L'Éntrepôt Marine Inc., located at 1285 boul. Arthur-Sauvé in
Laval, will be the spot on Saturday, July 5 (9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to dispose of expired flares.
Under the Boating Safety Contribution Programme (BSCP) the
Federal Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt recently announced funding for a Safety
Equipment Education and Pyrotechnic Flare Disposal for Recreational Boaters. The purpose of this
pilot project is to educate boaters on boating safety equipment, the care and
maintenance of that equipment and how to safely and effectively use and to
dispose of flares.
If your flares have a
manufacture date of 2010 or earlier they have or will expire this year. You
can't light them, throw them in the water or in your household garbage. Disposing of expired flares has been an
ongoing dilemma for boaters across the country. To help boaters dispose of
expired flares in a safe and environmentally responsible manner Canadian Power
and Sale Squadrons (CPS) and Canadian Industries Limited (CIL) are hosting
Safety Equipment Education and Flare Disposal Days. On these days you will be
offered the opportunity to learn about required safety equipment and you can
bring your outdated flares to be
properly disposed of, free of charge.
In accordance with Transport Canada requirements, flares are
approved for four years from the date of manufacture. Typically, this means
that boaters need to replace their flares every third or fourth boating season.
If they have a manufacture date of 2010 or earlier they have expired or will
expire during this boating season, boaters are required replace them.
There are four types of flares: Type A - Rocket Parachute, Type
B - Multi-Star, Type C - Hand-Held, Type
D - Smoke Signal. For further information on the different
characteristics of each type, and the quantity
required for your vessel, log on to www.boatingsafety.gc.ca.
Walter Evans, a member of Lake St, Louis Squadron based at the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club in Dorval, says that attempts to get rid of outdated flares have been ongoing for years. "We tried police stations and fire stations but no one wanted them," he said. "This is a great opportunity for all leisure boaters to safely dispose of their unwanted flares.
The rules for usage are complex. All vessels greater than six metres on Lake St. Louis must have flares on board. The number and type are determined by the size of the boat. Vessels under six metres, including sailboards, paddleboats , watercycles, personal watercraft and power pleasure craft, must have either a watertight flashlight or three Canadian approved flares of type A, B or C. Flares are not mandatory if you can never be more than one kilometre from shore."
The rules for usage are complex. All vessels greater than six metres on Lake St. Louis must have flares on board. The number and type are determined by the size of the boat. Vessels under six metres, including sailboards, paddleboats , watercycles, personal watercraft and power pleasure craft, must have either a watertight flashlight or three Canadian approved flares of type A, B or C. Flares are not mandatory if you can never be more than one kilometre from shore."
For a list of Safety
Equipment Education and Flare Disposal Days and locations visit: www.cpsboat.ca
or call 1-888-CPS-BOAT Canadian Power & Sail Squadrons. CPS is a community of passionate boaters across Canada who are
committed to safety, boating education,
and having fun on the water. It is a national volunteer driven organization
with a long-standing reputation for
offering high-quality educational courses.
With a 75 year plus history and a
membership of over 24,000 in 150 Squadrons across the country, CPS has played a
major role in boating culture in Canada and is the established leader for the
training of recreational boaters. CPS works co-operatively with Transport Canada,
lndustry Canada, Fisheries and Oceans, Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, and many other organizations
involved in safe boating. For more information visit: www.cps-ecp.ca