Government of Canada celebrates North American Safe Boating Awareness Week with new funding for boating safety projects

Promoting safe boating practices across the country

VANCOUVER, May 23, 2017 /CNW/ - In celebration of North American Safe Boating Awareness Week, Joyce Murray, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra and Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, today announced, on behalf of the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, new funding to support initiatives that promote safe boating practices and behaviours in Canada.

This year, the University of British Columbia, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Massawippi Water Protection Association are receiving a total of $1.24 million over three years for education and awareness projects. These projects aim to increase the number of pleasure craft operators following safe boating practices, and also to reduce injuries, loss of life and property damage due to boating accidents.

The funding comes from Transport Canada's Boating Safety Contribution Program, which has two components – one geared towards recreational boating safety and the other focused on safe boating practices on board small commercial fishing vessels.

Quote

"I am pleased to see that, year after year, our partners and stakeholders are onboard with our efforts to promote the importance of safe boating practices across the country. Together, we are making our waterways safer and working to reduce boating fatalities and injuries."

Joyce Murray
Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra

Quick Facts

• North American Safe Boating Awareness Week 2017, which is taking place from May 20 to 26, promotes a wide range of safe boating practices to the estimated 14 million recreational boaters in Canada.
• On average, 100 boating fatalities happen annually on Canadian waters. About 90 per cent of people who drown in recreational boating incidents are not wearing a lifejacket or personal flotation device (PFD).
• In Canada, all recreational boats with a motor of 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) or more are required to have a pleasure craft licence.

Related Products

• Backgrounder: Boating Safety Contribution Program 2017-2018 Recipients
• Video: Minister Garneau launches North American Safe Boating Awareness Week

Associated Links

• North American Safe Boating Awareness Week
• Transport Canada - Office of Boating Safety 
• Transport Canada – Abandoned Boats and Wrecks

Backgrounder

Boating Safety Contribution Program
Recreational Boating Safety component 2017-2018 funding recipients

University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC) 

The University of British Columbia (UBC) will receive $920,745 for a 3-year project. UBC plans to develop a social marketing campaign and conduct research related to awareness, attitudes and behaviours among recreational boaters in British Columbia.

The Project is divided into three phases:

Phase 1 (Preparation) – a report will be generated about recreational boating injuries in BC, including the review of existing reports, lessons learned from prior project evaluations, market research and consultations with experts in the field. Based on these findings, UBC will develop a social marketing campaign to promote safe boating practices and behaviours. The plan will be tested via a series of focus groups across BC's five health authorities, and refined accordingly. Prior to launch, formal baseline measurements will be taken to evaluate the success of the campaign.

Phase 2 (Implementation) – the campaign will be launched through television, newspapers, blogs, radio, ambient signage and other marketing approaches. The campaign activities will be monitored, assessed and measured on an on-going basis.

Phase 3 (Optimization) – public response will be tracked and the campaign will be modified accordingly. UBC will generate a final report quantifying the campaign's impacts. Results will be shared with other jurisdictions to promote best practices.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada (Oakville, ON)

Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD), a not-for-profit, non-government organization, will receive $175,777 for a 3-year national project. MADD Canada is proposing to install approximately 425 signs across Canada between 2017 and 2019 that will advise Canadians to contact 911 if they notice drinking-and-boating activity.

MADD Canada will also update, reprint and distribute their safe boating brochure and post cards each year. In year 3, they will develop a survey and distribute questionnaires to boaters across Canada that will collect data about boaters' attitudes and behaviours toward impaired boating and the impact of the signs. The results will provide guidance on how to maximize the impact of education & outreach materials and drive behavioural and attitudinal change with respect to impaired boating.

Also in year 3, they will produce new English and French safe boating television public service announcements (PSAs) with an emphasis on impaired boating.

Massawippi Water Protection Association (North Hatley, QC)

The Massawippi Water Protection Association, a not-for-profit, non-government organization, will receive $149,156 for a 3-year local project. The project aims to instill a sense of self-responsibility and management for boating safety-related regulations and practices, as well as respect for the environment of the Massawippi Lake and its tributaries.

To achieve this, they will conduct research to identify various characteristics of the lake, including hazards, dangers, boating traffic patterns, and high-risk areas, in order to better understand the local boating environment. They will also develop signage and install markers in certain areas of the lake to improve boating safety.

The Association will hire summer students to carry out public presentations, demonstrations and to distribute promotional materials at schools, community events, boat launches and through safety patrols on water.

They will develop communication materials such as posters, pamphlets, promotional items, advertisements and social media messaging. They will also develop a boating safety training program in collaboration with the local Servite College.

May 2017

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SOURCE Transport Canada

Delphine Denis, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Transport, Ottawa, 613-991-0700, [email protected]; Media Relations, Transport Canada, Ottawa, 613-993-0055, [email protected]