Latest news with #TransportCanada
AFP
18 hours ago
- Politics
- AFP
Canada will not enact new nationwide driving rules in July 2025
"Starting July 5,2025, big changes are coming to Canada's roads. The federal government will introduce the New Canada Driving Law 2025," claims a June 17, 2025 Facebook post. The text purports Canada is about to enforce a country-wide 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) per hour speed limit in all school zones, coming with a violation fine of Numerous other posts spread across Facebook claiming the country would be lowering the blood alcohol limit for impaired driving violations, requiring mandatory installation of advanced driver-assistance systems and forcing seniors to submit to driving evaluations. The text in many posts appeared to be copy-and-pasted, while some publications linked to articles repeating similar claims on websites with domains indicating activity Image Screenshot of a Facebook post taken June 27, 2025 Image Screenshot of a Facebook post taken June 27, 2025 posts gained traction as the Liberal government faces mounting pressure to adjust a ban on new gas-powered vehicle sales scheduled to go into effect in 2026. Other false claims about Prime Minister Mark Carney and new Canadian auto regulations were recently fact-checked by AFP. Transport Canada, the federal agency regulating transportation, also told AFP it did not have any new motor vehicle rule changes coming into effect in July 2025. "It's important to note that provinces and territories are responsible for areas such as driver licensing, vehicle registration, vehicle maintenance, insurance and enforcement of road rules," said Hicham Ayoun, a spokesman for Transport Canada in a June 19 email. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation told AFP it was not introducing any new rules such as the ones seen in the posts. "At this time there are no changes to Ontario's distracted driving law, school zones or automated vehicle oversight," said ministry spokeswoman Tanya Blazina in a June 26 email. AFP also confirmed with the province of British Columbia that the driving regulations seen in the misleading social media posts would not be coming to its jurisdiction. Searching the websites of regulations in certain provinces does not reveal any evidence of similar rules being introduced in those regions of the country (archived here, here and here) ffic Safety Act will go into effect on July 1 in Yukon territory to increase fines for some violations including failing to stop for school busses ( Read more of AFP's reporting on misinformation in Canada here.
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
More O-Train closures, changes in July for construction
OC Transpo says work to extend Line 1 east and monitor Line 2's wheels means more evening and weekend changes in the coming weeks. Maintenance and expansion work took the east-west Line 1 partially or fully out of service for a few days earlier this month. The transit service announced another batch of changes Friday. Line 1 won't run the morning of Sunday June 29, as previously announced, along with the morning of Sunday July 6 and all day July 26 and 27. R1 replacement buses will run during the closures. Those closures will allow for work to connect the existing Line 1 between Tunney's Pasture and Blair stations with the eastern extension between Blair and Trim Road, which is expected to open at some point later this year. OC Transpo says to expect more changes later in summer as the east extension gets closer to opening. Axle monitoring on Line 2 Changes to the north-south Line 2 will let OC Transpo install equipment to monitor the axle bearings on its trains. Problems with those bearings, part of what hold the wheels to the train, have plagued Line 1. Line 2 has different trains, but OC Transpo says Transport Canada requires this kind of monitoring. The system is being set up near South Keys station. "[It] allows for proactive monitoring of the condition of the trains' axle bearings and detects any potential wear that may require further investigation," the memo says. Installation means Line 2 service will be cut by half, with trains coming every 24 minutes instead of every 12, after 8 p.m. on July 7 to 9, 14 and 15, 21 to 25 and 28 until Aug. 2. OC Transpo says the changes work around Canada Day and Bluesfest.
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Pilot injured after small plane flipped over at Guelph Airpark
An Ontario Provincial Police vehicle is pictured in this file image. (Filo Photo/Ontario Provincial Police | Photo Credit: Bobb Barratt) A pilot has been taken to hospital after a plane flipped over on the runway at Guelph Airpark. Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police were called to the runway in Guelph Eramosa Township on Wednesday around 2:30 p.m. They were told an overturned airplane was sitting on the runway. Investigators said early indications suggest the plane flipped over as the pilot of a small plane was landing. Witnesses rushed in to help and got the pilot out of the plane and tipped the plane back onto its wheels. The pilot was taken to hospital with minor injuries. Transport Canada, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre are investigating.
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Transport Canada confirms it will dredge Wood Islands this summer, leaving fishers concerned
Social Sharing With the ferry service between eastern Prince Edward Island and northern Nova Scotia once again experiencing cancellations, this time because of the tides, the federal government confirms it plans to dredge Wood Islands Harbour earlier than planned. Northumberland Ferries Ltd. said this week that it would be operating on reduced sailings and limited vehicle capacity due to "unusually low tides." Cardigan MP Kent MacDonald said the last time the area was dredged was in 2022. "The fishermen are experiencing the same problem in the harbours, getting in and out," MacDonald told CBC News. "The ferry's… putting precautionary measures in or cancelling crossings when the tide is extremely low so we don't have any safety issues or any damage to assets that are there." MacDonald said Transport Canada, which owns the ferries, is set to dredge the Wood Islands Harbour later this year. "That process will have to be closely monitored and make sure that the ferries are able to dock and leave safely, if we're going to continue to have extreme weather events with the tide being lower than normal," he said. A spokesperson for Transport Canada confirmed in a statement to CBC News that it would dredge Wood Islands Harbour this year. "Typically, dredging at Woods Island is carried out on a five-year cycle, and the last dredging operation was completed in 2022," the statement reads. "This year's assessment revealed more sediment accumulation than usual. A call for tenders is therefore underway for dredging work, which is scheduled to begin after August 1, 2025." The statement added: "MV Northumberland can operate at the current depth; however, extreme conditions may lead to adjustments." More sediment than usual More P.E.I. harbours have needed dredging in recent years, in part because there's less sea ice over the winter months to keep shifting sand in check. That leads sand and silt building up, which could cause boats to run aground in the shallower waters. If the conditions aren't right, the lobster won't settle there, or they won't survive if they've already settled there. But Transport Canada's pledge to dredge Wood Islands Harbour has raised concerns among some in the fishing industry about where all the accumulated sediment will go. Ian MacPherson, executive director of the P.E.I. Fishermen's Association, said the plan is for the sediment to be deposited at sea, but fishermen are concerned that the large volume of sediment could negatively affect their lobster grounds. "If the conditions aren't right, the lobster won't settle there, or they won't survive if they've already settled there," he told Radio-Canada. "We could be looking at a negative impact in our lobster stock. Because of the life cycle of lobster, we may not find out for a number of years that the stocks suffered a setback." MacPherson said the association has been advocating with Transport Canada to have the sediment dumped on land. The association would also prefer that the dredging take place in late October, so that it wouldn't affect spawning or young lobsters. Darlene Compton, MLA for Belfast–Murray River and P.E.I.'s minister of economic development, innovation and trade, said she is aware of the industry's concerns. She plans to bring them forward during a federal-provincial trade ministers meeting in early July. All dredging activities are carried out in accordance with the regulations set out by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. "This is part of internal trade. The ideal situation for the fishers would be to take that dredging and dump it on land," Compton said. "I would suggest to the federal government that we should work with the fishers and work with [the provincial Department of] Environment to ensure that we're doing this the right way and at the right time." In its email to CBC News, Transport Canada did not mention where dredged silt will be dumped, but did say: "All dredging activities are carried out in accordance with the regulations set out by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada." 'Everything can't happen the way you want it to' Meanwhile, MacDonald said extreme weather events that prevent off-Island travel have to be expected sometimes. "When the wind is blowing, the [Confederation] Bridge closes; when the tides are extremely low, Transport Canada is taking the necessary precautions to ask the ferry service to cancel those crossings," he said. "I think we have to be realistic in our expectations... Everything can't happen the way you want it to." WATCH | NFL cancels some N.S.-P.E.I. sailings as low tide affects ferries: NFL cancels some N.S.-P.E.I. sailings as low tide affects ferries 2 days ago Duration 1:35 Northumberland Ferries has cancelled some sailings this week for what it calls "unusually low tides." People in the area say dredging work should have been done ahead of time to welcome the new boats, but because that work hasn't been done the ferry service is having a bumpy early summer schedule. CBC's Cody MacKay reports. Despite the disruptions this week, MacDonald said the ferry service has been running well so far. "I think it's been going smoothly this summer," he said. "Spring tide season will be over at the end of this week, and things will return to normal." The ferry route between Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S., is currently serviced by two ships — MV Confederation and the Northumberland. With both vessels in service, Northumberland Ferries typically runs eight scheduled crossings a day.
Vancouver Sun
7 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Advocates say 'patchwork' of safety policies needs improvement after child killed in Burrard Inlet boat crash
Two weeks after fatal boat collision off Cates Park in North Vancouver, the question of who is responsible for safety and enforcement on waterways is confusing, even for experts. In the Lower Mainland, where paddle boarders, kayakers, open water swimmers and tubers play in the water alongside small watercraft, sailboats and powerful speedboats, advocates say more action is needed to keep everyone safe. Although marine regulations for recreational users is a Transport Canada responsibility, enforcement is left to various agencies in individual jurisdictions. Police and other enforcement agencies are responsible for carrying out and funding those efforts, much in the same way local police are responsible for road safety. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Law enforcement have finite budgets and each jurisdiction has to decide how much they can provide in each area,' Bruce Hayne, executive director of the Boating B.C. Association, said shortly after the Cates Park incident. 'Clearly the patchwork of policies could be improved,' said Ian Pike, a professor in UBC's faculty of medicine, and co-executive director of The Community Against Preventable Injuries , an advocacy organization. Pike said the Cates Park collision was 'absolutely tragic.' 'It spurs us to get out in front of the public again to advocate for an understanding of requirements around safe boating.' Transport Canada's office of boating safety works on prevention and education for pleasure craft operators, but the Canada Marine Act and the Canada Shipping Act delegate enforcement responsibilities to local enforcement authorities. North Vancouver's RCMP has just one patrol boat that covers the waterways around North Vancouver, including parts of Burrard Inlet and Howe Sound. According to Cpl. Mansoor Sahak, the marine patrol unit is mostly used for emergencies, and is not staffed 24/7. The West Vancouver police department has no patrol boats, and their jurisdiction ends at the high water mark. The Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue respond to marine emergencies in West Vancouver, while the WVPD assists and supports from land and co-ordinates with the federal Fisheries Department, North Vancouver RCMP, and Vancouver Police Department. The VPD has two vessels in operation, and a third vessel under construction. Its an eight -person marine unit works closely with neighbouring jurisdictions, the RCMP, Coast Guard, and Transport Canada. The VPD unit operates in Burrard Inlet, English Bay, False Creek, and on the Fraser River. According to Sgt. Steve Addison, enforcement priorities include speed and liquor enforcement, making sure operators are licensed, and have sufficient lighting and the mandatory safety equipment, including life-jackets. During boating season, the marine unit patrols, stops vessels, and does inspections near boat launches, marinas, and along the roughly 160 kilometres of shoreline they patrol. In False Creek, speed is limited to five knots, which the VPD says it enforces 'visually.' The VPD could not provide any statistics on types of citations or number of infractions issued annually to boaters. There is no fixed speed limit on open water. Boaters are required to adjust speeds based on weather, water conditions, use of the waterway and they must understand right-of-way rules. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said its five harbour patrol boats cover waterways from Point Roberts at the Canada-U. S. border, to Burrard Inlet, Port Moody, and Indian Arm, and from the western mouth of the Fraser River, and eastward to the Fraser Valley, and this includes the waters around Cates Park. The port authority monitors commercial channels and rights-of-way, but said the VPD marine unit is responsible for enforcing boating laws and regulations in Vancouver. In 2024, the port authority performed 77 'interventions' for dangerous behaviours including excess wake wash and speed, 454 awareness interactions on and off the water, and 163 'wave-offs' to ensure recreational boaters were at a safe distance from cargo ships. They also provided over 900 cargo ship escorts and 11 'education blitzes,' and in 2025 published a new Boater's Handbook outlining safety rules and procedures in local waterways, including Cates Park. 'Covering the waterways of British Columbia is a very difficult task,' said Pike. Every summer, Pike said his organization runs public campaigns covering safety rules, including the wearing of life-jackets and other personal flotation devices, and conveys messaging that alcohol and drugs don't mix with operation of a boat. 'People seem to understand this in general when operating a motor vehicle on the road. We need to create the same response through education, policy and enforcement that has resulted in significant reductions in road-related injuries and deaths over the decades,' said Pike. Pike said they would like to replicate those efforts in small watercraft and recreational boating through continual messaging, enhanced policies and enforcement, but said that changes that will result in a cultural and legal shifts, such as making the use of personal flotation devices mandatory, will take time. 'It took about 30 years for the culture to change around impaired driving,' said Pike. B.C. data from the Lifesaving Society shows that between 2010 and 2019, 63 per cent of fatalities on the water occurred between May and September, 77 per cent of fatalities were male, and the total number of deaths ranged from 57 to 85 annually. A quarter of those fatalities involved boating, and among boating-related fatalities, 53 per cent involved a powerboat, 16 per cent involved a kayak, and 12 per cent involved an inflatable craft. Thirty-two per cent of boating fatalities involved alcohol consumption, and in 71 per cent of those cases, no life-jacket was worn. dryan@
