The Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations is a member of the Decibel Coalition. Since 2019, this group has been working to address the growing number of concerns about excessively-loud boats. The Coalition wants Transport Canada (TC) to enhance their regulations to include decibel limits on boat-motor noise, as many other jurisdictions around the world (e.g., the USA and EU) have done.
What You Can Do:
- TC has launched their “Let’s Talk” web portal on boat-mufflers and excessive noise. Review a cover letter with positioning information and your call-to-action from the Decibel Coalition. Then visit the “Let’s Talk” web portal, review other comments, and add your own by May 13, 2022. The Coalition is recommending “Option 5: Introduce performance standards (i.e., decibel limits) for manufacturers and vessel operators to follow”.
- Write your federal Members of Parliament / MPs and ask them to support these regulatory changes. Use a tool on the Safe Quiet Lakes webpage to generate letters to the appropriate MPs that can be personalized before sending.
- Share this information with your fellow members!
- Learn more about the Decibel Coalition online – with resources, such as “How do I know if my boat is too noisy?”