The river shuttle accident that injured eight people near Charron Island a week ago brings back painful memories for Joanne Godin. Fifteen years ago, her father, Jacques Godin, died in the same area, hit by a motorboat that practically cut his sailboat in two.
“It’s as if nothing has changed since then,” laments M.me Godin, met by The Press Monday, Canada Day, very close to the Boucherville marina, one of the most popular places for boaters in Quebec.
By late afternoon, more than a hundred motorboats were anchored in the channel that separates Charron Island from the rest of the Boucherville Islands, a place nicknamed the “old man’s pocket.” “They’re there all afternoon. There’s definitely a lot of alcohol being drunk. It’s as if, because it falls under the category of recreational boating, it’s no big deal,” adds M.me Godin.
PHOTO TRISTAN PÉLOQUIN, THE PRESS
Joanne Godin
On July 17, 2009, when his father’s sailboat was hit by a powerful motorized boat, at the northwest end of the Boucherville Islands, it was not alcohol, but the lack of attention of the pilot at fault that was to blame. Jacques Godin, a 70-year-old experienced sailor, died instantly.
In the seconds before the crash, the driver of the motorboat was talking to a relative while speeding down the river at 22 to 24 knots (40 to 44 km/h), which is a considerable speed for navigation, the coroner’s report notes. Visibility on his powerful 42-foot Sunseeker was limited due to its bow, which rises as it gains speed. The driver did not see the sail of the sailboat until the moment of impact.
Last week, a similar accident1 occurred at the southern end of Charron Island, when a pleasure boat of the type cigarette boat hit the river shuttle head-on Millennium Falcon of the Navark company, causing eight minor injuries, including a child. Witnesses report a very high speed.
It continues. They have not changed their behavior. They parade with their big motorboats, without knowing the navigation rules, at full speed on the river. The question is not whether there will be a fatal accident, but rather when.
Joanne Godin, whose father was the victim of a fatal collision on the river in 2009
The City of Boucherville does not hide the fact that it has a “major traffic problem” in the area with boaters invading the Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville in good weather. A study by the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SEPAQ) estimated the number of boats in the area at 7,840 during the 2023 boating season. It is not uncommon to see more than 200 at anchor in the heart of the Boucherville islands. Data collected with a sound level meter recorded a noise level of 70 to 75 decibels during busy periods, with peaks exceeding 90 decibels.2while municipal regulations limit noise to 50 decibels.
PHOTO TRISTAN PÉLOQUIN, THE PRESS
A personal watercraft jumps into the waves in the wake of the Navark company shuttle, on 1er July, south of Charron Island, near Boucherville.
“One of the big problems is the personal watercraft, which enter the channel at over 60 km/h, while there are kayaks, canoes and paddlers,” notes Boucherville Mayor Jean Martel. At the end of May, a 37-year-old woman who was a passenger on a personal watercraft lost her life in the area after the craft hit a bridge pillar head-on.
The accident demonstrates the need to more strictly regulate the practice of personal watercraft, according to the mayor. “There should be mandatory training for driving a personal watercraft and a strict ban on alcohol consumption,” believes Mr. Martel, who nevertheless admits that he has no power over navigation rules, which are a federal matter.
The elected official nevertheless believes that things have improved in the area since Jacques Godin’s death in 2009. At the time, there was only the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, whose officers have no real coercive power, patrolling the area. As soon as he was elected that same year, Mr. Martel fought with the Longueuil Agglomeration Council to refinance the Longueuil Agglomeration Police Service’s (SPAL) nautical patrol, which had disappeared a few years ago. “It’s something we got with a vengeance,” he emphasizes.
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Personal watercraft and the speed at which they travel in the area are one of the big problems in the eyes of Boucherville Mayor Jean Martel.
Drones to monitor offenders
Since then, the police zodiac has been patrolling the area on busy days. They have also started deploying drones to monitor impromptu gatherings near Charron Island from the air. The pilot project aims in particular to collect evidence against careless boaters, without them sending each other alerts by radio or telephone to avoid being intervened. “It’s certain that when the SPAL boat arrives with its police officers on board, the infractions suddenly stop. The drone allows us to make observations and collect evidence without exposing ourselves too much,” explains spokesperson François Boucher.
PHOTO TRISTAN PÉLOQUIN, THE PRESS
About a hundred boats were anchored in the Grande Rivière channel, which crosses the Boucherville Islands National Park, on 1er July.
The Longueuil Fire Department (SSIAL) also has its own water patrol unit. “Last year, they pulled two young people out of the water on personal watercraft who [avaient les facultés affaiblies]. The SSIAL also does crucial work,” believes the mayor of Boucherville.
Speed limits of 10 km/h were also imposed along the banks of Boucherville in 2021, a measure that required the adoption of a decree in the Official Gazette of Canada after several failed attempts at the soap opera.
Several boats were clearly exceeding this limit when we passed along the banks.
Speed checks on the water with photo radar, as well as alcohol and drug screening measures will be necessary to enforce these markers, the mayor acknowledges. “It’s certain that it will take some repression, especially for personal watercraft,” insists Mr. Martel.
1. Read “River shuttle accident sparks investigation”
2. Read a press release from the City of Boucherville