Lionel Hall, 10, was killed while tubing near Cates Park. His family says gaps in marine safety laws leave dangerous operators on the water.
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A year after 10-year-old Lionel Hall was killed while tubing near Cates Park, his parents are pushing for stricter marine regulations they hope will prevent similar tragedies.
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Lionel was killed and a friend, also 10, was seriously injured after a speedboat collided with the inflatable tube they were riding near Cates Park in North Vancouver on June 7, 2025.
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“We looked at everything that went wrong that day. It’s like opening a can of worms,” said Lionel’s mother, Shelley Klassen, on Thursday. “Every direction you look, it’s really, there’s nothing in place for that?”
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Since Lionel’s death, Klassen and Jason Hall, Lionel’s dad, have been working with several officials and agencies, including local councillors, MLAs and MPs, the Port of Vancouver and Transport Canada to identify gaps in marine safety rules and enforcement.
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Although waterways fall under federal jurisdiction through Transport Canada, they’re largely policed by local agencies that often lack the resources to effectively patrol the water, Klassen said.
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“There’s really not a police presence on the water,” she said. “There’s no real deterrent for people who are, let’s say, reckless on the water.”
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They have been advocating for what they call Lionel’s Law, which proposes changes to the Canada Shipping Act that would define what reckless boating is and allow authorities to immediately suspend boating privileges following reckless or impaired operation.
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There is no process to remove dangerous operators from the water in real time and no meaningful licence suspension process for reckless boaters, said Klassen, who is concerned that the alleged operator of the speedboat involved in the collision could return to the water this summer.
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Klassen is also calling for increased marine enforcement, particularly in busy waterways during the summer months, manned safety kiosks at public boat launches to verify licensing and educate boaters, and reforms to Canada’s boating licensing system.
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The federally mandated boating licence known as the PCOC — or the pleasure craft operator card — can be obtained after completing a course and a short online exam. The card doesn’t expire and remains valid for life.
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Klassen said she is to meet with Transport Canada officials next week and hopes the discussions will help advance some of the proposed changes.
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She has also been in contact with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, which shares stewardship responsibilities for Cates Park along with the District of North Vancouver, and they have expressed a willingness to explore extending its guardianship program onto the water, she said.
