Every now and again in my line of work, we run into the type of person that believes wholeheartedly that everyone who works for the federal government, is a lazy, unschooled, unskilled and unmotivated slacker, who is simply trading in time for a paycheck and waiting listlessly to be put out to final pasture.
Now, I'm not even a bona fide federal employee, but I can't help but take offense at being lumped into this same class of people. Still, I can certainly understand how or better yet why, so many people arrive at these types of conclusions. I have been having a back-and-forth recently with a section of Transport Canada. I am doing so in order to be absolutely clear in my mind, how our boating regulations apply to Canadians, under any foreseeable circumstance. Why? So I can provide the best and most accurate information I can to the people we serve: the Great Canadian public.
Better to be prepared than caught flat-footed, right? That's what I thought... Throughout this process, I have made it a point of being meticulous as I always do, ensuring that my correspondence is crystal clear and completely unambiguous. The responses I have received in return however, border on the insane.
In my initial letter, I asked the following question:
"Good afternoon!
I have a question which arose from a recent conversation here at work. We know that the Canadian regulations (Small Vessel Regulations) apply to foreign recreational boaters who are in Canadian waters for a period exceeding 45 consecutive days, piloting their own vessels. If an American boater takes out a Canadian-licensed pleasure craft (either owned or rented), the Canadian regulations apply right off the bat.
However if a Canadian citizen (and resident) keeps a pleasure craft in the US (perhaps he owns a cottage over there...), having had it legally licensed there, when he brings said vessel into Canadian waters, is he subject to the 45 consecutive days moratorium or as a Canadian resident/citizen, is he immediately subject to the Canadian boating regulations (PCOC, minimum safety equipment requirements, etc...)?
I am of the mind that as a Canadian citizen and resident, he would automatically fall under our regulations. Some direction in this would be appreciated.
Regards,"
As a first response from the "head authority" on boating regulations, this is what I then received:
"Dear Mr. *****,
In response to your inquiry regarding the pleasure craft licence: (Wha-aaaaaa.....????)
If your (It's not mine, it's hypothetical...) craft is principally maintained and operated in Canada, then it must be licensed. This 44 days applies only to the Pleasure Craft Operator Competency Card (PCOC).
For the latest updates from the Office of Boating Safety, I encourage you to subscribe to our electronic mailing list: http://www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/debs/obs/news/mailing_list/menu.htm
For further information, please visit http://www.boatingsafety.gc.ca/
Sincerely,
Office of Boating Safety Bureau de la Sécurité nautique
Design, Equipment and Boating Safety Conception, equipment et sécurité nautique
Transport Canada Transports Canada
Place de Ville (AMSRO) Tower C
330 Sparks Street, Ottawa K1A 0N5
Government of Canada Gouvernement du Canada
Tel. ***.***.****
Undaunted (unfortunately...), I sent him the follow-up e-mail:
"Dear Mr. *****,
I thank you for your reply, although I was not enquiring about the licensing aspect at all. In this case, the boat in question normally remains in US waters throughout the year, let's say in the State of Michigan, where it is legally licensed by that State's authority. It is kept at a cottage which is owned stateside by said Canadian citizen.
I suppose it is easier to simply assume that since the boat's operator himself is a Canadian, that he must comply with the Canadian Small Vessel Regulations, regardless of where his boat is licensed.
Would that be accurate?
Regards,"
The very same morning, I received the following from this gentleman:
Dear Mr. *****,
In response to your inquiry regarding the pleasure craft licence, you should contact the Service Canada National Pleasure Craft Licence coordination office either by e-mail:
NC-PCL Enquiries-Renseignements PEP-GD@servicecanada.gc.ca
Or by calling their HelpDesk @ 613-960-3255.
For further information, please visit http://www.boatingsafety.gc.ca/
Sincerely,
Office of Boating Safety Bureau de la Sécurité nautique
Design, Equipment and Boating Safety Conception, equipment et sécurité nautique
Transport Canada Transports Canada
Place de Ville (AMSRO) Tower C
330 Sparks Street, Ottawa K1A 0N5
Government of Canada Gouvernement du Canada
Tel. ***.***.****
Seriously??? If clues were shoes... this lad would be friggin' barefoot. I swear to God.... If I went and found the next convenient retard on any Ottawa street corner and asked them the same question, I would probably get a more pertinent and concise answer.
The person who was given the task of responding to my e-mail on behalf of that particular department, is probably still at the development stage where he flings feces at strangers and spends his lunch breaks climbing the office coat rack. This is exactly the type of blinkered, philistine pig-ignorance that can launch an otherwise calm and rational citizen, into fits of apoplexy. This lad could well serve as the proverbial "poster child", when it comes to why the Canadian federal gubmint civil servant is perceived by many of the 'great unwashed', as being 'stoopid'.
Now, I'm not even a bona fide federal employee, but I can't help but take offense at being lumped into this same class of people. Still, I can certainly understand how or better yet why, so many people arrive at these types of conclusions. I have been having a back-and-forth recently with a section of Transport Canada. I am doing so in order to be absolutely clear in my mind, how our boating regulations apply to Canadians, under any foreseeable circumstance. Why? So I can provide the best and most accurate information I can to the people we serve: the Great Canadian public.
Better to be prepared than caught flat-footed, right? That's what I thought... Throughout this process, I have made it a point of being meticulous as I always do, ensuring that my correspondence is crystal clear and completely unambiguous. The responses I have received in return however, border on the insane.
In my initial letter, I asked the following question:
"Good afternoon!
I have a question which arose from a recent conversation here at work. We know that the Canadian regulations (Small Vessel Regulations) apply to foreign recreational boaters who are in Canadian waters for a period exceeding 45 consecutive days, piloting their own vessels. If an American boater takes out a Canadian-licensed pleasure craft (either owned or rented), the Canadian regulations apply right off the bat.
However if a Canadian citizen (and resident) keeps a pleasure craft in the US (perhaps he owns a cottage over there...), having had it legally licensed there, when he brings said vessel into Canadian waters, is he subject to the 45 consecutive days moratorium or as a Canadian resident/citizen, is he immediately subject to the Canadian boating regulations (PCOC, minimum safety equipment requirements, etc...)?
I am of the mind that as a Canadian citizen and resident, he would automatically fall under our regulations. Some direction in this would be appreciated.
Regards,"
As a first response from the "head authority" on boating regulations, this is what I then received:
"Dear Mr. *****,
In response to your inquiry regarding the pleasure craft licence: (Wha-aaaaaa.....????)
If your (It's not mine, it's hypothetical...) craft is principally maintained and operated in Canada, then it must be licensed. This 44 days applies only to the Pleasure Craft Operator Competency Card (PCOC).
For the latest updates from the Office of Boating Safety, I encourage you to subscribe to our electronic mailing list: http://www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/debs/obs/news/mailing_list/menu.htm
For further information, please visit http://www.boatingsafety.gc.ca/
Sincerely,
Office of Boating Safety Bureau de la Sécurité nautique
Design, Equipment and Boating Safety Conception, equipment et sécurité nautique
Transport Canada Transports Canada
Place de Ville (AMSRO) Tower C
330 Sparks Street, Ottawa K1A 0N5
Government of Canada Gouvernement du Canada
Tel. ***.***.****
Undaunted (unfortunately...), I sent him the follow-up e-mail:
"Dear Mr. *****,
I thank you for your reply, although I was not enquiring about the licensing aspect at all. In this case, the boat in question normally remains in US waters throughout the year, let's say in the State of Michigan, where it is legally licensed by that State's authority. It is kept at a cottage which is owned stateside by said Canadian citizen.
I suppose it is easier to simply assume that since the boat's operator himself is a Canadian, that he must comply with the Canadian Small Vessel Regulations, regardless of where his boat is licensed.
Would that be accurate?
Regards,"
The very same morning, I received the following from this gentleman:
Dear Mr. *****,
In response to your inquiry regarding the pleasure craft licence, you should contact the Service Canada National Pleasure Craft Licence coordination office either by e-mail:
NC-PCL Enquiries-Renseignements PEP-GD@servicecanada.gc.ca
Or by calling their HelpDesk @ 613-960-3255.
For further information, please visit http://www.boatingsafety.gc.ca/
Sincerely,
Office of Boating Safety Bureau de la Sécurité nautique
Design, Equipment and Boating Safety Conception, equipment et sécurité nautique
Transport Canada Transports Canada
Place de Ville (AMSRO) Tower C
330 Sparks Street, Ottawa K1A 0N5
Government of Canada Gouvernement du Canada
Tel. ***.***.****
Seriously??? If clues were shoes... this lad would be friggin' barefoot. I swear to God.... If I went and found the next convenient retard on any Ottawa street corner and asked them the same question, I would probably get a more pertinent and concise answer.
The person who was given the task of responding to my e-mail on behalf of that particular department, is probably still at the development stage where he flings feces at strangers and spends his lunch breaks climbing the office coat rack. This is exactly the type of blinkered, philistine pig-ignorance that can launch an otherwise calm and rational citizen, into fits of apoplexy. This lad could well serve as the proverbial "poster child", when it comes to why the Canadian federal gubmint civil servant is perceived by many of the 'great unwashed', as being 'stoopid'.
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