Boating Safety

You should know basic boating rules and boating safety before heading out on the Lake of the Woods and other waterways in the region. You must maintain a constant watch and look out at all times. All boaters are responsible for safe navigation.

Boating licence

In Canada, you need proof of competency or a Pleasure Craft Operator card to run a power watercraft. Transport Canada accredits course providers to educate boaters on safe recreational boating.

Safe boating guide

Review Transport Canada's Safe Boating Guide to learn boating regulations and safe practices.

Topics in the guide include:

Getting started
Before you go
On the water
In an emergency

Speed limits

There three areas on the Lake of the Woods within the City of Kenora where there is a boat speed limit or a Vessel Operation Restriction Regulation (VORR):

Golf Course Bay 10 km/hr
Portage Bay and Keewatin Bay (north of Highway 17 bridge) 9 km/hr
Laurenson Creek 9 km/hr

VORR is the process for any level of government to ask the Federal Government for restrictions on all bodies of water in Canada. Find existing VORRs in the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations. Schedule 5 Part 3 and Schedule 6 Part 2, Ontario

The 10/30 Rule

The Universal Shoreline Rule or the 10/30 Rule states that if you are within 30 meters from shore or closer, you must travel at 10 kilometers per hour or less, unless a speed limit is posted.

A shoreline is any point where water meets land, which can be an island or mainland, sea wall, or beach.

The only exception to the 10/30 Rule is for water skiing, rivers less than 100 meters wide, and in buoyed channels or canals which are named as such on a lake chart of topographical map.

No wake

There is no such thing as a “No Wake” law in Canada. There is no way to measure and designate a wake to one boater or another; therefore, there is no way for the police or the City to enforce this.

Informational buoys

Informational buoys must follow the Private Buoy Regulations under the Canada Shipping Act. Any person or group can post an informational buoy as a suggestion to passing boaters, such as “slow” or “gas station”, to be courteous and respectful. They are not enforceable by the police or City By-law Enforcement.