There’s nothing like a cold, frosty beer when you’re out fishing on the lake — at least, that’s the case if you’re angling for a stiff fine.
That’s the message the Oceanside RCMP are putting out to the public in the runup to the long weekend.
Constable Dave Kokesch said police will be using the marine unit’s rigid-hull inflatable boat on the Victoria Day long weekend — and other weekends this summer — to patrol not only the salt water, but also local lakes.
“We’ll be looking to make sure boaters have all the proper safety equipment and we’ll be looking for alcohol. It’s no different if you are driving a boat while impaired. The consequences are the same.”
Kokesch said boat patrols are not new, but with the increasing popularity of Vancouver Island as a holiday destination, the detachment is putting an extra emphasis on boat safety.
“We want to increase our patrols out there a little bit more,” he said. “A lot of people are keeping closer to home and we are finding the usage of local lakes is increasing. With that we have to change our strategies during the summer.”