COLD LAKE - Starting June 1, Alberta is officially the first province in Canada to require mandatory inspections for all incoming watercraft at its southern and eastern borders, a move to meant prevent the spread of invasive zebra and quagga mussels.
According to the Government of Alberta, invasive mussels are spreading rapidly across Canada and North America, causing major economic damage. Zebra mussels alone cost up to $500 million annually in the Great Lakes region. In Alberta, a single infestation in Lake McGregor could result in $284 million in yearly damages.
“First of all, we are mussel-free and we want to keep that designation. So, it was important for us to move quickly on this,” said Grant Hunter, MLA for Taber-Warner and chair of the Provincial Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force.
For the Cold Lake area, where boating and recreation are integral to summer life, the new rules are especially significant. A key inspection station has been set up on Highway 55 near the Saskatchewan border, a high-traffic route for interprovincial visitors. Another inspection site is located on Highway 16 at the Sheriff Highway Patrol mobile scale.
“If they are passing through our southern and eastern border, it is mandatory as of June 1 that they have to stop and get inspected,” Hunter said. “So, in the past, it's been that they have to stop if there is an open inspection station, and that's not the case anymore. Now, they have to stop no matter what.”
Inspections are mandatory for both motorized and non-motorized watercraft, including boats, jet skis, kayaks, canoes, and even paddleboards. If a station is closed, travelers must get their watercraft inspected within seven days and before launching into Alberta’s waters.
A new proof-of-inspection sticker will be issued to compliant watercraft and will be required for launch, those without it risk a $4,200 fine, according to the provincial government.
“There's one [station] that's on Highway 55 near the Saskatchewan border… and then obviously we've got them in Vermilion and Wainwright and Dunmore and other places as well,” Hunter added. “We started out with five [stations] . . . Last year we had eight and now we're going to be having 11 inspection stations this year.”
Hunter said Alberta is taking a regional approach to invasive species, working closely with provinces like Saskatchewan, B.C., Manitoba, and Yukon, as well as U.S. states, to align strategies and stop their spread.
Zebra and quagga mussels are small but destructive, clogging water infrastructure and damaging ecosystems. Hunter recalled a near disaster, “We had a company coming in from Ontario . . . They were just about to enter into our waterway in Chin Reservoir . . . and they were completely mussel fouled. Luckily, someone noticed the mussels on there and we stopped it from coming in.”
According to Megan Evans, executive director of the Alberta Invasive Species Council, “Preventing the introduction of invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels requires proactive action. These measures are essential to avoid long-term, costly ecological and economic impacts.”
To boost compliance and education, Alberta is launching billboard campaigns, digital highway signs, social media ads, and school outreach programs. “We’ve actually added another canine unit . . . because they can sniff out even the villigers, they’re microscopic,” Hunter said.
Rebecca Schulz, Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, said, “Alberta is the first province in Canada to make watercraft inspections mandatory when travelling from high-risk areas to fight these tiny invasive species . . . We are stepping up to defend our water bodies and ecosystem to continue to protect Alberta jobs, businesses, and the water infrastructure we rely on.”
The sticker program is a key public awareness tool.
“When they’re out at the docks and they see someone trying to get into the waters that doesn’t have the sticker, they can say, ‘Hey, you know, that’s not really such a good idea’,” said Hunter.
Hunter emphasized the importance of the “clean, drain, dry” message, noting that invasive species can survive in hidden water, even on gear like paddle boards. He warned that microscopic larvae, invisible to the human eye, pose a major risk.
Cold Lake residents and visitors can find inspection station information and operating hours at alberta.ca/watercraftinspections.
