Eco Marina Initiative

We have, at the BYC, been keen to develop and encourage a more sustainable approach to boating. Over the last few seasons, the Club has promoted green practices in several areas including boat maintenance, recycling of waste and the use of more Eco friendly products. During the past year, we have embarked on the Eco-Marina program launched in 2007 by the AMQ (Association Maritime du Québec).

This provincial program attests to the environmentally friendly management of marinas and yacht clubs. Marinas that sign up to it go through a certification audit after which they are ranked from 1 to 5 eco drops. Touching on all aspects of our operations be it maintenance, boat repair, dock management, refuelling procedures, pump out, etc. the program promotes a more responsible approach to the preservation of water quality by all parties.

Our first step towards Eco-marina certification was the adoption of our environmental policy. In general, this policy aims to establish best management principles that are relevant to our operations in accordance with Eco-marina standards. We invite all our members to review and familiarize themselves with this policy and require their participation in order to achieve our goals. Following our certification audit, we have obtained Eco marina status in the fall of 2016 and hope to improve our performance in the coming years.

Clean marine policy – Version 1.2
The BYC understands and recognizes the vital importance of maintaining a clean and natural environment as being fundamental to its activities. Our clean marine policy aims to promote awareness towards environmental protection thus reducing the ecological impact of our activities on and off the water.

In accepting and adopting the best management principles and operating practices that are appropriate to its operation, the BYC commits itself to the best of its ability to:

• REDUCE THE IMPACT OF OUR ACTIVITIES ON THE ENVIRONMENT MOST NOTABLY WITH REGARDS TO WATER QUALITY;

• ADOPT STRATEGIES TO REDUCE WASTE, PROMOTE RECYCLING AND CONTROL DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES;

• PROMOTE THE USE OF ECO FRIENDLY PRODUCTS THAT ARE LESS HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT;

• IMPLEMENT AN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE PLAN IN CASE OF SPILL;

• PROVIDE TRAINING FOR PERSONNEL AND PROMOTE GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES BY ALL PARTIES;

• COMMUNICATE PROCEDURES AND INFORM MEMBERS SO THEY MAY ADOPT OUR MISSION AS THEIR OWN;

The BYC will strive to continually upgrade and improve our environmental performance and commits itself to an on-going self-evaluation program.