Bill C-63: An Act to amend the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act and another Act in consequence thereof

C-63 Second Session, Fortieth Parliament, 57-58 Elizabeth II, 2009 HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA BILL C-63 An Act to amend the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act and another Act in consequence thereof first reading, December 10, 2009 MINISTER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS AND NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT, FEDERAL INTERLOCUTOR FOR MÉTIS AND NON-STATUS INDIANS AND MINISTER OF THE CANADIAN NORTHERN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY 90546 RECOMMENDATION Her Excellency the Governor General recommends to the House of Commons the appropriation of public revenue under the circumstances, in the manner and for the purposes set out in a measure entitled “An Act to amend the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act and another Act in consequence thereof”. SUMMARY This enactment amends the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act to expand the existing regulation-making powers in order to establish a system for the registration of reserve lands for first nations that desire it. Also available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address:http://www.parl.gc.ca .vis1 {position: absolute;display:block;} .vis2 {position: static;} 2nd Session, 40th Parliament, 57-58 Elizabeth II, 2009 house of commons of canada BILL C-63 An Act to amend the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act and another Act in consequence thereof Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows: SHORT TITLE Short title 1. This Act may be cited as the First Nations Certainty of Land Title Act. 2005, c. 53 FIRST NATIONS COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ACT 2. Subsection 2(1) of the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order: Explanatory NotesFirst Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act Clause 2: New. Notes explicativesLoi sur le développement commercial et industriel des premières nations Article 2 : Nouveau. “provincial body”« organisme provincial » “provincial body” means a body established by the laws of a province. “provincial official”« fonctionnaire provincial » “provincial official” means a minister of the Crown in right of a province, a person employed by a province or a person appointed to, or employed by, a provincial body. 3. Subsection 3(2) of the Act is amended by striking out “and” at the end of paragraph (p) and by adding the following after paragraph (q): Clause 3: Relevant portion of subsection 3(2): (2) Regulations made under subsection (1) may Article 3 : Texte du passage visé du paragraphe 3(2) : (2) Les règlements peuvent notamment : (r) provide for the arbitration of disputes arising under the regulations; and (s) provide for the disposition or destruction of documents, regardless of medium, that are created or submitted under the regulations. 4. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 4: Clause 4: New. Article 4 : Nouveau. Regulations — land registration 4.1 (1) The Governor in Council may make regulations respecting the establishment and operation of a system for the registration of interests and rights in reserve lands described in the regulations. Content of regulations (2) Regulations made under subsection (1) may, despite any other Act of Parliament, (a) establish priorities or, in Quebec, rankings among interests or rights that have been registered; (b) establish a fund to compensate for losses in relation to interests or rights that have been registered or that should have been registered; (c) for purposes of registration, deem Her Majesty’s or a first nation’s interest or rights in the reserve lands to constitute fee simple title to or, in Quebec, ownership of the lands; (d) deem valid any surrender or designation of the reserve lands made or purported to be made under the Indian Act despite an assertion to the contrary by any person; (e) confirm the legal capacity of a first nation to hold, transfer and register interests and rights in the reserve lands; (f) authorize Her Majesty, without any new surrender or designation of reserve lands under the Indian Act by a first nation, to grant fee simple title to those lands to Herself or to the first nation or, in Quebec, confer ownership of those lands on Herself or on the first nation, for a purpose authorized under a surrender or designation made under that Act prior to the grant or conferral; (g) authorize the Minister, for the purposes of registration, to certify that Her Majesty or any other person has an interest or right in the reserve lands; (h) entitle the holders of registrable interests and rights in the reserve lands to apply for registration; (i) provide for the registration, at the request of the Minister or a first nation, of registrable interests and rights of any person that existed at the time of the initial registration of the fee simple title or ownership or other interests or rights of Her Majesty or the first nation in the reserve lands; (j) provide for the substitution by the Minister or a first nation, as the case may be, of registrable interests and rights in the reserve lands for non-registrable ones; (k) provide for the extinguishment of any interests and rights that are not registered; (l) provide for the manner of calculating the compensation, if any, to be paid by a first nation for any substitution or extinguishment referred to in paragraphs (j) and (k), and limit the time for claiming such compensation; and (m) exclude the reserve lands from the application of sections 19, 21 and 55 of the Indian Act. Interests and rights not affected (3) A grant or conferral under paragraph (2)(f) does not affect Her Majesty’s title to the reserve lands, or a first nation’s interest or rights in the reserve lands, as the case may be. Incorporation by reference (4) The regulations may incorporate by reference any laws of the province, as amended from time to time, with any adaptations that the Governor in Council considers necessary. 5. (1) The portion of section 5 of the Act before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following: Clause 5: (1) Relevant portion of section 5: 5. Regulations may not be made under section 3 in respect of undertakings on reserve lands of a first nation unless Article 5 : (1) Texte du passage visé de l’article 5 : 5. La prise d’un règlement en vertu de l’article 3 est subordonnée aux conditions préalables suivantes : Conditions for making regulations 5. (1) Regulations may not be made under section 3 or 4.1 in respect of undertakings on reserve lands of a first nation unless (2) Section 5 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (1): (2) New. (2) Nouveau. Dispute resolution (2) An agreement referred to in paragraph (1)(b) may provide for the arbitration, in accordance with the laws of the province, of disputes arising from the interpretation or application of that agreement, in which case the Commercial Arbitration Act does not apply to the dispute. Non-application (3) Subsection (1) does not apply to the amendment or repeal of regulations made under section 3 or 4.1. 6. Sections 8 and 9 of the Act are replaced by the following: Clause 6: Existing text of sections 8 and 9: 8. The Statutory Instruments Act does not apply to any instruments made by a provincial official or body under authority conferred by regulations made under section 3. 9. (1) A provincial official or body that exercises a power or performs a duty under regulations made under section 3 is not a federal board, commission or other tribunal for the purposes of the Federal Courts Act. (2) Unless otherwise provided by regulations made under section 3, where a power or duty conferred or imposed by provincial law is incorporated by reference in the regulations, its exercise or performance pursuant to the regulations is subject to review by, or appeal to, the courts of the province in the same manner and to the same extent as if the provincial law applied of its own force. Article 6 : Texte des articles 8 et 9 : 8. Les textes pris par un fonctionnaire ou organisme provincial en vertu d’un règlement pris en vertu de l’article 3 ne sont pas assujettis à la Loi sur les textes réglementaires. 9. (1) Pour l’application de la Loi sur les Cours fédérales, ni le fonctionnaire provincial ni l’organisme provincial qui exerce des attributions conférées par un règlement pris en vertu de l’article 3 ne constitue un office fédéral au sens de cette loi. (2) Sauf disposition contraire des règlements pris en vertu de l’article 3, l’exercice de toute attribution conférée par un règlement qui incorpore par renvoi un texte législatif de la province est susceptible d’appel ou de contrôle judiciaire devant les tribunaux de la province, de la manière et dans les circonstances prévues par le droit de la province. Statutory Instruments Act 8. The Statutory Instruments Act does not apply to any instruments made by a provincial official or body under authority of a provincial law incorporated by reference in regulations made under section 3 or 4.1. Federal Courts Act 9. (1) A provincial official or body that exercises a power or performs a duty under regulations made under section 3 or 4.1 is not a federal board, commission or other tribunal for the purposes of the Federal Courts Act. Review or appeal in provincial courts (2) Unless otherwise provided by regulations made under section 3 or 4.1, where a power or duty is conferred or imposed by a provincial law that is incorporated by reference in the regulations, its exercise or performance pursuant to the regulations is subject to review by, or appeal to, the courts of the province in the same manner and to the same extent as if the provincial law applied of its own force. 7. The portion of section 11 of the Act before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following: Clause 7: Relevant portion of section 11: 11. In respect of any act or omission occurring in the exercise of a power or the performance of a duty under regulations made under section 3, Article 7 : Texte du passage visé de l’article 11 : 11. À l’égard des actes ou omissions survenant dans l’exercice des attributions conférées par un règlement pris en vertu de l’article 3 : Acts and omissions 11. In respect of any act or omission occurring in the exercise of a power or the performance of a duty under regulations made under section 3 or 4.1, 8. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 12: Clause 8: New. Article 8 : Nouveau. Registration, substitution or extinguishment 12.1 No civil proceeding may be brought against Her Majesty in right of Canada or a province, a federal or provincial official or body or a person acting on behalf of any of them, in relation to the registration of the title or ownership of Her Majesty or a first nation, or of any registrable interest or right referred to in paragraph 4.1(2)(i), or in relation to the substitution or extinguishment of any interest or right in reserve lands pursuant to regulations made under section 4.1. R.S., c. L-6 CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE CANADA LANDS SURVEYS ACT 9. Subparagraph 24(1)(a)(i) of the Canada Lands Surveys Act is replaced by the following: Canada Lands Surveys Act Clause 9: Relevant portion of subsection 24(1): 24. (1) In this Part, “Canada Lands” means (a) any lands belonging to Her Majesty in right of Canada or of which the Government of Canada has power to dispose that are situated in Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut or in any National Park of Canada and any lands that are (i) surrendered lands or a reserve, as defined in the Indian Act, Loi sur l’arpentage des terres du Canada Article 9 : Texte du passage visé du paragraphe 24(1) : 24. (1) Dans la présente partie, « terres du Canada » désigne : a) les terres qui sont situées au Yukon ou dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, au Nunavut ou dans les parcs nationaux du Canada et qui appartiennent à Sa Majesté du chef du Canada ou que le gouvernement du Canada a le droit d’aliéner, ainsi que les terres qui sont : (i) soit des terres cédées ou des réserves, au sens de la Loi sur les Indiens, (i) surrendered lands or a reserve, as those expressions are defined in the Indian Act, other than reserve lands described in regulations made under section 4.1 of the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act, COMING INTO FORCE Order in council 10. The provisions of this Act come into force on a day or days to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council. Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of CommonsAvailable from:Publishing and Depository ServicesPublic Works and Government Services Canada