Order Amending the Schedule to the Canadian Navigable Waters Act: SOR/2019-321

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 153, Number 18

Registration

SOR/2019-321 August 28, 2019

CANADIAN NAVIGABLE WATERS ACT

Whereas, pursuant to subsection 29(1) footnote a of the Canadian Navigable Waters Act footnote b, the Minister of Transport has considered the factors set out in that subsection for the addition to the schedule to that Act of the references to navigable waters set out in the annexed Order;

Therefore, the Minister of Transport, pursuant to section 29footnote a of the Canadian Navigable Waters Act footnote b, makes the annexed Order Amending the Schedule to the Canadian Navigable Waters Act.

Ottawa, August 16, 2019

Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

Order Amending the Schedule to the Canadian Navigable Waters Act

Amendment

1 Part 2 of the schedule to the Canadian Navigable Waters Act footnote 1 is replaced by the following:

PART 2

Rivers and Riverines

Item

Column 1


Name

Column 2

Approximate Downstream Point

Column 3


Approximate Upstream Point

Column 4


Description

1

Yukon River

64°40′57″ N, 141°00′00″ W

60°41′57″ N, 135°02′34″ W

From the rapids near the dam in Whitehorse to the Canada–U.S. border

2

Alsek River

59°26′03″ N, 137°58′19″ W

60°39′03″ N, 137°48′25″ W

From the confluence of the Dezadeash River and the Kaskawulsh River to the
Canada–U.S. border

3

Tatshenshini River

59°28′24″ N, 137°44′21″ W

59°51′42″ N, 136°39′21″ W

From Goat Creek to the Alsek River

4

Mackenzie River

69°20′59″ N, 133°54′10″ W

61°03′31″ N, 116°33′22″ W

From Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean

5

Arctic Red River

67°25′35″ N, 133°45′40″ W

64°31′20″ N, 131°32′18″ W

From Backbone Range, Mackenzie Mountains, to the Mackenzie River

6

Skeena River

54°01′00″ N, 130°06′12″ W

55°41′53″ N, 127°41′40″ W

From the confluence with the Babine River to the Pacific Ocean

7

Nass River

54°59′06″ N, 129°43′07″ W

56°09′52″ N, 129°01′41″ W

From the confluence with the Bell-Irving River to the Pacific Ocean

8

Anderson River

69°40′35″ N, 128°58′11″ W

66°57′20″ N, 124°34′23″ W

From Lac des Bois to the Arctic Ocean

9

Horton River

70°13′24″ N, 127°32′45″ W

67°48′40″ N, 120°34′26″ W

From the Haldane River to the Amundsen Gulf

10

South Nahanni River

61°03′03″ N, 123°20′30″ W

62°59′01″ N, 129°37′23″ W

From Mount Christie to the Liard River

11

Fraser River

49°06′10″ N, 123°17′59″ W

53°01′50″ N, 119°12′17″ W

From the Overland Falls to the Pacific Ocean

12

Pitt River

49°13′43″ N, 122°46′03″ W

49°21′06″ N, 122°36′35″ W

From Pitt Lake to the Fraser River

13

Harrison River

49°13′51″ N, 121°56′43″ W

49°18′42″ N, 121°48′12″ W

From Harrison Lake to the Fraser River

14

Thompson River

50°14′06″ N, 121°35′03″ W

50°40′50″ N, 120°20′18″ W

From the South Thompson River to the Fraser River

15

Liard River

61°50′55″ N, 121°18′35″ W

61°14′12″ N, 131°37′39″ W

From Mount Lewis to the Mackenzie River

16

South Thompson River

50°40′50″ N, 120°20′18″ W

50°49′38″ N, 119°42′01″ W

From Little Shuswap Lake to the Thompson River

17

Kootenay River

49°18′56″ N, 117°39′08″ W

49°37′32″ N, 116°56′36″ W

From Kootenay Lake to the Columbia River

18

Columbia River

49°00′00″ N, 117°37′55″ W

52°04′30″ N, 118°33′58″ W

From Kinbasket Lake to the Canada–U.S. border

19

Coppermine River

67°49′09″ N, 115°04′30″ W

64°51′17″ N, 110°25′41″ W

From Lac de Gras to the Coronation Gulf

20

Bow River

49°56′05″ N, 111°41′19″ W

51°13′08″ N, 114°42′28″ W

From Ghost Lake to the South Saskatchewan River

21

Peace River

59°00′01″ N, 111°24′47″ W

56°00′48″ N, 122°12′18″ W

From Williston Lake to the Slave River

22

Clearwater River

56°44′51″ N, 111°22′57″ W

57°32′30″ N, 108°53′03″ W

From the Mirror River to the Athabasca River

23

Athabasca River

58°40′10″ N, 110°50′15″ W

52°44′09″ N, 117°57′17″ W

From the confluence with the Whirlpool River to Lake Athabasca

24

North Saskatchewan River

53°14′07″ N, 105°04′58″ W

52°22′35″ N, 115°24′05″ W

From the confluence with the Ram River to the confluence with the South Saskatchewan River

25

South Saskatchewan River

53°14′07″ N, 105°04′58″ W

49°56′05″ N, 111°41′19″ W

From the confluence of the Bow River and the Oldman River to the confluence with the North Saskatchewan River

26

Saskatchewan River

53°27′43″ N, 105°04′08″ W

53°11′08″ N, 99°15′24″ W

From the confluence of the North Saskatchewan River and the South Saskatchewan River to Lake Winnipeg

27

Dubawnt River

63°33′49″ N, 100°42′29″ W

64°30′35″ N, 100°05′40″ W

From Dubawnt Lake to the Thelon River

28

Assiniboine River

49°53′08″ N, 97°07′41″ W

50°58′35″ N, 101°24′26″ W

From the Shellmouth Dam to the Red River

29

Red River

50°23′12″ N, 96°47′58″ W

49°00′02″ N, 97°13′43″ W

From the Canada–U.S. Border to Lake Winnipeg

30

Bloodvein River

51°47′25″ N, 96°43′02″ W

51°11′58″ N, 94°22′51″ W

From Red Lake to Lake Winnipeg

31

Winnipeg River

50°37′54″ N, 96°19′13″ W

49°45′59″ N, 94°30′39″ W

From Lake of the Woods to Lake Winnipeg

32

Kazan River

64°02′26″ N, 95°28′49″ W

61°15′06″ N, 100°58′00″ W

From Ennadai Lake to Baker Lake

33

Seal River

59°04′22″ N, 94°47′44″ W

58°49′44″ N, 97°35′39″ W

From Shethanei Lake to Hudson Bay

34

Rainy River

48°50′20″ N, 94°41′08″ W

48°36′54″ N, 93°21′11″ W

From Rainy Lake to Lake of the Woods

35

Churchill River

58°47′23″ N, 94°12′22″ W

55°49′03″ N, 108°22′44″ W

From Churchill Lake to Hudson Bay

36

Hayes River

57°03′34″ N, 92°10′13″ W

54°19′12″ N, 96°41′30″ W

From Molson Lake to Hudson Bay

37

Thelon River

63°23′06″ N, 90°42′37″ W

62°20′37″ N, 105°57′16″ W

From Whitefish Lake to Hudson Bay

38

Boundary Waters – Voyageur Waterway

47°59′50″ N, 89°34′37″ W

48°21′39″ N, 92°03′54″ W

Boundary waters between Canada and the U.S. from Lake Superior to Lac la Croix

39

St. Marys River

46°03′34″ N, 83°56′44″ W

46°31′13″ N, 84°37′08″ W

From Lake Superior to Lake Huron

40

Detroit River

42°04′54″ N, 83°07′32″ W

42°21′06″ N, 82°55′25″ W

From Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie

41

St. Clair River

42°36′53″ N, 82°30′59″ W

43°00′10″ N, 82°25′13″ W

From Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair

42

Thames River

42°19′09″ N, 82°27′15″ W

43°17′01″ N, 80°46′14″ W

From the Town of Tavistock to Lake St. Clair

43

French River

45°56′28″ N, 80°54′05″ W

46°12′31″ N, 79°49′03″ W

From Lake Nipissing to Lake Huron

44

Moose River

51°23′15″ N, 80°21′54″ W

51°08′09″ N, 80°50′20″ W

From the Kwetabohigan Rapids to Hudson Bay

45

Nottawasaga River

44°32′19″ N, 80°00′28″ W

44°08′18″ N, 79°48′38″ W

From the 13th Line bridge to Lake Huron

46

Severn River

44°48′13″ N, 79°43′12″ W

44°44′39″ N, 79°20′21″ W

From Lake Couchiching to Lake Huron

47

Grand River

42°51′18″ N, 79°34′40″ W

43°08′13″ N, 80°16′09″ W

From the dam at Brantford to Lake Erie

48

Holland River

44°12′10″ N, 79°30′52″ W

44°06′46″ N, 79°32′44″ W

From the Bridge Street bridge to Lake Simcoe

49

Holland River East Branch

44°07′35″ N, 79°30′15″ W

44°07′35″ N, 79°30′15″ W

From the Queensville Side Road bridge to the Holland River

50

Humber River

43°37′55″ N, 79°28′19″ W

43°39′08″ N, 79°29′44″ W

From the rapids at Old Mill to Lake Ontario

51

Mattawa River

46°18′48″ N, 79°15′55″ W

46°19′11″ N, 78°42′27″ W

From the Ottawa River to Trout Lake

52

North Branch of Muskoka River

45°16′04″ N, 79°13′45″ W

45°18′42″ N, 79°11′46″ W

From Fairy Lake to Mary Lake

53

Welland Canal

43°14′41″ N, 79°13′00″ W

42°52′01″ N, 79°15′06″ W

A canal that connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario

54

Trent Canal

44°28′17″ N, 79°10′14″ W

44°32′10″ N, 79°04′00″ W

From Canal Lake to Lake Simcoe

55

The Canal

45°20′06″ N, 79°08′43″ W

45°20′24″ N, 79°07′57″ W

From Peninsula Lake to Fairy Lake

56

Niagara River

43°15′43″ N, 79°04′23″ W

42°53′18″ N, 78°54′43″ W

From Lake Erie to Lake Ontario

57

Trent Canal

44°34′59″ N, 79°00′34″ W

44°34′39″ N, 78°53′39″ W

From Balsam Lake to Canal Lake

58

Rosedale River

44°34′13″ N, 78°45′57″ W

44°34′24″ N, 78°47′46″ W

From Balsam Lake to Cameron Lake

59

Scugog River

44°24′06″ N, 78°45′00″ W

44°16′09″ N, 78°45′11″ W

From Lake Scugog to Sturgeon Lake

60

Fenelon River

44°31′37″ N, 78°43′41″ W

44°32′13″ N, 78°44′30″ W

From Cameron Lake to Sturgeon Lake

61

Pigeon River

44°21′48″ N, 78°30′54″ W

44°17′56″ N, 78°33′20″ W

From the dam in Omemee to Pigeon Lake

62

Trent Canal

44°17′55″ N, 78°18′17″ W

44°21′12″ N, 78°17′32″ W

Connecting two parts of the Otonabee River at Peterborough

63

Otonabee River

44°09′12″ N, 78°13′51″ W

44°25′58″ N, 78°16′23″ W

From Katchewanooka Lake to Rice Lake

64

Murray Canal

44°03′38″ N, 77°35′02″ W

44°01′56″ N, 77°40′37″ W

Connecting two parts of Lake Ontario

65

Trent River/Canal

44°05′59″ N, 77°34′18″ W

44°15′40″ N, 78°02′51″ W

From Rice Lake to Lake Ontario

66

Petawawa River

45°54′38″ N, 77°15′30″ W

45°53′02″ N, 77°23′27″ W

From the confluence with the Barron River to the Ottawa River

67

Cataraqui River

44°13′37″ N, 76°28′27″ W

44°25′36″ N, 76°18′28″ W

From Cranberry Lake to Lake Ontario

68

River Styx

44°19′07″ N, 76°25′36″ W

44°22′21″ N, 76°20′48″ W

From the Cataraqui River to Colonel By Lake

69

Stevens Creek

44°36′41″ N, 76°23′16″ W

44°37′28″ N, 76°21′38″ W

From Loon Lake to Newboro Lake

70

Tay River/Canal

44°52′25″ N, 76°08′10″ W

44°53′50″ N, 76°15′29″ W

From the Peter Street bridge in Perth to the Lower Rideau Lake

71

Rideau Canal

45°25′36″ N, 75°41′56″ W

45°22′11″ N, 75°41′55″ W

From the Rideau River to the Ottawa River

72

Rideau River

45°26′29″ N, 75°41′49″ W

44°52′16″ N, 76°05′01″ W

From Lower Rideau Lake to the Ottawa River

73

Kemptville Creek

45°03′20″ N, 75°39′15″ W

45°01′39″ N, 75°38′29″ W

From the Highway 43 bridge to the Rideau River

74

Ottawa River

45°33′59″ N, 74°23′11″ W

47°07′52″ N, 79°26′45″ W

From Timiskaming Lake to the St. Lawrence River

75

Canal de Beauharnois

45°19′13″ N, 73°55′00″ W

45°13′41″ N, 74°10′12″ W

Branch of the St. Lawrence River

76

Lachine Canal

45°29′58″ N, 73°33′06″ W

45°25′51″ N, 73°40′10″ W

Branch of the St. Lawrence River

77

Rivière des Mille-Îles

45°41′56″ N, 73°31′30″ W

45°31′58″ N, 73°53′05″ W

Branch of the St. Lawrence River

78

Rivière des Prairies

45°42′26″ N, 73°28′25″ W

45°28′24″ N, 73°56′27″ W (south branch) and 45°31′22″ N, 73°53′06″ W (north branch)

Branch of the St. Lawrence River

79

Richelieu River

46°02′55″ N, 73°07′10″ W

45°00′39″ N, 73°20′38″ W

From the Canada–U.S. border to the St. Lawrence River

80

Rivière Saint-Maurice

46°21′04″ N, 72°31′12″ W

46°32′15″ N, 72°46′01″ W

From the Shawinigan Dam to the St. Lawrence River

81

Soper River

62°54′25″ N, 69°50′41″ W

63°32′39″ N, 69°32′43″ W

From the highlands of the Meta Incognita Peninsula to Soper Lake

82

Saguenay River

48°07′28″ N, 69°41′07″ W

48°35′09″ N, 71°47′06″ W

From Lac Saint-Jean to the St. Lawrence River

83

Restigouche River

47°59′28″ N, 66°46′10″ W

47°39′52″ N, 67°29′28″ W

From the confluence of the Little Main Restigouche River and the Kedgwick River to the Gulf of St. Lawrence

84

St. Croix River

45°09′54″ N, 67°10′47″ W

45°34’09" N, 67°25’38" W

From the Chiputneticook Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean

85

Saint John River

44°16′00″ N, 66°04′00″ W

47°10′40″ N, 68°54′01″ W

From the Canada–U.S. border to the Atlantic Ocean

86

St. Lawrence River

49°40′00″ N, 64°29′59″ W

44°06′58″ N, 76°28′43″ W

From Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean

87

LaHave River

44°15′59″ N, 64°19′57″ W

44°23′22″ N, 64°31′53″ W

From the rapids in Bridgewater to the Atlantic Ocean

88

Margaree River

46°26′33″ N, 61°06′46″ W

46°20′08″ N, 61°05′33″ W

From the Margaree River fork to the Atlantic Ocean

89

Main River

49°45′52″ N, 56°54′34″ W

49°58′47″ N, 57°23′37″ W

From the Long Range Mountains to White Bay

Coming into Force

2 This Order comes into force on the 30th day after the day on which it is published in the Canada Gazette, Part II.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Proposal

Pursuant to subsections 29(1) and (3) of the Canadian Navigable Waters Act (CNWA), this Ministerial Order amends the schedule to the Act by adding 25 rivers to the list of navigable waters and amending references to navigable waters already listed. In addition, the amendments renumber the navigable waters to ensure that they are organized from west to east based on the downstream point longitude.

Objective

The Ministerial Order expands the list of navigable waters that receive extra oversight and protection to include priority waterways that are known to be vulnerable to significant impacts on navigation from development and that are most significant to Canadians. These amendments are part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to restore lost protections for the public right of navigation.

Background

In the 2015 Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada made a commitment to review and modernize environmental and regulatory processes. As part of this broader commitment, Transport Canada (TC) reviewed the Navigation Protection Act (NPA) with a view to restoring lost protections and incorporating modern safeguards.

Introduced in 2014, the schedule to the NPA enabled the Act to focus primarily on Canada’s busiest commercial and recreational navigable waters. The schedule listed 164 navigable waters, including the 3 oceans, which are defined to include navigable waters impacted by the tides up to the extent of the tidal influence.

The CNWA, which received royal assent on June 21, 2019, maintains the schedule to designate those navigable waters that receive additional oversight for any works in those waterways that may interfere with navigation. Specifically, any works that may interfere with navigation on a navigable water listed in the schedule, unless they are minor works, are subject to the approval of the Minister of Transport.

Transport Canada committed to considering for inclusion in the schedule to the Act those navigable waters of greatest importance to Canadians and Indigenous peoples, including those navigable waters that are known to be vulnerable to significant impacts on navigation from development. In support of this commitment, TC reviewed a group of 35 waterways — including heritage rivers and the longest wild free-flowing rivers in Canada — using the assessment factors listed in subsection 29(1) of the CNWA.

After completing assessments of the 35 priority waterways, TC determined that 25 of them warrant the extra navigation oversight associated with being listed in the schedule to the Act. The 25 rivers warrant inclusion in the schedule due to the following elements:

Implications

This Order expands the list of waterways that are to receive additional oversight by adding 25 rivers to Part 2 of the schedule, amends the existing entry for the Saint John River (New Brunswick) to include the full length of the river from the Canada–U.S. border to the Atlantic Ocean, and clarifies the organization of the schedule from west to east.

Owners proposing to construct, place, alter, rebuild, remove, or decommission a work that may interfere with navigation (other than minor works) in a scheduled navigable water must apply to the Minister of Transport for approval.

Consultation

In June 2019, TC published a list of the 25 rivers that were proposed to be added to the schedule on a priority basis before the launch of the formal application process under the CNWA. Transport Canada also participated in open calls with Indigenous groups, provided technical briefings with members of its provincial and territorial working group, and met with other stakeholders. The consultation paper described the proposed amendments to the schedule and summarized the results of TC’s assessment of the waterways. The paper was open for a 30-day comment period. Transport Canada received 30 written submissions from stakeholders and Indigenous groups, in addition to thousands of letters of support from Canadians.

Overall, the written submissions expressed support for the proposed addition of the navigable waters to the schedule. Transport Canada also heard a desire for an increased level of engagement in the future process for adding navigable waters to the schedule, particularly with Indigenous communities.

Contact

Jacob McBane
Manager
Program Design and Strategic Partnerships
Transport Canada
Email: NPPHQ-PPNAC@tc.gc.ca