Courtesy the Boating BC Association
You’ll see fewer abandoned boats these days, thanks to Transport Canada’s national Abandoned Boats Program. Intent on addressing the issue of abandoned and derelict boats across the country, the program successfully brought into force Bill C-64, the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act on July 30, 2019. The Act makes it illegal to abandon a commercial or recreational vessel and carries penalties up to $50,000 for individuals and $250,000 for companies or corporations.
“Bill C-64 is a big step in the right direction,” said Lisa Geddes, Manager, Special Projects, at Boating BC Association. “But it’s only one initiative under the national program. This is a complicated issue and requires a number of initiatives to successfully deal with it in a sustainable way.”
Courtesy the Boating BC Association
The success of Bill C-64 relies on boat owners being held accountable for their vessels. Identifying and locating recreational boat owners is not easy with Transport Canada’s current licensing and registration systems. This is one of the issues being addressed – Geddes noted that boaters can expect new criteria and enhanced systems in the not-to-distant future.
While much of the work to date has focussed on prevention, there remain countless boats abandoned along Canadian shorelines, inlets, rivers and lakes. These vessels are not only an eyesore but can pose a navigational, environmental or safety hazard – and are a hindrance to waterfront businesses and local economies.
Thanks to $5.6 million of funding under the national program, over a hundred abandoned boats have been removed, and the work will continue as long as the funding lasts.
Sam Burkhart
“It’s critical for boaters to understand that it is their responsibility to dispose of their boat properly at the end of its useful life,” said Geddes. “Once the current backlog of abandoned boats has been dealt with, we have to ensure that it doesn’t build up again.”
Under the Abandoned Boats Program, Boating BC received a Transport Canada grant devised to implement prevention initiatives through education and awareness.
“The message of our campaign is twofold,” said Geddes. “In addition to reminding boaters of their responsibility, we have also created a database of boat disposal resources by community. So, boaters know where to go, close to home, to have their boat dealt with.”
Sam Burkhart
The online database includes additional information and frequently asked questions about responsible boat disposal.
“We launched the campaign to the public last year and have received extremely positive feedback,” says Geddes. “We’ve heard from many people who have accessed the database to learn how and where they could dispose of their boat and we are encouraged by the high response rate and desire from boaters who want to do the right thing.”
For more information visit www.boatingbc.ca/boatdisposal and for all the details on Bill C-64 visit https://bit.ly/2NAnVVa
Sam Burkhart