The Southern Georgian Bay OPP Marine Unit have been busy making their patrol vessels ready for the 2021 boating season along with attending training sessions and reacquainting with area marina operators. To date in this 2021 marine season, officers have logged 207 patrol vessel hours which has taken them from the Tiny Township shoreline to the Big Chute Railway on the Trent Severn System and to points in between.
During these patrol hours, over 230 vessels were checked for safety equipment as well their operators for signs of impairment. As a result of checking these vessels and responding to over 20 calls for service, officers cited 30 operators for various violations under the Canada Shipping Act, 16 operators for failing to have sufficient life jackets for each person aboard, six operators for having open packages of alcohol while in operation, along with demanding seven operators provide breath samples into the roadside screening device and two operators were charged with impaired driving offences.
