This long weekend marks the unofficial start to the summer season, and police warn officers will be out in full force targeting those celebrating in an irresponsible way.
The OPP is urging everyone to plan ahead and have a sober ride, whether they are heading out in the city, to cottage country or out on the water.
"Because of the sheer volume of traffic on both the waterways and the roadways we do see a number of people who elect to drink and drive, unfortunately we haven't been able to completely put an end to that but it's the job of every driver to make sure that they're sober whether they're on the road or waterways," says OPP Sergeant Dave Rektor.
While boating deaths are at a ten-year low, OPP say you still need to protect yourself.
"The big thing we need people to realize is wearing a life jacket will certainly save their lives. We had 20 fatalities last year, of those 17 people were not wearing a life jacket," Rektor tells BlackburnNews.com. "This time of year the water is still very cold, if you end up in the water certainly hypothermia can set in very quickly. If you're sober your chance of rescue are a lot better. We encourage everyone who is on the water to be sober, whether you're a passenger in the vessel or the operator of it."
Rektor encourages you to call police if you spot someone behind the wheel who may be impaired.
Drinking is banned in all provincial parks on long weekends.
