So you’re thinking of chartering a boat with friends in Toronto Harbour. Read this before you book.
Illegal charters, which operate without being licensed or equipped, have been implicated in the deaths of at least two people in Toronto Harbour in recent years. In the summer of 2026, six people in Vancouver and a mother and her five-month old daughter in New York City were killed in incidents involving illegal charters.
Illegal charters often operate with insufficient crew and insufficient safety equipment, including life jackets. They are often over-loaded and pick-up and drop-off is conducted at unsanctioned locations that put passengers at risk of injury or death.
They often run splashy ads on social media.
Here’s how to screen for illegal charters and how to know if you’ve accidentally booked one:
•You are told to meet the boat at one location, and receive a last-minute request asking you to go to another location. Illegal operators sometimes switch pickup points at the last minute, to avoid being caught by police or Transport Canada officials.
•The pickup point is in a public park, boardwalk or beach, typically without a dock or pier. In addition to being illegal, boarding conditions at these locations may be unsafe.
•The vessel operator or captain tells passengers to tell any officials that they are friends or family if questioned.
•There are no life jackets, or not enough for everyone on board.
•There is no pre-departure safety briefing — similar to those given on an aircraft — provided on the location and use of life jackets and other safety measures.
•The vessel has no identification on the hull.
•Commercial craft in Ontario are identified with numbers preceded by the letter C. Pleasure craft are identified by numbers preceded by ON. If you are boarding a boat with ON on the hull, and the captain or crew is collecting or has collected money from each passenger, you are likely boarding an illegal charter.
If you are unsure about whether your boat is an illegal charter, ask to see the vessel registration.
•Smaller commercial vessels, carrying 12 or fewer passengers, may sometimes have a valid Transport Canada Blue Decal, indicating compliance with Transport Canada’s safety requirements. This is voluntary.
Larger vessels, carrying 12 or more people, should have a valid Safety Inspection Certificate, issued by Transport Canada. The operator should be able to produce it upon request.
If your captain is consuming alcohol, call 9-1-1.
