Bill C-34 · 40th Parliament · Stephen Harper
Creating Canada's New National Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 Act
An Act to amend the Museums Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedJune 7, 2010
- Debated in principleJune 14, 2010
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberJune 14, 2010
- Passed the second chamberJune 27, 2010
- Became lawJune 29, 2010
Leading supporters
Ranked by the part each played: who is responsible for the bill, who carried it, and who spoke for it most.
- Stephen HarperPrime Minister
- Consiglio Di NinoSenate · Sponsor in the Senate
- Michael IgnatieffThe member announces party support for the project and states personal support for the bill.
- The Acting SpeakerThe speaker announces that the bill has passed all stages by agreement of the House.
- Mr. Michael SavageThe member highlights the value of citizenship ceremonies at Pier 21 in positive terms tied to the bill.
- Megan LeslieThe member states pride in speaking in support of the bill to create the museum at Pier 21.
- James MooreThe member introduces the bill proudly as fulfilling government commitments to create the museum.
Who carries this bill
Arrows run from the person responsible to those who answer to them on this bill. The critic leads the Senate’s scrutiny and answers to no one on it.
What it set out to do
The Library of Parliament does not prepare Legislative Summaries for self-explanatory measures. The following is a short summary: On 7 June 2010, The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, introduced Bill C-34, An Act to amend the Museums Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (Creating Canada’s New National Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 Act), in the House of Commons and it was given first reading. The bill amends the Museums Act to establish a corporation called the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and to set out its purpose, capacity and powers. It also makes consequential amendments to other Acts.
Summary by the Library of Parliament.
Where members stand
How it changed on the way
57% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (1,873 words introduced, 1,579 passed).
minor changeintent kept
The bill passed with only formal updates to reflect royal assent and chapter numbering. No changes were made to the museum's establishment, purpose, powers or consequential amendments.
- Header updated to show assent date and chapter number.
Before: “FIRST READING, JUNE 7, 2010 MINISTER OF CANADIAN HERITAGE AND OFFICIAL LANGUAGES”
After: “ASSENTED TO 29th JUNE, 2010 BILL C-34”
- Explanatory notes section removed as bill became law.
Before: “EXPLANATORY NOTES Museums Act Clause 2: New.”
How precisely it is written
mostly preciseChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Hard
The bill uses enumerated powers, fixed dollar amounts, and term limits to create the museum and define its operations. A few phrases still leave room for judgment on what counts as suitable activity.
Clear-cut
“in an aggregate amount not exceeding $15 million”
A clear numerical cap removes argument about the maximum spending allowed in the first year.“for a term of not more than five years”
The fixed maximum duration creates an objective limit on the first Director's appointment.
Discretion. The Governor in Council must approve the corporate plan, appoint the first Director, set that Director's pay, and authorize affiliated museums, while the Minister recommends the initial appointment and remuneration.
Challenging the law itself. The Act creates an institution and grants spending authority rather than imposing duties on individuals, so vagueness or overbreadth claims under section 7 of the Charter would face a high threshold.
Disputing a charge under it. The provisions regulate internal museum governance and appropriations, offering few direct prohibitions that a private person could litigate as breached or not breached.
Read by a language model from the royal assent text; every quoted phrase appears in the bill. A reading of the drafting, not legal advice.
Did it work?
effective
The Act successfully established the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 as a federal Crown corporation under the Museums Act, with the museum operating continuously since 2011 and fulfilling its national mandate. Official audits confirm progress in the transition to expanded responsibilities, despite identified management deficiencies that were subsequently addressed.
- Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner Case Report – December 2025reviewFound CEO breached Values and Ethics Code through pattern of inappropriate behaviour causing employee harm over a decade, unrelated to the Act's establishment objectives.
Who lobbied on it
No lobbying registration naming this bill is loaded.
Stages and dates from LEGISinfo.