Social and Recreational Activities

Key deliverables and actions:

• Prepare a 'code of conduct' and map to promote safe and considerate boating.
• Raise awareness about the environmental impact of poorly maintained boat engines.
• Raise awareness and promote the concept of 'dark skies'.

It is proposed that this material form part of a brochure to distribute to all residents, and be included as part of a 'renter's' package'.

See the 'Boating Regulations and Speed Limits Map' link (right) and information below, presented as a starting point for these initiatives.

Code of Conduct for Responsible Boating

This appendix comprises a brief outline of boating rules and regulations that apply within the Fourteen Island and Mink Lakes watershed. As proposed in the Report (Section 4.0 Boating and Recreational Activities, Recommendations and Actions 4.1.1.) it is the starting point for an initiative to prepare and distribute an information sheet with a map of the lake (showing narrow channels and recommended speed limits) and a short ‘Code of Conduct’ for responsible boating.

Know the Boating Laws

The following are extracted from the Small Vessel Regulations and the Canada Shipping Act. Please refer to the complete regulations to ensure you are operating your boats in compliance with the law.

Boating Rules and Regulations

As a boater, you have to follow a set of rules and regulations that are designed to protect you, other boaters, and the wildlife habitat of the region.

Boating Law Enforcement

Under the Contraventions Regulations in Ontario authorities can ticket offenders on the spot for offences such as disobeying speed limits or careless operation of a vessel. There is a zero tolerance policy regarding missing safety equipment on a boat.

Operate at a Safe Speed

You may have to stop or turn suddenly to avoid a collision, so operate at a safe speed.

When choosing a safe speed consider:

• The visibility conditions (fog, mist, rain and darkness) and your ability to see ahead;
• The wind, water conditions and currents;
• The manoeuvrability of your boat;
• The traffic density, types of vessels in the area and their proximity;
• The proximity of any navigational hazards (rocks, and tree stumps);
• Other users of the waterway such as swimmers, divers; and,
• People aboard small vessels that your wake could cause to capsize.

Shoreline Speed Restrictions

On all waters in Ontario there is a shoreline speed zone which restricts all power-driven vessels to a maximum speed of 10 km/h (6.2 mph) within 30 metres (100 ft.) from shore.

Watch Your Wake

In restricted channels and near shore areas please slow down to a point where you are generating a minimum wash. The waves generated by a boat can do a great deal of damage, especially in narrow channels. It can erode shorelines, swamp the nests of loons and other waterfowl, damage docks and moored vessels, and upset canoes and small boats.

Water Skiing and Towing

The rules governing waterskiing include other towing activities such as tubing and knee-boarding.

The Small Vessel Regulations require that:

• A spotter must be onboard;
• Tow boats must have room for driver, spotter AND the person(s) being towed;
• There must be a seat available for each person being towed in case recovery is necessary;
• Only personal watercraft designed to carry three or more people can be used for towing water skiers;
• Towing activities are not allowed in the period from one hour after sunset to sunrise;
• The towing vessel cannot be remotely controlled.

Proof of Competency

As of September 2009, all boat operators must carry with them a Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC), or other proof of competency, to operate any boat with a motor. The only exceptions are American boaters who operate their boat in Canada for less than 45 consecutive days and whose boat is registered in the U.S.

Licence

All recreational boats powered by a motor 7.5 kW (10 HP) or greater, and under 15 gross tons (over 12 metres), must be licensed and the licence number must be clearly marked on both sides of the bow (with letters of contrasting colour to the boat, at least 7.5 cm high). In addition, any boat less than 5m (16 ft, 5 in) in length, powered by a motor 7.5 kW (10 HP) or greater, must carry a plate stating the maximum load and kilowatts recommended for it.

Age Restrictions

On all waters in Ontario:

• No one under the age of 16 can operate a PWC (personal watercraft);
• No one under the age of 12, who is not being directly supervised (by someone over the age of 16), may operate a vessel with a motor exceeding 10 hp;
• No one between the age of 12 and 16, who is not being directly supervised (by someone over the age of 16), may operate a vessel with more than 40 hp.

Don’t Cruise with Booze

Drinking and driving (whether on land or water) is illegal and punishable under the Criminal Code. If you’re impaired while in “care or control of a vessel’, including non-motorized vessels such as sailboats, canoes and kayaks, your driver’s licence will be suspended (just as if you had been impaired while driving a car).

The Province of Ontario’s Liquor License Act forbids the operation of a boat with liquor on board unless it is unopened and sealed, or stored in a closed compartment.

Alcohol can only be consumed aboard a pleasure craft that has permanent sleeping accommodations and permanent cooking and sanitary facilities, and only while the boat is at anchor or is secured to the dock or land.

Emergency Gear

Your boat must carry mandatory safety equipment, which depends on the length of your boat. You can be charged up to $200 for each safety item you don’t have on board!

At a bare minimum, you should always have with you:

• Canadian approved flotation device or lifejacket of appropriate size for each passenger on board;
• Buoyant heaving line at least 15 metres in length;
• A working, watertight flashlight (test it regularly) OR Canadian approved flares – Type A,B or C;
• Sound signalling device;
• Manual propelling device (i.e. paddle) OR an anchor with at least 15 metres of rope, chain or cable;
• Bailer OR manual water pump;
• Class 5 BC fire extinguisher for inboard and outdrive boats.

Equipment carried on board must be in good working order, maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and available immediately, in case of emergency.

In addition, it is important that life jackets and personal flotation devices (PFDs) be worn while boating. If someone accidently falls off your boat, or your boat is struck by an underwater object or another boat, chances are that you may be unconscious when you enter the water.

Collision Avoidance

Here are the basic rules:

• If a boat under power approaches you on your port (left) side, then maintain your course and speed with caution;
• If a boat under power approaches you on your starboard (right) side, then move to keep clear of it;
• If two boats under power are approaching head on, each should change course to starboard, and pass port to port;
• A boat overtaking another boat must keep clear of that boat. Sound your horn, one blast to pass on starboard, two blasts to pass on port. A good boater will slow down his vessel to let the other pass him;
• A vessel under power should keep clear of unpowered boats (a sailboat under sail, rowboat, or canoe);
• A vessel more than 20 metres long has the right of way over all other vessels (except one bigger than it).

For more information visit the Office of Boating Safety website at: www.boatingsafety.gc.ca

Emergency and Municipal Services

Key deliverables and actions:

• Lobby South Frontenac Township and Frontenac County requesting that the Sydenham ambulance facility be equipped with a four-wheel drive ambulance.
  
• Lobby South Frontenac Township and Frontenac County requesting that they purchase an up to date GPS system to improve response time of emergency responders.
  
• Maintain and expand the relationships with the Fire Chief, the OPP detachment, and the Township of South Frontenac.
• Promote self-help fire protection schemes as done by the FINFLA Road Association.

Land Use and Development

Key deliverables and actions:

• Present the results of the FIMLA Lake Plan to the South Frontenac Township council, stressing components related to protecting lake values and controlling new development.
• Examine Official Plan and Zoning Bylaws to determine development potential on the lakes, and monitor future severances and subdivisions.
• Monitor and review current and future policies and proposals related to backlot and condominium development on FIMLA waterfronts.
• Request that FIMLA executive be notified in future of Plans of Subdivision or severances in the FIMLA area and of any applications for backlot development or condominium/joint ownership buildings.

See 'Land Use and Development Map' link (right) and table summarizing current 'Zoning Regulations' (below) for an overview of the present situation.

Zoning Regulations

South Frontenac Township Zoning Regulations
Specific regulations for Limited Service Residential - Waterfront Zone regulations for a principal building are:
RESIDENTIAL	WATERFRONT	ISLAND
LOT SIZE
Lot Area (minimum)	1 ha (2.5 acres)	2 ha (5 acres)
Lot Frontage (Minimum Shoreline)	91 m (300 ft)	91 m (300 ft)
Lot Coverage - Buildings	5% maximum	5% maximum
SETBACKS
Shoreline setback	30 m (100 ft)	30 m (100 ft)
Side Yard Main Building	3 m (10 ft)	3 m (10 ft)
Side Yard Accessory Building	3 m (10 ft)	3 m (10 ft)
MAXIMUM HEIGHT
Main Building	11m (36 ft)	11m (36 ft)
Accessory Building	6 m (20 ft)	6 m (20 ft)

Sense of Community

Key deliverables and actions:

• Develop a ‘good neighbour’ awareness campaign to deal with noise.
• Prepare 'good neighbour' guidelines to go into a brochure for distribution to all residents; and to be included as a part of a ‘renter's’ package.
• Canvass the FIMLA community to determine the level of interest in future community events.
• Prepare and publish a history of the FIMLA area.
  Establish a history working group of interested residents.
  
• Set out a clear action plan for implementing the Lake Stewardship Plan and for monitoring results and reporting back to the community.

Good Neighbour Guidelines

This appendix comprises a brief outline of good neighbour guidelines to be promoted within the Fourteen Island and Mink Lakes watershed. As proposed in the Report (Section 4.0 Boating and Recreational Activities, Recommendations and Actions 4.3.1.) it is the starting point for an initiative to prepare and distribute an information sheet to raise awareness about issues related to recreational enjoyment of the lake.

Noise

• Noise travels over water. It can spoil your neighbour’s enjoyment.
• Please avoid noisy activities in the early morning (before 8:00 am) or evening (after sunset), on land and on boats, such as:
  • playing loud music;
  • loud parties;
  • using power tools, hammers and construction equipment; and barking dogs.
• Please avoid daytime noise that might be intrusive to neighbours even at moderate volume such as radios or recorded music.
• The sound of children playing at the lake is not noise and should be encouraged.

Keep It Quiet

• All boats must have a muffler in good working order and in operation at all times to prevent excessive noise.
• PWC drivers should travel at a speed that avoids bouncing and exposing the water intake.

Water Skiers And Wake Boarders

… and any other towing activities like barefoot skiing, knee boarding, tubing, etc.

• Please don’t start before 8:00 in the morning and finish before sunset. Your neighbours will appreciate a good night’s rest.
• Plan your circuit to ensure you do not enter narrow channels and you have room to turn around safely (obey the law and keep your skier and everyone else safe – you and your skier must be more than 30m from shore).
• Plan your circuit to avoid over-using any one area of the lake. One circuit across more of the lake is better than multiple circuits of the same area.
• Stay in the middle of the channel. Stop if there is congestion. If everyone is courteous, everyone can have fun!
• For tubing avoid circling in one place and ensure that you leave space for other boats to pass when you zigzag down the lake.
• Tubing with more than one tube at a time is dangerous and creates a serious risk of head injury.
• When the person being towed falls, best practice is to quickly come to a stop, turn around and idle back to the person who fell, staying in line with the person within the channel – other boaters will go around the tow-boat and thus stay away from the person in the water. Circling around leaves the person in the water unprotected and creates choppy wake that makes it harder to re-start.
• When the person being towed falls, they should always raise a hand to show they are un-injured. If they are unable to raise their hand, the tow-boat should move as fast as possible to pick them up.

Swimmers

• Make sure you have a boat beside you if you swim away from the shore or across the lake. Make safe swimming a priority!
  

Keep It Safe

• Please avoid high speeds – our lakes are very narrow in places and there is little margin for error in passing other boats.
  Power boats must give right of way to non-powered boats.
• Stay as far from shore as possible when you are travelling quickly – give swimmers at the shore lots of room to have fun.
• Carry lights and reduce your speed after dusk. This is for your own safety as well as the safety of those in approaching boats!

The Speed Limit is 10 Kph Within 30m (100ft) of Shore

• At this speed almost every boat will produce only insignificant wake – if your boat is making a wake you are going too fast.
• Any person or thing you are towing should be more than 30m from shore if they are going faster than 10 kph.
• There are channels on the lake that are narrower than 60m. It is illegal to travel more than 10kph through these channels.

Watch Your Wake!!!

• Shoreline erosion is a serious problem.
• Boats tied to docks can be damaged.
• Loon nests are close to shore and chicks can be drowned by big waves.
• Please keep your boat either on plane (riding quickly on the surface of the water) or slow to 10 km/h or less (moving slowly in the water).
• If you are passing smaller boats and non-powered boats, minimize your wake by keeping your boat on plane or slowing to 10 km/h or less.
• PWC drivers should avoid circling in one place.

Keep It Clean

• To protect our lake, ensure your boat is washed thoroughly well away from the lake before launching. Better still, leave it in dry storage for 48 hours before you launch it.
• Boat motors can last forever – but should they? If your motor is more than 10 years old it creates a lot of pollution. Consider upgrading to a new, low emissions motor.
• Do not throw garbage over-board – it can harm wildlife and it will only wash up on a neighbour’s shore.

Lights

• Minimizing your night lighting helps reduce light pollution, lets your neighbours see the stars and makes it safer for boaters navigating at night.
• Switch to a low wattage bulb and use yellow lights (which are less blinding than white lights).
• Avoid high-mounted area lights.

Use a light fixture that shields the bulb, ensure lights are directed down and do not cause glare across the lake.

Hikers/Walking Around Others’ Properties

Always seek permission before going onto anybody’s property.

• Do not drop litter.
• Keep animals under control.
• Respect plants and wildlife.
• Do not hunt without permission.