Bill 118 explained in plain English
Great Lakes Shoreline Right of Passage Act, 2015
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 41st 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, 2015 creates a right for individuals to pass by foot or non-motorized means along the Great Lakes shoreline, between the water's edge and the high water mark.
This Ontario Act establishes a right for people to walk along the shoreline of the Great Lakes, between the water's edge and the high water mark. This right is limited to passage on foot or by non-motorized means and does not include a right of access to the shoreline or using it for purposes other than passage. Property rights are generally unaffected, except for the creation of this passage right. The Act also outlines duties of care for those with an interest in the shoreline, prohibitions against interfering with the right of passage, and allows for regulations regarding conduct and exemptions.
- Creates a right of passage for individuals to travel on foot or by non-motorized means along the shoreline of the Great Lakes, between the water's edge and the high water mark.
- Specifies that the right of passage does not include using the shoreline for purposes other than passage or a right of access to the shoreline.
- States that property rights along the shoreline are not interfered with by this Act, except to the extent of this created right of passage.
- Imposes a duty of care on those with an interest in the shoreline not to create dangers with intent to harm or act with reckless disregard towards persons exercising their right of passage.
- Prohibits interference with the right of passage and sets a penalty for contravention.
- Allows for regulations to be made regarding exemptions from the Act, rules of conduct, and other necessary matters.
- The general public (exercising the right of passage)
- Owners of property along the Great Lakes shoreline (subject to a duty of care and potential interference with property rights)
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council (power to make regulations)
- Right of passage along the Great Lakes shoreline for individuals on foot or by non-motorized means (Section 2(1)).
- Limitation of right of passage to on foot or non-motorized means, excluding vehicles or other motorized transport (Section 2(2)).
- Prohibition against using the shoreline for purposes other than passage or gaining access to it (Section 2(3)).
- Assumption of risks by persons exercising the right of passage (Section 3(1)).
- Duty of care owed by those with an interest in the shoreline to not create danger with intent to harm or act with reckless disregard (Section 3(2)).
- Obligation for persons exercising the right of passage to comply with prescribed rules of conduct (Section 4).
- Prohibition against interfering with the right of passage (Section 7(1)).
- The Act came into force on the day it received Royal Assent (Section 9).
- A fine of not more than $2,000 may be imposed for interfering with the right of passage (Section 7(2)).
- Interfering with the right of passage is an offence punishable by a fine of not more than $2,000 (Section 7(1) and 7(2)).
- The specific definition of 'high water mark' is provided, but its practical application in all circumstances may be subject to interpretation.
- The Act allows for regulations to be made, which may introduce further limitations or exemptions not detailed in the current text.
- The Act does not specify how the 'right of access' to the shoreline is defined or if it is entirely excluded.
- The extent to which existing property rights might be 'interfered with' by the created right of passage is limited by the Act itself but could be a source of dispute.
This is the Act that establishes the right of passage along the Great Lakes shoreline.
Source: Section 2
The 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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