My Friends,

I did some aerial videos and pictures flying around Lake Louise and Maligne Lake in Alberta - Canada and after I published the videos on youtube I received a call from someone from the Federal Government after a few weeks asking me to remove the videos.
The agent was very kind, and I asked some proof that he work to the RCMP (Royal Canandian Mountain Police) and he could say my current address and the date when I arrived in Canada, and also he offered to say my SIN number, then I laught and said that was not necessary.
He explained me that it's now allowed to fly over any national park in Canada and even with real Helicopters it's not allowed, only in emergency cases.

Last weekend my friend told me that there was a guy flying around Two Jacks Lake (inside the national park), and someone called the police and the drone guy got a ticket, but I can't say if the ticket was because he was flying or because the guys started to argue with the office, but there was a marriage happening and someone get "offended" by the drone.

In my case when I was catched flying on Lake Louise, (same day when I did my video) and a RCMP office came and asked me to land my drone and he told me to not fly anymore in any national park in Canada.


Take care

FYI.  if it is on the internet, it is public.

WOw.  BTW - What is wrong with the water.  It has a cloudy, milky appearance.

i don't know about  Canada but in the USA, you can't lift off in a national park, but you can fly into one. So another words, you can but just outside, lift off and fly around in the park, but you can't lift off in the park... how crazy is that rule!!!!

DMB2015 Posted at 2015-8-14 03:34
FYI.  if it is on the internet, it is public.

1.14.5 National, Provincial and Municipal Parks,Reserves and Refuges:

To preserve the natural environment of parks, reserves and refuges and to minimize the disturbance to the natural habitat, overflights should not be conducted below 2 000 feet AGL.
The landing or takeoff of aircraft in the national parks and national park reserves may take place at prescribed locations.  To assist pilots in observing this, boundaries are depicted on
the affected charts.  The following is taken from the National Parks Aircraft Access Regulations (98-01-29):

(1) Subject to subsection (2) and Section 5,  no person shall take off or land an aircraft in a park except in a park set out in column I of an item of the schedule, at a take-off
and landing location set out in column II of that item.
(2) No person shall take off or land an aircraft in a park set out in column I of any of items 1 to 6 of the schedule unless that person holds a permit.
Schedule (Sections 2 and 5)

Item Column I Park Column II Take-off and Landing Location
1. Auyuittuq Reserve Any location
2. Ellesmere Island Reserve Any location
3. Northern Yukon National                   (a) Margaret Lake at latitude 68˚50’00”N, longitude 140˚08’48”W
                                                         (b) Nunaluk Spit at latitude 69˚34’17”N, longitude 139˚32’48”W
                                                         (c) Sheep Creek at latitude 69˚10’07”N, longitude 140˚08’48”W
                                                         (d) Stokes Point at latitude 69˚19’49”N, longitude 138˚44’13”W

4. Kluane Reserve                                (a) Big Horn Lake at latitude 61˚08’30”N, longitude 139˚22’40”W
                                                         (b) Quinteno Sella Glacier at latitude 60˚36’20”N, longitude 140˚48’30”W
                                                         (c) Hubbard Glacier at latitude 60˚34’00”N, longitude 140˚07’30”W
                                                         (d) Cathedral Glacier at latitude 60˚14’15”N, longitude 138˚58’00”W
                                                         (e) South Arm Kaskawulsh Glacier at latitude 60˚30’30”N, longitude 138˚53’00”W

5. Kluane National Park                        (a) Lowell Lake and Lowell Lake Bar at latitude 60˚17’10”N, longitude 137˚57’00”W
                                                         (b) Onion Lake at latitude 60˚05’40”N, longitude 138˚25’00”W

6. Nahanni Reserve                             (a) Rabbit kettle Lake at latitude 61˚57’00”N, longitude 127˚18’00”W
                                                        (b) Virginia Falls at latitude 61˚38’00”N, longitude 125˚38’00”W

7. Wood Buffalo National Park Garden Creek Airstrip at latitude 58˚42’30”N, longitude 113˚53’30”W

So in summary, no flying in Cdn National Parks under 2,000 AGL (Above Ground Level) and no LANDING or TAKEOFF in any National Park unless listed in the previous table.  As our birds are limited to 300' in Canada looks like we are SOL.   Some Provinicial parks also have limitations and/or outright bans in place.

Hope this helps!  Sorry bout the length of the post, direct cut and paste from the regs guys.

DMB2015 Posted at 2015-8-14 03:34
FYI.  if it is on the internet, it is public.

Sorry, When I said public, I mean searchable on youtube or internet, only with the link that you could see.
I removed the video btw.

acenothing Posted at 2015-8-14 04:13
WOw.  BTW - What is wrong with the water.  It has a cloudy, milky appearance.

the water is that colour because it is glacier fed. It is the glacial silt that is suspended in the water. There are many lakes up here like that, with a varying range of colouration, depending on the type of rock/minerals in the area. They generally are blue/green looking in appearance.

While I agree and they can stop you flying,   they cannot make you remove the videos from the internet.

nicwilson Posted at 2015-8-14 15:28
While I agree and they can stop you flying,   they cannot make you remove the videos from the intern ...

My  initial gut reaction is to agree with Nicwilson.  However, I'm not a lawyer but maybe there is a legal thing wherein you have actually posted a video of an "illegal activity" (flying in/over a national park).  May be doing the OP a favour there!

If the video isn't posted perhaps less people would be tempted to do the same, and this may also have been their end run?

Just another reason to not just stay safe, but reconsider what you post online.  You are not the first person to get into trouble for posting a video on you-tube.  One guy on this forum is getting sued because the video showed a business that he was flying over and they are suing him for invasion of privacy.  There must be people out there just looking for suspect drone videos and reporting them accordingly.  

DMB2015 Posted at 2015-8-14 08:35
the water is that colour because it is glacier fed. It is the glacial silt that is suspended in th ...

Very interesting.  Thanks

lostinthezone Posted at 2015-8-14 23:43
Just another reason to not just stay safe, but reconsider what you post online.  You are not the fi ...

Whoa! I'm not a lawyer either, but was the person you mention in the USA? There are indeed ALL SORTS of privacy laws from local to federal, but was the business being spied on, or were individuls at the business being surveilled?  It seems that some malice of forethought and subsequent intent leading to publication of this guy's video "surveillance" would  be needed to warrant a law suit -- but in US, there is always a lawyer at the ready if he/she can profit from it.

I am glad to hear that you showed them respect and took down your videos. Canada is a beautiful country and I hope you are enjoying it.
Canada has some of the least strict rules regarding drones and their use. If we continue to respect them, then hopefully they will not have to be rewritten.
Good luck with any future videos.

CrashTest Dummy Posted at 2015-8-15 02:32
I am glad to hear that you showed them respect and took down your videos. Canada is a beautiful coun ...

For you Canadian folks out there, when it comes to photography of any kind....

I keep THIS on my tablet, but you could easily print out and laminate i guess.

On the one left hand, I completely understand the desire to keep our Canadian national parks systems and wilderness areas, pristine.
But righty, these are also, some of the most beautiful parts, of our vast country. Is there any wonder, why we should wish to film there?

There are some incredible scenic views and areas that have hardly been trampled on, by man. Those are the spots that most appeal to me...
I hope that I get a chance to record some of them, before regulations make flying publicly difficult, for us all. I'm sure there are legislators, penning drafts of upcoming statutes, as we speak...

Those days are drawing nearer, with all the bad tabloid press we seem to watch nearly every evening, at super hour.

Droning on about Drones...

RedHotPoker

There are some breath-taking views and areas that have hardly been seen by man. Those are the spots that can be recorded by drones. I've read that Canadian Parks are incredible ( https://etacanadaonline.com/national-parks-in-canada ).

Here some useful tips when you cannot operate a drone for any reason without permission:

around airports and aerodromes
in busy, populated areas
in national parks
over border crossings

Hope you find it useful!