July 7, 2026

Just last week, six people are reported to have drowned after a charter fishing boat sank off the coast of Richmond, British Columbia. The boat, carrying ten people, began taking on water near Roberts Bank after leaving Steveston on Sunday (28 June 2026). A passing couple in their sailboat put out a mayday call at about 11:45am local time, reporting several people in the water without life jackets. They rescued four people who were taken to the hospital but the other people remain unaccounted for and are presumed drowned. There was no sign of the boat which presumably sank.

The boating industry would certainly prefer that people be allowed the freedom and comfort of not being required to wear a lifejacket or PFD when boating, but this incident is clearly an example of why people should wear one. No one plans their “accident”. Plus, you have to wonder how a vessel fishing in those big open waters, would not have their passengers wearing lifejackets and how did the boat capsize and sink so fast? In this edition of Boating Industry Canada News Week Digest, we also have a story from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and their call is for better boater training and more strict operator licensing. I think our whole industry needs to be better prepared for future regulation.

Luckily, we have several excellent marine trades associations in Canada and they are all active and engaged with Transport Canada. As any new legislation is tabled, a detailed process begins and there is usually ample time for the various public and industry groups to express their opinions on proposed legislation or regulatory changes.

I believe that the best way for our industry to safeguard our interests is to support our associations, be “at the table” and to make our collective opinions and rationale known from the start of any discussions that would impact the boat business.

Better still, we need to be sensitive to the discussions and changing opinions. We should lead the discussions in a way that is sensible. It’s never good to be reacting to someone else’s agenda.

Showing leadership is the most powerful way to manage the changing regulatory environment.

Supporting boater education including on-the-water training, just as people get on-the-road training to drive a vehicle, would actually benefit our business and be a powerful way to help new boaters to get going.

Also, in this edition of Boating Industry Canada News Week Digest, we have another excellent article that is again FREE for your use on your websites, in your newsletters and your other communications materials. Canada shares a very long border with the United States and Canadian boaters may plan a boating trip across the border or they may inadvertently cross into American waters. John Gullick’s CanBoat article (below) is an easy way to share important information with your customers and to anticipate their questions.

We should make the first moves in this evolving game.

Andy Adams – Editor