According to Vertical Magazine, Unmanned Systems Canada has announced that the Government of Canada has released draft regulations for UAS operations for public comment in Canada Gazette Part One.

Described as a milestone, the announcement will reportedly “establish a regulatory environment for UAS operations within visual line-of-sight (VLOS),” which will build off procedures developed and refined over the last decade.

Speaking about the draft regulations, an Unmanned Systems Canada representative says, “the announcement lays the groundwork for continuing to open up Canada’s industry through our regulatory process.”

“With 1,000 companies established in this dynamic new Canadian industrial sector, today’s [July 14] regulatory announcement will further mature and enable our industry to move forward to safely and effectively implement new technologies in numerous markets, driving the creation of new high-quality jobs and economic growth.”

In anticipation of the development of a burgeoning new commercial market in Canada, Unmanned Systems Canada initiated formal discussions with Transport Canada 11 years ago to develop UAS regulations.

Over this course of time, Transport Canada has issued approximately 10,000 special operating certificates for commercial UAS operations under regulatory guidelines, and over the last four years, there has been a rapid increase in approvals.

Through these operations, entrepreneurs have been able to “establish new businesses, develop customer bases, and reshape how business is done in numerous applications.”