Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 17/99) - For the first time in more than 25 years, changes have been made to the regulations for the operation of small watercraft in Canada. They went into effect on April 1, 1999.

The new regulations cover areas in operator competency requirements and age-horsepower restrictions, but, according to the Office of Boating Safety, these new regulations will not take effect in the Northwest Territories or Nunavut until further consultations with the communities have been made.

"Boating is such an important part of life in the North," said Boating Safety and Public Affairs co-ordinator Stephen Sherburn. "We need to make sure that we talk to all the communities before any new regulations come into effect here."

For the rest of Canada, the new regulations and restrictions require small boat operators to take a Canadian Coast Guard accredited test for boating competency, and age restrictions have been established for what kind of craft a person under the age of 16 can operate.

"The new regulations put into the Boating Safety Act are there to reflect the new kinds of technology and new kinds of boats on the waters," Sherburn said.

"Certain kinds of personal watercraft, like sea-doos and jet-skis, were not around when the original regulations were established, and so it was important to draft new regulations in response to them."

Under the age-horsepower regulations, persons under 16 years of age cannot operate any kind of personal watercraft and only boats that do not exceed 40 horsepower. Once again, however, these regulations do not apply to the NWT or Nunavut.

"Right now, a 12-year-old can operate any kind of pleasure or personal watercraft in the Territories without any supervision," said Sherburn. "This is a problem, because the NWT has the highest incidence of drownings in Canada.

"Out of the 209 drownings that occurred from 1969 to 1998 in the Territories, 106 were directly related to boating accidents.

"Many of them are young persons, because they are the most likely to not know how to properly operate a boat and because life jackets and personal floatation devices they might be wearing are not worn properly."

Sherburn stressed the importance of wearing a Canadian-approved personal floatation device or life-jacket while travelling in watercraft in the NWT. He recommended that children should wear both of these safety devices.

"Life-jackets guarantee that in the event of one losing consciousness, the person's head will remain above water 100 per cent of the time," Sherburn said.

"The problem in the North is that our waters are cold all year round, making life-jackets no guarantee for survival if one must spend an extended period of time in the water. Personal floatation devices are designed to be warm. By wearing both, chances of survival in an accident would be much greater."