Officials meet for pleasure boating to become less regulated on St. Lawrence.
6/26 - Ogdensburg, N.Y. – U.S. and Canadian officials met at the Dobisky Visitors’ Center Friday to express their joint resolve in loosening the international security restrictions that currently make it difficult for fishermen and pleasure boaters to enjoy the St. Lawrence River.
Canadian Sen. Robert W. Runciman and Gordon Brown, a member of the Canadian Parliament, were joined by state Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton; Ogdensburg Mayor Wayne L. Ashley and Gary S. DeYoung, executive director of the Thousand Islands International Tourism Council.
With the St. Lawrence River as a backdrop, the international political contingent spoke of the need to change a portion of the Canadian Customs Act, which forces U.S. boaters to report to Canadian customs officials if they stray into Canadian waters. Both Mr. Runciman and Mr. Brown have introduced legislation in the Canadian Senate, and in the Canadian House of Commons, that would exempt U.S. pleasure boaters from reporting when they enter Canadian waters as long as they don’t disembark, anchor, moor, make contact with another vessel or import goods.
The proposal would also exempt Canadian pleasure boaters from reporting to their own customs officials when they return to Canadian waters, as long as they met the same conditions while in U.S. waters.
Mr. Runciman said the Canadian law as it is now written is unreasonable.
“Right now, the Customs Act says that if you enter Canadian waters, you have to report to customs, unless you are proceeding directly from one spot in the U.S. to another, using the most direct route,” Mr. Runciman said. “Considering the geography of this region, particularly west of here in the Thousand Islands, I don’t think that is a realistic requirement.”
Mr. Runciman said he has personally spent years boating in the Thousand Islands, and knows from experience that it is difficult to know the international boundary. “It’s impossible to tell which country you are in at times,” he said.
The issue regarding boating along the St. Lawrence River came to light in 2011, when a Thousand Island Park resident drifted from American waters into Canadian waters while fishing the Gananoque Narrows.
The man, who had been fishing in the area for years without reporting his presence to the Canadian Border Services Agency, had his boat seized by agents and needed to pay a $1,000 fine before he could retake possession of the vessel.
The fine was ultimately reduced to $1 after U.S. and Canadian lawmakers became involved.
Mrs. Ritchie said at Friday’s press conference that she continues to hear from constituents who say they no longer dare to venture far from shore when boating because of fears of straying into Canadian waters and facing possible fines. She described loosening the security restrictions as a common-sense approach to alleviating the problem.
“The United States and Canada are lucky enough to share the St. Lawrence River, which is not only one of the world’s most majestic natural resources, but also a major economic driver for both of our countries that attracts tourists to our local communities from across the globe,” Mrs. Ritchie said.
“This common-sense legislation would eliminate confusion — especially for people new to the St. Lawrence River — improve relations between Canada and the United States, and make it easier for all people who are boating or fishing on the waterway.”
Mr. Brown said he is confident that Canadian lawmakers will eventually make the changes needed to improve boating access to the river. He said he is hopeful the changes would be incorporated into Canadian law “as soon as possible,” but said the process could take as long as two years.
Mr. Brown grew up in the Thousand Islands and has been boating since he was a child. He agreed that making it easier for pleasure boaters to use the St. Lawrence River is in the best interest of both countries.
He called the trading relationship between Canada and the U.S. the greatest in the world.
“We don’t want to do anything that is going to negatively impact the relationships between our people in Canada and your folks here on the U.S. side,” Mr. Brown said. Following the press conference, the group, along with members of Sen. Ritchie’s “International Border Caucus,” met privately to discuss other issues affecting both countries.
One topic of discussion included the possibility of SUNY Canton working with Canadian hospitals to provide nursing students with clinical placements. As co-chairwoman of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, Mrs. Ritchie has been spearheading efforts to strengthen health care services throughout rural regions of the state.
The group also discussed ways in which Canada and the United States can work together to strengthen each other’s respective dairy industries, according to a statement issued by Mrs. Ritchie’s office.
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