2024-Jan-25
GBA Asks Transport Canada to Continue Funding for Flare Disposal Programs
One of the great boating ironies is that Transport Canada requires that you carry flares, but there are almost no legal ways to dispose of the flares after they expire. According to Transport Canada requirements, flares are approved for four years from the date of manufacture. This means that you must replace traditional flares every third or fourth boating season, but how do you get rid of the old ones in a safe and environmentally responsible way? It is illegal and potentially dangerous to set them off and it’s illegal to throw them out in the trash or throw them in the water.
With funding from Transport Canada, Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons (CPSS) and CIL Orion, a flare manufacturer, began hosting Safety Equipment Education and Flare Disposal Days that offered people the opportunity to learn about safety equipment and bring outdated marine flares to be properly disposed of. Since 2015 CPSS these events have collected over 300,000 expired flares from across Canada. In 2023, Transport Canada provided only enough funding to run 10 events, down from the usual 30. CPSS has applied to Transport Canada for funding again for the 2024 to 2026 seasons and the decision is expected this spring.
This flare disposal program addresses a real need so GBA has written to Transport Canada requesting that they provide the funding needed for CPSS to continue the flare disposal program for the 2024-2026 boating seasons. Read the letter here.