Overview

• On July 24, city council requested that PortsToronto bar boats and personal watercraft within 150 metres of Woodbine Beach by June 2026 and condemned illegal rental operations at Woodbine and Ashbridges Bay.
• Earlier this month, Toronto Police launched an enforcement blitz that issued more than 50 provincial offence tickets and dozens of bylaw charges after receiving up to 10 daily complaints about unsafe watercraft use in swim zones.
• A 200-metre exclusion zone introduced this summer at Hanlan’s Point Beach remains in effect as a pilot project to test watercraft-free areas for swimmers.
• Transport Canada competency requirements and PortsToronto’s powered vessel operator’s permit aim to curb unsafe rentals, yet many operators still lack proof of certification and insurance.
• Jetti founder Raj Mehta says his company follows GPS-based speed controls and safety checklists but has received no response to its regulatory proposals and wants a stakeholder advisory committee to refine rules.