With the upcoming Labour Day long weekend that signals the end of summer, the York Regional Police Marine Unit, along with our other police and safety agency partners, want to remind everyone to be safe on the water this weekend and wear your Personal Flotation Device (PFDs).

In keeping with our goal to keep you safe on the water, the York Regional Police Marine Unit will take part in an event hosted by the Ontario Provincial Police that will take place on Friday, September 4, 2009, at 10 a.m. at the Government Dock located at the bottom of Bayfield Street in the City of Barrie. Joining the O.P.P. and York Regional Police will be officers from the Barrie Police, Durham Regional Police and South Simcoe Police. In addition, representatives from Transport Canada’s Office of Boating Safety, The Lifesaving Society of Canada and the Canadian Safe Boating Council will also be on hand.

The focus of this event is to stress the importance of properly wearing a PFD or lifejacket for anyone in a vessel on any body of water in Ontario.

With so many recent tragedies on waterways across the province this past summer, personal safety while boating has never been more important. If you are new to boating, this event will ensure you have the proper information on what type of PFD is best suited to your needs. Seasoned boaters in attendance will benefit from the reminder that PFDs, much like seatbelts, can save lives.

The York Regional Police Marine Unit responds to calls on Lake Simcoe and other waterways within the region. This is a year-round responsibility for the seven officers assigned to the Unit, that not only man the waterways during the summer, but also monitor those who venture out on the ice in the winter months.

Education is key to any activity on the water. Citizens are reminded that the York Regional Police Marine Unit hosts an annual boater information day in the summer on the southern shores of Lake Simcoe to provide water safety tips and on-site vessel inspections to help educate boaters, swimmers and anglers about how to stay safe on and near the water.

For more information on this event contact Sergeant Jeff Broughton of the York Regional Police Marine Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7322, or Sergeant Dave Moffatt of the O.P.P. at 705-644-1097.

Information on the York Regional Police Marine Unit is also available on our website at www.yrp.ca