Ottawa boaters hit the water despite rising gas prices

Boats launching at Manotick Marina, signaling start of boating season. May. 17, 2026 (Josh Marano/CTV News Ottawa)

Boating season is officially underway across Ontario, but many boaters are starting the summer facing higher costs at the pump.

With regular gas prices in Ottawa sitting around $1.90 per litre and analysts warning prices could climb to about $2 this summer, some boaters say time on the water is becoming increasingly expensive.

Still, that didn’t stop boats from launching at Manotick Marina on Sunday as many kicked off their first big weekend of the season.

“I love today, today’s boat day,” said Steve Ellis, one of the first boaters to get his vessel into the water.

Ellis says rising fuel costs are hard to ignore, especially when boating already comes with a hefty price tag.

“You don’t plan for life, but you have to make the most of it,” Ellis said. “The gas prices are higher, we’ll expect to pay a little bit more this year, but it’s going to be part of the fun.”

Ellis says his boat holds around 400 litres of fuel, spending nearly $2,000 to fill up over the course of the summer in previous years. To save money, he sometimes fills up at regular gas stations instead of on the water.

“It’s a little bit more expensive on the river,” Ellis said. “Sometimes, I’ll bring it to gas stations to fill it up. I get some looks, and I take a little bit of time to fill it up, but once it’s full, it’s good for about half the season.”

Other boaters say higher prices are already changing how often they head out.

“I usually took about $150 of gas, and now I’m over the $200 mark – $240 to $250. It’s a significant difference,” said boater Don Fournier.

Fournier says he and his family still plan to use the boat this summer, just less often.

“We definitely take it out a lot less,” he said. “Bottom line is, I’m not going to park my boat out of the water and store it just because gas prices are high. But it is unnerving.”

Commercial operators are also feeling the impact.

The Ottawa Boat Cruise runs more than a dozen tours a day during peak season.

Supervisor Camryn Lamers says fuel costs for the company have nearly doubled since last summer.“Our prices have stayed the exact same so, it is a cost that falls on us,” she said.

Lamers says the company’s canal tour boats are electric, but river cruises still rely on gas-powered vessels.

“It’s been a little bit different for us, but we’re really excited to still be offering tours and having as many people as we possibly can come with us on the river and the canal,” she adds.

Ellis says he still plans to make the most of boating season despite the higher costs.

“With especially the longer winter, I plan on being on the water a little bit longer this year,” he said.

“Do some long trips, do some camping, it’s going to be great.”

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