As Toronto aims to ban motorized watercraft at popular beach, some blame ‘bad actors’

Toronto has moved to ban motorized watercraft from one of its busiest beaches by next year due to concerns over unsafe operators and illegal rentals, but one rental company says the city should instead focus on regulations that weed out “bad actors” in the industry.

City council passed a motion last week requesting that PortsToronto ban boats and personal watercrafts such as Jet Skis within at least 150 metres of the shoreline at Woodbine Beach in the city’s east end by June 2026.

The motion also condemns “illegal” rental business practices at the beach and nearby Ashbridges Bay, such as using and storing watercraft without proper boating permits and operating them unsafely.

“I’m relieved that this was passed because job No. 1 of local government is to keep our residents safe,” said Coun. Brad Bradford, who introduced the motion and represents Ward 19 Beaches — East York.

Bradford said the ban request was spurred by concerns over unlicensed rental companies that operate and park their watercraft along the beach, and “reckless” drivers that put swimmers, kayakers and paddleboarders at risk.

“They’re a menace to the community,” Bradford said. “It’s a matter of time before somebody gets injured or killed.”

Earlier this summer, a motorized watercraft exclusion zone was introduced at Hanlan’s Point Beach on Centre Island, extending 200 metres off the shore as part of a pilot project for this year’s boating season. Some residents of Etobicoke in the city’s west end have also started petitions calling for a similar exclusion ban in Humber Bay.

Earlier this month, Toronto police carried out an enforcement blitz targeting illegal watercraft rentals and unsafe boating practices in the city, issuing more than 50 tickets for provincial offences and dozens of bylaw charges.

“These guys come out, pay the fine, and just go right back out into their operations and they’re making so much money on it,” said Bradford.

Police said in an emailed statement that they respond to as many as 10 complaints per day related to unsafe watercraft rentals, including riders steering too close to shorelines and entering designated swim zones.

Toronto police say another “huge concern” is that many personal watercraft operators don’t have proof of competency, as required by Transport Canada. For people renting a boat or a Jet Ski, that means running through protocols and signing a safety checklist with the rental company.

Those operating Jet Skis and similar watercraft within Toronto’s harbour from Humber Bay to Ashbridge’s Bay also require a permit from PortsToronto known as a “powered vessel operator’s permit,” said Mike Riehl, the authority’s director of harbour operations.

But some watercraft rental companies say despite following all the rules, they are being lumped in with a few “bad actors” that are ruining operations for the rest through unsafe business practices. They are urging city council to reconsider the latest ban along Toronto’s shores.

Raj Mehta, one of the founders of rental company Jetti, said that while he supports cracking down on unsafe and irresponsible operators, watercraft bans at city beaches also penalize businesses like his that operate safely.

“We’re at the ramp and on the water almost every day and we witness the safety issues the city is bringing up,” he said. “There are some operators that should not be operating.”

Jetti sends its watercraft out of Humber Bay West, an area outside of PortsToronto’s jurisdiction, he said.

Mehta said his company follows safety regulations by having insurance, GPS-based speed controls on Jet Skis to respect no wake zones, and issues proof of competency through rental boat safety checklists.

“We use the public dock but we don’t actually leave any watercraft in the water … when they come back, we pull them onto trailers and they’re out of here,” he said, adding that many other operators leave their watercraft along the shore.

“Anyone can go buy a few Jet Skis and call themselves a rental company and start renting these out because there is no regulation,” he said. “These are the guys causing the safety issues, these are the people that are not respecting public space.”

Mehta said he is willing to work with the city to figure out a solution that would focus on regulation, such as setting up designated launches for personal watercraft away from public beaches and boat launch areas, or leasing space from the city.

Despite reaching out to a local councillor and the mayor’s office, Mehta said he has not received responses to his proposals and requests.

Companies looking to work with the city can reach out and make proposals but “none of that’s happened,” Bradford said, adding that an amendment to his motion to create a stakeholder advisory committee could include rental companies.

While Bradford recognizes the entire industry isn’t breaking operational and safety rules, based on his observations at Woodbine Beach he believes rental companies aren’t interested in working with the city. He said they could look into leasing boat slips across the waterfront if they want to continue their operations.

Mehta said his company has already explored renting space from marinas but there are a “whole bunch of issues” with that option as marinas in the inner harbour fall under PortsToronto’s jurisdiction, which requires boaters to have specific permits that would be difficult to obtain for short-term renters.

“Jet Ski usage tends to negatively impact boaters and the boating experience in the harbour, so marinas are unlikely to want to cater to Jet Ski companies,” said Riehl from PortsToronto, adding that no marina in its jurisdiction rents space to such operators.

Mehta said he still hopes the city can figure out a solution that prioritizes safe and fair access to the waterfront and doesn’t push away those who are trying to follow the rules.

“We just want to get some attention to this because I think it’s kind of reached a boiling point and everyone wants something done,” Mehta said.

“A lot of our customers are local and a lot of them are also tourists, so there’s a lot of impact if this industry is shut down.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025.