As boating season nears, safety measures urged
With boating season upon us, people are being urged to prioritize safety before heading out on the water.
During the summer months, B.C.’s waterways are filled with recreational boats and thousands of commercial vessels, all vying for space.
According to Sean Baxter, the harbour master with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, some of the deep sea vessels are nearly 360 meters in length, the equivalent of up to six hockey rinks.
“Trade is growing through the port of Vancouver, and with that comes more opportunity for interaction between commercial vessels and recreational vessels,” he said.
Baxter said it’s important for recreational boat users to be vigilant while setting sail.
“Be deliberate with your actions,” he said. “Deep sea vessels can’t always see recreational vessels, especially in narrow channels. Stay to the right of the channel. Stay out of the way.”
While the water may appear calm, it can be deceiving, especially as you near the Lions Gate and Ironworkers Memorial bridges.
Sgt. Darin McDougall, with the Vancouver Police Department's marine units, said the funneling of the water through these narrow channels can create dangerous tides.
“They actually cause recreational boats to sink,” he said. “One or two a year in each of those locations.”
Danielle Wensauer, the associate director of marine safety and security with Transport Canada, said it’s crucial for people to be prepared before heading out.
She encourages recreational boat users to get their pleasure craft operator card, check the weather before leaving, make sure they have safety equipment, boat sober, and always wear a life jacket that fits.
“There are almost 500 drownings a year in Canada, with roughly 100 of those related to recreational boating,” Wensauer said. “For me, the more startling statistic is this one: (Of) all boating-related deaths, 80 per cent of those involve a person not wearing a life jacket.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6977053.1721909931!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'Sick to my stomach': People grieve Jasper National Park by sharing favourite photos
As an out-of-control wildfire roared through Alberta’s famed Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday, many are fearing the worst as officials warned of 'significant loss' within the area.
LIVE UPDATES 'Hopefully it's better than what we're thinking': Jasper wildfire damage details anxiously awaited
Officials are waiting to learn Thursday morning the extent of wildfire damage in the Jasper townsite of Jasper National Park, which flames began to eat away at the night before.
Canadian women's soccer team staffer given suspended prison sentence over drone incident, prosecutor says
A Canada women's soccer team staffer has been given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after flying a drone to film the closed-door training session of the New Zealand team on Monday, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Sale of envoy's NYC condo 'expected to exceed' $9M: government
The current official residence for Canada's representative in New York City is 'being readied for sale,' according to a spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada.
Jasper wildfire burns buildings, while poor air quality forces some fire crews out
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
'I'm so broke': Two Toronto women speak out after losing $76,000 in romance scam
Two women from the Toronto area are speaking out after losing thousands of dollars to a romance scam, including a single mother who lost $62,000.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Loblaw to settle class action over bread price-fixing for $500 million
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have agreed to pay $500 million to settle a pair of class-action lawsuits regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme.
EXCLUSIVE One address, 76 foreign currency dealers: Inside Canada's money service business 'clusters'
An IJF and CTV News investigation has found dozens of cases across Canada where multiple money services businesses (MSBs) are incorporated at the same address, sometimes without the knowledge or consent of the location's actual occupant. One money laundering expert calls it an 'abuse of the system.'