Bill 103 explained in plain English
Great Lakes Shoreline Right of Passage Act, 2012
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 40th Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
The Great Lakes Shoreline Right of Passage Act, 2012 establishes a right of passage along the Great Lakes shoreline for individuals using non-motorized means, subject to specific limitations and potential regulations.
This Act creates a right for people to walk or use non-motorized means along the shoreline of the Great Lakes, between the water's edge and the high water mark. This right does not include using a vehicle, accessing the shoreline, or using it for purposes other than passage. The Act states that people exercising this right assume the associated risks, but property owners must not intentionally create danger or act with reckless disregard for passersby. It is an offence to interfere with this right of passage, with a potential fine of up to $2,000. The Lieutenant Governor in Council can make regulations, including exempting certain properties or prescribing rules of conduct.
- Creates a right of passage along the shoreline of the Great Lakes for individuals.
- Specifies that the right of passage is between the water's edge and the high water mark.
- Limits the right of passage to walking or other non-motorized means, excluding motorized transportation and vehicles.
- States that the right of passage does not include using the shoreline for purposes other than passage or accessing the shoreline.
- Establishes that individuals exercising the right of passage assume associated risks.
- Imposes a duty of care on those with an interest in the shoreline to not create danger intentionally or act with reckless disregard for persons exercising the right of passage.
- Requires individuals exercising the right of passage to comply with any prescribed rules of conduct.
- Clarifies that the Act does not interfere with existing property rights, except to the extent it creates the right of passage.
- States that the Act and regulations do not constitute expropriation or injurious affection.
- Creates an offence for interfering with the right of passage, with a penalty of a fine not exceeding $2,000.
- Grants the Lieutenant Governor in Council the power to make regulations, including exemptions, rules of conduct, and other necessary measures.
- Specifies that the Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Individuals who use or may use the Great Lakes shoreline.
- Owners of property along the Great Lakes shoreline.
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council (for regulation-making powers).
- Right of passage along the Great Lakes shoreline between the water's edge and the high water mark for individuals on foot or by non-motorized means.
- Obligation for individuals exercising the right of passage to comply with rules of conduct (if prescribed by regulation).
- Duty of care for those with an interest in the shoreline to not create danger intentionally or act with reckless disregard for persons exercising the right of passage.
- Prohibition against interfering with the right of passage.
- This Act came into force on the day it received Royal Assent (June 6, 2012, based on legislative business dates provided in the prompt).
- A person convicted of interfering with the right of passage is liable to a fine of not more than $2,000.
- Interfering with the right of passage is an offence punishable by a fine of not more than $2,000.
- The specific 'high water mark' may vary and is defined by the presence and action of water, which could lead to interpretation issues.
- The Act allows for rules of conduct to be prescribed by regulation, which are not detailed in the text of the Act itself.
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council can exempt certain properties or structures from the Act, the specifics of which are not detailed in the Act.
- While the right of passage is created, the right of 'access' to the shoreline is explicitly excluded, which may present practical limitations.
This Act itself establishes a new right of passage along the Great Lakes shoreline.
Source: Section 2
This Act may be subject to regulations made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
Source: Section 8
This Act clarifies that the creation of the right of passage or actions taken under the Act or its regulations do not constitute expropriation or injurious affection under the Expropriations Act.
Source: Section 6
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.
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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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