Owners remove, fix buoys to avoid Transport Canada removal

CSRD Release - October 5, 2022

Numerous owners of non-compliant buoys decided to pull them from Shuswap Lake or ensure they met all the rules before a recent Transport Canada removal effort seized them from the waters off Electoral Areas C and F.

This spring, non-compliant buoys were tagged by Transport Canada’s Navigation Protection Program to alert owners of the violation and to give them a chance to rectify the situation prior to removal.

When Transport Canada staff returned to conduct the removal, approximately 80 per cent of the tagged buoys were either removed by owners or brought into compliance with safety regulations.

Of the remaining non-compliant buoys, 26 buoys, including numerous anchors, were removed from the lake.

The proliferation of buoys on Shuswap and Mara Lakes has been a continual source of public complaints to both the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) and Transport Canada.

Buoys can be removed if they are not following the regulations regarding the correct size, colour and identification. This can be hazardous for boaters and other users of the lake. In addition to Federal and Provincial legislation, the installation of docks and buoys in lakes within the CSRD are also regulated by CSRD Bylaws. 

“We are thrilled to see people getting the message that non-compliant buoys will be the target of enforcement action,” says Marty Herbert, the CSRD’s Team Leader, Building and Bylaw Services. “After a few years of this program being in operation, people know that we are serious about this issue. Now they are taking steps to fix the situation themselves rather than run the risk of their buoy being seized by Transport Canada.”

For more information on Transport Canada buoy regulations, see the Transport Canada website and the applicable regulations for private buoys.  

The installation of any buoy in Shuswap Lake requires a CSRD Development Permit. For more information, contact the Planning department at 250-833-5904, email plan@csrd.bc.ca or see the CSRD website under Dock & Buoy Regulations. 

Photo: A group of the buoys most recently seized by Transport Canada from the waters of Shuswap Lake due to non-compliance with regulations. (Photo courtesy Transport Canada)

A group of the buoys most recently seized by Transport Canada from the waters of Shuswap Lake due to non-compliance with regulations. (Photo courtesy Transport Canada)