Bill C-267, also known as the Canada Water Preservation Act, aims to protect Canada's water resources. The main goal is to stop the removal of large amounts of water from major drainage areas in Canada.
The bill says that taking water in bulk from a major drainage area to somewhere outside that area is not allowed. The bill defines "removal of water in bulk" as moving water out of its drainage area using things like pipelines or other methods that take out more than 50,000 liters of water each day. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, the rule doesn't apply if a province has its own laws that do the same thing, or if the water removal is part of a project that started before this law and isn't taking out more water than it used to. Also, it doesn't apply to water used for transportation, in manufactured products, or for short-term safety reasons.
The Minister of the Environment is in charge of making sure this law is followed. They will also create rules to define "major drainage area" and to explain how the law works. These rules must be presented to Parliament before they can be made. If someone breaks this law, they could face a fine of up to $1,000,000 or jail time for up to three years. The government can also get a court order to stop someone from breaking the law.
Environmental Protection
This bill focuses on protecting Canada's freshwater resources. It aims to prevent large-scale removals of water from major drainage areas. This helps protect the health of ecosystems that depend on these water sources. The bill makes it illegal to remove water in bulk from these areas, with some exceptions. This law helps to ensure that Canada's water resources are used in a sustainable way.
Crime
The bill outlines penalties for anyone who breaks the law by removing water in bulk from a major drainage area. They could face a fine of up to $1,000,000 or jail time for up to three years. Also, if someone continues to break the law, each day they do it counts as a separate offense.