Advertisement
"Unfortunately, we still have had, thus far, a couple fatalities on our waterways that we patrol," OPP Const. Phil Young told CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca in a Zoom interview.
Consuming alcohol on a boat
Young said there are some circumstances where people can legally consume alcohol on a boat.
"We're not out there to ruin somebody's weekend or their day and cause them, you know, a hard time regarding this," he said.
"We get it, when you get back to shore, when you get back to your dock and you sit at your dock and you're not going anywhere and you're going to sit on your vessel and have a beer or a drink, so be it."
Three things need to happen to drink on a vessel:
- The boat must be tied up to a dock or shore or anchored somewhere
- Boat has a pump-out head for the black/wastewater
- Permanent cooking facilities
"What we are seeing more now are pontoon boats where the retailer has told them, 'well, all you need is a port-a-potty screwed onto the back of the boat or onto the front of the boat and a barbecue, or hibachi,'" Young said.
"So that doesn't fly. That's not the intention of the rules and the guidelines, according to Transport Canada."
Human waste must be disposed of properly and not just thrown into the water.
Cooking facilities need a stove, oven or microwave to be considered a permanent cooking facility.
While it may be okay to enjoy an alcoholic beverage after a day of boating, Young stresses public water safety.
"Please don't go out on that boat again after you've been consuming alcohol and or drugs too," he said.
Report impaired drivers
"If you suspect someone is driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs. It is important to call 911 to report it," OPP said.
Young said not a lot of people want to get involved when they see a suspected impaired driver, but to think of the risk of not reporting it.
"They see that happen and they think … 'I'll let somebody else call or it's not a big deal, I'm just going to go home, mind my own business," he said.
"But think of that as one of your loved ones out on the water or one of your children out fishing or out kayaking, or your grandparents, or you're somebody out on the water, enjoying the waterway."
Top Story
- Eastlink buys Sunwire services in Sudbury, Timmins and surrounding areas
- Sault youth, 15, accused of putting victim in chokehold, throwing lighted stick
- Poilievre asks premiers to axe their sales taxes on new homes worth under $1 million 8
- Two arrested for attempted murder after shooting at Sudbury grocery store 1
- Several injuries after baseball bat attack in Kirkland Lake, Ont.
- Ont. woman posed as registered nurse in Simcoe County for 4 years: OPP 1
- Elliot Lake man, 19, charged with careless driving after rollover 2
- Quincy Jones, music titan who worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, dies at 91 3
- Here's what to consider before adding a rental unit to your home 1
- Stunt driving stop leads to impaired driving arrest in Cochrane
- Sudbury mayor joins group asking premier to override charter of rights to deal with encampments
- James Van Der Beek says he has colorectal cancer 1
- Warning after candy given out from a car in the Sault was tampered with
- The impact of Trump's lies in Springfield, Ohio 1
Stories from around the region
North Bay
- Pedestrian struck by a vehicle in North Bay
- More than half of Ontario's wildfires this year were in the northeast, MNR says
- Engineer fined $5K for falsely reporting tailings dam near Parry Sound, Ont., had been repaired
- North Bay charitable groups collect winter coats for vulnerable people
Sudbury
- Stolen historic school bell recovered, two men charged
- Eastlink buys Sunwire services in Sudbury, Timmins and surrounding areas
- Southern Ont. suspect accused of breaking window at tavern in Thessalon, peeing in jail cell
- Timmins suspect charged with impaired after vehicle ends up in ditch on Hwy. 144