LOCATION: National
ISSUE/SOURCE: Floating Accommodations
DATE: May 2025
SUGGESTED RESPONSES
- The Government of Canada is aware of concerns around the impacts of long-term anchoring to the public interest.
- All floating accommodations in Canada must be compliant with the requirements of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 and its applicable regulations. This includes regulations involving their construction and measures restricting discharges into the marine environment.
- Transport Canada actively follows up on any reports of safety or pollution issues from floating accommodations.
IF PRESSED
- Provinces, municipalities and other government departments can also issue regulations restricting the long term anchoring of floating accommodations in waters within their own boundaries.
- Parks Canada has taken action with new mooring restrictions that came into force in May 2024 to address the issue on the Trent-Severn Waterway and the Rideau Canal areas under their jurisdiction.
- The Province of Ontario has introduced regulatory changes to address the matter on its own provincial waterways.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
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- Since 2021, Transport Canada has become increasingly engaged in responding to public inquiries and complaints from members of the public, municipalities, and cottage associations along the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario regarding floating accommodations. These concerned groups have requested that Transport Canada intervene and prohibit these floating accommodations, given the impacts they are having on the environment, safety and the public interest.
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- These floating accommodations are considered ‘vessels’ under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, as its definition of vessel includes any floating object that can be navigated, even if it lacks propulsion.
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- On July 1, 2023, the province of Ontario enacted new regulatory provisions that prohibit overnight anchoring on public land covered by water in Ontario to help address the long-term anchoring of floating accommodations. Transport Canada has conducted inspections several of these vessels. In several cases, follow-up with the vessel owners was conducted to help bring these vessels into compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
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- In British Columbia, there are floating accommodations that are not considered vessels because they are permanently moored to the dock or shore. These floating accommodations are dependent on shore services (electrical power, fresh water, waste management, etc.) and therefore cannot be used for navigation.