Federal Appointments and Port Authority Changes

Summary#

This Canada Gazette notice (Part I, Vol. 160, No. 1, published January 3, 2026) lists a large number of federal appointments and several changes to port authorities under the Canada Marine Act. The changes mostly adjust what lands or assets a few port authorities manage and raise a borrowing limit for one port authority.

What it does#

• Lists new federal appointments across courts and boards, including many judges and members for bodies such as the Employment Insurance Board of Appeal, the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board, and the Social Security Tribunal. (Many individual names are listed in the Gazette notice.)
• Records an Instrument of Advice dated December 1, 2025 that changes how three ministers are styled:
  • The Hon. Julie Dabrusin to be styled Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature.
  • The Hon. Joël Lightbound to be styled Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant.
  • The Hon. Marc Miller to be styled Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages.
• Amends port authority letters patent under the Canada Marine Act:
  • Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority — adds certain non-federal lands (municipally known as part of Strathearne Avenue and part of 151 Hillyard Street, Hamilton) totaling 0.2667 hectares (0.6591 acres) to its Schedule C. These supplementary letters patent take effect when the land sale is registered in the Hamilton Land Registry Office.
  • Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority — corrects a technical plan number in Schedule B for an intended exchange of federal properties with the City of Oshawa. The property is described as PIN 16378-0030 (LT), Parts 1, 2 and 3 on Plan 40R-32410. This correction will take effect when the exchange deeds are registered in the Oshawa Land Registry Office.
  • Saint John Port Authority — raises the authority’s aggregate borrowing cap in its letters patent so that it may not exceed $70,000,000.
  • Vancouver Fraser Port Authority — adds management of a specific federal structure on the Fraser River (the Fraser River Trifurcation Wall – Phase 1) to its Schedule B. This change takes effect on the date of issuance.

Who's affected#

• The people named in the many appointments, and the organizations that hire or work with them (courts, tribunals, boards).
• Local governments and property holders in Hamilton and Oshawa, because of the land descriptions and planned property exchanges.
• Users of the Saint John Port Authority and anyone involved in its financing or bond markets, because of the higher borrowing limit.
• Businesses and communities that use or work around the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and sites on the Fraser River, since management responsibility for a river structure moves to the port authority.
• Land registries in Hamilton and Oshawa, which must record the deeds that trigger some of these changes.

Why it matters#

• Appointments fill many federal posts that affect courts, tribunals, and public boards. That matters for people whose cases or services go through those bodies.
• Adding or transferring specific lands and structures to port authorities can change who maintains them, who issues permits, and who plans waterfront projects. That affects local development, shipping operations, and nearby residents or businesses.
• Raising the Saint John Port Authority borrowing limit to $70,000,000 could allow it to finance larger projects or investments, which has practical effects on local infrastructure and possibly on public finances or user fees.
• Some changes only take effect once land transactions are registered; the Gazette notes those timing conditions rather than immediate operational changes. If any detail above is unclear in the Gazette entry, the notice itself should be consulted for the exact legal descriptions and timing.