Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.

My name is Brad Thomson. I'm the general manager of MacDonald Turkey Point Marina. I've been in the boating industry for 34 years full time, after eight years of part-time work, starting at age 11.

I'm here today regarding funding cuts to CanBoat's flare disposal program. CanBoat was formerly called the Canadian Power Squadron.

The disposal of expired flares is a very concerning public safety issue. MacDonald Turkey Point Marina alone has sold 438 flares this year, and we currently have over 500 expired flares in our possession. Customers bring these flares into our store or leave them at our door, and we've even found them in and around our garbage containers.

Expired flares are hazardous goods that require special handling and disposal services. Not only are these expired flares a safety risk to our marina staff and the disposal service we use, but they're also an extreme hazard to the environment, including lakes, landfills and wildlife.

Federal regulations require boaters to carry Transport Canada-approved flares on their boats. The flares are valid for four years from the date of manufacture that's indicated on the flares. Considering the number of recreational boats across our country, the result is an extremely large quantity of expiring flares on a regular basis, with no cost-effective or regulated way to dispose of them.

On November 9, 2021, the Transport Canada policy of acceptance of electronic visual distress signals in lieu of pyrotechnic distress signals on pleasure craft came into force. I'm uncertain how many boaters are aware of electronic signals as an alternative to flares, because Transport Canada's “Safe Boating Guide” is dated July 2019, so it's almost five years old. That's over two years before the policy came into effect.

On behalf of the boaters and marine operators of Canada, we would like to see federal funding reinstated to CanBoat for its flare disposal problem and also see Transport Canada update its safe boating guidelines, both online and in print, to advise boaters of the use of alternative electronic signals.

I'm also here today representing MacDonald Turkey Point Marina regarding Transport Canada and the Canadian Navigable Waters Act, which has impacted our rights to control the waterways within the marina.

MacDonald Turkey Point Marina has been under current ownership since January 31, 2005, with the marina itself dating back to the 1950s. It was through the hard work of man and machine in the 1950s that the waterways were dug out to create the marina. MacDonald Turkey Point Marina owns the bed of the waterways within the marina, as indicated in the following quotes taken from a Transport Canada letter dated February 6, 2020:

The letter provides the official position of Transport Canada and supersedes all previous correspondence....

The Government of Canada does not own the bed of the channels that form part of the Turkey Point Marina.

The Canadian Navigable Waters Act applies to the channels within the property known as the Turkey Point Marina.

The Canadian Navigable Waters Act prevents the marina from having any control over its waterway. As a result of the Transport Canada letter, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, in a letter dated March 4, 2024, has taken the following position, as quoted from that letter:

The Ministry is of the opinion that Turkey Point Marina may not restrict the public's right to fish in navigable waters, regardless of the ownership of the bed....

Fishermen impede navigation in our channel rather than promote it. They can be a hindrance and a danger to navigation within our waterways. On any given Saturday or Sunday during the summer, we can have upwards of 1,200 boats within our busy waterways.

We also have an issue with troublesome former customers who have “no trespassing” orders issued against them to stay off the marina property. With right of access to our waterways, they can still disturb our customers.

It's nearly impossible to enforce these orders through local conservation officers and the Ontario Provincial Police due to the waterway access. MacDonald Turkey Point Marina would like Transport Canada to review the marina's control over its waterways.

Our industry is also dealing with the burden of the luxury tax that has cost our industry millions due to reduction in boat sales, job losses and business closures. Also, considering the volume of gas we sell at the marina gas bar, the carbon tax is an additional expense to our customers.

On behalf of all our customers and all those in the industry, we are asking that the government reconsider these taxes.

Thank you for you time and attention to these details.