Mr. Chair, distinguished members of the committee, thank you for granting me the opportunity to address you today.

I am Laurence Renaud‑Langevin, executive director of Massawippi Blue, a non-profit organization that has been in existence since 1968 in the province of Quebec. Our mission is to preserve and improve the health of the ecosystems of Lake Massawippi and its watershed. We work closely with various partners to achieve our goals.

I am also a scuba diving instructor and, in my role, I am responsible for the operation of a small vessel.

My remarks will be structured around two parts. I will summarize our peer-reviewed scientific article regarding the impact of navigation conduct on Lake Massawippi, and I will present a recommendation based on our studies and my experience.

In 2018, Transport Canada commissioned Massawippi Blue to study the impacts of motorized boats on southern Quebec lakes. Over two years, we monitored shoreline erosion and turbidity in Lake Massawippi, evaluating both natural and boat-induced effects to provide insights into how boating affects freshwater ecosystems and inform management practices.

We saw that phosphorus levels rise with turbidity and rainfall. The study indicated that boat waves contribute to sediment resuspension and phosphorus levels, highlighting the need for policies to minimize sediment disturbance. Leisure boating, a popular and economically significant activity, increases natural shoreline erosion by displacing soil, particularly in narrow channels. Propellers in shallow water disrupt sediment in areas up to nine metres deep, with natural factors like wind and rainfall further influencing turbidity.

Results showed correlations between boat traffic intensity, water turbidity and total phosphorus, with turbidity increasing with wind speeds and plankton levels, and decreasing with slope angle. Our results advocate for implementing or enhancing speed limit restrictions near shorelines, as demonstrated by a lake with a 10‑kilometre‑per‑hour limit within 100 metres or 300 feet of shore. A baseline should exist for every body of water in the country.

In light of all this, and based on my work experience as a diving instructor, my recommendation to strengthen environmental safety, as well as boating safety, would be to review the process for obtaining a pleasure craft operator's licence. I find it very hypocritical that it can take nearly 12 months to go through the steps required for a car driver's licence—not to mention the additional classes for certain categories of licence—while in only three hours, a person can obtain a boating licence. People can buy, launch and operate a boat without anyone ever checking their driving skills or their knowledge. Many, if not nearly all issues related to boating and environmental safety could be resolved—or at least greatly reduced—if we approached a pleasure craft operator's licence the same way we do a car licence.

Additionally, this approach would allow for better control and a natural separation between commercial and recreational boating. We could even introduce different classes for boating licences, much like those for cars and trucks. For example, a wake boat licence could require an extra course or skills check, and a higher registration fee could be charged, as these boats cause more environmental impact than a simple 12‑foot rowboat. This system could also generate funds to support environmental protection and conservation programs. It would create job opportunities as instructors would be needed to teach these skills. We would introduce all the boating and environmental safety concepts and evaluate them before allowing boat operators on the water, making it far easier to reinforce these skills and knowledge, rather than operators being made aware of them later and randomly.

We really see this as a societal project that restricts no one, but rather encourages a safe and responsible use of our waters, in addition to reinforcing environmental safety, which is directly related.

This measure could complement national regulation on recreational watercraft. It would have a baseline that could apply to all bodies of water, but the process would be simplified and alleviate the financial burden on municipalities, enabling them to manage their lakes and rivers in their own particular way.

Thank you.