Bill C-244: Clean Coasts Act

This bill primarily affects people who buy and sell boats — think marine dealers, brokers, and private owners transferring pleasure craft and smaller commercial vessels under 24 metres in length, operating in any Canadian coastal or inland waterway province. Before selling a vessel, the owner must put the boat's condition in writing and get a signed confirmation from the buyer that they have the money and intention to keep it properly maintained and eventually dispose of it responsibly — so anyone in the used-boat trade or who owns aging commercial vessels will need to add a documentation step to every sale. Larger commercial vessel operators (ships 24 m and over, excluding pleasure craft) are exempt from the transfer rules, so the compliance burden falls mainly on smaller operators, marina businesses, and individual boat owners rather than major shipping companies. The CEPA clarification on unintentional disposal also means that businesses involved in marine construction, dredging, or waste management near water can face liability even if a disposal event was accidental.