Impaired boating costs driver’s licence

The OPP marine patrol was doing a routine safety check on a pontoon boat out on the Ottawa River. In the end, the person in charge of the pontoon boat ended up having his driver’s licence suspended for being impaired while in charge of the boat.

Francis Grégoire, 55, of The Nation Municipality, had his driver’s licence suspended on the spot for 90 days and now has to attend provincial court in L’Orignal on Aug. 3, to face charges under both the Criminal Code and the Canada Shipping Act. The charges resulted from an incident on the evening of July 14, when an OPP marine patrol stopped Grégoire’s pontoon boat while doing safety inspection checks and boating document reviews along the Ottawa River near Champlain Township.

The officer suspected, after talking with Grégoire, that the latter might be operating his boat while his blood-alcohol levels exceeded 80 milligrams. Grégoire was then arrested and charged under the Criminal Code with operating a vessel while his bloodalcohol levels exceeded 80 milligrams, and also charged, under the Canada Shipping Act section dealing with small vessels, with operating a non-human-powered pleasure craft without prescribed vessel safety equipment on board.

The OPP remind boaters that the same laws and penalties dealing with impaired driving also apply to boating. Drinking on board is only permitted if the boat has its own sleeping, cooking and washroom facilities and is also either anchored or docked.

Boaters are also reminded that they are responsible for making sure that their vessel meets all safety regulations, including having enough life jackets for everyone on board and that everyone is wearing a lifejacket while the vessel is afloat.