Pilotage areas revised for Summerside and Placentia Bay

Summary#

This Canada Gazette notice publishes two new interim pilotage orders that redraw compulsory pilotage areas around Summerside and Placentia Bay and ease some sea‑experience rules for pilot applicants. It also announces that Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada has released RSS‑252, Issue 2 for Intelligent Transportation Systems on‑board units in the 5895–5925 MHz band, and lists open Governor in Council appointment opportunities. The pilotage orders were made on October 16, 2023 and replace interim orders from October 18, 2022; the ISED document was posted on October 20, 2023.

What it does#

• Interim Order No. 2 Respecting the Summerside Compulsory Pilotage Area (under the Pilotage Act):

  • Defines the Summerside compulsory pilotage area as the navigable waters east of a line from Seacow Head to a position at Latitude 46°20.9′00″N, Longitude 63°54.5′00″W, and thence to Ives Point.
  • Allows applicants for a pilotage certificate for that area to skip the extra sea‑experience rule in subsection 22.22(1) of the General Pilotage Regulations if, within the two‑year period before applying, they completed a familiarization program set up by the Atlantic Pilotage Authority that provides equivalent experience.
  • Repeals the interim order that was made on October 18, 2022.

• Interim Order No. 3 Respecting the Placentia Bay Compulsory Pilotage Area (under the Pilotage Act):

  • Replaces the old single Placentia Bay area with two zones:
    • Zone A (Placentia Bay): all navigable waters north of a line drawn from Long Harbour Head to Fox Island, thence to Ragged Point (south point of Red Island), thence to Eastern Head.
    • Zone B (Argentia): all navigable waters east of a line from Long Harbour Head to Fox Island, then to a position at Latitude 47°20.6′00″N, Longitude 54°01.8′00″W, thence to Latine Point at Latitude 47°18.9′00″N, Longitude 54°00.3′00″W.
  • Matches the Summerside order on the pilotage certificate exemption: applicants can use an Atlantic Pilotage Authority familiarization program instead of the extra sea‑experience requirement if completed within two‑years before applying.
  • Repeals the interim order for Placentia Bay made on October 18, 2022.

• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada notice:

  • Publishes RSS‑252, Issue 2, which sets certification requirements for Intelligent Transportation Systems’ on‑board units (OBUs) operating in the 5895–5925 MHz band. Roadside units (RSUs) are excluded from this document.
  • The document is now official and available on ISED’s Spectrum management and telecommunications website. Comments can be submitted via the Standard Change Request form.

• Privy Council Office appointment notice:

  • Announces many open Governor in Council appointment opportunities across federal boards, agencies and commissions. Each posting stays open for at least two weeks from its listing on the appointments website.

Who's affected#

• Ship operators, masters, and vessel owners that operate in and around Summerside and Placentia Bay. They may see changes to when a local pilot is required and who must take one.
• Pilots and people applying for pilotage certificates for those areas. Some applicants may qualify through a familiarization program rather than by meeting the extra sea‑time rule.
• Atlantic Pilotage Authority, which administers the familiarization programs and oversees pilotage in the region.
• Manufacturers, test labs, and certification bodies for vehicle communications and ITS equipment that make or certify on‑board units for the 5895–5925 MHz band.
• Organizations and Canadians interested in federal appointments listed by the Privy Council Office (including many boards and agencies named in the full notice).

If it’s unclear who will need a pilot for a specific voyage or how local rules will change in practice, the notice itself does not give port‑by‑port operational detail.

Why it matters#

• Redrawing and reclassifying compulsory pilotage areas can change when a vessel must take a local pilot. That affects scheduling, costs, and safety procedures for shipping into those ports and waters.
• Letting applicants meet experience requirements through a recognized familiarization program could speed up certification and help fill pilot vacancies more quickly. That can affect local pilot availability and service levels.
• Publishing RSS‑252, Issue 2 matters for companies building or certifying ITS on‑board units, because it sets the technical and certification rules for devices using the 5895–5925 MHz band — a band used for vehicle communications and road safety applications.
• The appointments notice matters for governance: it’s how the federal government fills many advisory and decision‑making roles, and it signals an active recruitment effort aimed at diversity and representation.