Who controls in water lakes?

[Butch103]

:06:

General question to all. This came up at our cottagers assoc meeting. We live on a small lake in Ontario and we are curious as too who "runs" it?

Are they governed by the Coast Guard regarding the boating regs, which are inforced by the OPP. And is the aquatic life protected by the MNR (provincial). Where does the local municipality fall?

This rambling is to try to sort out the layers of control.

 

[pt40fathoms]

All waterways that are international and can be navigated are under federal jurisdiction and as such, fall under coast guard control. This is not to say the RCMP, OPP or Quebec Provincial Police (don't know what they call themselves) or municipal police forces can not effect an arrest on the waterways if it falls into their jurisdiction. Just that the primary authority for enforcement of laws governing navigation and use of the waterway would be by the coast guard.

All "inland" lakes and waterways are handled by law enforcement agencies other than the coast guard, dependant on what jurisdiction they fall under. This may include park police and natural resources officers.


Hope this answers your question.

 

[Abyssdive]

For the most part in Ontario the enforcement of regulations and laws, either Provincial or Federal, is conducted by either OPP or your local municipal police. For example Lake Ontario is divide between Hamilton, Toronto, Niagara and other forces with Marine units. The OPP are tasked with the areas that do not have a local police service. The Canadian Coast Guard does not operate as the US Coast Guard. The CCG deals primarily with navigational aids.

 

[Groundhog246]

Are you trying to find out who will tell you can or can't put in a dock, dive it, or something similar? Will be a combo of MNR and local municipality and in my experience, both will make it extremely difficult to do anything at all. Enforcement for boaters will be any police department, OPP, municipal, even RCMP if they catch you. The bigger the lake, the more likely the OPP boat will visit.

 

[Butch103]

.....nope ,,don't worry and don't ask about those items. It was more just a curious thought. It seemed to me that the CCG sets out the rules, the local authorities enforce them (OPP in our case), the MNR controls ("protects") whats in the lakes and the local municipailties tax our asses off (with help from the provincial dogs) fo living on the lake.

I think I got confirmation of this from you good folks out there.

 

[Groundhog246]

That's pretty close. You've got Federal Fisheries and Oceans (dept responsible for CCG) in there too, as well as federal and provicial environment ministries. That's waht makes it so difficult to do anything as there's too many involved and everyone has to sign off on it.