Windsor police marine unit warns boaters to move aside for freighters

Officials are reminding to be safe and move out of the way for freighters when out on the river. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell reports.

Windsor police are seeing a rise in boating violations on the Detroit River, with speeding, safety infractions, and failure to yield to Great Lakes freighters among the most pressing concerns.

In 2024, the Windsor Police Marine Unit conducted 137 vessel stops — a 24.5 per cent increase over the previous year. Officers also laid 108 enforcement actions, up 25.5 per cent, and performed 77 safety inspections, more than double the number in 2023.

Const. Jay Lemiere of the Windsor Police Marine Unit said many of the violations stem from a lack of awareness around basic boating rules, including the “10-30 rule,” which requires vessels to slow to 10 km/h within 30 metres of shore to reduce wake damage.

“A lot of the enforcement actions in 2024 had to do with speeding and boaters not respecting or knowing about the ’10-30 rule,’” said Lemiere.

“There are a couple of other speed zones in our area too — one in LaSalle near Fighting Island, and another between Windsor and Peche Island,” he said.

“So, there are a lot of different infractions with that that go hand-in-hand with the speed limits.”

The marine unit is also responding to incidents involving personal watercraft, such as Sea-Doos, splashing other boats or shoreline pedestrians.

“We get a lot of pictures and videos of those, and with cameras and phones nowadays, we can see who’s driving the boat and the bow number, which gives us licence information,” said Lemiere.

“With a little digging and investigation, we can figure out who it was.”

The unit patrols the Detroit River from Amherstburg to the border between Tecumseh and Windsor along the St. Clair River. With the 2025 boating season already underway, Lemiere said some anglers are not yielding to massive commercial ships, creating dangerous situations.

Windsor Port Authority Harbour Master Peter Berry said the problem is increasing as traffic returns to the water.

“The boaters are out; the fishermen are out. The seasons are here. The fun is here,” said Berry.

“The problem that we’ve got is they’re not getting out of the way of the Lakers. It’s all about courtesy, but it’s also the law that a small vessel, like a fishing vessel, needs to get out of the way of a commercial Laker.”

Berry said many boaters may not understand the risks involved — or the penalties.

“It’s not fair on the Laker and the crew to have to go through that amount of fear. They don’t want to run people down. They are honking their horns — get out of the way,” he said.

“You see a Laker coming? Get out of the path. There is a fine related to not getting out of the way. It’s equal to about $500 on first offence, and then it increases. Then we have a thing called administrative monetary penalty — an individual could get a fine of up to $5,000. And a professional guide or a corporation is subject to a $25,000 fine.”

Berry said in some cases, fines aren’t the only consequence.

“Is a fish really worth the $500 fine, being told that you have to go home now, being removed from what you’re doing, having to trailer in, that walk of shame?” he questioned.

“It’s so much better to just move out of the way. Pay attention. Get the earbuds out of your ears. Listen to what’s coming and hear the horn. You see the vessel, just move aside. You can quickly move back after they’re gone.”

He said three incidents in the past month involved commercial ships submitting photos and videos that led to charges.

“We have the ability to work with the investigative divisions of Transport Canada and the U.S. Coast Guard to go through and file multiple charges against the operators of the vessel,” said Berry.

Local anglers said the message is clear.

“When you got the whole other side of the river, you can just move around and keep everybody safe,” said Kevin Laframboise.

“It’s not safe when they’re just blowing by you trying to get past you.”

“We got a smaller boat, right? So, you got a bigger boat going flying by, you pretty much got to hang on for a couple minutes,” he added.

Veteran angler Bob LaPonder said he’s seen risky behaviour on the water for decades.

“I don’t understand why you would jeopardize your life for a lousy fish — to get run over by a boat,” he said.

“That just boggles my mind, and I see this all the time. I’ve been on this river here for 25, 30 years. The stupid things that some people will do just for a fish just boggles my mind.”

He added that anglers should be safe and courteous on the water.

“Most people come out here on the weekend to have a good time,” he said.

“They don’t want to be scared to death.”

Randy Wheeler, another boater, supports the stepped-up patrols.

“That’s good to see they’re doing their job,” he said. “Hopefully they’re checking everybody.”

The Windsor Police Marine Unit will host a free safety inspection day at Lakeview Marina on Sunday, May 18, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Officers will review safety checklists and inspect boats.

Fines for missing mandatory safety equipment — such as life jackets, whistles, or watertight flashlights — can run about $200 per infraction.

More information is available through Transport Canada’s Safe Boating Guide.

- With files from AM800 News/Rusty Thomson