New Boating Rules Upset Outfitters

New Boating Rules Upset Outfitters

Thursday, January 27, 2005 at 14:27

The executive director of the Saskatchewan Outfitters Association says northern camps will likely lose out over new rules regarding the use of boats for commercial purposes.

But Hal Stupenikoff says Ottawa probably won’t change its mind on the issue, meaning operators will have to do the best they can.

Stupenikoff says under the new rules, northern guides will be forced to undergo additional safety training in order to allow outfitters to continue to operate watercraft for leisure purposes.

That, he says, will require more training, and he doesn’t know what the federal government intends to do for guides whose first language isn’t English.

As well, he wants Ottawa to commit to on-site training, instead of forcing camps to send their guides hundreds of kilometres away for courses.

Stupenikoff says, right now, anyone wanting to take the training would have to travel to Winnipeg or B.C.