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Just got this from the Canadian techdiver group. Looks bad. I am still stumbling through the regulations, all in French, of course, but to dive in Quebec (ie. St. Lawrence River/seaway) you will have to buy a certificate from the Quebec diver group. No mention of any testing allowable in English (or any other civilized language). Wendell >To PADI's Québec Members > >A legislative framework to regulate recreational diving in Québec, first >conceived some five years ago, has now come into effect. > >The new rules state that, beginning April 1, 2002, in addition to whatever >certifications they may hold from recognized dive training agencies, all >recreational divers in Québec, including technical divers, must obtai n a >certificate issued under the authority of the Fédération québéc oise des >activités subaquatiques (FQAS) certifying the level for which they ar e >qualified to dive. In addition, they will be prohibited from maki ng dives >beyond that level. Similarly, anyone providing dive instruction i n Québec >must obtain a certificate issued under the authority of the FQAS certifying >the level for which they are qualified to give instruction and they will be >prohibited from giving instruction at a higher level. These basic legal >restrictions, found in the Québec Act Respecting Safety in Sports, (L oi sur >la sécurité dans les sports) will be implemented through the >government-approved By-law respecting qualifications for recreational < BR> >underwater diving (Règlement sur la qualification en plongée subaquatique >récréative), which also became effective on April 1, 2002. Th e new rules >also apply, although with some differences, to divers and instructors < BR> >qualified outside Québec who wish to carry on their dive activities i n >Québec. > >Before these rules were finalized, PADI became actively involved in >sustained, direct efforts to persuade the Québec government that the >objective of safety in recreational diving, which PADI has embraced since >its beginnings, could best be promoted by relying as much as possible on >existing structures and certification procedures of PADI and other >reputable, internationally recognized training agencies, which have been >validated by decades of experience. In a formal brief submitted t o the >government two years ago, PADI thoroughly reviewed the issues and made< BR> a >number of specific recommendations both on administrative and substantive >levels regarding the then-proposed new rules. Before the final adoption of >the By-law, PADI presented what it considered to be convincing arguments to >the government's representatives and believed that the government was < BR> >favourably disposed to many of PADI's views. In the result, PADI< BR> regrets >that the Québec government did not accept its views to a greater extent. > >The new rules are the culmination of a process that began more than five >years ago with recommendations made by Québec coroner Denis Boudrias in a >series of reports on dive fatalities in Quebec. In 1997, provisio ns >relating to recreational dive safety were added to the Act Respecting < BR> >Safety in Sports (Loi sur la sécurité dans les sports). The e ffect of the >new provisions was suspended, however, until a government-approved by-law >could be adopted which would provide for the determination of levels of >qualification for divers and instructors, the content of qualifying >examinations and the issuance of certificates resulting from such >examinations. All of these matters were to be the responsibility of a >government-designated non-profit organization established for the purpose >of ensuring the safety of divers. In 1999, the Québec governmen t >designated the FQAS to be the organization responsible for implementing >this new system of regulation. Subsequently, in March 2000, after >consultations between the government and the FQAS, a draft by-law was < BR> >published for comment by interested parties. > >At that time, PADI hired well-known Montreal law firm Heenan Blaikie and >its counsel, former Québec prime minister and justice minister, Pierr e Marc >Johnson, to assist PADI in preparing a brief to the Québec government >commenting on the draft by-law. PADI invested considerable time a nd effort >in preparing its comments and made a substantial number of recommendations >in its brief regarding changes to the draft by-law. A complete co py of >PADI's brief may be found on the PADI member Web site. >http://www.padimembers.com/cgi-bin/reqpg.exe?ALUM/CAN//+/canad a/news/Qu ebecRegulations/default > Following the submission of PADI's brief in May 2000, PADI and i ts >representatives were able to speak with all the key Québec government >representatives involved in the file, including the ministers responsible >for the legislation. Although the government did not accept all o f the >recommendations made by PADI, the final changes to the By-law did give >effect to some of the points raised by PADI. > >At this time, the government has assured PADI that the implementation of >the new rules will be followed closely and that the government will be< BR> open >to making readjustments dictated by experience. Accordingly, we would < BR> >strongly urge our members to relay to PADI any information they may have >regarding their experience with the new rules so that we may be in the< BR> best >position to make further comments to the Québec government at the >appropriate time. > >At present, PADI does not have information regarding details of the >procedures which the FQAS intends to follow to implement the new rules. >PADI, accordingly, refers its members to the FQAS for further information >in this connection. The FQAS can be reached at 4545, ave Pierre-De >Coubertin, C.P. 1000, Succursale M, Montréal, Québec; Telephone: (5 14) >252-3009; Fax: (514) 254-1363; e-mail (courriel): plongee@fq*.qc*.ca* ; >Internet: http://www.fqas.qc.ca . -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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