Checkstop near Yorkton finds contaminated boats, safety violations

Saskatchewan’s ongoing battle with aquatic invasive species included a productive checkstop in August.

The Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety revealed Wednesday that conservation and police officers manning a roadside inspection station on Highway 10 east of Yorkton on Aug. 7 looked over 22 boats for AIS. Six boats were deemed high risk and were decontaminated.

Roadside inspections in the Yorkton area in August found some anglers had fish that couldn’t be identified. (Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety/Submitted)

Conservation officers and officers from the RCMP and Saskatchewan Highway Patrol inspected 601 vehicles at the checkstop. In addition to the contaminated boats, the officers also noticed a variety of violations that included:

• Transporting watercraft with a drain plug in place;
• Transporting fish that can’t be identified;
• Driving without a valid licence;
• Child restraint and seatbelt violations;
• Driving while impaired by cannabis;
• Possessing cannabis in a vehicle;
• Possessing illicit cigarettes;
• Exceeding registered gross vehicle weight; and
• Improperly securing cargo.

Officers laid 12 charges, issued 19 warnings and performed seven car seat inspections. Five impaired drivers were handed a 72-hour driver’s licence suspension and had their vehicles impounded, and officers seized seven walleye and confiscated 11 cartons of illicit cigarettes.

“The Conservation Officer Service and Highway Patrol are both part of Provincial Protective Services (PPS) within the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety,” the ministry said in a release.

“PPS members work closely with the RCMP and other law enforcement agencies to keep the public safe, on the road and on the water, while protecting Saskatchewan’s environment and natural resources.”