Vessel Restriction Rules Moved to TP 15587E

Summary#

These are final amendments to the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations (VORR). They move the lists of local boating restrictions out of the regulations and into a Transport Canada publication so the Minister of Transport can update them more quickly. The changes also clarify engine-power rules (including the 7.5 kW electric limit), update how local authorities apply for restrictions, and repeal old designation rules; they came into force on August 13, 2025.

What it does#

• Repeals the eight schedules that listed specific local restrictions from the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations and puts them into a Transport Canada publication, TP 15587E (the “Schedules”), which the Minister can amend without a federal regulatory amendment.
• Changes wording and definitions, including replacing the definition of “power-driven” and removing the old definition of “provincial authority.”
• Clarifies the engine-power restriction so that the 7.5 kW limit applies to electric-propulsion motors only, while all power-driven (combustion/steam) vessels remain prohibited where that prohibition is listed.
• Keeps and clarifies other types of limits already in the rules, for example the universal shoreline speed limit of 10 km/h within 30 m of shore in listed waters.
• Repeals sections that listed enforcement designations and instead relies on the Minister’s authority under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 to designate enforcement officers (so designations were reissued under the new authority).
• Updates section 4 to say local authorities must submit applications “in the form and manner specified by the Minister,” and aligns that process with the revised Local Authorities’ Guide and a new standard application form.
• Removes some previous administrative steps from the Guide (the preliminary assessment form and the formal requirement to test alternative measures for one boating season).
• Sets how TP 15587E will be managed: it will be updated at least once a year (by March) and will include new requests received by November 15. The Guide’s earlier application deadline of September 15 was replaced by November 15.
• Establishes internal service timeframes for review: regional Office of Boating Safety review within 30 calendar days, federal review within 30 calendar days, and TP 15587E updates within 15 calendar days after ministerial approval.

Who's affected#

• Local governments and other local authorities that apply for boating restrictions.
• Recreational boaters, watersports participants, and businesses that operate on affected waterways. They may face new or amended restrictions that come into force more quickly.
• Transport Canada and its Office of Boating Safety, which will manage the new publication and review applications under the updated timelines.
• Enforcement agencies and officers who will be designated under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 rather than listed inside the VORR.
• Indigenous communities and stakeholders who are consulted during local application processes.

If it is unclear whether a particular waterway will be changed, the source says local authorities must follow the Guide and submit applications as before.

Why it matters#

• It speeds up how fast local boating restrictions can be added or changed. That can make it easier to respond sooner to safety or environmental problems on a lake, river or harbour.
• It removes a slow, formal regulatory amendment step for adding locations. That means local restrictions that previously took months or years to appear in the regulations can be added faster via TP 15587E.
• It fixes confusing wording about electric motors (the 7.5 kW limit) so water users and enforcement officers have clearer rules to follow.
• Local authorities keep responsibility for consulting people and preparing evidence for restrictions, but they now use a single, standard application form and a later annual deadline (November 15) if they want a restriction in place for the next boating season.
• The change does not itself create new restrictions. But restrictions approved under the new process can reach the public faster, so boaters, event organizers and small businesses may need to adapt more quickly when a local restriction is added.