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FederalDid not become law (session ended)40th Parliament, 1st Session

Bill C-219 explained in plain English

An Act to amend the Fisheries Act (deposit in lakes)

Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament
Legislature / Parliament
Parliament of Canada
Session
40th Parliament, 1st Session
Bill number
Bill C-219
Full title
An Act to amend the Fisheries Act (deposit in lakes)
Current status
Did not become law (session ended)
Latest event
Outside the Order of Precedence
Last updated
Nov 21, 2008

Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 40th Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.

Chamber
Parliament of Canada
Current Stage
Outside the Order of Precedence
Latest Activity
Nov 21, 2008
Plain-language explanation
In plain English (our explanation)

Our plain-language take, written for civic education.

Source: By PoliticalData.ca

AI-assisted, reviewed before publishing
Short Version

Bill C-219 would amend the Fisheries Act to prohibit any lake from being designated in regulations as a location where harmful substances may be deposited.

What It Means

Bill C-219 is a short amendment to the Fisheries Act that would prohibit lakes from being designated in regulations as places where harmful substances can be deposited. Under current law, the Fisheries Act allows the government to write regulations that permit the deposit of certain amounts or concentrations of deleterious (harmful) substances in prescribed water bodies. This bill would add a new rule that specifically prevents any lake from ever being prescribed for this purpose. In other words, the bill would close off the possibility of authorizing the dumping of harmful substances into lakes through regulation, even in controlled amounts. The bill does not change rules for other bodies of water like rivers or oceans. It is a straightforward restriction on regulatory power regarding lakes only.

What This Bill Does
  • Adds a new subsection (5.1) to section 36 of the Fisheries Act
  • Prohibits any lake from being prescribed (designated) in regulations to authorize the deposit of deleterious substances
  • Removes the ability to authorize any quantity or concentration of harmful substances in lakes through regulation
  • Applies only to lakes and does not affect other water bodies
Who Is Affected
  • Federal government and regulatory bodies that write fisheries regulations
  • Industries or entities that might otherwise be authorized to deposit controlled amounts of harmful substances in lakes
  • Lake ecosystems and users who depend on lake water quality
Rights, Duties, Or Obligations
  • The government would be prohibited from prescribing any lake in regulations to allow the deposit of deleterious substances
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The bill does not define what constitutes a 'deleterious substance'—this term is used in the existing Fisheries Act and would retain its existing meaning
  • The bill does not explain how existing regulations (if any) that already designate lakes for substance deposit would be handled
  • The bill does not address enforcement mechanisms or penalties for violations
  • It is unclear whether the prohibition applies only to future regulations or retroactively to existing ones
  • The bill text does not specify a date when the amendment would come into force
Laws Or Regulations Affected
Fisheries Act, Section 36
amends

Adds a new subsection (5.1) that prohibits lakes from being prescribed in regulations to authorize the deposit of deleterious substances in any quantity or concentration

Source: Section 1 of Bill C-219

Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.

Official text

Parliamentary Process

Step 1
First reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 2
Second reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 3
Third reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 1
First reading
Nov 21, 2008
Completed

Bill C-219, aiming to amend the Fisheries Act concerning deposits in lakes, was introduced and received first reading in the House of Commons on November 21, 2008, and is currently outside the order of precedence.

Introduction and first reading, Nov 21, 2008
End of stage activity, Nov 21, 2008
Chamber sittings
Introduction and first reading - Nov 21, 2008

On November 21, 2008, the House of Commons commenced its sitting with procedural matters, statements by members, and the introduction of various bills, including Bill C-219 concerning the Fisheries Act.

Step 2
Second reading
Date not listed
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 4
Report stage
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 5
Third reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.

Sponsor
Peter Stoffer
Sponsor party or district not listed
Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament

No published representative vote breakdown

This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.

Official sources

Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.

How this data is sourced