Bill S-15 · 41th Parliament · Stephen Harper
Expansion and Conservation of Canada’s National Parks Act
An Act to amend the Canada National Parks Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to the Canada Shipping Act, 2001
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedFeb. 11, 2013
- Debated in principleMarch 26, 2013
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberApril 30, 2013
- Passed the second chamberJune 18, 2013
- Became lawJune 18, 2013
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
- Michael L. MacDonaldSenate · Sponsor in the Senate
- Ms. Michelle RempelCalls the legislation important for protecting an ecologically sensitive area.
- Gerald KeddyExplicitly rises to express support for the bill and its park protections.
- Stephen WoodworthExplicitly expresses support for protecting Sable Island as a national park reserve.
- Patrick Brownstates it is a pleasure to speak in support of this bill
- James RajotteFocuses on technical details of establishing the park and endorses the bill's substance.
- Peter KentExplicitly rises to speak in support of the bill and its protections.
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
On 12 February 2013, the Leader of the Government in the Senate introduced Bill S-15, An Act to amend the Canada National Parks Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (Expansion and Conservation of Canada’s National Parks Act) in the Senate and it was given first reading. Bill S-15 amends the Canada National Parks Act to provide for the establishment of Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada, to amend commercial zoning in the Community of Field in Yoho National Park of Canada and to reconfigure the leasehold boundary of the Marmot Ski Basin Area in Jasper National Park of Canada. Part 1 of this enactment amends the Canada National Parks Act to create Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada. It also amends the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act to prohibit drilling for petroleum in Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada or within one nautical mile seaward of Sable Island’s low-water mark, to restrict surface access rights provided for under that Act and to provide for the issuance of licences and authorizations w…
Summary by the Library of Parliament.
Where members stand
That · 2013-06-06 · Passed
What the Senate tried to change
- technicalMichael L. MacDonaldRestores original English wording of subsection 4(1) of the Canada National Parks Act, aligns French version, and adds new subsection 4(1.1) clarifying ministerial fee-setting authority under the Parks Canada Agency Act.Adopted · April 30, 2013 · Senate record
How it changed on the way
52% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (2,997 words introduced, 2,719 passed).
moderate changeintent mostly kept
The core provisions creating Sable Island National Park Reserve and restricting petroleum activities remained intact. Parliament replaced the English dedication clause with a French version update and added an explicit fees clause while making only minor boundary wording tweaks.
How precisely it is written
mostly preciseChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Moderate
The bill uses exact distances, a numbered list of permitted surface activities, and a clear drilling ban to draw bright lines. A few subjective phrases about environmental impact and Board conditions leave room for argument.
Open to argument
“petroleum exploration activities with a low impact on the environment”
The phrase 'low impact' is a subjective standard that invites disagreement over what qualifies.“advise the Board in writing about any potential impact of the proposed work or activity on the management of the surface”
Relies on an open-ended assessment of 'potential impact' rather than fixed criteria.
Clear-cut
“No person shall carry on any work or activity related to the drilling for petroleum, including exploratory drilling for petroleum, in Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada or within one nautical mile seaward of its low-”
States a flat prohibition with a precise geographic limit.
Discretion. The Offshore Petroleum Board decides whether to issue authorizations and what mitigation terms to attach after receiving non-binding advice from the Parks Canada Agency.
Challenging the law itself. The operative rules are specific and do not obviously engage vagueness or overbreadth doctrines under the Charter.
Disputing a charge under it. A person could argue whether a given activity meets the 'low impact' threshold or falls inside the listed access categories.
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?
no evaluation found
Who lobbied on it
No lobbying registration naming this bill is loaded.
Stages and dates from LEGISinfo.