Electric Boats Added to Shoreline Speed Limit

Summary#

These are final amendments to the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations that came into force when they were registered on July 15, 2022 and were published in the Canada Gazette on August 3, 2022. The changes clarify that vessels driven by electric motors must follow the same shoreline speed limit as fuel-powered boats, add a few local officers as enforcement agents, and correct names and coordinates for a number of lakes and waterways.

What it does#

• Adds vessels driven by electrical propulsion to the universal shoreline speed limit in subsection 2(7). Those vessels must not exceed 10 km/h within 30 m of shore in the waters listed in that rule.
• Changes the name of Schedule 3 so it clearly covers waters where power-driven vessels or vessels driven by electrical propulsion with an aggregate maximum power greater than 7.5 kW are prohibited.
• Designates local enforcement officers so they can enforce the Regulations in their areas:
  • Ivry-sur-le-Lac (Quebec)
  • Lac‑Simon (Quebec)
  • Vulcan County (Alberta)
• Fixes minor errors in the Regulations by correcting the names or geographic coordinates for 1 body of water in Ontario and 53 bodies of water in Quebec so the restricted areas are described more accurately.
• Confirms the amendments came into force on the registration date (July 15, 2022).

Who's affected#

• People who operate boats with electric motors — including increasingly powerful electric personal watercraft — on waters that already have restrictions. They must follow the 10 km/h within 30 m rule where it applies.
• Residents and visitors who use the specific lakes and waterways named in the Regulations. The corrections make it clearer exactly which waters are restricted.
• Local enforcement officers and municipal authorities in Ivry-sur-le-Lac, Lac‑Simon, and Vulcan County, who are now formally able to enforce the Regulations.
• Most other boaters and water users in the provinces that already have the universal shoreline rule (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia) — the rule itself is unchanged except to name electric-propulsion vessels explicitly.
• It is not clear that any businesses face new costs; the government’s analysis says small businesses are not expected to be affected.

Why it matters#

• Safety: naming electric-propulsion vessels explicitly closes a gap so fast electric boats must follow the same low-speed rule near shore. That helps protect swimmers, paddlers and other small craft.
• Environment and shoreline protection: the rule reduces wake and fast close-to-shore travel that can cause shoreline erosion and damage habitat.
• Local enforcement: giving municipal peace officers authority to enforce the rules should make local restrictions easier to police and more effective.
• Clarity: correcting names and coordinates reduces confusion about exactly which waters are covered, which helps boaters follow the rules and helps officers enforce them.