Economic Impacts of Transport Canada’s New Regulations on Small Commercial Vessel Operators

Economic Impacts of Transport Canada’s Regulations on Small Commercial Vessel Operators

Transport Canada (TC) implemented a number of new regulations for Small Commercial Vessels (SCV) in the fall of 2009. Unfortunately they forgot to tell the Small Commercial Vessel owners and operators that these regulations directly affect. SCV operators only began to find out about these new rules and regulations because our local TC inspector took it upon himself to conduct information sessions in Port Severn and Parry Sound just a few weeks ago. These sessions were advertised by word of mouth only.

In the short time since those information sessions we have done A LOT of work and made A LOT of progress in organizing an Association (The Small Commercial Vessel Association (Ontario Region)) to represent ourselves. Why have we moved so quickly...because we have no choice! Our livelihoods and, possibly, our way of life are at stake!

The grass roots stories of the father and son, the family business and the small operator who, not only, have no idea what to do but simply do not have the means to afford to be compliant with these new regulations have, unfortunately, become almost standard. Time and time again we hear how people don’t have the time to come to the meetings right now but that they just don’t have a choice!

People are very very scared. Firstly, that they may be operating illegally (insurance and Ministry of Labor issues as well as TC fines)and secondly, that they are about to be bankrupted!

Why;

1)TIME – this information has come at the WORST possible time. The Northern Ontario construction industry is, at best, a seasonal business. It is almost ‘normal’ and ‘socially acceptable’ for people to be laid off and collect EI for the winter and be rehired in the spring. The Construction Industry as a whole is just starting to emerge from one of the biggest recessions the world has ever seen. We also have just had one of the mildest winters on record coupled with the earliest ice-out in history giving all SCV operators a great head start to the season. We then find out that 2 ½ years ago (FALL 2009) Transport Canada implemented a raft of new regulations that directly impact the Small Commercial Vessels we use to make a living, and forgot to tell us!!

There was no consultation that we EVER heard of, no draft submissions that we EVER saw, no meetings that we were EVER invited to...and now in the early spring of 2012 with boats going in the water, staff hired and contracts signed, we find out that almost all of us are very likely to be illegal when we hit the water! Result, PANIC STATIONS!!!

2) COST – Where do we start...

With the newly required, heavier duty, lifejackets we have to have that can’t be found in any volume. That, at first glance will come close to $100 EACH. Some of the bigger construction companies have 6-10 twenty five to thirty foot barges certified for 10-12 passengers each. If we average this out at 8 boats and 10 passengers per boat we get 80 lifejackets which equates to around $8000.00. Required NOW, to be LEGAL on the water!

- The SVOP and prerequisite MED-A3 course to drive a vessel over 8 metres (26.4 feet) or more than 6 people at a time. Just shy of $1000.00 and 5 days (26 hours) with Georgian College. Required NOW, to be LEGAL on the water.

-The 60 Ton Masters (limited) licence to drive the bigger materials barges to large jobs such as new cottages and septic beds. $1400.00 (approx) per student PLUS 3 weeks wages PLUS food and lodging in Owen Sound. Estimated at around $5500.00 per person. Additional prerequisite courses push the cost up towards $10,000 PER PERSON. Required NOW, to be LEGAL on the water! A & A enterprises out of Honey Harbour need FIVE (5) people to do this ($50,000.00). Coulson Bros Barging out of Muskoka need TWENTY (20) people certified ($200,000.00). One young man at the meeting is in a father and son barging outfit. If they have to fulfill these time and monetary requirements now to be legal it will bankrupt them!

YOU can do something about this.

Together we can turn this into a political ‘Hot Potato’ very quickly but we need YOUR help to Contact Tony Clement and Norm Miller’s office(s) NOW!! Tell them that the Transport Canada Regulations are going to cause you financial hardship, that they are poorly thought out and very badly advertised. That you don’t have TIME to do courses in the spring that are possibly irrelevant to the ‘sheltered waters’ that we operate in on a day to day basis.

If we can get Tony Clement to tell the Transport Minister that his grass roots community is screaming ‘help’ we may be able to get Transport Canada to back off on these regulations and give us a ‘stay of execution’ until next spring. This will allow us to get to the bottom of what we have to do to be legal as well as petition TC to build a course that fits our ‘sheltered waters’ needs. We can then complete the courses over the winter of 2012/13 and be ready to go with relevant and effective safety training for the spring of 2013!

TOMORROW (Wednesday, March 28^th) is the Ontario Commercial Marine Advisory Council (CMAC) meeting in Hamilton. Our SCV Association has managed to get a 20 minute time slot at this meeting to get across our (many) concerns. It would be great if as many people as possible attended the meeting but it is very short notice. More effective will be to contact (phone AND email) Tony Clement & Norm Miller TODAY!

Thank You!

HELP US TOO HELP YOU!! CONTACT TONY CLEMENT AND NORM MILLER TODAY!!