It's a brilliantly sunny weekend in Calgary and you and your pals are looking for some great outdoor Centre City activity to take part in. You've got your raft, your flip flops, some sunscreen and your sassiest swimsuit, and now it's time to get your float on right?
(photo by Sherlock77)
Hold on - not so fast, friends. First, let's do a quick and proper check list for river rafting safety and bylaws. So far this year, Bylaw officers have handed out some 60 tickets for rafting violations on the Elbow and Bow rivers - and that's not counting how many tickets Calgary Police officers have tallied.
Here are a few of the things you could get fines for at the discrection of officers:
- Failing to wear a PFD/life jacket, mandatory court appearance
- Consuming liquor in public, penalty $115
- Littering on/into/under water or ice, penalty $115
- Littering in a park, penalty $500
- Littering from a vehicle, penalty $750
- Littering burning waste, penalty $1000
- Urinating or defecating in Public, penalty $300
Susan Wall is a Peace Officer with The City's Animal and Bylaw Services. She was out this past weekend (the busiest so far this summer) and is gearing up for another busy one tomorrow.
She says rafting down our beautiful rivers is a great summer pastime, provided you stay safe, you're paying attention to the rules and that you show a little courtesy to everyone else who is in close proximity to the water.
Here's our rafting Q&A with Wall - a great primer for all in the lead-up to this sunny weekend in Calgary:
CentreCityTalk: What are some of the biggest challenges officers face when they're out patrolling the rivers?
Susan Wall: A lot of what we deal with is people not wearing life jackets...and then after that we're concerned with the use of liquor consumption on river - people being intoxicated while floating on the river and people not respecting property or parks. Bad behaviour is definitely most prevalent on hot sumer weekends.
CentreCityTalk: We see a lot of interesting variations on watercraft out there - what is considered an unsuitable raft?
Susan Wall: Anything like inner tubes, rings, floating mattresses, I've even seen inflatable palm trees - they're not suitable. It's best instead to use anything really that's built AS a proper raft. Better yet, just go rent one from a outdoor centre or shop. It's also very dangerous to tie rafts together and float down the river as a unit.
CentreCityTalk: Any tips on how to make it the most enjoyable for people out there on the water?
Susan Wall: Just make sure you stay within the rules - we work to give out good feedback and bad if you're misbehaving. We see lots of people out there doing the right thing. Lots of families are out there following the rules, being safe and respectful. It can be a really fun time.
Remember: rafters practicing unsafe or disrespectful behaviours could be subject to fines for violating municipal bylaws or provincial statutes. And protect yourself. Make sure your raft is equipped with proper safety equipment including a bailing device to remove water from inside the watercraft, a paddle to help you control your craft, a sound-signalling device and a towing line to pull your craft to safety in case of an emergency.
City of Calgary Animal and Bylaw Services Peace Officer Wall notes that following the rules is purely for everyone's own safety. They have a lot of rafts turning over even in very shallow areas of water. Ride safely and be prepared, so your sunny weekend of rafting in Calgary will be a whole lot more enjoyable.
The City's Animal & Bylaw Services and Calgary Police Service will be conducting its rafting education and enforcement program along the Elbow River on weekends this summer right through until September. They even have lots of fun giveaways down at Sandy Beach for those who are doing the right thing out there. And for more reading, you can check out The City's rafting bylaw page here. Have a great and safe weekend!
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