This topic received alot of attention on our Canoeroots site and has been gaining momentum across the web on various paddling sites. Attending a recent outdoors show, seems kayakers are showing a similar, heightened level of concern.

From www.thestar.com, Bruce Campion-Smith.

OTTAWA—Canoeists and kayakers planning a traditional Canadian summer trip — including Scouts and Girl Guides on group excursions to explore a quiet lake — could now face a mountain of paperwork and a boat tax under new federal rules, critics charge.

Outdoor organizations are hopping mad over an overhaul of boating regulations they say has introduced a requirement for a federal licence for canoes and kayaks used in “guided excursions.”

“What I love about canoe tripping is that all you need is a boat, you need your (personal flotation device), your paddle and some water. It’s really simple ... we don’t need to make this complicated and I don’t want to have to register my canoe,” said Eoin Wood, director of Camp Wanapitei, a popular summer camp north of North Bay.

Transport Canada says it’s all a misunderstanding and insists there is no new requirement for registration.

But that’s cold comfort for the country’s paddling community who say based on their reading of the rules — including revisions made last year — there is indeed a demand to register canoes and kayaks.

The issue has raged in online paddling forums and left groups like Scouts Canada and Girl Guides fretting over how to handle the paperwork and find the money to pay the fees to meet what they see as a requirement to register their boats.

Go to www.thestar.com to read the rest of the article.

Bruce Hawkins, President of ORCKA, also had something to say about it and sent out the following to it's members.

Re: 2011 Transport Canada Regs.

About Guide’s/Instructor’s/Leader’s Canoes as Commercial Craft

Transport Canada requirement to Register "Commercial" Canoes and Kayaks

Update on the impact of Transport Canada SOR/2010-91 and the Transport Canada requirement to register Canoes and Kayaks that are involved in a “Commercial” activity.

The Transport Canada SOR/2010-91 dated January 10, 2011 outlines the Transport Canada requirement to register canoes and kayaks which are involved in a “commercial” activity which is defined as anything not purely pleasure oriented. This definition means that all of ORCKA’s Organizational Members and most of the ORCKA Instructors will have to register their canoes and kayaks. Below are outlined ORCKA’s concerns and action taken to date, regarding this issue.

Transport Canada has been notified in writing that this requirement is a huge and onerous undertaking for our membership. It is estimated that even to register a fleet of canoes and kayaks, it will take approximately 40 man-hours of effort and work to take the required pictures of each type of canoe or kayak and complete the paperwork for each type of canoe or kayak in the fleet. This will be an ongoing annual issue as each of our ORCKA members update and renew their canoe and kayak fleets. This is not a reasonable nor realistic requirement for the Canadian paddlesports industry to undertake.

The end result is a number of ORCKA Organizational Members will likely get out of the business, leaving youth, families and those most in need of getting into nature and the wilderness no alternatives. Other Organizational Members will likely comply and survive by passing the cost onto its clients which will make canoeing and kayaking instruction unaffordable for the majority of the population of Ontario. These Organizations will likely also pass on these costs for guided trips which will likewise see a significant fee increase which will once again put them out of reach of the greater Ontario population.

It is assessed that the impact that this regulation will have on volunteer organizations such as girl guides, scouts, Ontario Camping Association (OCA) youth camps and church groups will be even more significant. It is common for these groups to be 100% volunteer driven. When you add in the transport costs and the additional time required to fulfill the Transport Canada canoe and kayak registration requirement, it is highly likely that these organizations and instructors will close up shop and no longer offer this service to the youth of Ontario which is extremely unfortunate.

In the case of Ontario’s school board that use canoeing or kayaking in their curriculum, all will have to comply with this Transport Canada requirement. It is likely some of the programs will survive, although only after the cost in manpower and effort for this requirement has been passed onto the taxpayer!

In reality, it is already too late to institute this plan for paddling season 2011 in Ontario as most of ORCKA’s Organizational Members have already set their prices, schedules and hired staff. At this point in time, there will be no flexibility in their paddling season operation until September/October to comply with the Transport Canada commercial canoe and kayak registration.

The scale and scope of this Transport Canada registration requirement is totally inappropriate for a mostly grass roots based canoe and kayak instruction and guiding operation(s) which does have knowledgeable and safe paddling instruction and guiding standards in place for the Province of Ontario.

In summary, the impact on the rest of the ORCKA Organizational and Instructor members will be similar. There is an onerous and unrealistic process in place to register their canoes and kayaks with Transport Canada. This manpower cost is excessive and will likely result in a number of ORCKA Organizational Members going out of the business, leaving youth, families and those most in need of getting into nature and the wilderness no alternatives.   After much research, thought and investigation, ORCKA remains bewildered by this Transport Canada requirement to register commercial canoes and kayaks. ORCKA finds it is amazing that it is significantly more difficult and expensive to register a relatively inexpensive canoe or kayak than it is to register a motor vehicle in the province of Ontario!

What do think about the recent changes to the regulations?