No. A001/04 For publication March 19, 2004 GANDER, NL - Transport Canada announces the successful prosecution of an illegal tour boat operator in Lewisporte, Newfoundland and Labrador under the Canada Shipping Act (CSA). Mr. Austin Freake, of Lewisporte, recently pleaded guilty in provincial court to operating a tour boat passenger service without proper certification of the vessel and without a certified Master on board. The court assessed a fine of $1,000 for these offences. The illegal operation took place on June 28, 2003, when a group of paying passengers embarked on the tour boat docked at the Lewisporte Yacht Club and were taken by Mr. Freake on a scenic tour of Exploits Bay and Exploits Island. A Transport Canada investigation determined the vessel was not certified to be used as a tour boat and was operating without a certified Master on board. Transport Canada is committed to prosecuting illegal tour boat operators as a deterrent against potentially unsafe operations. Marine Safety inspectors actively monitor activities of tour boat operators and inspect small commercial passenger vessels throughout the tour boat operating season. In addition to its monitoring and inspection activities, Transport Canada is currently carrying out a safety promotion campaign in Atlantic Canada that encourages paying passengers to share the responsibility for their own safety by verifying, before they board any tour boat, that it has been certified by Transport Canada. All tour boats should be showing a decal demonstrating they are operating with a Marine Safety Inspection Certificate. Paying passengers should verify that the tour boats they board show this safety decal or ask to see the operator¿s Inspection Certificate or Notice of Inspection. Tour boat operators operating without certification should be reported to the nearest Transport Canada Marine Safety office. For added safety information, people planning to take a paid boat tour in the Atlantic Region are encouraged to visit Tour Boats at the Transport Canada Web site. Tour boat excursions are a growing part of the tourism industry in Atlantic Canada, and are a good economic generator for coastal regions during the tourist season. Transport Canada encourages safe and responsible commercial marine operations and works in cooperation with other federal agencies, the tourism and travel associations, and specifically the tour boat industry, to promote the safe operation of tour boats in Canada. It is imperative that tour boat operators meet Transport Canada standards to ensure the highest possible level of safety for their passengers. - 30 - Contact: Maurice Landry Communications, Transport Canada(506) 851-7562 Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada. This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.
