General Pilotage Regulations (SOR/2000-132)

Documentation Requirements for Pilotage Certificates

• 23.22 (1) An applicant for a first pilotage certificate shall, not less than 10 days but not more than 60 days before the date of the examination, submit an application and provide the Minister with true copies of the following:

  • (a) documents that establish that the applicant is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident as set out in subsection 38.1(3) of the Act;

  • (b) the applicant’s birth certificate or other official document showing the date and place of birth of the applicant;

  • (c) diplomas, navigational certificates and documents that establish that the experience at sea service qualifications set out in this Division have been met;

  • (d) the medical report required under Part 1; and

  • (e) a letter of recommendation from

    • (i) the applicant’s most recent employer, if the applicant was employed by that employer for two years or more, or

    • (ii) each of the applicant’s two most recent employers, if the applicant was employed by the most recent employer for less than two years.

• (2) A pilotage certificate holder who applies for another pilotage certificate shall submit an application and provide the Minister with documents that establish that the holder has met the sea service qualifications set out in this Division for that certificate.

Qualifications for Holders of Pilotage Certificates for All Districts

• 23.23 (1) Every applicant for a Class A, Class B or Class C pilotage certificate who is applying for their first pilotage certificate shall

  • (a) have obtained a passing mark in an examination conducted by the Board of Examiners;

  • (b) within 90 days before the oral test portion of the examination referred to in paragraph (a), have been declared medically fit to perform pilotage duties in accordance with Part 1;

  • (c) have served on ships engaged in voyages in the appropriate district,

    • (i) in the case of a certificate for District No. 1-1, at least two years as master, or

    • (ii) in the case of a certificate for District No. 1 or District No. 2, at least

      • (A) one year as master, or

      • (B) three years as deck officer;

  • (d) have completed,

    • (i) in the case of a certificate for District No. 1-1, during each of their years of service as required by paragraph (c), at least 20 movages including six movages in that district during the period beginning on December 1 and ending on the following April 8,

    • (ii) in the case of a certificate for District No. 1, during their years of service as required by paragraph (c), at least

      • (A) 10 movages per year in the Harbour of Quebec,

      • (B) six movages per year in the Harbour of Trois-Rivières,

      • (C) five movages per year in the Harbour of Sorel,

      • (D) 24 one-way trips per year between Montreal and Trois-Rivières,

      • (E) 24 one-way trips per year between Trois-Rivières and Quebec, and

      • (F) six one-way trips per year during the period beginning on December 1 and ending on the following April 8, or

    • (iii) in the case of a certificate for District No. 2, during their years of service as required by paragraph (c), at least

      • (A) 10 movages per year in the Harbour of Quebec,

      • (B) three movages per year in the Harbour of Chicoutimi,

      • (C) two movages per year in the Harbour of Port Alfred,

      • (D) 12 one-way trips per year including six on the Saguenay River, three to Chicoutimi and two to Port Alfred, and

      • (E) six one-way trips per year during the period beginning on December 1 and ending on the following April 8; and

  • (e) have a degree of proficiency in the French and English languages sufficient to carry out effectively their pilotage duties.

• (2) An applicant for a Class A pilotage certificate who is the holder of a Class B pilotage certificate shall, over the 36 months immediately preceding their application, have completed

  • (a) the movages or trips required each year by paragraph 23.26(2)(a) or (b) in the applicable district; and

  • (b) under the supervision of a holder of a Class A licence or pilotage certificate, on board a ship whose length and deadweight tonnage exceed the maximum for a ship on board which a holder of a Class B pilotage certificate is authorized to perform pilotage duties,

    • (i) eight additional movages in District No. 1-1, in the case of a pilotage certificate for that district, or

    • (ii) 10 additional one-way trips, in District No. 1 or District No. 2, as the case may be, in the case of a pilotage certificate for one of those districts.

• (3) An applicant for a Class B pilotage certificate who is the holder of a Class C pilotage certificate shall, over the 24 months immediately preceding their application, have completed

  • (a) the movages or trips required each year by paragraph 23.26(2)(a) or (b) in the applicable district; and

  • (b) under the supervision of a holder of a Class B licence or pilotage certificate, on board a ship whose length and deadweight tonnage exceed the maximum for a ship on board which a holder of a Class C pilotage certificate is authorized to perform pilotage duties,

    • (i) eight additional movages in District No. 1-1, in the case of a pilotage certificate for that district, or

    • (ii) 10 additional one-way trips in District No. 1 or District No. 2, as the case may be, in the case of a pilotage certificate for one of those districts.

• (4) Despite subsections (1) to (3), an applicant may become the holder of a pilotage certificate valid for only a part of a district if

  • (a) in the case of an applicant for a first pilotage certificate, the applicant has completed the number of trips and movages required for that part of the district by clauses (1)(d)(ii)(A) to (F) or (1)(d)(iii)(A) to (E); or

  • (b) in the case of an applicant for a pilotage certificate who is the holder of another pilotage certificate, the applicant has completed in that part of the district the number of trips or movages required for the district by subsection (2) or (3).

• (5) Despite subsections (1) to (3), an applicant need not complete any movages or trips required to be completed during the period beginning on December 1 and ending on the following April 8 if the application is for a pilotage certificate valid only for the period beginning when all light buoys are in place in the part of the channel to which the pilotage certificate relates and ending when the Laurentian Pilotage Authority informs pilotage certificate holders, by a Notice to Mariners or a Navigational Warnings, both published by the Canadian Coast Guard, that the light buoys have been withdrawn.

23.24 Where sea service, trips or movages are required by section 23.23, the service, trip or movage, as the case may be, shall be or have been completed on board a ship of a size that is subject to compulsory pilotage.

General Requirements for Applicants and Holders

23.25 No person shall become the holder of a licence or pilotage certificate if

• (a) within one year before the date of their application,

  • (i) they were convicted of an offence under the Act,

  • (ii) any licence or pilotage certificate previously held by them was suspended under the Act, or

  • (iii) they were convicted of an offence under section 320.13 or 320.14 of the Criminal Code; or

• (b) they have an adverse record in ship handling and performance of pilotage duties.

• 23.26 (1) Every holder of a licence or pilotage certificate shall

  • (a) continue to hold every certificate that they were required to hold in order to obtain the licence or pilotage certificate;

  • (b) remain medically fit so as to meet the medical examination requirements set out in Part 1;

  • (c) have local knowledge of the district in respect of which they obtained the licence or pilotage certificate, including knowledge of tides, currents, depths of water, anchorages and aids to navigation;

  • (d) have knowledge of harbour and other marine regulations that apply in the district in respect of which they obtained the licence or pilotage certificate, including knowledge of

    • (i) the Collision Regulations,

    • (ii) the measures taken for the control of traffic in the Seaway by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation in accordance with section 99 of the Canada Marine Act,

    • (iii) the Quarantine Regulations, and

    • (iv) the Act and the regulations made under it; and

  • (e) have a good record in ship handling and performance of pilotage duties.

• (2) In addition to the qualifications required by subsection (1), a holder of a licence or pilotage certificate shall,

  • (a) if the holder’s licence or pilotage certificate was issued in respect of District No. 1-1, pilot each year at least eight movages in that district;

  • (b) if the holder’s licence or pilotage certificate was issued in respect of District No. 1 or District No. 2, pilot each year at least eight one-way trips during the period beginning on April 1 and ending on December 14, and subject to section 23.18, two one-way trips during the period beginning on December 15 and ending on the following March 31, in the district; and

  • (c) on request, provide the Minister with evidence that the holder has complied with the requirements of paragraph (a) or (b).

Notices for the Recruiting of Apprentice Pilots

23.27 When recruiting apprentice pilots for a particular district, the Laurentian Pilotage Authority shall publish, not less than 30 days before the deadline for receiving applications, on their Internet site or in newspapers that are circulated in the municipalities adjacent to the district, notices stating the number of apprentice pilots that are needed for the district and the date by which the applications must be received.

Qualifications — Apprentice Pilots — District No. 1-1

23.28 To obtain a Class D apprentice pilot permit for District No. 1-1, an applicant shall

• (a) successfully complete a language examination conducted by the Laurentian Pilotage Authority that demonstrates that they have a degree of proficiency in the French and English languages sufficient to carry out their apprentice pilot duties effectively;

• (b) undergo a medical examination within the 90 days before the day on which the Class D apprentice pilot permit is issued and meet the health qualifications set out in Part 1;

• (c) be the holder of a certificate of competency for Master Mariner or Master, Near Coastal;

• (d) have served on board a ship that is more than 70 m in length or more than 2,000 gross tonnage and have accumulated on board such a ship the experience at sea qualifications set out in section 12;

• (e) have experience navigating in ice; and

• (f) obtain a mark of at least 70% on a written examination conducted by the Board of Examiners on general knowledge of near coastal navigation, including knowledge of ship handling, navigational instruments, chartwork, meteorology and ice navigation on the St. Lawrence River.

Qualifications — Apprentice Pilots — District No. 1 and District No. 2

23.29 To obtain a Class D apprentice pilot permit for District No. 1 or District No. 2, an applicant shall

• (a) successfully complete a language examination conducted by the Laurentian Pilotage Authority that demonstrates that they have a degree of proficiency in the French and English languages sufficient to carry out their apprentice pilot duties effectively;

• (b) undergo a medical examination within the 90 days before the day on which the Class D apprentice pilot permit is issued and meet the health qualifications set out in Part 1;

• (c) either

  • (i) provide an attestation establishing that the applicant has successfully completed, at a recognized institution in Canada, an approved cadet training program as defined in the Marine Personnel Regulations, or

  • (ii) have served as a master of a ship that is more than 70 m in length or more than 2,000 gross tonnage for at least 18 months during the 60 months before the day on which the application is made;

• (d) be the holder of a certificate of competency for Master Mariner or Master, Near Coastal, have served on board a ship that is more than 70 m in length or more than 2,000 gross tonnage and have accumulated on board such a ship the sea service required under section 12; and

• (e) obtain a mark of at least 70% on a written examination conducted by the Board of Examiners on general knowledge of near coastal navigation, including knowledge of ship handling, navigational instruments, chartwork, meteorology, ice navigation on the St. Lawrence River and calculation of tides.