Bill C-62: An Act to give effect to the Yale First Nation Final Agreement and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

First Session, Forty-first Parliament, 60-61-62 Elizabeth II, 2011-2012-2013 STATUTES OF CANADA 2013CHAPTER 25 An Act to give effect to the Yale First Nation Final Agreement and to make consequential amendments to other Acts ASSENTED TO 19th JUNE, 2013 BILL C-62 RECOMMENDATION His 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 give effect to the Yale First Nation Final Agreement and to make consequential amendments to other Acts”. SUMMARY This enactment gives effect to the Yale First Nation Final Agreement. It also makes consequential amendments to other Acts. Available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address:http://www.parl.gc.ca TABLE OF PROVISIONS AN ACT TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE YALE FIRST NATION FINAL AGREEMENT AND TO MAKE CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS TO OTHER ACTS Preamble SHORT TITLE 1.       Yale First Nation Final Agreement Act INTERPRETATION 2.       Definitions 3.       Status of Agreement AGREEMENT 4.       Agreement given effect 5.       Inconsistency with Agreement APPROPRIATION 6.       Payments out of C.R.F. LANDS 7.       Fee simple estate TAXATION 8.       Tax Treatment Agreement given effect 9.       Not a treaty FISHERIES 10.       Powers of Minister of Fisheries and Oceans 11.       Not a treaty APPLICATION OF OTHER ACTS 12.       Indian Act 13.       Statutory Instruments Act APPLICATION OF LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 14.       Incorporation by reference GENERAL 15.       Judicial notice of Agreements 16.       Judicial notice of laws 17.       Orders and regulations 18.       Chapters 25 and 26 of Agreement 19.       Notice of issues arising CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS 20.       Access to Information Act 21.       Fisheries Act 22.       Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act 23.       Privacy Act 24.       Specific Claims Tribunal Act COMING INTO FORCE 25.       Order in council 60-61-62 ELIZABETH II —————— CHAPTER 25 An Act to give effect to the Yale First Nation Final Agreement and to make consequential amendments to other Acts [Assented to 19th June, 2013] Preamble Whereas the Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes and affirms the existing Aboriginal and treaty rights of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada; Whereas the reconciliation between the prior presence of Aboriginal peoples and the assertion of sovereignty by the Crown is of significant social and economic importance to Canadians; Whereas Canadian courts have stated that this reconciliation is best achieved through negotiation; Whereas the Yale First Nation, the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia have negotiated the Agreement to achieve this reconciliation and to establish a new relationship among them; And whereas the Agreement requires that legislation be enacted by the Parliament of Canada in order for the Agreement to be ratified; Now, therefore, 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 Yale First Nation Final Agreement Act. INTERPRETATION Definitions 2. (1) The following definitions apply in this Act. “Agreement”« accord » “Agreement” means the Yale First Nation Final Agreement, between the Yale First Nation, Her Majesty in right of Canada and Her Majesty in right of British Columbia, including any amendments made to it. “Tax Treatment Agreement”« accord sur le traitement fiscal » “Tax Treatment Agreement” means the tax treatment agreement referred to in 21.6.1 of the Agreement, including any amendments made to it. Definitions in Agreement (2) In this Act, “Yale First Nation”, “Yale First Nation corporation”, “Yale First Nation Government”, “Yale First Nation land”, “Yale First Nation law”, “Yale First Nation member” and “Yale First Nation public institution” have the same meanings as in Chapter 1 of the Agreement. Status of Agreement 3. The Agreement is a treaty and a land claims agreement within the meaning of sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. AGREEMENT Agreement given effect 4. (1) The Agreement is approved, given effect and declared valid and has the force of law. Rights and obligations (2) For greater certainty, any person or body has the powers, rights, privileges and benefits conferred on the person or body by the Agreement and must perform the duties, and is subject to the liabilities, imposed on the person or body by the Agreement. Third parties (3) For greater certainty, the Agreement is binding on, and may be relied on by, all persons and bodies. Inconsistency with Agreement 5. (1) The Agreement prevails over this Act and any other federal law to the extent of any inconsistency between them. Conflict with Act (2) This Act prevails over any other federal law to the extent of any conflict between them. APPROPRIATION Payments out of C.R.F. 6. There must be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund any sums that are required to meet the monetary obligations of Her Majesty in right of Canada under Chapter 19 of the Agreement. LANDS Fee simple estate 7. On the effective date of the Agreement, the Yale First Nation owns the estate in fee simple, as set out in Chapter 12 of the Agreement, in Yale First Nation land. TAXATION Tax Treatment Agreement given effect 8. The Tax Treatment Agreement is approved, given effect and declared valid and has the force of law during the period that it is in effect. Not a treaty 9. The Tax Treatment Agreement does not form part of the Agreement and is not a treaty or a land claims agreement within the meaning of sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. FISHERIES Powers of Minister of Fisheries and Oceans 10. Despite section 7 of the Fisheries Act, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans may, on behalf of Her Majesty in right of Canada, enter into and implement the Harvest Agreement referred to in 8.2.1 of the Agreement, including any amendments made to it. Not a treaty 11. That Harvest Agreement does not form part of the Agreement and is not a treaty or a land claims agreement within the meaning of sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. APPLICATION OF OTHER ACTS Indian Act 12. Subject to the provisions of Chapter 22 of the Agreement that deal with the continuing application of the Indian Act and to 21.5.1 to 21.5.6 of the Agreement, the Indian Act does not apply to the Yale First Nation, Yale First Nation members, the Yale First Nation Government, Yale First Nation public institutions or Yale First Nation corporations as of the effective date of the Agreement, except for the purpose of determining whether an individual is an Indian. Statutory Instruments Act 13. Yale First Nation laws and other instruments made under the Agreement are not statutory instruments for the purposes of the Statutory Instruments Act. APPLICATION OF LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Incorporation by reference 14. To the extent that a law of British Columbia does not apply of its own force to the Yale First Nation, Yale First Nation members, Yale First Nation land, the Yale First Nation Government, Yale First Nation public institutions or Yale First Nation corporations, because of the exclusive legislative authority of Parliament set out in Class 24 of section 91 of the Constitution Act, 1867, that law of British Columbia applies to it or to them by virtue of this section, in accordance with the Agreement and subject to this Act and any other Act of Parliament. GENERAL Judicial notice of Agreements 15. (1) Judicial notice must be taken of the Agreement and the Tax Treatment Agreement. Publication of Agreements (2) The Agreement and the Tax Treatment Agreement must be published by the Queen’s Printer. Evidence (3) A copy of the Agreement or the Tax Treatment Agreement published by the Queen’s Printer is evidence of that agreement and of its contents, and a copy purporting to be published by the Queen’s Printer is deemed to be so published, unless the contrary is shown. Judicial notice of laws 16. (1) Judicial notice must be taken of Yale First Nation laws. Evidence of Yale First Nation laws (2) A copy of a Yale First Nation law purporting to be deposited in a public registry of laws referred to in 3.6.1a of the Agreement is evidence of that law and of its contents, unless the contrary is shown. Orders and regulations 17. The Governor in Council may make any orders and regulations that are necessary for the purpose of carrying out any of the provisions of the Agreement or of the Tax Treatment Agreement. Chapters 25 and 26 of Agreement 18. Despite subsection 4(1), Chapters 25 and 26 of the Agreement are deemed to have effect as of February 5, 2010. Notice of issues arising 19. (1) If an issue arises in any judicial or administrative proceeding in respect of the interpretation or validity of the Agreement, or the validity or applicability of this Act, the British Columbia Yale First Nation Final Agreement Act or any Yale First Nation law, then the issue must not be decided until the party raising the issue has served notice on the Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of British Columbia and the Yale First Nation. Content and timing of notice (2) The notice must (a) describe the proceeding; (b) specify what the issue arises in respect of; (c) state the day on which the issue is to be argued; (d) give particulars necessary to show the point to be argued; and (e) be served at least 14 days before the day of argument, unless the court or tribunal authorizes a shorter period. Participation in proceedings (3) In any proceeding in respect of which subsection (1) applies, the Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of British Columbia and the Yale First Nation may appear and participate in the proceeding as parties with the same rights as any other party. Saving (4) For greater certainty, subsections (2) and (3) do not require that an oral hearing be held if one is not otherwise required. CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS R.S., c. A-1 Access to Information Act 20. Subsection 13(3) of the Access to Information Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of paragraph (f), by adding “or’’ at the end of paragraph (g) and by adding the following after paragraph (g): (h) the Yale First Nation Government, as defined in subsection 2(2) of the Yale First Nation Final Agreement Act. R.S., c. F-14 Fisheries Act 21. Subsection 5(4) of the Fisheries Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of paragraph (b), by adding “or’’ at the end of paragraph (c) and by adding the following after paragraph (c): (d) Yale First Nation laws, as defined in subsection 2(2) of the Yale First Nation Final Agreement Act, made under Chapter 8 of the Agreement, as defined in subsection 2(1) of that Act, given effect by that Act. R.S., c. M-13; 2000, c. 8, s. 2 Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act 22. The definition “taxing authority” in subsection 2(1) of the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of paragraph (i), by adding “or’’ at the end of paragraph (j) and by adding the following after paragraph (j): (k) the Yale First Nation Government, as defined in subsection 2(2) of the Yale First Nation Final Agreement Act, if it levies and collects a real property tax or a frontage or area tax in respect of Yale First Nation land, as defined in that subsection. R.S., c. P-21 Privacy Act 23. Subsection 8(7) of the Privacy Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of paragraph (f), by adding “or’’ at the end of paragraph (g) and by adding the following after paragraph (g): (h) the Yale First Nation Government, as defined in subsection 2(2) of the Yale First Nation Final Agreement Act. 2008, c. 22 Specific Claims Tribunal Act 24. Part 1 of the schedule to the Specific Claims Tribunal Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order: Yale First Nation Final Agreement Act Loi sur l’accord définitif concernant la Première Nation de Yale COMING INTO FORCE Order in council 25. The provisions of this Act, other than section 18, 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 Commons