Mother turns tragedy into advocacy after Lionel Hall killed on Burrard Inlet
Nearly one year after her 10-year-old son was killed in a boating collision on Burrard Inlet near Cates Park in North Vancouver, Shelley Klassen is pressing municipal and federal governments for tougher marine safety laws and stronger enforcement on Canadian waterways.
Lionel Hall died on June 7 when a Scarab motorboat struck a vessel carrying four children and three adults. Klassen described the day as one that began as a simple playdate on the water.
“A Scarab boat came through and hit the boys direct, killing my son instantly,” Klassen told Global News. A second child sustained life-altering injuries in the collision.
Proposed legislation targets reckless boating
Klassen is advocating for what she calls Lionel’s Law — proposed federal legislation that would specifically target the reckless operation of marine vessels. She argues that current marine law has failed to keep pace with the growing volume of pleasure craft on Canadian waters.
“There’s nothing we can do to bring Lionel back, but we can try to do everything we can to make sure no family endures what we have to live with for the rest of our lives,” she said.
The federal government says some progress has already been made. Watercraft operator licences are now subject to renewal every five years and are required for all operators — a change Klassen welcomes, though she says it is not enough on its own.
Enforcement remains the central concern
Klassen is pushing for increased funding for marine enforcement, noting a structural gap in how federal jurisdiction meets local policing capacity.
“The waters are federal jurisdiction, but they’re policed locally,” she said. “We need more enforcement officers on the water. We need compliance checks. We need there to be a presence, at least in the busy boating months, in busy areas like Cates Park.”
Following the accident, speed limits on the water near Cates Park were reduced. However, no charges have been laid in connection with Lionel’s death. The RCMP confirmed the file remains open and the investigation is ongoing.
A mother’s grief fuelling a public fight
Klassen says her sense of connection to her son has sustained her through both her grief and her advocacy work.
“I feel very connected to Lionel,” she said. “He’s just no longer in his body — and that’s helped me a great deal in moving forward and being able to be there for my other kids and to take on all this advocacy work.”
