Pilotage area changes for Summerside and Placentia Bay

Summary#

The Department of Transport issued two interim orders under the Pilotage Act that redraw and clarify pilotage areas off Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and change some pilot certification rules. The orders were made on October 1, 2026 and published in the Canada Gazette on October 17, 2026.

What it does#

• Interim Order No. 5 Respecting the Summerside Compulsory Pilotage Area

  • Declares the waters east of a specific line (from Seacow Head to a point at Latitude 46°20′54″N, Longitude 63°54′30″W, and on to Ives Point) to be the Summerside compulsory pilotage area in the General Pilotage Regulations.
  • Allows someone applying for a pilotage certificate for that area to skip the extra sea-experience requirement in the regulations if, within a two-year period before applying, they completed an Atlantic Pilotage Authority familiarization program that gives equivalent experience.
  • Repeals Interim Order No. 4 (made October 7, 2025).

• Interim Order No. 6 Respecting the Placentia Bay Compulsory Pilotage Area

  • Replaces the previous description of the Placentia Bay area by creating two zones: Zone A (Placentia Bay) and Zone B (Argentia), each defined by new boundary lines and positions.
  • For Zone B (Argentia), lets pilotage-certificate applicants use an Atlantic Pilotage Authority familiarization program completed within the two-year period before application instead of the extra sea-experience requirement.
  • Repeals Interim Order No. 5 for Placentia Bay (made October 7, 2025).

• Both orders were made by the Minister of Transport under the Pilotage Act and refer to the General Pilotage Regulations. They were presented as urgent actions to address risks to safety, human health or the environment.

Who's affected#

• Mariners and ship operators using waters near Summerside and Placentia Bay (including the Argentia area).
• People training to become licensed marine pilots for those areas.
• Atlantic Pilotage Authority, which runs the familiarization programs and manages pilotage in the region.
• Local ports and communities that rely on shipping in these waters.

If anything is unclear in the orders (for example, the exact navigation lines on charts), pilots and operators will need to consult official navigational publications or the Atlantic Pilotage Authority.

Why it matters#

• The orders change where a compulsory pilot is required. That can affect whether a vessel must take a local pilot when entering, leaving, or moving in those waters.
• They make it easier for some pilot candidates to qualify by letting an Authority-run familiarization program substitute for extra sea time. That could speed up certification and help address local pilot staffing needs.
• The government says the measures respond to urgent safety or environmental risks. That means the changes are meant to be implemented quickly, but they are interim and could be replaced by longer-term regulations later.