So who’s going to make the bust,
or intervene for your protection? According to the Canada Shipping Act, the RCMP, any harbour or river police, provincial, county, or munici- pal police, and designated Department of Fisheries and Oceans officers carry out enforcement of the law. These officers may board and/or examine a vessel or its equipment, require the person in charge to produce identification and license or documents, ask pertinent questions and demand reasonable assistance from the vessel operator. She or he may also direct or prohib- it the movement of vessels to ensure compliance with the law or public safety. All of the above enforcement agencies have vessels and conduct patrols within areas of their jurisdic- tion, but the frequency varies widely. A high-traffic pleasure craft or com- mercial area gets more attention than does a wilderness coast in northern BC, for example.
“Specific to law enforcement,” says Sgt. Brad Schlorff, Provincial Marine Coordinator for the Ontario Provincial Police, “the Canadian
Coast Guard and US Coast Guard are similar in name only. The Canadian Coast Guard has no authority to enforce the law, despite a greater presence than police in many areas. Both the CCG and the USCG provide services such as search and rescue, icebreaking, and marine aids to navigation, but their mandates, histories, and resources differ.”
Being as sensible as we are, it makes sense to understand and abide by the laws and regulations that apply to us and our boats. Having a bit of foreknowledge will keep you safe and having pleasant experiences on the water and with the enforcers of the law. Read it for yourself on the website for the Canadian Coast Guard
www.ccg-
gcc.gc.ca—look for Boating Safety or view it on Justice Canada’s web- site at
http://canada.justice.gc.ca.
Rick Snowdon was a member of a summer search and rescue team on the Great Lakes for three seasons and now guides on Lake Superior and in BC. He always makes sure his rubber ducky Jake wears his PFD.
ADVENTUREkayakmag.com 13
photos courtesy Ontario Provincial Police
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52