Transport Canada’s proposed changes to watercraft rental rules could have a severe impact on rental companies across Canada.
If approved, it would make it mandatory for all watercraft renters to have a boating licence.
That’s something Andre Plyusnin, owner of SunWave Boat Rentals in Kelowna, said would cripple the rental industry.
“Well, (I’m) quite unhappy,” said Plyusnin.
“The majority, probably 90 per cent, of my clients don’t have a boating licences. I will definitely not survive if those become laws.”
The current law governing watercraft rentals in Canada requires businesses to offer customers a tour of the vessel they’re taking out on the water and information about safety.
The new rule would mean renters would have to complete a three-hour online course before being able to coast out onto the water — something the B.C. Boating Association doesn’t favour.
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“This in terms of the rental industry and safety on the water. This wouldn’t necessarily achieve what they were hoping it to, so they asked for a lot of input,” said Bruce Hayne,
“It looks like they will be rescinding that and will just have checklists on the docks.”
The BC Boating Association says while that rule change seems unlikely now, one change will be going through.
“What they will do in terms of change to the regulations is to require anyone under the age of 21 to have an operator card if they want to rent a boat,” said Hayne.
The decisions have not been made official yet. Transport Canada was unavailable for comment by press time.
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