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Just for information purposes, the ST. Lawrence River diving that is so good lies between Kingston, ONTARIO, and Cornwall, ONTARIO. NOT Quebec so all is safe. More problematic, because my idiot government did not want to join in a continental security perimeter with the US, is access to the wrecks on the American side of the river. As Canadians, we now have to check in with the US coast guard to go dive wrecks just a stone's throw from the embarkation point. More information can be had on the Quebec diving regulations at http://www.fqas.qc.ca where you will find a pdf in French of the actual regualtion and a translation by yours truly of a text explaining the reguylations. Note, this text wqas written before the coming into foirce of the regualtiosn and may be slighlty different. An e-mail to the above organization will help. In the final analysis, there are no scuba police to arrest you foir an excess of depth (or speed of ascent :^) [\]Robert Wood The St. Lawrence River - fresh, warm, visible diving. -----Original Message----- From: wgrogan@dc*.ne* [mailto:wgrogan@dc*.ne*] Sent: Friday, June 07, 2002 12:54 PM To: techdiver@aquanaut.com Cc: dirne@ya*.co* Subject: New Regulations for diving in Quebec 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'. -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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