Alberta pilot program to target impaired boaters starting on May long weekend

Cameron MacCuish · CBC News

· Posted: May 15, 2025 4:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

A caller provincial programme aimed astatine cracking down connected impaired boating volition spot food and wildlife officers start administering breathalyzer tests connected lakes and rivers successful cardinal Alberta for the summertime months.

This caller aviator programme to people impaired boaters successful "key areas" of the state volition statesman connected Friday and tally until Sept. 1, the state said. Previously, food and wildlife officers did not administer breathalyzer tests. 

In a news release Thursday, the state said the caller programme volition absorption connected lakes and rivers astir Spruce Grove, Wetaskiwin, Ponoka, Camrose, and Red Deer. 

The merchandise states that if determination is simply a tenable suspicion that a vessel relation has consumed alcohol, food and wildlife officers tin present administer enactment tests and tin apprehension the relation if they are impaired.

Penalties for operating a vessel portion impaired whitethorn see suspension of driver's licence, fines, prohibition from operating a boat, and imaginable situation terms. 

According to the Lifesaving Society and Drowning Research Centre Canada, 50 per cent of boating-relating h2o fatalities successful Alberta impact intoxicant consumption.

"Alberta families person a close to bask our beauteous summers safely. The aviator programme we've announced contiguous sends a wide message: impaired boating has nary spot connected Alberta's waterways. Full stop," said Alberta's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis.

"Operating a vessel portion impaired is conscionable arsenic unsafe and amerciable arsenic driving a car impaired. I privation to commend our food and wildlife officers for taking factual steps to forestall accidents and support Albertans safe."