Ontario town ends boat rescue service sparking concern among water safety advocates

A decision by Kingsville council to eliminate boat rescue services from its fire department has sparked concern among water safety advocates who say water-related emergencies and deaths are on the rise across Ontario.

The council voted Nov. 3 to discontinue boat-based rescue operations and remove the fire department’s inflatable vessel from service.

“Given current staffing levels and competing training demands, the ongoing discipline cannot be reliably maintained to the standard expected for marine operations,” Kingsville’s fire Chief Scott Moore said in a statement.

The municipality will now rely entirely on the Ontario Provincial Police and the Canadian Coast Guard for marine search and rescue on Lake Erie.

Moore recommended the change, saying Kingsville’s boat has only launched three times since 2020 and that maintaining a reliable marine response would require investing roughly $250,000 in a larger vessel, plus ongoing training for a 12-member team.

Moore said the cost is not justified and requirements cannot be met given the current staffing and competing training priorities. Now, the water rescue jurisdiction rests with the OPP and the coast guard.

But the Safe Action Boaters Association (SABA), a boating safety organization, says the decision shifts risk rather than eliminating it.

“There is undoubtedly a budget imperative driving this decision, but this must be weighed against the potential harm,” SABA said in a statement.

“OPP and the Coast Guard are already under-resourced, and downloading additional duty responsibilities could result in response stresses that may not be reasonable. It would be unfortunate if what could have been a rescue operation devolves into a recovery.”

SABA says it is particularly concerned heading into winter, when ice rescues, weak-ice incidents and cold-water exposure require rapid response.

“A dedicated rescue organization is always desirable,” the group said. “Local teams maintain experience and local knowledge that can make the difference between life and death in an emergency.”

The fire department will continue to provide shore-based ice and water rescue, scene management and patient care.

According to Moore, residents will not notice a difference during emergencies because 911 calls are routed to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, the dispatch centre for OPP and Coast Guard marine units.

Advocates argue that relying solely on provincial and federal agencies may create gaps as demand grows.

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The OPP Marine Unit has reported a significant increase in rescue calls, collisions and near-drownings over the past two summers, fuelled in part by inexperienced boaters and personal watercraft rentals. Rescue calls in June and July rose 51 per cent last year compared to the previous year, according to the OPP.

Ten people drowned in eastern Ontario during the same period, none were reported wearing life jackets.

“We feel every municipality should work with all available resources,” SABA said, calling for shared marine-rescue partnerships rather than reductions. “No one entity can shoulder the burden or make decisions in a vacuum.”

Moore maintains public safety remains the town’s priority and encourages residents to practice safe boating, wear life jackets and call 911 immediately in any water emergency.

Kingsville will amend its Establish and Regulate bylaw to remove boat rescue operations from the fire department’s mandate.

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