Canal Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1564)

Wintering and Lying-Up

• 45 (1) No vessel shall winter or lie-up in any canal without permission in writing of the Superintending Engineer or the Superintendent.

• (2) All risk and responsibility for a vessel wintering or lying-up in a canal and any damage the vessel may sustain shall rest with the owner.

Wintering and Lying-Up Charges

• 46 (1) The owner of any vessel wintering in a canal shall pay wintering charges at the rates set out in Schedule III.

• (2) The owner of any vessel lying-up in a canal shall pay lying-up charges at the rates set out in Schedule IV.

• (3) The owner of the vessel wintering or lying-up in a canal shall pay to the Superintending Engineer wintering charges in advance and lying-up charges prior to the vessel leaving its lying-up berth except that, if so authorized by the Chief, these charges shall be paid by the owner within 20 days after the date of the Department’s account for such charges.

• (4) In addition to the payment of wintering charges, the owner of any vessel being moved into a wintering berth is liable for all damages to canal property occasioned by such movement.

Building, Repairing and Breaking Up of Vessels

• 47 (1) No person shall build, repair or break up any vessel in any canal or on canal lands except with the written permission of the Superintending Engineer.

• (2) No person shall authorize or do any repair work other than minor machinery repairs on any oil tanker while such tanker is in any canal or is dry docked on canal lands without the written permission of the Superintending Engineer or Superintendent, which permission shall be granted only on presentation of a certificate from a qualified chemical inspection company stating that the vessel is gas-free and safe for the work proposed.

• (3) Except as otherwise provided in Part II, charges shall be levied on a vessel being built, repaired or broken up in any canal at the rates set out in Schedule V.

• (4) In all cases of the building, repairing or breaking up of a vessel on canal property, the vessel shall be at the risk of the owner.

Removal of Abandoned and Sunken Vessels, Vehicles or Things

• 48 (1) The Chief may remove or destroy, by explosive or otherwise, any vessel that is abandoned, sunken, lying ashore or grounded in any canal and may, by public auction or otherwise, sell such vessel, together with the cargo, and apply the proceeds for reimbursement for the expenses incurred.

• (2) If the net proceeds of the sale under subsection (1) are not sufficient to meet expenses, the amount of the deficiency shall be recoverable with costs from the owner or person in charge of the vessel or from the owner of any vessel which was used to move such vessel.

• (3) The Chief may remove or destroy by explosives or otherwise any vehicle, structure or thing abandoned, sunken or lying ashore in any canal or abandoned on canal land, and may, by public sale or otherwise, sell such vehicle, structure or thing and apply the proceeds for reimbursement for the expenses incurred.

• (4) If the net proceeds of the sale under subsection (3) are not sufficient to meet expenses, the amount of deficiency shall be recoverable with costs from the owner of such vehicle, structure or thing.

Explosives, Dangerous Cargo and Oil Products

• 49 (1) No vessel whose cargo consists in whole or in part of any explosive material, corrosive liquid or oxidizing material shall pass through any portion of any canal except with the written authority of the Minister and subject to such conditions and restrictions laid down in such authority.

• (2) No high explosive or dangerous goods shall be brought on or carried over canal land except with the written authority of the Minister.

• (3) A vessel employed in carrying explosives or dangerous or flammable goods such as fuel oil, crude oil or gasoline, shall, whether loaded, partly loaded or empty, fulfil all requirements of the Chief, Superintending Engineer or Superintendent while in canal waters.

• (4) On oil tankers and similar vessels that carry flammable liquids there shall be provided and placed, when docking or locking, a sufficient number of timber fenders between the vessel’s hull and the dock or lock wall to prevent any metallic portion of such vessel from touching the side of the lock or dock wall.

Warning Signals on Vessels with Dangerous Cargoes

• 50 (1) A vessel whose cargo consists, in whole or in part, of explosives or flammable or otherwise dangerous liquids shall fly by day a red flag and at night shall show a red light.

• (2) Both the flag and the light referred to in subsection (1) shall be displayed at the masthead or at another conspicuous position acceptable to the Superintendent and shall be visible all around for a distance of at least one mile.

Dropping Anchor

• 51 (1) No anchor shall be dropped from any vessel in any canal unless an emergency exists.

• (2) The action of dropping an anchor shall be reported to the Superintending Engineer or the Superintendent immediately and the owner of the vessel shall be responsible for all damages caused and repairs or salvage necessitated by such action.

Sparks and Smoke from Vessels and Blowing Off Tubes

• 52 (1) Vessels within canal waters shall take the necessary precautions to avoid the emission of sparks or excessive smoke.

• (2) No vessel shall blow off boiler tubes in any canal.

Refuse

53 No person shall deposit oil, oil sludge or other flammable or dangerous substance, garbage, ashes, paper, ordure, litter or other materials in canal waters or on canal property.

Disposal of Snow

54 No person shall deposit snow or ice in any canal or on canal property except with the written permission of and as directed by the Superintending Engineer.

Interference with Water Supply and Canal Works

• 55 (1) Only a person authorized by the Chief, Superintending Engineer or Superintendent may open or shut the gates or sluices of the locks, waste weirs or dams or draw down or raise the water level of a canal by any means whatever.

• (2) No person shall interfere with any canal works or property.

Injury and Defacing of Canal Property

• 56 (1) No person shall injure or deface any ornament, tree, plant, shrub, flower, flower-bed, turf, sign, seat or any of the fences, bridges, buildings, booms, rip-rap or other structures within any canal boundaries.

• (2) No person shall write upon any fence, bench, seat, rock, stone or structure within any canal boundaries.

Animals at Large

57 No person shall allow any animal or fowl to go at large within canal boundaries, except that a dog may be allowed therein if under control of its owner.

Firearms, Offensive Weapons, Fireworks and Fires

• 58 (1) No person shall fire or discharge any firearm or firework within canal boundaries without the written permission of the Chief or Superintending Engineer.

• (2) No person, unless under the supervision of an employee, shall kindle or build any fire on canal lands except the holder of a valid lease or licence covering such lands.

Construction Work on Canal Property

59 Except under written permit from the Chief or the Superintending Engineer, no person shall

• (a) construct any driveway, footpath or structure upon canal property;

• (b) dig up, bore or tunnel under any part of the canal system, or dig or drill a well for water or other purpose upon canal property; or

• (c) remove any house or building on, along or across any part of the canal system.

Use of Roads, Towpaths, Pathways and Grounds

• 60 (1) No person shall stand, walk or loiter and no person shall drive, ride or park any vehicle or animal upon any place where a sign forbidding such action has been placed.

• (2) The use of canal roads, towpaths, pathways and grounds shall be subject to the instructions and orders of the Superintending Engineer.

• (3) No animal or vehicle shall travel within the canal limits, except upon roads, towpaths or other places designated for such animals and vehicles.

• (4) No animal or vehicle shall stand on any roadway except at such places as the Superintending Engineer may designate.

Speed on Roadways

61 No vehicles shall be driven over canal roadways at a higher rate of speed than 35 miles per hour, or such other rate of speed as may be fixed by the Chief.

Highway Traffic at Bridges

• 62 (1) No person shall in any way interfere with any gate or other device used in closing a street or roadway at either end of a canal bridge nor attempt to pass such gate or device unless the gate or device is fully open.

• (2) Vehicles approaching canal bridges shall be driven in the proper traffic lane and shall not turn out of such lane against opposing traffic or attempt to pass any safety gate or other device for the closing of a street or roadway when such gate or device is not fully opened.

• (3) Vehicles shall not pass a red light nor a mechanical wigwag that is in motion.

Driving Speed over Bridges

• 63 (1) No person shall drive a vehicle over any canal bridge at a speed faster than

  • (a) 15 miles per hour; or

  • (b) in the case of a bridge where a sign is exhibited on or adjoining the bridge fixing a limiting speed, at the speed indicated by the sign.

• (2) A person driving a vehicle over a canal bridge shall keep the vehicle in its proper traffic lane.

Heavy Vehicles on Bridges

• 64 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no person shall, except by permission of the Chief or the Superintending Engineer, take across any canal bridge a vehicle that

  • (a) has wheels, treads or other devices that would deface or mar the bridge floor;

  • (b) weighs with its load, if any, more than 20 tons; or

  • (c) has a load whose weight on any single axle or tandem axles exceeds 16 tons.

• (2) In any case where a sign is exhibited on or adjoining a bridge fixing the limiting weight at a figure other than the 20 tons and the 16 tons referred to in subsection (1), subsection (1) shall be construed in respect of the said bridge by substituting the limits as indicated on the sign in lieu of the limits set out in subsection (1).

Control by Canal Officers

• 65 (1) The Chief may post any signs in canal areas and on canal lands as he considers essential for the proper control of traffic and operation and use of the canals and canal lands.

• (2) No person shall contravene the directions or instructions on any signs posted in a canal area or on a canal land pursuant to subsection (1).

• (3) The lockmaster, bridgemaster, marine railway operator or damkeeper on any canal shall, subject to any directions given by the Chief, Superintending Engineer or Superintendent, be in charge of the canal structures and canal lands at the point where he may be stationed and may give such orders, directions and instructions with respect to the use, administration and control of the canal as he considers necessary or desirable.

Swimming, Bathing and Water-Skiing

• 66 (1) No person shall swim or bathe within any area of any canal as may be indicated by a notice prohibiting swimming or bathing.

• (2) No person shall engage in any form of water-skiing within any canal limits.

Picnics and Regattas

67 All picnics and regattas within canal limits shall be under the supervision of some person or persons authorized by the Chief or the Superintending Engineer and may be held only in such places and at such times as the officer may allow.

PART IIRegulations Respecting Particular Canals

CANSO CANAL

Radio Communication

68 The Canso Canal radiotelephone VAZ3 shall be used only when normal methods of signalling are inoperative or ineffective.

RIDEAU CANAL

Building, Repairing and Breaking Up of Vessels

• 69 (1) The charge for the building, repairing or breaking up of any vessel in the canal or on canal land is $25 per vessel, except that for small repairs that can be completed within eight hours, a vessel may be given written permission for drying off in a lock at a charge of $20.

• (2) When any vessel requires to pass through a lock in which another vessel is being dry docked for minor repairs, the latter vessel shall be removed from the lock in sufficient time to allow the approaching vessel to enter the lock without delay.

• (3) The vessel receiving minor repairs as described in subsection (2) may again enter the lock for completion of its repairs as soon as the lock is available.

Skiffs and Canoes

• 70 (1) No skiff or canoe shall be locked on the canal between the hours of sunset and sunrise.

• (2) During daylight hours it shall be optional with the lockmaster either to pass a skiff or canoe through the locks or have it otherwise conveyed from one level to the other, and such passage or conveyance shall be at the risk of the owner, who shall assist in any manner considered necessary by the lockmaster.

Vessels with Open Exhausts

71 Except for the purpose of participation in a regatta or race and with the prior permission of the Chief, no vessel shall run with open exhaust on the canal.

Dows Lake

• 72 (1) No vessel on Dows Lake shall proceed at a speed greater than six miles per hour.

• (2) Sight-seeing boats or pleasure craft may enter and circle around on Dows Lake.

• (3) Engine testing, speed testing and continuous circling around of any vessel on Dows Lake is prohibited.

• (4) Subject to subsection (5), no vessel shall anchor or lie in Dows Lake between the hours of sunset and sunrise.

• (5) A vessel may anchor at the National Capital Commission’s boat house on Dows Lake with the consent of the Commission.

Aids to Navigation

73 No person shall move, alter, destroy, repaint or otherwise interfere with any aid to navigation, or moor to any aid to navigation, or set out any buoys or navigation markers in the Rideau Canal or its subsidiary waters.

TRENT CANAL

74 Sections 70, 71 and 73 are applicable to the Trent Canal.

Charges for Use of Dry Dock, Locks and Unwatered Reaches

• 75 (1) Upon permission, obtained in advance, from the Superintending Engineer, the Trent Canal dry dock at Bobcaygeon may be utilized during the navigation season for the dry docking of vessels for repairs upon payment of $25 for the first day or part thereof and $5 for each additional day or part thereof.

• (2) Upper Flight Locks 12 and 17 may be utilized during the navigation season for making small emergency repairs to vessels upon payment of $20 per eight hours or part thereof.

• (3) When any vessel requires to pass through a lock in which another vessel is being dry docked for small emergency repairs, the latter vessel shall be removed from the lock in sufficient time to allow the approaching vessel to enter the lock without delay.

• (4) The vessel receiving small emergency repairs as described in subsection (3) may again enter the lock for completion of its repairs as soon as the lock is available.

Hydraulic Lift Locks at Peterborough and Kirkfield

• 76 (1) If the lockmaster of either of the hydraulic lift locks at Peterborough or Kirkfield is of the opinion that lockage of a vessel may be dangerous, he may prohibit such lockage.

• (2) Any downbound vessel whose machinery is defective shall not proceed into either of these locks and, in order to test its machinery, every downbound vessel shall stop and reverse when approximately 1,000 feet from either of these locks, that is in the case of the Peterborough lock immediately before reaching the Norwood Road bridge and, in the case of the Kirkfield lock, immediately before reaching the mouth of the Rock Cut.

• (3) No vessel shall turn in the upper reach within a distance of 1,000 feet of the lock chambers.

• (4) Between the upper end of the centre pier above the lock gates and a point 100 feet below the chamber gates in the lower reach, no vessel shall be moved except by lines and subject to the orders of the lockmaster.

• (5) All vessel crews shall keep their vessels clear of the chamber gate frames.

• (6) No person shall ride on the lock chamber while the lock is in operation.

• (7) No person, except the lockmaster or a canal employee shall handle any operating lever.

• (8) No vessel of five tons or less shall be locked through the Peterborough Lift Lock except at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. unless such vessel is engaged in commercial business, or is on a continuous trip upbound from Rice Lake or downbound from Lakefield.