Hello,
that is not how I read the excemption:
It clearly states:
"hereby exempt Model Aeronautics Association of Canada, Unit 9, 5100 South Service Road, Burlington, Ontario and their members in good standing from the requirements set out in Part IX of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) as amended from time to time, subject to the following conditions. "
So, MAAC members are excempt.
"This exemption applies to Model Aeronautics Association of Canada (MAAC) and lheii members in good standing that operate remotely piloted aircraft systems weighing between 250 grams and 35 kilograms in accordance with MAAC’s safety guidelines as amended from time to time."
BUT, these rules apply:
-VLOS
-Member must have demonstrated his knowledge and experience to a person delegated by MAAC
-Mark the RPAS with Membership number
The rest is common sense rules (avoid aircraft, don't fly reckless, ...)
And then,
if you want to fly in controlled airspace and only then, two additional rules apply:
-The member of MAAC operating a RPAS in Class C, D, E, F, or any other type of restricted airspace shall take-off, launch, land, or recover from a field sanctioned by MAAC [...]
-The member of MAAC operating a RPAS in Class C, D, E, F, or in any type of restricted airspace shall adhere to all the conditions that are detailed in the agreement with the controlling agency or user agency for the area;
So: If you are a tourist, you can use this as an option to avoid the SFOC
Comparison:
SFOC:
Goverment process, >30 days, Training&Test, chepest I found
Canadian RPAS Basic | Foreign Pilots for $89
MAAC:
Non Profit organization, Liability Insurance included. No formal test needed. $60 for three month membership (minimum). Need to demonstrate skill to a MAAC delegate (and I can imagine that this is also possible by not doing this in person; but one can certainly also visit an MAAC field and visit nice people; certainly nicer than the TC officer I was in contact with)
Greetings,
Hendrik