Update to International Bridges Schedule

Summary#

This is an Order in Council (P.C. 2024‑1238, registered as SI/2024‑60) that brings parts of the Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 2 into force on the day the Order was made. The change repeals two old bridge‑incorporation acts and updates the list of such acts in the International Bridges and Tunnels Act so the Schedule no longer lists obsolete items.

What it does#

• Brings sections 263, 266 and 267 of the Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 2 into force (the Order was made on November 22, 2024 and registered on December 4, 2024).
• Repeals two remaining, now‑obsolete acts of incorporation:
  • the act for the Thousand Islands Bridge (An Act to incorporate Thousand Islands Bridge Company, S.C. 1934, c. 66); and
  • the later act for the Sault Ste. Marie Bridge (An Act to incorporate St. Mary’s River Bridge Company, S.C. 1955, c. 64).
• Amends the Schedule to the International Bridges and Tunnels Act to remove five obsolete references so the Schedule matches the current legal and operational situation.

Who's affected#

• Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL) and the legal records for the specific international crossings: the Thousand Islands Bridge, the Blue Water Bridge, and the Sault Ste. Marie Bridge.
• Bridge users and the general public are not expected to see any changes in operations or fees.
• No provinces, Indigenous groups, or other stakeholders are identified as being directly affected.

Why it matters#

• This is mainly a legal cleanup. It removes outdated laws and fixes the official list in the International Bridges and Tunnels Act, reducing confusion for anyone checking which acts apply to which bridges.
• There are no expected financial, operational, environmental, or user impacts because the practical amalgamation and operational changes happened years earlier (around 2015).
• The change also responds to a deadline under the Statutes Repeal Act: the government obtained a deferral so these provisions could be used before December 31, 2024, avoiding automatic repeal and allowing the Schedule to be properly updated.