7 signs the boat you’re boarding in Toronto Harbour may be operating illegally - Toronto Star

Illegal charter boats have been blamed in the deaths of passengers in Toronto, Vancouver and New York City. 

Boats lining up to discharge passengers at a cement wall at Sugar Beach this summer. Charter boats operating illegally — like discharging passengers at unsanctioned locations, without a pier or dock — are putting the safety of passengers at risk, say industry experts.

So you’re thinking of chartering a boat with friends in Toronto Harbour. Read this before you book. 

Illegal charters, which operate without being licensed or equipped, have been implicated in the deaths of at least two people in Toronto Harbour in recent years. In the summer of 2026, six people in Vancouver and a mother and her five-month old daughter in New York City were killed in incidents involving illegal charters.

Illegal charters often operate with insufficient crew and insufficient safety equipment, including life jackets. They are often over-loaded and pick-up and drop-off is conducted at unsanctioned locations that put passengers at risk of injury or death. 

They often run splashy ads on social media. 

•You are told to meet the boat at one location, and receive a last-minute request asking you to go to another location. Illegal operators sometimes switch pickup points at the last minute, to avoid being caught by police or Transport Canada officials. 

•The pickup point is in a public park, boardwalk or beach, typically without a dock or pier. In addition to being illegal, boarding conditions at these locations may be unsafe.

•The vessel operator or captain tells passengers to tell any officials that they are friends or family if questioned.

•There are no life jackets, or not enough for everyone on board.

•There is no pre-departure safety briefing — similar to those given on an aircraft — provided on the location and use of life jackets and other safety measures.

Rental yacht operators say Transport Canada rules were drafted for ferries and large tour boats, not smaller yachts.