Tag: Transport Canada

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Cottage Life

Transport Canada proposes making engine cut-off switches mandatory in recreational boats

Photo by BORIS LUKIANOV/Shutterstock

Transport Canada is asking the public to weigh in on whether it should make the installation and use of an engine cut-off switch mandatory on personal watercraft. The proposed changes would require manufacturers to install engine cut-off switches in boats that are less than eight metres in length, have a 3-hp motor or more, and have an open helm station (rather than an enclosed cabin). Through the feedback process, the government agency will also be looking at making it mandatory for boat operators to link themselves to the engine cut-off switch when using their vessel.

An engine cut-off switch links the boat’s operator to the vessel via a c-shaped clip and bungee cable. The clip attaches to a button near the boat’s controls, usually close to the ignition switch. The other end of the cable attaches to the operator through a hook-clip or wristband. If the operator is dislodged from the boat and the clip detaches, the motor will shut off.

“This is a safety feature that protects operators from the spinning propeller. The switch also stops the vessel from moving through the water without an operator controlling it,” Transport Canada said in a statement.

Engine cut-off switches have been required in the U.S. for the last few years. In 2019, the U.S. government mandated manufacturers to install engine cut-off switches in all recreational vessels. And in 2021, the U.S. Coast Guard introduced a new law requiring operators of boats less than eight metres in length to link themselves to the engine cut-off switch when the boat’s in use.

“It’s a no-brainer,” says Jim Wielgosz, executive director of the National Marine Manufacturers Association Canada (NMMA). “It harmonizes North American regulations that are already in place in the States, and it instantly improves boater safety.”

The NMMA along with several other marine industry associations has been advocating for engine cut-off switches since 2017.  While Wielgosz still plans to get input from Canadian boat manufacturers on the potential change, he doubts there will be much resistance.

“Canadian manufacturers will follow the lead of the States. It’s the same supply chain in terms of components and the same standards that we have to follow in terms of boat certification,” he says.

There’s also the fact that approximately 85 per cent of the boats sold in Canada are manufactured in the U.S., meaning they already have the engine cut-off switch installed.

You can submit your feedback on engine cut-off switches here until May 19.

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Cottage Life

Polaris issues snowmobile recall due to fuel tanks catching fire

The Indy 120 is just one of the snowmobile models that has been recalled by Polaris. Photo by Polaris

You may want to double-check your snowmobile’s fuel levels before heading out this weekend.

Off-road vehicle manufacturer, Polaris, issued a recall for several of its snowmobile models after discovering that operating the vehicle with a low fuel level after long-term storage could cause the fuel tank to explode and the snowmobile to catch fire.

“[It] could create an increased risk of an electrostatic discharge (spark) inside the fuel tank. If this happens, vapours may be ignited inside the fuel tank, and the tank could rupture,” the company said in the recall announcement.

In Canada, 60,904 snowmobile units are affected by this recall, including the 2019-2023 models of the Indy snowmobile, the 2016-2023 models of the RMK snowmobile, the 2013-2019 models of the Rush snowmobile, the 2016-2023 models of the SKS snowmobile, the 2013-2023 models of the Switchback snowmobile, the 2018-2021 models of the Titan snowmobile, and the 2018-2023 models of the Voyageur snowmobile.

The company issued a similar recall in the U.S. last November for its Matryx, Axys, and Pro-Ride snowmobiles. In that instance, there were 30 reports of fuel tank ruptures, including 16 fires and one injury.

If you own one of the affected models, Polaris said you should immediately stop using the snowmobile and not attempt any repairs yourself. Instead, contact Polaris to schedule a free repair at an authorized Polaris dealer.

If you need to start the vehicle to get it onto a trailer to transport it to a dealer, Polaris said you should ensure the fuel tank is full. If it’s not full, fill it up with fresh gasoline.

To schedule a repair, you can contact Polaris at 1-800-765-2747.

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Cottage Life

Transport Canada considers making lifejackets mandatory on recreational boats

Photo by Keith Levit/Shutterstock

Transport Canada, which oversees both recreational and commercial vessel safety, is asking members of the Canadian Marine Advisory Council (CMAC) to weigh in on whether all boaters, including those in human-powered vessels, such as canoes and kayaks, should be legally required to wear a lifejacket while out on the water.

The CMAC is comprised of parties with interests in shipping, navigation, and marine pollution, and it advises the federal government on marine safety and security issues. During the council’s fall 2022 meeting, Transport Canada asked members to provide comments on a list of regulations the agency had developed around lifejackets.

The proposed regulations included the following:

Age requirements:

  • Require the mandatory wearing of a PFD or a lifejacket for any person aged 14 years or younger on board a pleasure craft; or
  • Require the mandatory wearing of a PFD or a lifejacket for any person aged 18 years or younger on board a pleasure craft.

Vessel size requirements:

  • Require the mandatory wearing of a PFD or a lifejacket for any person on board any pleasure craft six metres in length and below; or
  • Require the mandatory wearing of a PFD or a lifejacket for any person on board any pleasure craft nine metres in length and below

Vessel-type requirements:

  • Require the mandatory wearing of a PFD or a lifejacket for any person on board any motorized vessel (i.e. powerboats); or
  • Require the mandatory wearing of a PFD or a lifejacket for any person on board any motorized vessel (i.e. powerboats) and human-powered vessel (i.e. canoes, kayaks)

Transport Canada asked members to submit answers about which regulations they supported, any they disagreed with, or any proposed variations to the regulations by February 20.

Transport Canada started floating the idea of making lifejackets mandatory on recreational boats in 2018 when it hired a behavioural scientist to conduct an online survey assessing the perception recreational boaters had of lifejackets. The agency also sent out boating safety officers to public locations to record the number of people wearing lifejackets.

Using the data collected, Transport Canada crafted its proposed lifejacket regulations, and is now gathering feedback from safety organizations and industry partners.

Currently, boaters are required to have a lifejacket on board for each person, but the lifejackets don’t have to be worn. Although, in 2022, MPP Norm Miller brought forward the Lifejackets for Life Act in the Canadian Parliament,  which would require children 12 or younger to wear a lifejacket while on a recreational boat. Not complying with the Act could land you a fine of $200.

According to Transport Canada, wearing a lifejacket can be the difference between life and death, especially in cold water. “This is true despite the boater’s experience, closeness to shore, and even swimming ability. A sudden fall into cold water can seriously affect breathing, nerves, and muscle strength. A lifejacket gives you thermal protection as well as keeping you buoyant. Most recreational boaters who die on the water each year in Canada are not wearing flotation devices or are not wearing them properly,” the agency said on its website.

Last year, the Ontario Provincial Police reported 29 boating-related fatalities. Of those 29 people who died, 26 weren’t wearing a lifejacket.

After February 20, when Transport Canada has received feedback from CMAC members, the agency will open the proposed lifejacket regulations to public review and comment through its Let’s Talk Transportation website.

“Input received on these options, and the issue of mandatory wear in general, will inform potential regulatory amendments, including the approach taken towards potential non-compliance with any future regulations,” the agency said in an email.

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Cottage Life

Changes may be coming to address noise emissions across Canada

Photo by freevideophotoagency.

We love boating—but we know noisy boats can be disruptive to both cottagers and aquatic life. While current legislation mandates all power-driven boats to have a muffler, noise emissions have no specific performance limits. Transport Canada is proposing five policy options to avoid unnecessary noise disturbances. 

What is Transport Canada proposing?

The first policy option will make no changes to existing regulations, and the second will modernize existing regulations. The third option introduces performance measures for manufacturers, while another introduces performance measures for boaters. 

The last option is the most comprehensive, introducing new regulations for both manufacturers and boaters. According to Transport Canada, this policy option would ensure that new and existing boats don’t exceed noise emission limits, will allow police to use a tool to measure decibel limits, and will require operators to modify their boats to meet new standards.

So many options. What do the people want? 

Rob Bosomworth, chair of the Decibel Coalition, is passionate about keeping Canada’s lakes quiet and safe. He supports policy option five. “We need to put decibel limits on both manufacturers and operators to regulate manufacturing importers and to ensure all boats are compliant,” says Bosomworth. “This would not be an overly difficult job for Transport Canada because they already have safety standards and environmental measures for boat manufacturers.” 

Bosomworth also believes that option five would address the larger part of noise emission issues: boaters who do not comply with current regulations. “By increasing performance measures for operators, we manage the largest portion of the problem,” he says. “This would address the outliers whose boats have no mufflers and make an extreme amount of noise.”

The fifth policy proposal would make waves in the movement, not accomplished by previous strategies. For example, municipalities have tried passing by-laws but have been unsuccessful because they do not have jurisdiction. There has also been an increase in public support. Safe Quiet Lakes’ 2021 survey, consisting of almost 6,000 participants, indicated a strong correlation between enjoyment on the lake and noise limits. 

The Decibel Coalition is in frequent talks with Transport Canada and are encouraging supporters to write to their MPs. 

Is option five best for everyone? Let’s dive in further. 

Sara Anghel, president of National Marine Manufacturers Association of Canada (NMMA), supports policy option four. According to Anghel, it would support “building to the standard that would meet the limits that Transport Canada may wish to impose,” while meeting the best interests of all stakeholders. 

The association is concerned that introducing stricter performance measures for manufacturers will make it more difficult for people to enjoy boating. “As an industry, we support people getting into boating and believe that of all the critical priorities that the government should be addressing, boat noise is not at the top of the list,” she says. ”There are more pressing issues, such as improving boating safety, modernizing the pleasure craft licensing system, and supporting the boating community through opportunities to expand recreational boating.” 

While the NMMA doesn’t believe that noise is of top priority, Anghel acknowledges that, “there’s a small number of boaters that pose a nuisance on the Canadian waterways, and we don’t want to promote that kind of boating.” Anghel says the larger issue resides with boaters who use outdated engines or add aftermarket modifications. 

How about the ones who have to enforce the policy? What do they have to say?

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) support option four and five, with concerns rooted in officer and boater safety. According to Sergeant Dave Moffatt, the provincial marine coordinator of the Highway Safety Division under the OPP, these options would allow police to use an instrument to determine decibel limits, similar to the one used when assessing impaired driving. 

Currently, it can be difficult for officers to determine decibel noises or check if there is a muffler present. “This instrument would give us a quantitative result like a pass or fail,” says Sergeant Moffatt. “This will also assess noise emissions for boats that have a muffler and comply with current regulation, but are still loud.” 

Sergeant Moffatt says that noise emission issues are limited to small pockets of the country, yet the OPP receives many complaints about loud boats. “Everyone deserves the right to enjoy the water,” says Sergeant Moffatt. 

Transport Canada is currently analyzing the comments received through public consultation. They will provide updates during the next meeting of the Canadian Marine Advisory Council in fall 2022. 

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Cottage Life

Changes could be coming to pleasure craft licensing in Canada

Photo by Andrea Berg / Shutterstock

Heading out on the lake to cruise on your boat this year? Don’t forget to check out potential new regulations around pleasure craft licencing. 

Transport Canada is proposing changes to modernize pleasure craft licensing, which will come into effect in the winter of 2023. 

Proposed changes to pleasure craft licencing include:

  • Introducing a five-year validity period for pleasure craft licences (PCL). 
  • Expanding the Small Vessel Regulations to include all pleasure crafts equipped with motors of 10 hp or more and all pleasure crafts (including all power-driven and sail-alone vessels) above six metres in length. 
  • Owners must notify Transport Canada of a name or address change and of a sale or transfer of a vessel within 30 days. 
  • Easier cancellation of a pleasure craft licence, if a lifetime PCL holder fails to apply, a PCL holder fails to renew a PCL, or a PCL holder wishes to remove their pleasure craft from service.
  • Introducing a $15 service fee to process an application to obtain, renew, or duplicate a PCL.

Is it really necessary to renew my pleasure craft licence every five years?

Sergeant Dave Moffatt, the provincial marine coordinator of the Highway Safety Division under the Ontario Provincial Police says, yes. He believes the change to the validity period is long overdue and will assist enforcement officers in cleaning the database. If accepted, the changes will create a more streamlined process for locating missing people, finding owners of abandoned boats, and removing them to prevent a navigational hazard. “In the past, we could spend days trying to find out who the owners are,” says Sergeant Moffatt. “Someone could have registered the boat 20 years prior and then sell it. In my experience, you can have 10 different owners before you find the right one.” 

Sara Anghel, the president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association Canada also supports the changes. “There is a lot of old data that may make it challenging when there is an incident or law enforcement is trying to find a boat.”

While there are some licences that have a ten year validity period, this proposed pleasure craft licencing change will greatly affect the holders of a grandfathered licence, which currently have no expiration date. Sergeant Moffatt affirms that this change is key to prioritizing boater safety by ensuring boat owners are connected to their vessels. 

But, what’s the deal with the fee?

Without the change, costs will continue to be absorbed by taxpayer dollars. There is a lot of maintenance that occurs on Canadian waterways, such as maintaining markers and protecting Canada’s marine environment. This fee would help support maintenance costs. 

What are people saying about the proposed changes? 

Public consultation was completed over 65 days, and Transport Canada received 900 comments. Canadians (including recreational boaters), marine stakeholders, law enforcement agencies, boating safety advocates, pleasure craft dealers, associations that represent cottagers and associations that represent anglers, hunters, trappers and recreational fishers were among those that provided comments.

The proposed changes received mixed responses. While some feel that the changes are positive, others believe that there is still something missing. “I would like to see the system given back to boaters. For example, the changes don’t address climate change, the environment, or more access and infrastructure. I want people to get back what they are putting into it,” says Sara Anghel. 

Many participants, while agreeing with the proposal, also suggested using a service fee to fund abandoned vessels, inadequate black water disposal facilities, and mooring buoys. Others recommended mandating liability insurance when new boaters obtain a licence. Respondents were also in agreement that they would like to see Transport Canada take a more active role in education. Such campaigns could include updating information regularly and clarifying the differences between a pleasure craft licence and a Pleasure Craft Operator Card. Lastly, participants believe it would be beneficial to engage more stakeholders such as anglers, hunters, and trappers (to better understand the socioeconomic impacts of the proposed changes) and marine trade associations (who administer the Pleasure Craft Licensing Programs).

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Mobile Syrup

Transport Canada received 171 complaints about Tesla Model 3, Y heating issues

Transport Canada received a total of 171 consumer complaints regarding the performance of heating systems in Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles after the agency opened an investigation into Tesla heat pump issues in January.

According to a report from Teslarati, the complaints included concerns about heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system performance during cold weather conditions. Transport Canada is primarily concerned with how the HVAC performance may impact windshield defogging and defrosting, and driver visibility. The agency has not issued an official recall yet.

Transport Canada told Teslarati it informed Tesla of the investigation and that “communication is ongoing.”

The agency started investigating heating issues with the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y in mid-January after several Tesla owners reported problems earlier in the month.

Transport Canada encourages anyone who has experienced heating issues with their Tesla Model 3 or Model Y to contact them at 1-800-333-0510 or by filling out this defect complaint form.

Source: Teslarati

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Mobile Syrup

Transport Canada investigating Tesla Model 3/Y heat pump issue

Transport Canada opened an investigation into the heating system issues plaguing Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles after several Tesla owners reported failing heat pumps.

Earlier this month, several Canadians with Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles encountered issues with the heat pumps failing in cold weather. Some of the reports linked the failures to a software update rolled out in December, but other reports date from before the update.

Regardless, losing vehicle heating in cold weather can be dangerous. Along with the dangers of exposure, Transport Canada noted concern that the malfunction could “affect windshield defogging/defrosting and therefore driver visibility” (via Reuters).

Additionally, Transport Canada said that companies are required to notify it and all current vehicle owners when they become aware of a defect that could affect the safety of people. Finally, Transport Canada said it had informed Tesla of the investigation.

Tesla did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. However, several Tesla news-focused Twitter accounts have shared news about what the company is doing about the issue. Notably, the ‘Tesla Owners Online’ account (@Model3Owners) said that Tesla is “taking this cold weather climate problem very seriously.”

The account goes on to describe cold-weather testing the company is doing in Alaska. Further, it explains an issue where the front air intake flap freezes open, causing the heat pump system to stop working properly. It’s not clear if that’s the problem impacting Canadian Tesla owners, especially since one Model Y owner in Toronto reported the cost to fix the problem was over $5,600.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk also hasn’t commented on the problem yet, although Reuters did reference a 2020 tweet from Musk praising the Model Y heat pump engineering:

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1242229469017862145?s=20

Source: Reuters

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Nouvelles quotidiennes

Airport Security Getting More Stringent

Since Nigeria’s Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, nearly carried out a terrorist attack on Christmas Day on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, authorities in Canada and the United States are locking down with stricter security measures for air travel.

The latest regulation implemented by Transport Canada is the ban on carry-on luggage on board a plane headed towards the United States. All baggage is required to be checked in, with the exception of certain items such as medications, medical equipment, small purses, cameras, coats, children’s items, laptops, crutches, canes, walkers, life support systems and musical instruments.

All these recent security measures have considerably increased the waiting time before boarding. To help personnel at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, Minister of Transport, John Baird, has requested the support of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Yesterday, more than forty officers reported to the airport to facilitate procedures.