Power Boating

View this map

---

Abstract

In 1996, 9.3% of Canadians made use of a power boat. The range of recreational activities is diverse, ranging from cruising, across to cottages, to fishing and water sports. The large number of powerboats in Canada had lead to many concerns about their usage like pollution and habitat disturbance.

---

Each year, millions of Canadians participate in water related activities. Activities using a power boat represent a significant portion of that number. Figure 1 shows that, in 1996, 9.3% of Canadians as a whole made use of a power boat, with the highest participation rate being in Saskatchewan (16.7% of the population) and the lowest being in Prince Edward Island (4.3%).

[D]
Click for larger version, 8 KB
Figure1. Powerboat Use in Canada, 1996

Powered watercraft covers a variety of boat types, ranging from personal watercraft (PWCs) to recreational fishing boats and large yachts (yachts with an in-board engine). The range of recreational activities is also diverse, ranging from cruising, access to cottages, to fishing and water sports.

The map shows the number of trips where a powerboat was used. Data is shown by watershed. Users should be aware that while some form of activity may take place in most of a watershed, the bulk of the activity will be found relatively close to settlements. This will be particularly true for watersheds in northern Canada.

Like many other recreational activities, powerboating developed around the beginning of the 20th century. New technology such as the development of small in-board engines (and especially the development of outboard engines) encouraged the growth of power boating, but so did the development of relatively cheap, lightweight materials for building small boats such as aluminum and fibreglass. The expansion of cottage-owning from being mainly for the wealthy to being relatively common also encouraged small boat ownership of all kinds.

The large number of powerboats in Canada has lead to many concerns about their usage. These include concerns about pollution, habitat disturbance, speed, noise, and the use of alcohol while operating a power boat. National agencies and governments at various levels are adopting guidelines and policies to address many of these issues.