ORIGINAL POST: Do you use a boat with an outboard motor (10 horsepower or greater) that requires a Pleasure Craft Licence (PCL)? Or are you planning on applying for a Pleasure Craft Operator Card?
If so, Transport Canada is proposing changes that will impact you. Here’s a breakdown of some of the changes that are being considered:
- A $15 fee to process an application to obtain a new PCL or to renew, transfer, or duplicate a PCL.
- A 5-year expiration period for all PCLs (currently no expiry or 10-year expiration period).
- Easier cancellation of PCLs if the holder of a lifetime PCL fails to apply, or if a PCL holder fails to renew a PCL.
- Reduced timeframe for owners to notify of a name or address change from 90 days to 30 days, and specify 30 days for the buyer to notify of a sale or transfer of a vessel.
Transport Canada is also proposing changes to the Pleasure Craft Operator Competency Program by introducing an accreditation application fee of $5,000, payable every five years by course providers, and implementing a maintenance and test materials access fee of $8.50 for each Pleasure Craft Operator Card that’s issued. Therefore, it is expected that course providers could increase course fees in order to recuperate these additional expenses.
The OFAH will be providing feedback on behalf of the outdoors community and will share our submission to Transport Canada once it’s finalized. We also represent these interests through our longstanding involvement on the Ontario Recreational Boating Advisory Committee – a platform to share angler and hunter perspectives with government officials.
Be sure to voice your opinion directly. To learn more about Transport Canada’s proposals and submit comments, go to https://letstalktransportation.ca/mss.
Another cash grab. Leave the PWC liscence the way it is. People can’t afford much now and here the giver is digging into our pockets agsin. Insane.
The proposed changes to the Boater’s License is nothing but a bald faced cash grab and sadly it is probably the first of many. The pandemic has left the government cash strapped so they will implement any new revenue streams (tax on tax) they think they can get away with. There can be no convincing data to back up these proposed changes, can there? Costs involved with enforcement could be one excuse they may try to use for justification. Next it will be fishing and hunting license increases. Tell your MP that these proposals are unacceptable because they are only the beginning.
They will probably slap a carbon tax on top of the licence fee as well
Another money grab ? Why not leave the existing PLC holders alone . It will likely cost more to implement than what they will bring in , and where does it stop ? Remember the gun registry ?
Again a total money grab ,they [goverment] won’t stop until everyone is dragged down by there inability to manage the natural resources , this fee will do nothing to ensure water safety , as we were told when we took the course it is a one time thing to ensure people understand water safety , whats next tax the fish we catch !
It would appear that our government is constantly find ways to get more money out of us. Those who already paid for the boating licence that was supposed to be for life is now no longer for life but must be retaken. And yet they want to waste millions on this stupid gun buyback program.. my dog has more brains than our Primeminister.
Hello,
For PCL, my opinion for fees no need.. for reduce every 5 years my tho would like same like lifetime or 10 years same usually… for changes address or buyer get 90 days reduce to 30 days really not matter
John Corsini
I think I have had enough of government finding yet another way to grab my post income tax dollars. Not only that, I find it obscene that the amounts demanded pretty well excludes the local firearms course provider. This is a disgrace.
This is just another money grab from our government. At first it was just to make our water ways safe and make sure the people driving the craft was capable of doing so. Just a hole lot of BS !
I hope that they will consider the age of the boaters.I would recommend that any one over 65 years of age should get his or here license free of charge for life..
Some what agree! I have had my PWC liscence since it became law! The card is now a little worn! Tried to replace, but because of the number of organizations offering these licences who do you contact for replacements? If it was controlled buy one organization much easier to replace! My thoughts!
Another revenue scam to help fund a self-serving bureaucracy! Are there any public servants left?
This nothing but a Money Grab
There have not been any significant changes to the rules of navigation to warrent these changes
Leave it to the Liberals to find yet another way to tax Canadians. Here is the question, “What are we getting for this fee that we were not already getting?
What is the problem with the program as it stands now? We do not need more government interference and drains on our finances to support needless and costly intrusions on our rights and freedoms.
This article is very confusing. It’s important to understand that a Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC that’s obtained from various private organizations at cost) is not the same as a Pleasure Craft License currently issued free of charge by Transport Canada (simple download and print) that’s also supposed to be carried with every vessel that requires registration numbers applied to both sides of the boat. Not all boaters know this and don’t have one on board their vessel. User fees are being proposed to be applied to the federal licenses as a cash grab,pure and simple. It would also set up a fine structure under the Small Vessel Regs for failure to carry which currently doesn’t exist generating more income for federal coffers. Can you imagine the cash flow from this heretofore untapped resource from millions of boat owners from these charges? The Liberals sure can. They’ve never seen a tax they didn’t like.
Back in the 90s when the seadoos started gaining popularity this license came in effect. What harm is the guy in a fishing boat.
I have followed all the laws pertaining to hunting and fishing. I have registered all my firearms as per our governments requests years ago.That alone cost the government a fortune. Now they want to get rid of most of them and pay for it.My God how stupid is this plan.Those people have to know that crooks of every type will not hand theirs in. Have any of those people ever been in the woods hunting and or on a fishing trip. I would say NOT. Why do we let bureaucrats make these decisions
I took the boating course which was for life and passed it. I am 74 years old and have fished and hunted with my dad (bless his soul)since I can remember and on my own and with friends ever since. I may not have that many good years left so I would like to enjoy them without these ridiculous rule changes .I, we are not alone. We have to fight this. Work on your M.P.’s etc… Hopefully Mr. Trudeau will listen to the voice of his own people and those who voted him in. I may be dreaming in technicolor here but worth a try.
On 08/01/2021 1:07 p.m., Joe Celestini wrote:
> Hey Mike,
> Thanks for sharing this. I had heard nothing about it beforehand. Here’s what I submitted to Transport Canada.
>
> This entire program, and the proposed changes do nothing to improve boater safety. Just take a look at the stats. Death by drowning has increased since the introduction of the pleasure craft boating licence. I see nothing in the proposed changes that will change that. Sorry, but this looks to me like just another money grab by the federal government.
> There, I vented. Now that I’ve got that off my chest, here’s my two cents.
> Go back to the drawing board. Gather gather relevant statistics related to deaths and serious injuries caused by unsafe operation. These are available through police reports. What were the cause(s)? Was alcohol or drug use a factor?Did it occur on charted waters? What time of day did it happen? What were the weather conditions? What (if any) laws were broken that lead to the occurrence? There are more cause and effect factors that could be researched to develop a solution to improving boater safety. Once the research is completed, develop a comprehensive, evidence-based proposal that includes not only changes to licensing, but other laws such as use of mandatory PFDs. Once the research is completed and the draft proposal is developed, conduct extensive consultation, leading to a final series of recommendations.
> In my opinion, that proposal should include a series of increasingly complex testing and licence requirements, related to both the vessels being operated, and the bodies of water being navigated.
> Not having done the research, my initial thoughts are:
> 1. Vessels under 15’ with less than 10 hp, or only (12 volt) battery powered motors. No licence required.
> 2. Jet Skis. Specific test. No exception, including rentals.
> 3. Vessels over 15’ used in uncharted waters. Specific testing and licence. No renewal required.
> 4. Vessels over 15’ used in charted waters, the most complex and rigorous testing and renewal/retesting requirements.
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
This new tax is nothing but a way to steal more money from the average boater. I disagree with this tax grab.. This is nothing but a LIEBERAL way of stealing from the people. When I got my license, it was for life.
just a typical govt.cash grab.this country is teetering financially and all they can think of is another tax? a pox on all your houses.
This whole liberal government is getting out of have. Compliancey, control , socialism lets add it up to communism… tax after tax , fee after fee.. just a huge cash grab.. gun control for the safe hunter that takes the time to educate himself and his family yet a slap on the wrist for the criminal.. welcome to Canada the land of control..
Leave it to the idiot Liberals to come up with something like this. They take away guns they know nothing about at a huge cost for the guns and the cost to run the program al when we are bleeding money because of covid only a Liberal could come up with a scheme like that
There was a time when Government was there to help the people, now they spend all day trying to take every dollar out of our pockets. ANOTHER CASH GRAB — how is this helping us?
Hey Trudeau want to save money , cancel that stupid carbon tax, the amount of trees that we have cancels any carbon we make- instead get China and Japan and all those countries that use coal as their main heat source to pay .
How much money is wasted when you put up a huge sign along the highways bragging about how you just fixed the road just for us ?
Maybe if you looked- in house- you would find lots of ways to save money, but hey, why would you care it’s not your money your spending.
Nothing but another Liberal tax grab trying to recoup the money they squander not in Canada….it will never end because they have the support of the Nothing Doing Party…..
1. I fail to see any statistical evaluation that supports a need to reduce the renewal period to 5 years. What is the true rationale for this proposed change or what benefit is supposedly to accrue to the boating community. Once registered a marine vessel rarely if ever changes to the point that more frequent renewal achieves very little.
2. If cost to Transport Canada is their main issue I would submit the thousand of dollars paid through HST on vessel purchases should have a portion dedicated to providing a more useful service rather than going to general government coffers.
3. I do not see anything about instituting a notification system being implemented to ensure PCL holders are reminded of a renewal requirement.
4. If notification of ownership is the issue Transport Canada should focus their efforts to that end. Again decreasing the time for renewal does nothing to assist in that area.
5. I do not support a reduction in the current renewal period
Another reason i will be sticking with my canoe DO not need a PLC for it. Everything to do with enjoying the outdoors and fishing cost you money out the WAHZOO.
I have boat license just encase I have a occasion where I have operate a boat, so that I don’t get fined for doing so. Everything the government lets us do is called a privledge and their privledge is rip us off. Boat licensing started out as a safety issue, now its a money grab.
You know that the Feds are blind and will not give a s++t about what you have put into print and deaf to what you say.
They are in power and you will take this bull crap because they demand you fund their way of doing business so they can con the great masses into what schmooze they are scamming us out of. Typical Liberal, wont go near the woods cause they might witness someone legally dispatching an animal that they hoped to tax more before you could have done so. What is obscene is that an election now or in the near future will put these miscreants back in power and given a new mandate to rob us blind, because all those bundles of cash given out will buy the votes of the faint hearted citizen who is now in the pocket of \trudeau.
Re Coyote hunting contest:
Many or most of those persons who are defaming hunting of coyotes, coy dogs and wolves have no idea what they are about. Likely most of them do not have a job, but are there because some one or organization prods then to protest.
Also, most of the naysayers are from the city.
These people have cottages up north in cottage country and love to watch the wild life. UNTIL their kid is missing and cannot be found in the area, of found maimed by a wild animal.
Then they wish that someone would kill all of the wildlife, because it is not safe at the cottage.
There has been a great loss of pets in the Lindsay area. \this is because there has been until recently been a pack of coyotes living on the north edge of town and could be heard their howling when there was a kill.
But these animals are harmless you say???? throw away your run Dick run and Get more education.