Bill S-14 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the Canada National Parks Act, the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, the Rouge National Urban Park Act and the National Parks of Canada Fishing Regulations
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 44th 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.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill S-14 amends federal laws to expand the boundaries of seven national parks and one national park reserve, establish two new protected areas (Akami-Uapishkᵁ–KakKasuak–Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve and Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area), strengthen environmental protections against substance discharge, and rename Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve.
This bill makes changes to Canada's national parks and marine conservation areas. It expands the land boundaries of seven national parks (including Point Pelee, Prince Edward Island, and others) and one national park reserve (Riding Mountain). It creates a new national park reserve called Akami-Uapishkᵁ–KakKasuak–Mealy Mountains in Newfoundland and Labrador with special provisions for traditional land users and Inuit harvesting rights. It also establishes a new marine conservation area called Tallurutiup Imanga off the coast of Nunavut. The bill strengthens rules to prevent pollution in national parks and the Rouge National Urban Park by clarifying that discharging or depositing substances that harm the environment, wildlife, plants, cultural resources, or public safety is prohibited. It gives superintendents power to order cleanup and gives the government the ability to recover costs from responsible parties. The bill renames Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve to "Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site" to recognize the Haida people. Some provisions only come into force when related regulations are made, such as fishing and aircraft access rules for the new Mealy Mountains park reserve.
- Expands the boundaries of Grasslands, Riding Mountain, Thousand Islands, Point Pelee, Prince Edward Island, Tuktut Nogait, Quttinirpaaq national parks and Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve
- Establishes Akami-Uapishkᵁ–KakKasuak–Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve in Newfoundland and Labrador with provisions allowing traditional land users and Inuit to continue harvesting activities
- Establishes Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area in Nunavut
- Removes Mount Agassiz Ski Area from Schedule 5 of the Canada National Parks Act
- Prohibits discharge or deposit of substances in national parks, park reserves, and the Rouge National Urban Park that degrade the natural environment, injure fauna/flora/cultural resources, or endanger health and safety
- Requires persons responsible for substance discharge to notify superintendents and take reasonable cleanup measures
- Authorizes superintendents to order cleanup and allows the Crown to recover cleanup costs from responsible parties through court proceedings
- Changes the name of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve to Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
- Updates the National Parks of Canada Fishing Regulations to reflect the name change for Gwaii Haanas
- Allows traditional land users in the Mealy Mountains park reserve to conduct certain activities (fishing, hunting, trapping, camping, etc.) under defined conditions
- Permits aircraft take-offs and landings in the Mealy Mountains park reserve with superintendent authorization
- Applies Newfoundland and Labrador provincial laws to Inuit harvesting activities in the portion of the Mealy Mountains park reserve that overlaps their settlement area
- Parks Canada and superintendents of national parks and park reserves who must administer expanded boundaries and new protected areas
- Traditional land users (as defined in the bill) in Akami-Uapishkᵁ–KakKasuak–Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve who may continue hunting, fishing, trapping, camping, and other specified traditional activities
- Inuit of Labrador and Inuit of the Qikiqtani Region of Nunavut who have harvesting rights in portions of the new park reserve and marine conservation area
- Persons and businesses operating in or near the expanded national parks and new protected areas whose activities are subject to substance discharge prohibitions
- Lessees of public lands in the Mealy Mountains park reserve whose existing leases and licences are continued
- Persons seeking to conduct aircraft take-offs and landings in the Mealy Mountains park reserve who must obtain superintendent authorization
- Visitors and users of national parks who may access expanded park boundaries
- The Crown and Parks Canada who may pursue recovery of cleanup costs from responsible parties for unauthorized substance discharge
- Persons who discharge or deposit a substance in a park or park reserve must not degrade the natural environment, injure fauna, flora, or cultural resources, or endanger human health or public safety
- Persons with charge, management, or control of a discharged substance, or who caused or contributed to a discharge, must notify the superintendent without delay and take reasonable cleanup and mitigation measures
- Superintendents have the authority to order persons to take cleanup measures and, if the order is not obeyed, the Crown may take the measures and recover all reasonable costs through court proceedings
- Traditional land users with superintendent-issued documentation may conduct traditional activities in the Mealy Mountains park reserve (fishing, hunting, trapping, camping, berry picking, wood cutting, etc.) subject to conservation and sustainable use conditions
- The superintendent must issue a document confirming traditional land user status if the applicant meets the defined criteria and may revoke it if the person is determined to no longer or never have been a traditional land user
- Inuit of Labrador (as defined in the land claims agreement) may conduct harvesting activities permitted under that agreement in the overlapping portion of the Mealy Mountains park reserve
- Persons may conduct aircraft take-offs and landings on public lands in the Mealy Mountains park reserve if authorized by the superintendent, who must consider public health and safety and conservation principles
- Existing leases, licences, and other instruments relating to public lands in the Mealy Mountains park reserve are continued and prevail over the Act to the extent of inconsistency
- Subsection 6(2) (aircraft access rules) comes into force when regulations respecting aircraft access to the Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve are made and come into force
- Subsection 6(3) (fishing rules) comes into force when regulations respecting recreational fishing in the Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve are made and come into force
- Section 18 (Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area) comes into force on the day a notice is published in the Canada Gazette confirming that an interim management plan for the area has been approved by the Aulattiqatigiit Board, as defined in the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement signed August 1, 2019
- The Crown may recover cleanup and remediation costs from responsible parties through court proceedings; the amount depends on actual reasonable expenses incurred and would be determined on a case-by-case basis
- No specific budget allocation or financial estimates are provided in the bill for administering new parks, park reserves, or marine conservation areas
- Every person who contravenes the prohibition on discharging or depositing substances in a park, who contravenes section 13, subsection 32(1) or (2) of the Canada National Parks Act, or who contravenes a provision of the regulations designated for enforcement is guilty of an offence (specific penalties are in existing provisions of the Act, not stated in this bill)
- Every person who fails to take measures ordered by a superintendent under the discharge/deposit provisions is guilty of an offence
- Persons who fail to take ordered cleanup measures are liable for all reasonable expenses incurred by His Majesty in taking those measures, recoverable with costs in court proceedings
- The Rouge National Urban Park Act imposes similar offences and liability for non-compliance with discharge rules and superintendent orders
- The bill does not specify the exact financial costs of cleanup or the formula for calculating recoverable expenses; these are determined through court proceedings on a case-by-case basis
- The specific conditions, restrictions, and requirements for traditional activities and superintendent authorization are not detailed in the bill text but are to be set out in regulations and superintendent orders
- Commencement date for some provisions (subsection 6(2) on aircraft access and subsection 6(3) on fishing) depends on when related regulations are made, with no specified timeline provided
- The bill does not provide details on how traditional land user status will be verified or what appeal process exists for document revocation
- The bill does not specify enforcement mechanisms or penalty amounts for violations, stating only that persons are liable but referring to existing offence provisions for details
- The scope of 'reasonable measures' for cleanup is not defined in the bill and would be subject to superintendent orders and court interpretation
- The bill does not address how overlapping jurisdiction between federal law and Newfoundland and Labrador provincial law will be resolved in practice for Inuit harvesting activities
Boundaries of seven national parks and one national park reserve are redrawn. New provisions are added for the Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve allowing traditional activities and Inuit harvesting. Prohibition on substance discharge is clarified and strengthened. Offence provisions are expanded to include contraventions of new discharge rules.
Source: Sections 2-17
Schedule 1 is amended to add Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area to the list of protected marine areas.
Source: Section 18
Prohibition on substance discharge is clarified and strengthened. Offence provisions are expanded. Agricultural activities by lessees are confirmed to be permitted despite substance discharge rules.
Source: Sections 19-21
References to Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve are updated to include the new name Haida Heritage Site in sections 2.6 and item 15 of Schedule IV.
Source: Section 22
Technical coordinating provision to address potential timing issues if this bill's marine conservation area provision and the other Act come into force at different times.
Source: Section 23
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 textThe official summary published alongside the bill, shown exactly as written.
Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
A legislative summary is currently being prepared for this bill by the Parliamentary Information, Education and Research Services of the Library of Parliament. Meanwhile, the following executive summary is available. On 19 October 2023, Sen. Marc Gold introduced Bill S-14, An Act to amend the Canada National Parks Act, the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, the Rouge National Urban Park Act and the National Parks of Canada Fishing Regulations (Protecting Canada’s Natural Wonders Act), and it was given first reading. Bill S-14 amends the Canada National Parks Act to, among other things, (a) broaden and clarify offences in relation to the discharge or deposit of substances in a national park or national park reserve; (b) expand the boundaries of seven national parks and one national park reserve; (c) establish the Akami-Uapishk?–KakKasuak–Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve of Canada and enact provisions for its operation and administration; and (d) change the name of “Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve of Canada” to “Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site”. The enactment also amends the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act to establish the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area and the Rouge National Urban Park Act to broaden and clarify offences in relation to the discharge or deposit of substances in that Park and makes consequential amendments to the National Parks of Canada Fishing Regulations.
This is the official summary published by the Parliament of Canada, shown verbatim. Not legal advice. PoliticalData.ca did not write or edit this text.
View on LEGISinfoParliamentary Process
The Senate formally introduced Bill S-14 on October 19, 2023, marking the start of its legislative process in that chamber.
The Senate completed its first reading of Bill S-14 on October 19, 2023. This procedural step formally introduced the bill to the Senate, allowing it to proceed to later stages. The bill, which proposes amendments to national parks and conservation laws, is currently at second reading in the House of Commons. No debate or voting occurred during the Senate's first reading.
The Senate debated motions related to Ukraine, hydrogen energy, Arctic security, and the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis, with senators discussing the implications for Canada and international obligations.
The Senate debate included discussions on several motions and reports. A motion was introduced to recognize Ukrainian heritage and support for Ukraine, with senators expressing concerns about the impact of the conflict on Canadian citizens and the need for government action. A report on hydrogen as a net-zero strategy was presented, highlighting its potential role in reducing emissions but also noting challenges like infrastructure costs and supply chain issues. A report on Arctic security threats was discussed, emphasizing the need for increased vigilance and cooperation with Indigenous communities. Finally, a motion was proposed to address the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, with senators calling for diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.
The Senate completed second reading of Bill S-14 on October 26, 2023, advancing it to committee stages for further review.
This record documents the Senate's completion of second reading for Bill S-14 on October 26, 2023. The bill, which proposes amendments to national parks and conservation laws, had already passed its first reading in the House of Commons on October 19, 2023. During the Senate's second reading, Senator Karen Sorensen (Independent Senators Group) delivered the sponsor's speech, followed by a response from Senator Michael L. MacDonald (Conservative). The bill now proceeds to committee stages for detailed examination, with scheduled hearings in November and December 2023. The Senate's second reading stage is complete, and the next steps involve committee review before potential report stage and final approval.
The Senate debates center on modernizing public services through digital transformation, protecting supply management systems, addressing municipal challenges, and reforming public service delivery with international examples.
The Senate debates focus on four key themes: (1) Accelerating digital transformation in public services, (2) Supply management and trade negotiations, (3) Municipal challenges and federal relations, and (4) Public service reforms. The motion to modernize public services emphasizes replacing outdated systems with user-friendly digital solutions. Supply management discussions highlight the economic importance of agricultural quotas and the need to protect them in trade negotiations. Municipal challenges include funding gaps and infrastructure needs, with examples from Saskatchewan. Public service reforms involve lessons from Ontario's public service modernization and the success of the Canada Child Benefit program. The debates also reference international examples like Australia's public service reforms and the UK's digital transformation strategies.
The Senate debates emphasize the need for digital transformation in public services, addressing municipal funding challenges, and improving federal-municipal collaboration to support regional needs.
The Senate debates focus on three main themes: digital transformation of public services, challenges facing Canadian municipalities, and the role of federal support in addressing regional disparities. Key points include: 1. Digital Transformation: Senator Tony Dean advocates for replacing outdated IT systems with digital solutions to improve public service delivery and reduce costs. He references Ontario's public service reforms and international examples like Australia and the UK to highlight the benefits of scaling digital initiatives. 2. Municipal Challenges: Senator David Arnot and others discuss the difficulties faced by municipalities, particularly in Saskatchewan, including limited funding for infrastructure projects like libraries and warming shelters. The need for longer funding periods and better federal-provincial collaboration is emphasized to address gaps in urban and rural services. 3. Federal-Municipal Dialogue: The importance of direct communication between municipalities and federal/provincial governments is stressed, with examples of rural municipalities struggling with limited tax bases and funding requirements. Senator Simons' inquiry into municipal challenges underscores the need for tailored support and policy adjustments. The debates highlight calls for action on modernizing public systems, improving municipal funding, and fostering collaboration between levels of government.
The Senate debate on October 26, 2023, featured speeches on Indigenous economic contributions and legislative studies, with the full text accessible via the official URL.
The Senate debate record from October 26, 2023, includes speeches by multiple senators discussing various topics. Key themes included Indigenous business development, economic contributions of Indigenous communities, and legislative studies. The official text is available in HTML format at the provided URL.
On October 26, 2023, the Senate debated and advanced several bills, including amendments to legislation concerning sex offender registration and national parks, while also addressing committee reports and various inquiries and statements.
On October 26, 2023, the Senate of Canada held its sitting. During this sitting, various senators made statements on topics such as Emancipation Day, the seal population in Newfoundland and Labrador, repeat sexual offenders, and the passing of Hubert Reeves. Routine proceedings included the presentation of committee reports and the first reading of several bills. Question period addressed topics including Remembrance Day, the carbon tax, cannabis use, and federal-provincial collaboration. The Senate also considered messages from the House of Commons regarding amendments to Bill S-12, which deals with the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act, and the International Transfer of Offenders Act. The Senate agreed to the amendments made by the House of Commons to Bill S-12. The Senate also debated and proceeded to second reading of Bill S-14, concerning amendments to various acts related to national parks and conservation areas, which was then referred to committee. The Senate also debated and adopted the seventeenth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs concerning Bill C-48 (bail reform), and proceeded to second reading of Bill C-226 (environmental racism and justice), which was referred to committee. Several committee reports were adopted, and a motion for adjournment was passed. The Senate also proceeded with debates on inquiries and other bills, with some debates being adjourned.
Bill S-14 completed Senate committee consideration on December 12, 2023, with subsequent steps including report stage, third reading in the Senate, and eventual second reading in the House of Commons.
Bill S-14, which proposes amendments to national parks and conservation laws, completed its Senate committee consideration stage on December 12, 2023. This stage involved detailed review and discussion of the bill's provisions by Senate committees. The next procedural step was the report stage on December 13, 2023, followed by a third reading in the Senate on December 14, 2023. The bill is currently at second reading in the House of Commons, with its next scheduled activity being a first reading on February 27, 2024. Key speeches during the Senate process included a sponsor's speech by Karen Sorensen (Independent Senators Group) on October 24, 2023, and a response speech by Michael L. MacDonald (Conservative) on October 26, 2023.
The Senate debated motions to authorize committees studying Indigenous claims policy, land reallotment processes, and food security, with specific deadlines and policy recommendations outlined.
The Senate debate transcript includes discussions about motions to authorize committees to study specific claims policy, Indigenous languages, and land reallotment processes. A motion was proposed to establish a committee to examine claims policy and process, with a deadline of April 2025 for reporting. Another motion called for an inquiry into Indigenous businesses, land reallotments, and food security, with a focus on data collection and policy recommendations. The Indigenous Languages Act was mentioned as a relevant framework for addressing language revitalization efforts. No votes or final outcomes are recorded in the provided text.
The Senate completed its Report stage for Bill S-14 on December 14, 2023, advancing the bill toward further legislative steps without altering its legal content.
The Senate completed its Report stage for Bill S-14 on December 14, 2023. This procedural step involved reviewing the bill's amendments to national parks and conservation laws. The bill is currently at second reading in the House of Commons. Key dates include its first reading in the House on October 19, 2023, and second reading on October 24, 2023. The Senate's Report stage followed committee consideration from November 9 to December 12, 2023. Major speeches during the Senate process included a sponsor's speech by Karen Sorensen (Independent Senators Group) on October 26, 2023, and a response speech by Michael L. MacDonald (Conservative) on the same date. The Senate's completion of this stage does not alter the law but advances the bill toward further legislative steps.
The text includes parliamentary debate records from December 13, 2023, discussing bills related to housing, tax reforms, and national parks, with procedural motions and committee reports.
The provided text contains records of parliamentary debates in the Canadian Senate and House of Commons. These records include discussions about proposed legislation (bills), procedural motions, and committee reports. The text includes references to specific bills such as C-56 and S-14, which are being debated or reported on. The debates cover topics like affordable housing, tax amendments, and national park regulations. The records are from a single sitting on December 13, 2023.
The Senate completed its third reading of Bill S-14 on December 14, 2023, advancing the bill to the House of Commons for further consideration.
The Senate completed its third reading stage for Bill S-14 on December 14, 2023. This procedural step marked the final stage in the Senate's review of the bill before it proceeds to the House of Commons. Key dates include: first reading in the House of Commons on October 19, 2023; second reading in the House on October 24, 2023; committee consideration from November 9 to December 12, 2023; and report stage on December 13, 2023. During the Senate's third reading, the sponsor (Karen Sorensen, Independent Senators Group) and a response speech by Michael L. MacDonald (Conservative) were delivered on October 26, 2023. The bill is now at second reading in the House of Commons.
This metadata references a Senate sitting debate transcript from December 14, 2023, formatted in HTML, with a link to the official text.
The provided JSON contains metadata for a Senate debate transcript from December 14, 2023. It includes a URL to the official text, specifies the text format as HTML, identifies the artifact as a 'sitting' (a formal meeting of the Senate), and notes the chamber as the Senate.
Bill S-14 completed its first reading in the House of Commons on February 27, 2024, and is now at the second reading stage, with procedural dates spanning from October 2023 to December 2023.
Bill S-14, which proposes amendments to several national parks and conservation laws, completed its first reading in the House of Commons on February 27, 2024. This procedural step marks the formal introduction of the bill to the chamber. The bill is now at the second reading stage in the House of Commons. Key procedural dates include its first reading on October 19, 2023, and subsequent stages such as second reading (October 24, 2023), committee consideration (November 9–December 12, 2023), and report stage (December 13, 2023). The Senate received the bill on October 24, 2023. The summary does not include discussion content or legal effects of the bill itself, as this artifact only records procedural steps.
The debate covers discussions on Bill C-21, the ArriveCAN procurement scandal, agricultural impacts in British Columbia, and international conflict issues, alongside procedural parliamentary activities.
The provided parliamentary debate text includes discussions on several key topics. First, there is a focus on Bill C-21, which relates to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and its oversight. Second, the ArriveCAN procurement scandal is mentioned, with concerns about transparency and accountability in government contracts. Third, the impact of a severe freeze on the wine and fruit industry in British Columbia is highlighted, with calls for support for affected farmers. Additionally, there is a debate on the government's response to a procurement scandal, and discussions about the Israel-Palestine conflict and humanitarian issues in Gaza. The text also includes procedural elements such as the introduction of a bill, committee references, and motions for adjournment.
Bill S-14 has reached the second reading stage in the House of Commons, with past activity including first reading and Senate proceedings.
This artifact describes the procedural status of Bill S-14 in the House of Commons. It indicates that the bill is currently at the second reading stage. The record shows the dates of its first reading, the start of its second reading, and subsequent committee and report stages. It also notes that the bill was introduced in the Senate, with a sponsor's speech and a response speech recorded. The 'Stage state: No activity' indicates that as of the last update, there was no new procedural action within this specific stage in the House of Commons.
This artifact outlines the legislative progress of Bill S-14 in the House of Commons, indicating its current status at Second Reading and that subsequent stages like committee review have not yet occurred.
This artifact describes the legislative process for Bill S-14 in the House of Commons. The bill is currently at the 'Second reading' stage. The artifact indicates that the 'House of Commons Consideration in committee' stage has not yet been reached. It lists the dates when 'Consideration in committee' was scheduled, as well as dates for Report stage and Third reading, all of which are also marked as 'Not reached'. The record also shows the bill's history, including its First reading, Second reading, and its progression to the Senate, along with the dates of sponsor and response speeches in the Senate.
Bill S-14 has progressed to the Report stage in the House of Commons, though this procedural step has not yet been reached.
This artifact indicates that Bill S-14 has reached the Report stage in the House of Commons, but this stage has not yet occurred. The summary details the bill's progression through earlier stages, including First Reading, Second Reading, committee study, and Third Reading in the House of Commons, as well as its initial passage through the Senate. It also notes the dates these events took place and identifies the sponsor and a respondent in the Senate.
Bill S-14, concerning national parks and conservation areas, has not yet reached third reading in the House of Commons, having gone through first and second readings, committee, and report stage, with a subsequent first reading occurring in February 2024.
This artifact describes the progress of Bill S-14, an act to amend several pieces of legislation related to national parks and conservation areas. The House of Commons has not yet reached the Third Reading stage for this bill. The bill had its first reading on October 19, 2023, and its second reading on October 24, 2023. It then went through committee meetings and report stage in November and December 2023, with third reading scheduled for December 14, 2023. However, the bill was also read for the first time again on February 27, 2024, indicating a potential restart or reintroduction of the process in the House of Commons. Speeches were made in the Senate in October 2023.
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
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