Federal Appointments and Port Changes

Summary#

This Canada Gazette notice (Part I, Vol. 160, No. 1, published January 3, 2026) records a long list of federal appointments and several administrative changes for port authorities. The port changes are made under the Canada Marine Act and concern property descriptions, a corrected land-plan reference, a transfer of management, and an increased borrowing limit for a port.

What it does#

• Announces many appointments made by the Office of the Registrar General to courts and federal boards. These include judicial appointments and part‑time and full‑time members for bodies such as:
  • Court of Appeal for Ontario, Court of Appeal of Quebec, and several provincial superior courts.
  • The Employment Insurance Board of Appeal, the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board, the National Film Board, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency, and the Social Security Tribunal.
• Issues supplementary letters patent under the Canada Marine Act for several port authorities:
  • Hamilton‑Oshawa Port Authority: amends Schedule C to add or clarify specific parcels of non‑federal land in Hamilton, including a parcel described as 0.2667 hectares (0.6591 acres). One change takes effect when the deed of sale is registered.
  • Hamilton‑Oshawa Port Authority (separate item): corrects a wrong plan number in Schedule B for an Oshawa property by replacing item 17 with PIN 16378-0030, Parts 1, 2, and 3 on Plan 40R-32410; this takes effect on registration of the deeds of exchange.
  • Saint John Port Authority: replaces section 9.2 of its letters patent to raise the aggregate limit on borrowing to $70,000,000. The amendment is dated December 22, 2025.
  • Vancouver Fraser Port Authority: adds a federal immovable (part of the Fraser River Trifurcation Wall – Phase 1 fixture) to Schedule B, transferring management from the Minister of Fisheries; the amendment takes effect on issuance (dated December 17, 2025).

Who's affected#

• The individuals named in the appointments (judges and board members) and the boards and courts themselves, which will have updated memberships.
• The Hamilton‑Oshawa Port Authority, the Saint John Port Authority, and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, plus the City of Hamilton and the City of Oshawa where land descriptions or exchanges are involved.
• Local communities, port users, and contractors who deal with those port properties or with projects that depend on port infrastructure or financing.
• It is not always possible from this notice to know every downstream affected party; some effects depend on future registrations and transactions.

Why it matters#

• Appointments keep courts and federal boards staffed and able to hear cases or make decisions. Individuals named will take on public duties in those roles.
• Changes to port letters patent alter which lands a port authority manages, correct legal land descriptions, or change a port’s borrowing capacity:
  • The corrected land plan references and added property descriptions matter for local land sales, development, and who manages waterfront infrastructure.
  • The increase in the Saint John borrowing limit to $70,000,000 could enable larger capital projects or debt‑funded investments by that port authority, which may affect local investment and operations.
• Some of these changes only take legal effect when deeds are registered or on the dates shown in the notices.