Life Jacket and PFD Requirements
What counts as a Canadian-approved device, who must carry one, and the rules around inflatable PFDs.
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Canadian Waterways
Boating safety, written down plainly.
River Market Way gathers publicly available guidance on marine and boating safety across Canadian lakes, rivers, and coastal waters — equipment carriage, life jacket rules, float plans, and seasonal hazards.
Key topics
Four areas that shape a safe day on the water
Most preventable incidents on Canadian waterways come back to a handful of basics. These are the areas covered across the reference notes here.
Equipment
Life jackets and PFDs
Every person on board needs an appropriately sized, Canadian-approved life jacket or PFD that is readily accessible. Damaged or altered devices no longer count as approved.
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Planning
Float plans
Leaving a trip plan with someone on shore describes your vessel, route, and expected return so search and rescue has a starting point if you are overdue.
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Seasonal
Cold water & hazards
Transport Canada treats water under 15°C as cold water. Cold shock and changing conditions on lakes and rivers call for extra preparation early and late in the season.
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Reference notes
Each note summarizes publicly available guidance and links back to the official source so you can confirm the current requirement.
Filing a Float Plan
What a trip plan should contain, who to leave it with, and why deactivating it on return matters.
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Cold Water and Navigation Hazards
The stages of cold water immersion and the seasonal hazards that change conditions on lakes and rivers.
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Questions or corrections
If you spot something out of date or want to point to a clearer official source, send a note. This form runs entirely in your browser and does not transmit data to a server.
Email: editor@rivermarketway.org
General: Responses are informational only and never a substitute for current Transport Canada guidance.