Building Canada Strong Act

Part 1 implements certain measures in relation to project evaluations. Division 1 of Part 1 amends the Impact Assessment Act to, among other things, (a) provide that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is to conduct the impact assessment of a designated project that includes activities that are regulated under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act; (b) authorize the Minister of the Environment to grant certain federal authorizations that are required in respect of a designated project at the same time that the Minister issues a decision statement in respect of the project; (c) ensure that a decision statement in respect of a designated project for which the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada conducts the impact assessment is issued within one year after the proponent provides the required information or studies; (d) provide for the coordination of the impact assessment of designated projects and the review processes for certain federal authorizations that are required in respect of those projects; and (e) provide for the coordination of consultations with Indigenous groups. Division 2 of Part 1 amends the Building Canada Act to, among other things, (a) establish, for certain types of projects located within a region of national interest, a similar framework to the one applicable to national interest projects; (b) allow the minister designated under that Act to add, remove or amend any condition in respect of an authorization that was granted for a national interest project before the name of that project was added to Schedule 1 to that Act; (c) ensure that obligations to make information public associated with decisions made under that Act are administratively feasible; and (d) authorize the Governor in Council to add the name of a region to a new schedule to that Act if the Governor in Council is of the opinion, having regard to certain factors, that the designation of that region is in the national interest. Division 3 of Part 1 amends the Canadian Energy Regulator Act to, among other things, (a) ensure decisions in respect of pipelines, designated power lines and offshore renewable energy projects are issued within one year of receiving the required information and studies; (b) provide for the coordination of consultations with Indigenous peoples of Canada in respect of pipelines, designated power lines and offshore renewable energy projects; (c) provide for the coordination of federal authorizations in respect of pipelines, designated power lines and offshore renewable energy projects with federal authorities; (d) provide that the Commission is the sole assessor of applications in respect of pipelines, designated power lines and offshore renewable energy projects; (e) provide authority for the Commission to (i) make decisions in respect of applications relating to pipelines, designated power lines and offshore renewable energy projects, unless otherwise specified in the Act, (ii) exempt certain pipelines or branches of or extensions to pipelines from the application of certain provisions, and (iii) integrate a detailed route hearing into an ongoing hearing; and (f) provide that the Governor in Council is to determine whether certain pipelines and designated power lines are in the public interest. It also makes consequential amendments to the Federal Courts Act and the Northern Pipeline Act. Division 4 of Part 1 amends the Canadian Navigable Waters Act to require the Minister of Transport to, among other things, take into account the feasibility of the terms and conditions in respect of an approval relating to certain works. It also transfers to that Minister the power to exempt bodies of water from the application of certain provisions of the Act if that Minister is satisfied that it would be in the public interest. Finally, it allows the Governor in Council to make regulations to exclude structures, devices or other things from the definition “work” to avoid duplication with other Acts and regulations. Division 5 of Part 1 amends the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 to, among other things, (a) ensure that environmental protection compliance orders may be issued with respect to any thing to which that Act applies and to non-continuing offences, including with respect to contravening imports; (b) broaden the scope of such orders by permitting an enforcement officer to direct a person to take additional measures, such as managing contravening imports in the manner specified in the order, returning them to their place of origin or removing them from Canada; and (c) provide that certain permits issued under that Act may, in certain circumstances, be valid for more than one year. Division 6 of Part 1 amends the Species at Risk Act to, among other things, require the competent minister to take into account the feasibility of the terms and conditions in respect of certain agreements and permits. Division 7 of Part 1 amends the Fisheries Act to, among other things, (a) modify the fish habitat bank regime to allow for the use of habitat credits by third parties; (b) authorize the making of regulations respecting the circumstances in which a person who is authorized to carry on a work, undertaking or activity may pay a fee to offset adverse effects on fish and fish habitat and provide for these fees to be credited to the Environmental Damages Fund; and (c) transfer certain regulation-making powers from the Governor in Council to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Part 2 implements certain measures in relation to supply chains. Division 1 of Part 2 amends the Department of Transport Act to provide the Minister of Transport with the power to establish a transportation project office that coordinates review processes for federal authorizations and consultations with respect to transportation projects. Division 2 of Part 2 amends the Canada Transportation Act to, among other things, (a) provide that the Minister of Transport may designate geographic areas as trade corridors and establish the National Trade Corridors Council, whose mandate is to monitor the movement of goods in trade corridors, analyze disruptions that may affect trade corridors and make recommendations and provide advice to that Minister; (b) provide that Minister with the authority to make regulations to give effect to international standards or ensure compliance with Canada’s international obligations; (c) expand the purposes for which that Minister may request that federal departments and agencies provide information that has already been provided by regulated entities to those federal departments and agencies; (d) clarify the application of the requirement to notify that Minister of proposed transactions involving transportation undertakings; (e) reduce the threshold for the requirement to notify that Minister and the Commissioner of Competition of proposed transactions involving transportation undertakings situated in a “port”, as defined in section 5 of the Canada Marine Act; (f) provide that that Minister may, for any purpose related to transportation security or safety, to the integrity of the national transportation system or to public safety or for any purpose specified by order, grant, suspend or cancel security clearances; (g) authorize, for the purposes of administering and enforcing the security clearances regime, certain individuals or entities to collect information from and disclose information to each other; (h) authorize the Governor in Council to make regulations respecting security clearances; (i) expand the exceptions to the requirement to obtain the Canadian Transportation Agency’s approval for the construction of railway lines; and (j) establish, for a period of four years, a zone in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in which any interswitching that occurs is subject to the rate determined by the Canadian Transportation Agency. Division 3 of Part 2 amends the Canada Marine Act to, among other things, (a) authorize the Governor in Council to allow a port authority to enter into joint-liability arrangements and to create entities other than wholly-owned subsidiaries to undertake activities within or outside the limits of the port; (b) authorize the Minister of Transport to appoint certain directors of a port authority; (c) add principles that a port authority must observe when fixing port fees and expand the grounds on which a fee-related complaint may be filed with the Canadian Transportation Agency; (d) authorize the Governor in Council to appoint, in certain circumstances, an administrator for a not-for-profit corporation that has entered into an agreement in respect of the St. Lawrence Seaway; (e) authorize that Minister to terminate such an agreement or any part of one and provide for a dispute resolution process to deal with any disputes arising from the termination; and (f) authorize that Minister to require that any of the following persons take measures to prevent or mitigate certain threats or stop any activity that would contribute to such threats: (i) a port authority, (ii) a person in charge of a port facility, (iii) a person responsible for the management and operation of all or part of the St. Lawrence Seaway or for any works, undertakings or property used in the operation of the Seaway, (iv) an occupier or person in charge of any federal real property, or any federal immovable, that is subject to being administered under Part 3 of that Act. It also makes consequential amendments to the Port Authorities Operations Regulations. Division 4 of Part 2 amends the Marine Liability Act to, among other things, (a) modify the definition “receiver” to refer to the person who physically receives bulk hazardous and noxious substances carried by sea as cargo and discharged at a port or terminal in Canada; and (b) harmonize the inspection and enforcement provisions relating to that person. It also makes related amendments to the Safeguarding Canada’s Seas and Skies Act. Division 5 of Part 2 amends the Coasting Trade Act to allow foreign ships or non-duty paid ships to engage, without a licence, in activities in response to a declared emergency. Division 6 of Part 2 repeals the Shipping Conferences Exemption Act, 1987 and makes a consequential amendment to the Access to Information Act. Division 7 of Part 2 amends the International Bridges and Tunnels Act to allow the Minister of Transport to make certain decisions that were previously made exclusively by the Governor in Council. Division 8 of Part 2 enacts the Enabling Digital Trade Act which, among other things, (a) sets out the rules for the use of electronic trade documents as the functional equivalents to paper trade documents that are related to trade in goods; (b) eliminates the requirement to provide information to the Government of Canada in physical form in relation to the importation or exportation of goods; and (c) permits a federal minister, or an officer or employee of a department or agency of the Government of Canada, to disclose information that is related to the importation or exportation of goods if the receiving minister, department or agency of the government is permitted by law to collect that information. Part 3 implements certain measures related to the work force. Division 1 of Part 3 amends the Canada Labour Code to, among other things, (a) establish new requirements and timelines related to collective bargaining; (b) provide for the transfer of certain rights in the context of certain contractors being replaced by new contractors; (c) establish new requirements and authorities in relation to entering into first collective agreements; (d) provide that the Canada Industrial Relations Board may certify a trade union as the bargaining agent for existing bargaining units in certain industries in certain geographic areas on application of two or more employers, on referral of the Minister of Labour or on that Board’s initiative; (e) confer on the Minister of Labour the power to appoint a special mediator to assist parties in settling a dispute that arises in connection with the entering into, renewal or revision of a collective agreement; and (f) establish new requirements for that Minister to direct the Canada Industrial Relations Board to take measures under section 107 of that Act. It also makes consequential amendments to certain regulations. Division 2 of Part 3 amends the Canada Labour Code to, among other things, (a) authorize the Head of Compliance and Enforcement to issue a settlement enforcement order requiring an employer or director of a corporation to pay any outstanding amounts that are to be paid under a settlement with an employee; and (b) permit an order to debtor to be issued, in certain circumstances, before a settlement enforcement order or payment order has been issued. Division 3 of Part 3 provides that Division XIII of Part III of the Canada Labour Code does not apply to an employer and employees who are parties to a collective agreement that confers rights and benefits at least as favourable as those conferred by that Division XIII with respect to medical leave of absence with pay. Division 4 of Part 3 amends the Wage Earner Protection Program Act to, among other things, define the term “former employer” for the purposes of that Act and to specify that the Minister may confirm, vary or rescind a determination of eligibility even without a request for review.