LOCATION: National
ISSUE/SOURCE: Modernization of the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations
DATE: July 2025
SUGGESTED RESPONSES
- The Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations provide local authorities with the means to address specific safety and environmental issues caused by boating activities on their local waterways.
- Transport Canada is working with stakeholders to process incoming requests as quickly as possible within the existing framework and address safety issues on their waterways.
- Transport Canada has heard the concerns of local authorities and is working to improve the current process for requesting new restrictions, including the length of time for approvals and the administrative burden for smaller municipalities.
- Transport Canada published draft details of this new process in Fall 2024 and has included the proposed amendments in Transport Canada’s Forward Regulatory Plan.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
- The Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations regulate boating activities in Canadian waters. The various restrictions are listed in the eight Schedules of the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations, which specify the type of restrictions in place, as well as their location.
- While the Government of Canada has constitutional authority over navigation, there is a need to allow local authorities to have a more direct process in place to identify problems on their waterways and put restrictions in place.
- As such, Transport Canada is working on finalizing regulatory amendments to [ Redacted ]
- Transport Canada has also revised the Local Authorities’ Guide to clarify the process, and roles and responsibilities of local authorities when preparing restriction applications, in addition to removing unnecessary steps in the process, with the intention to streamline preparation and approval of submissions. This revised guide will be released concurrently with the regulations once they are published in Canada Gazette, Part II.
- Consultations on the modernized Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations took place in Fall 2023. A consultation report was published on Transport Canada’s website in May 2024. Pre-publication of the proposed changes in the Canada Gazette, Part I, was completed in Fall 2024.
- The proposed amendments to the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations would support the first phase of the Government of Canada’s goal to reduce regulatory burden for municipalities.