The Montréal Boat and Water Sports Show: We Were There!

Once again this year, a team from the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) and the Canadian Coast Guard was on the scene at the Montréal Boat and Water Sports Show held in February 2016. Three hydrographers and one member of the Notices to Mariners (NOTMAR) office were on site to share their navigation knowledge.

Every day, hundreds of visitors made a stop at our booth and took the opportunity to learn more about the Department's mission on boating safety through aids to navigation tools. Many asked questions on various marine community topics such as tides and water levels, nautical chart production, publication and updates, official nautical publications, our new initiatives and our services.

Reinforcing the importance of training

In recent years, CHS has been reminding people of the importance of using official, updated nautical charts by subscribing to the NOTMAR service and consulting the water level information system by phone or on the Web.

The Boat Show is an excellent promotional opportunity to reinforce our safety messages and enhances the reach of our advertising campaign in nautical magazines.

Organized by the Quebec Marine Association, the Montreal Boat and Water Sports Show is the largest nautical gathering place in Quebec. It is entirely dedicated to boating in all its forms. The event's 17th edition has recorded a nearly 15% increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous year. The Boat Show hosted about 275 exhibitors, and over 450 craft were presented under about fifteen themes, including powerboats, pontoons, sailing, personal watercraft and water accessories.

André Paquin
Canadian Coast Guard