The Toronto Police Service Marine Unit, in partnership with the Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC), hosted an event to kick-off Safe Boating Awareness Week today at the TPS Marine Unit. Safe Boating Awareness Week takes place from Saturday, May 16, 2026, to Friday, May 22, 2026.

The Toronto Police Service Marine Unit is a specialized year-round emergency response and law enforcement unit responsible for policing and protecting more than 460 square miles of Lake Ontario and Toronto’s waterways. During the busy summer months, the unit patrols Toronto Harbour, the Toronto Islands, Billy Bishop Airport, waterfront beaches, and surrounding waterways, while often extending beyond city borders to assist partner agencies with major lake searches, missing persons, and vessels in distress.

Officers and marine crews will be out on full patrol this long weekend and throughout the summer across Toronto’s waterways, beaches, launch ramps, and waterfront areas as many boaters and personal watercraft operators are expected to be out on the water for the first time this season. The Marine Unit will remain fully operational 24 hours a day, responding to all marine-related emergencies across the city, including search and rescue incidents, medical emergencies, vessel collisions, missing persons, flooding events, and marine law enforcement operations. Officers are also trained in flood rescue, fast-water rescue, firefighting, towing operations, and ice rescue, allowing the unit to respond to emergencies in all seasons and conditions.

As summer approaches, the Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC) leads its annual Safe Boating Awareness Week to remind Canadians that safety is essential for everyone enjoying recreational waterways.

Each year, Toronto’s waterfront, Lake Ontario, and surrounding waterways attract thousands of people enjoying boating, paddling, swimming, and other recreational water activities. With increased activity throughout the summer season, water safety awareness remains essential.

To help keep boaters safe, CSBC and its partners emphasize five key boating safety messages:

• Wear your life jacket.
• Boat sober.
• Be prepared, you and your vessel.
• Take a boating course.
• Be cold water safe.

These fundamental safety principles are designed to reduce preventable incidents and help ensure everyone returns home safely after a day on the water.

Videos and digital resources from CSBC partners are available for media download and social sharing at this link.

Safe Boating Awareness Week is promoted by the CSBC, a registered charity, with the support of its members, partners, and Transport Canada’s Office of Boating Safety.

For more information on boating safety, visit BetterBoater.ca or CSBC.ca