Federal Consolidation of Pilotage Regulations

Summary#

The Regulations Amending the General Pilotage Regulations update Canada’s pilotage rules so they match recent changes to the law. They fold the four regional pilotage rulebooks into the national General Pilotage Regulations, confirm that the Minister of Transport issues pilot licences and pilotage certificates, and restore a Pacific-region rule about “coastal trade.” These regulations were registered on May 20, 2022 and published in the Canada Gazette on June 8, 2022; existing licences were set to expire on June 9, 2022 under earlier transition rules, so the changes avoid a regulatory gap.

What it does#

• Replaces and consolidates the four regional pilotage regulations (Atlantic, Great Lakes, Laurentian, Pacific) into the federal General Pilotage Regulations so the rules are made and maintained at the national level.
• Makes the text of those regional rules largely the same, but changes references so the authority to issue pilot licences and pilotage certificates rests with the Minister of Transport (rather than the regional pilotage authorities).
• Restores the phrase “or engaged in coastal trade” for the Pacific Pilotage Authority region’s waiver rules. That lets some mariners’ time spent in coastal trade count toward eligibility for waivers of compulsory pilotage.
• Keeps the detailed local rules, size thresholds and pilot training and examination systems in place for each region (the technical requirements and pilotage areas remain largely unchanged).
• Repeals the four old pilotage authority regulations and replaces them with the consolidated provisions in the General Pilotage Regulations.

Who's affected#

• Licensed pilots and pilotage certificate holders across Canada — their licences, training, exams and some administrative processes are now tied explicitly to the Minister of Transport.
• The four pilotage authorities (Atlantic, Great Lakes Pilotage Authority, Laurentian Pilotage Authority, Pacific Pilotage Authority) and their staffs, because the regulatory wording and the certificate-issuing authority are changed.
• Ship owners, masters, agents and operators — especially those who operate large commercial ships, tugs, ferries and offshore vessels in compulsory pilotage areas. They will continue to follow the same local rules, but the national regulations now reflect who issues licences and certificates.
• United States mariners and companies that operate in the Pacific region — restoring “coastal trade” helps maintain longstanding reciprocity so U.S. watchkeepers can qualify for waivers in Canadian waters (and vice‑versa), avoiding potential disruptions.
• The general public indirectly, because the rules affect how pilotage services are organized and how cross-border maritime traffic is handled.

If it’s unclear whether a particular vessel type or route is affected, the regulations keep the region‑by‑region technical lists and tonnage/length thresholds; operators should check the relevant regional sections of the General Pilotage Regulations or contact Transport Canada.

Why it matters#

• It fixes a mismatch between the law (the amended Pilotage Act) and the written regulations so that the person and office that the law now gives power to (the Minister of Transport) are the ones named in the rules. That prevents confusion about who issues licences and certificates.
• It avoids a possible gap or disruption in pilot licences and certificates that could have happened when older authorizations expired (notably June 9, 2022) by carrying the existing regional rules forward under the national regulation.
• Reintroducing “coastal trade” for the Pacific region preserves a long-standing practical arrangement with the United States. That reduces the risk of supply‑chain problems by keeping more mariners eligible for waivers instead of forcing more vessels to hire pilots or take longer, riskier routes.
• For ordinary people the result is continuity: ships that move goods and fuel should keep operating under familiar pilotage rules, while the government’s oversight and responsibility are made clearer at the national level.