The Canadian province of Ontario is a huge area that provides some of the best freshwater boating in the entire world, inland as well as along the Great Lakes. In the north, during the summer months, boaters have access to James Bay and Hudson Bay, which provide access to the Atlantic Ocean. One of the most popular destinations for boaters is of course Lake Ontario, which is one of the five Great Lakes. Lake Ontario offers thousands of boating opportunities including cruisers, houseboats, sailing, fishing, marinas, ports of call and so forth. There is also a wide range of activities on the shore, including camping, hiking, movie theaters, dining, hotels, clubs and so on.
Lake Ontario is somewhat of a tricky area since Ontario governs it to the north and New York governs it to the south. Concerning boating, Ontario’s laws a bit stricter, so if you conform to them, you know you will be all right wherever you are on the lake. In Canada, the law is that you must have a boating license to operate a motorized boat. If you have a license from anywhere within Canada, or you have an equivalent license, such as a US boating license, that is generally good enough. Otherwise, you will need to get the license. The easiest way to do that is take the exam online, and they will mail the license to you within 3-4 weeks. The other option is to schedule the exam, and take it when you arrive in Ontario. They provide you with a temporary card that provides full boating privileges.
You only pay for your Boating License Exam once. If you don’t pass, you can try the exam again at no additional charge.
ASM Safe Safe Boating encourages boaters in all provinces to take a Transport Canada Accredited course to obtain the Canadian Boating License (officially known as a Pleasure Craft Operator Card). ASM Safe Boating, through its partnership with BoaterExam.com, offers Transport Canada accredited courses and certification for the Canadian Pleasure Craft Operator Card.
If you operate a boat, you have to have a boater license. It’s the law. Without a Pleasure Craft Operator Card, or boat operators license, you’re automatically subject to a $250 fine.
