with regard to boating safety. We look forward to working with you to make British Columbia a safer place to boat.

Regards,

Kyle Wiens (He/Him/Il)

Boating Safety Officer, Office of Boating Safety, Marine Safety and Security

Transport Canada, Pacific Region / image013.jpg Government of Canada

kyle.wiens@tc.gc.ca / Phone: 1-236-339-7085 TTY: 1-888-675-6863

Agent de la sécurité nautique, Bureau de la sécurité nautique, Sécurité et sûreté maritimes

Transports Canada, Région du pacifique / image013.jpg Gouvernement du Canada

kyle.wiens@tc.gc.ca/ Phone: 1-236-339-7085 ATS: 1-888-675-6863

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Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada

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This e-mail may be privileged and/or confidential, and the sender does not waive any related rights and obligations. Any distribution, use or copying of this e-mail or the information it contains by other than an intended recipient is unauthorized. If you received this e-mail in error, please advise me (by return e-mail or otherwise) immediately.

Ce courrier électronique est confidentiel et protégé. L’expéditeur ne renonce pas aux droits et obligations qui s’y rapportent. Toute diffusion, utilisation ou copie de ce message ou des renseignements qu’il contient par une personne autre que le (les) destinataire(s) désigné(s) est interdite. Si vous recevez ce courrier électronique par erreur, veuillez m’en aviser immédiatement, par retour de courrier électronique ou par un autre moyen.

Wear Your Lifejacket. It may save your life!

I am honoured to live, play and work on the waters and land in the unceded territory of the lək̓ʷəŋiʔnəŋ (Lekwungen) People, also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations communities.

The Province is looking to test 200 urban deer for Chronic Wasting Disease in Cranbrook and Kimberley. (Corey Bullock/Cranbrook Townsman file) The province is looking to collect samples from over 100 deer each in Cranbrook and Kimberley over the winter months in order to determine the prevalence of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in urban deer populations.Randene Neill, the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, confirmed the ministry is working on plans to collect samples and test for the disease within the urban deer populations of both municipalities, given the density of both urban herds.”We think that those testing numbers will give us a good indication of how much Chronic Wasting Disease there is on those areas and those communities,” Neill said, during an interview on Dec. 19.While hunters in the southeast corner of B.C. are required to submit their harvests for sampling as per hunting regulations, there hasn’t yet been much sampling of urban deer populations within East Kootenay communities. Neill says hunters have been an integral part of the CWD surveillance program, with over 3,300 samples submitted to the province to date — a large portion of which came from this past hunting season and are currently being tested.Test results from urban deer samples being collected in the near future should be known by late January or early February, according to Neill.What happens then will be determined by the experts but an urban deer cull is one potential option if recommended by wildlife biologists.”I think at this point what we need to do is understand where we are with how many infected deer we get from this sampling of 200 deer over the next couple of months and then I will listen to the science,” Neill said. “So if our scientists say that a cull is the best option, then that is something we would look at, if they say it isn’t, then that is something we would look at. That is how we intend to move forward.”At this point, we are not looking at a complete and total cull. We are looking at testing enough animals to get an accurate picture of how many animals have been infected with Chronic Wasting Disease and then look at the next steps.”Advocates with the BC Wildlife Federation have raised concerns about the density of urban deer populations potentially serving as a vector for CWD and have been calling for a cull as well as more resources to manage and respond to the issue.The province says resources going forward will be informed by its CWD management plan, ongoing monitoring, surveillance, and metrics. The planned budget for the 2024/25 surveillance and management is $716,000, according to a ministry spokesperson.British Columbia confirmed its first cases of CWD in January this past year; one being a female whitetail deer that was road kill south of Cranbrook, while the other was a male mule deer harvested in the South Country.Since then, two more deer — both harvested by hunters near Cranbrook this past fall — have tested positive.The B.C. government has set up a management zone and introduced mandatory testing in various management units in the East Kootenay region. The province has also restricted transporting carcasses outside of the management zone and has also increased testing capacity at a lab in Abbotsford to speed up turnaround times. Based on the number of samples submitted this year, the province acknowledged that additional testing capacity will be needed in the future years and that it is working on plans to ensure it has all operational needs in place for future sampling efforts.CWD affects cervids, such as deer, moose, elk, and caribou, and is a condition of the central nervous system caused by infectious agents called prions, which kill cells in the brain as they accumulate and lead to neurological disease.Prions, a type of protein, also accumulate in other tissues and may be shed by the infected animal into water or on plants and bedding through saliva, urine and feces.It is 100 per cent fatal to wildlife with no known treatment.However it is not known to affect humans or livestock, although public health guidance recommends that animals with CWD should not be consumed.

Trevor Crawley a day ago

https://www.westerlynews.ca/news/bc-to-sample-200-cranbrook-kimberley-urban-deer-for-chronic-wasting-disease-7720530

Our Member of Parliament, Rob Morrison will be talking about the gun buy back program and the new list of guns declared as illegal by the current government. He will also be taking questions about these policies at the following locations, dates and times.Creston: Rob will be at the Creston Rod and Gun Club meeting on Jan 6 at 7PMFernie: Jan 7 location is 2nd edition work space (old free press building) 11:30-12:00Elkford: Jan 8 at the Elkford Community Center 11-11:30 AMNelson: Jan 10 at 10AM at the Chamber boardroom

https://tc.canada.ca/en/marine-transportation/getting-started-safe-boating/choosing-lifejackets-personal-flotation-devices-pfds

Pacific Partners Boating Bulletin November 2024

Great group of folks that showed up to haul hay for the big horn sheep feeding program outside Salmo. For more information, www.nrgcbc.ca