Dangerous operation of jet skis near Woodbine Beach will not be tolerated, says local councillor

By ALAN SHACKLETON

The City of Toronto will be cracking down on “illegal and dangerous activity by unlicensed personal watercraft” operators along Woodbine Beach, according to the local councillor.

In a statement released on July 10, Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford said the behaviour of the operators of the personal watercraft (jet skis) was deeply concerning and completely unacceptable.

“These reckless actions are endangering swimmers, disrupting families and undermining public safety across our beaches,” said Bradford in the statement.

“Let me be clear; this behaviour will not be tolerated.”

At issue is the apparent renting of the jet skis taking place mostly at the far west end of Woodbine Beach by Ashbridges Bay Park, just past the line that separates the beach’s swimming zone from its (water) craft zone.

Bradford’s statement indicates those renting the jet skis are not licensed by the city to do so. Concerns have also been raised regarding the operation of the jet skis when they are on the water, especially in areas near swimmers and those using non-motorized water craft such as paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and row boats.

“My office is actively coordinating with the Toronto Police Service, including the Marine Unit, as well as Municipal Licensing & Standards and Parks staff to put an end to these unauthorized and unlawful operations. The safety of our waterfront for residents and visitors is a top priority and enforcement is already underway,” said Bradford.

Beach Metro Community News was at Woodbine Beach on Friday, July 11, and saw a jet ski being rented to a couple who took it out on the water. The man who oversaw the rental of the jet ski said he had only been working for a week and said he would ask his boss to send Beach Metro Community News a statement. There was no sign indicating the jet skis were available to be rented or what the prices were.

The man did indicate that he had seen Toronto police Marine Unit officers on the water earlier this week and expected that they would enforce any cases of dangerous operation by the people using the jet skis. He also said city bylaw officers had been by and that everything was “OK”.

The situation is causing frustration for two businesses along the Eastern Beaches that are licensed to rent non-motorized craft.

Both companies said they were hearing from angry residents and beach-goers complaining to them about the actions of the jet ski operators.

“It’s affecting my business,” said Louis Kehoe of WSUP Toronto and Toronto Beach Kayak.

“Those things are really noisy and people want to go out on the water for a quiet paddle,” he said.

Kehoe feels that the city needs to enforce bylaws regarding businesses operating without licences.

He also said some jet ski renters appear to be leaving the craft wherever they feel like on the beach, and just walking away. He pointed to four jet skis on the sand right beside where his business is operating (east of the Summerville pools), leading some to think he was the person renting the machines when that was not the case at all.

“They just beached them here. Eventually someone comes round to pick them up,” said Kehoe. He added that he believed a “beaching fee” was charged to renters who leave the jet skis on shore and do not return them to the place they picked them up.

Brian Quinn, from iPaddle Adventures, said there have been dangerous situations of jet ski operators circling paddleboarders and causing wakes and waves.

“It’s a case of some of these guys being really obnoxious around clean-water equipment,” he said.

Quinn said he’s had customers planning to go out for an evening paddle who changed their minds because they were afraid of some of the jet ski operators.

He showed a letter he sent outlining “Boating offences under the Criminal Code” of Canada and that he expects the laws to be enforced.

“It’s a big problem,” he said.

A resident chatting with Kehoe, when Beach Metro Community News was also there, said he had seen as many as 30 jet skis in the area at the far west end of Woodbine Beach on the evening of Monday, July 7.

“I was out on a paddle and it’s scary … something will happen,” said the resident.

Complicating enforcement somewhat on this issue are federal laws governing international waterways, of which Lake Ontario is one.

“It’s important to note as Lake Ontario is considered Federal Navigable Waters some of the issues fall within the Federal Jurisdiction through the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations (VORR) under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001. Despite these jurisdictional challenges, we are pushing forward with enforcement blitzes and ongoing investigations at the source,” said Bradford in his statement.

He said issues regarding powered boat and jet ski safety also took place along Woodbine Beach a number of years ago, and they were dealt with.

“This is not the first time we’ve faced this issue. In 2019, when we experienced similar safety concerns, my office took immediate action by bringing City divisions including the Toronto Police Marine Unit, Aquatics, and Waterfront Parks to clarify swimming zones and improve safety signage. While those measures helped, this year’s renewed activity signals the need for even stronger enforcement and intergovernmental cooperation,” said Bradford’s statement.

“Toronto’s waterfront belongs to everyone. We will not allow a small number of reckless operators to jeopardize public safety and violate our shared spaces.”

This is an ongoing story and Beach Metro Community News will be reaching out to Toronto police and federal officials for more clarification on the enforcement of safe boating operation laws and who has jurisdiction and where along the Lake Ontario shoreline in the Eastern Beaches. Please visit us here on our website for updates to this story next week.