Canada: Drinking in a canoe is illegal in Canada, but that could soon change
October 5, 2017
Tipsy canoeing may soon be a thing – at least, if the Canadian government relaxes some of its impaired driving laws.
Throughout Canada, it’s currently illegal to drink and boat. If you’re found to be under the influence while in a canoe, kayak, raft, or other recreational water vessel, it’s like being caught drinking and driving a car. That may change with a bill to decriminalize drunken boating that’s up for vote.
Impaired driving legislation going through Parliament would change the law so that a muscle-powered vessel (like a kayak or canoe) would be exempt from driving laws, according to the National Post.
The new language would change the legality of boating while drinking – but it seems plenty of boaters already drink on the water. Now they’ll just do it legally.
The Canadian Safe Boating Council isn’t too pleased about the potential law change – proponents of dry boating see it as a safety threat. However, if the new rules go into effect, other drinking laws will still remain. Underage drinking and regulations about drinking in public won’t be touched.
The drunken boating legislation comes as the country is cleaning up its impaired driving regulations for the legalization of recreational marijuana next year.