Bill S-213 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act (bulk water removal)
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 40th Parliament, 3rd 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.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill S-213 proposes to prohibit the bulk removal of boundary waters from the water basins where they are located, with limited exceptions for conveyance ballast, conveyance operations, and firefighting or humanitarian purposes.
Bill S-213 would amend the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act to create a new prohibition on bulk water removal from boundary waters. The bill defines "removal of boundary waters in bulk" as taking water from boundary waters and moving it outside the water basin either through diversions (pipelines, canals, tunnels, aqueducts, channels) or by any other means that removes more than 50,000 litres per day. The bill would make this activity illegal for all persons, with only a few specific exceptions: (1) water used on vessels, aircraft, or trains for ballast, operation, or for people/animals/goods on board, and (2) water for firefighting or humanitarian purposes on a short-term, non-commercial basis. The bill specifies that removing bulk boundary waters is deemed to affect water levels and flow on the other side of the international border, taking into account the cumulative effect of such removals. The bill also removes the government's power to make regulations creating additional exceptions to bulk water removal, though the government can still make regulations defining terms used in the Act and specifying exceptions only to other provisions (sections 11(1) and 12(1), not section 13(1) on bulk removal). Any proposed regulations must be tabled in Parliament and can be blocked if either House of Parliament votes to disapprove them.
- Defines 'removal of boundary waters in bulk' as taking water from boundary waters and moving it outside the water basin through diversions (pipelines, canals, tunnels, aqueducts, channels) or by other means removing more than 50,000 litres per day
- Prohibits any person from using or diverting boundary waters through bulk removal
- Provides limited exceptions to the bulk removal prohibition for water used on vessels, aircraft, or trains (as ballast, for operation, or for people/animals/goods) and for short-term non-commercial firefighting or humanitarian purposes
- Deems bulk boundary water removal to affect the natural level or flow of boundary waters on the other side of the international boundary, considering the cumulative effect of such removals
- Removes the government's authority to specify additional exceptions to the bulk removal prohibition through regulations
- Retains the government's ability to make regulations defining terms used in sections 11 to 26 and specifying exceptions only to subsections 11(1) and 12(1)
- Requires that proposed regulations under section 21(2) be tabled in each House of Parliament
- Allows either House of Parliament to block proposed regulations by adopting a motion of disapproval within 30 sitting days
- Any person or entity seeking to remove boundary waters in bulk from their source water basin
- Water supply utilities or companies that may have been considering large-scale water diversion projects
- Operators of vessels, aircraft, and trains that use boundary water for ballast or operations (permitted under exceptions)
- Emergency responders and humanitarian organizations conducting firefighting or emergency water relief operations (permitted under exceptions)
- The Government of Canada (responsible for enforcing the prohibition and making permitted regulations)
- The Parliament of Canada (given new power to approve or disapprove proposed regulations)
- Users and businesses depending on boundary water resources in water basins shared with the United States
- No person shall remove boundary waters in bulk from the water basin in which they are located, with only two specified exceptions
- Operators of conveyances (vessels, aircraft, trains) have the right to use boundary water for ballast, conveyance operations, and for people, animals, or goods on board
- Organizations may remove boundary water in bulk for short-term non-commercial firefighting or humanitarian purposes
- The Governor in Council may make regulations to define terms and specify exceptions to subsections 11(1) and 12(1), but not to section 13(1) bulk removal prohibition
- Proposed regulations under section 21(2) must be tabled before each House of Parliament and may be rejected if either House adopts a motion of disapproval
- Parliament has the power to block proposed regulations by adopting a motion to disapprove within 30 sitting days
- Bill first read in Senate on March 23, 2010
- Bill status: Not proceeded with (as of the information provided)
- The bill text does not specify penalties or enforcement mechanisms for violations of the bulk water removal prohibition
- The bill text does not specify what penalties or enforcement measures would apply to violations of the bulk water removal prohibition
- The bill does not detail how 'short-term' is defined for the humanitarian and firefighting exceptions, leaving some ambiguity about the duration of permitted removals
- The bill does not explain how compliance would be monitored for the 50,000-litre-per-day threshold for non-diversion removal activities
- The bill's status is listed as 'not proceeded with', meaning it was not enacted and no amendments described actually take effect
- The bill does not address implementation costs or resource requirements for enforcement
- The explanatory notes indicate the bill removed sections of the existing Act that allowed regulations describing which water basins section 13 applies to, but the new bill does not specify this—creating potential ambiguity about geographic scope
The Act is amended to add a new definition of 'removal of boundary waters in bulk', replace section 13 to impose a blanket prohibition on bulk water removal with only specified exceptions, and modify section 21 to remove the government's power to create additional exceptions to the bulk removal prohibition while retaining other regulatory powers and adding parliamentary approval requirements for certain regulations.
A new definition of 'removal of boundary waters in bulk' is added to section 10, which contains definitions used throughout the Act.
Section 13 is completely replaced. The new version prohibits all bulk removal of boundary waters, provides only two specific exceptions (conveyance use and short-term humanitarian/firefighting purposes), and includes a provision deeming bulk removals to affect boundary water levels on the other side of the border.
Paragraphs 21(1)(a) to (d), which gave the government the power to regulate definitions, describe water basins, and specify exceptions to sections 11(1), 12(1), and 13(1), are removed from the Act.
Section 21(2) is replaced to allow the Governor in Council to make regulations only for specifying definitions, defining terms in sections 11 to 26, and specifying exceptions to subsections 11(1) and 12(1)—but notably NOT to section 13(1) which covers bulk water removal, preventing regulations that would create exceptions to the bulk removal prohibition.
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 textParliamentary Process
Bill S-213, an act to amend the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act regarding bulk water removal, was introduced in the Senate but was withdrawn before further progression.
Bill S-213, which aimed to amend the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act concerning bulk water removal, received its first reading in the Senate on March 23, 2010. However, it was later dropped from the Senate's Order Paper and withdrawn on May 27, 2010, at the request of its sponsor and with the Senate's leave. The bill did not proceed further.
On March 23, 2010, the Senate proceeded with tributes, routine proceedings including the first reading of Bill S-213 concerning bulk water removal, and other committee and debate matters before adjourning.
This artifact records the Senate proceedings on March 23, 2010. It includes tributes, the tabling of reports and documents, statements on various international days, and the first reading of several bills. Specifically, Bill S-213, an Act to amend the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act concerning bulk water removal, was introduced and read for the first time. The record also details debates on other bills and various committee matters, concluding with the adjournment of the Senate.
Bill S-213, aiming to amend the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act concerning bulk water removal, was withdrawn from the Senate's agenda on May 27, 2010, at the second reading stage.
On May 27, 2010, Bill S-213, concerning amendments to the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act related to bulk water removal, was withdrawn from the Senate Order Paper. This occurred at the Senate's second reading stage, after the sponsor requested, and the Senate granted leave, to discharge the order of the day. The bill had its first reading on March 23, 2010, and its second reading was scheduled for April 27, 2010.
During a Senate sitting on April 27, 2010, Bill S-213, concerning the amendment of the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act regarding bulk water removal, was brought up for second reading, but the debate was adjourned and the bill was not proceeded with.
On April 27, 2010, the Senate convened for a sitting where various routine proceedings, questions, and orders of the day were addressed. Bill S-213, an Act to amend the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act concerning bulk water removal, was brought up for its second reading debate. Senator Lowell Murray moved that the bill be read a second time, stating his intention to keep the bill on the Order Paper. He mentioned that the government might be introducing a broader bill that could cover the same subject matter. The debate on Bill S-213 was adjourned, and the bill was not proceeded with further in this sitting.
Senator Lowell Murray moved the second reading of Bill S-213 to keep it on the Senate's agenda, noting the government's intention to introduce similar legislation, and then adjourned the debate.
On April 27, 2010, Senator Lowell Murray moved for the second reading of Bill S-213, an Act to amend the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act concerning bulk water removal. Senator Murray stated that he was moving the second reading solely to keep the bill on the Senate's Order Paper, as it was nearing the end of its allotted days. He also mentioned that the government was expected to introduce its own, broader bill that might cover the same subject matter. Senator Murray indicated that if the government's bill addressed the issues raised by Bill S-213, he would withdraw his private member's bill. He then moved to adjourn the debate for the remainder of his time.
On May 27, 2010, the Senate of Canada withdrew Bill S-213 concerning bulk water removal, as a government bill had superseded it, and engaged in debates on various other matters, including bills related to a national day of service, Supreme Court appointments, and historical injustices, alongside discussions on government spending and public safety.
On May 27, 2010, the Senate of Canada was in session. During the sitting, several routine proceedings occurred, including the tabling of reports by various Senate committees and the presentation of official reports. The Senate also addressed routine matters like ordering the printing of speeches and tabling delayed answers to questions. A significant procedural event was the withdrawal of Bill S-213, concerning bulk water removal, from the Order Paper. The second reading debate on Bill S-213 was resumed, and Senator Lowell Murray explained that the bill was being withdrawn because the government had introduced its own, more comprehensive bill (Bill C-26) on the same subject. The debate also touched upon other bills, including one concerning a national day of service, an act to amend the Supreme Court Act regarding official languages, and a bill concerning restitution for Italian Canadians interned during World War II. The Senate also heard discussions on the cost of security for the G8 and G20 summits, and the effectiveness of the firearms registry. The sitting concluded with the Senate adjourning to its next sitting.
The Senate debate on Bill S-213, concerning bulk water removal, concluded with the bill being withdrawn after a more comprehensive government bill (Bill C-26) was introduced.
On May 27, 2010, in the Senate, a debate took place regarding Bill S-213, an Act to amend the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act concerning bulk water removal. Senator Lowell Murray, who had previously introduced the bill, explained that he had kept it alive to anticipate a government bill on the same topic. He noted that the government's proposed bill, Bill C-26, introduced on May 13, 2010, was more comprehensive and detailed than their private member's bill. Given that Bill C-26 had overtaken Bill S-213 in scope and substance, Senator Murray requested leave to withdraw Bill S-213, which was granted by the Senate.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
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
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
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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.
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