Clean Marine Program Celebrates 30th Anniversary
Apr 8, 2025
By Mathew Channer
Ontario’s Clean Marine eco-rating program turns 30 this year, marking 3 decades of protecting and preserving Ontario’s waterways.
Clean Marine Assessor and Events Coordinator Rick Legedza, who worked for more than 35 years in fiberglass before Clean Marine and has seen some very dirty marine work, says the program is important for Ontario’s recreational marine industry.
“We want to support recreational boating by making it clean and environmentally friendly for everybody,” he says.
Clean Marine is an advisory voice that exists to help marinas improve their environmental protection practices and standards. Clean Marine reassesses each member every four years, with self-assessment required annually.
The program is voluntary and offers compelling incentives for membership through discounted policies with Hub Insurance. But an equally important benefit of Clean Marine membership is the message it sends to boaters.
“Participating marinas can show their members that they are doing everything they can to preserve the water and their marina and make boaters’ recreational time more pleasurable,” Legedza says.
Clean Marine currently has 196 members and continues to grow.
“We’re seeing 5 to 10 per cent growth, and that’s great,” he says. “The more members we get and the more education we do with members, the cleaner our waterways are going to be.”
