In the wake of the weekend's fatal accident on B.C.'s Shuswap Lake, questions are emerging about the effectiveness of the new pleasure craft licensing system.
Since September, anyone operating a boat has required a pleasure craft operator's card.
Ron Snelgrove teaches boating safety courses, and he told CTV News that he's surprised by the lack of certification required to drive a speed boat.
"All you need is to be 16 years old and have your pleasure craft operator card and you can drive any one of these boats," he said.
Getting one of those cards is as easy as taking an online pass. Anybody can pay once, and keep taking the test until he or she passes.
Snelgrove said he knew a Coast Guard member who wanted to test the system.
"To test the protocols etc. to get your P.C.O.C. card online, (he) actually got his dog a P.C.O.C. card."
Anyone caught operating a boat with certification can be fined $250.
But no certification at all is required to rent a boat.
Ryan Ogloff, who manages a Granville Island Marine Boat Rentals, says he prefers it if people have a card.
"What we end up doing, if you don't have that, we (are) extra thorough -- extra information. Then you end up with a temporary day licence that you take out with you," he said.
Transport Canada regulates the system for issuing cards. They say there's been a reduction in boating safety incidents since the card system was put in place.
At the same time, Tim McCann of the Vancouver Office of Boating Safety acknowledged that there are problems with the system.
"They're reviewing the online testing, and we have suspended a number of companies who haven't complied with the regulations, who have been issuing cards for people who haven't taken the test properly," he said.
McCann added that there will likely be changes to the online testing system in the fall.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Norma Reid
