Multiple Appointments and Port Authority Amendments

Summary#

The Canada Gazette, Part I (published January 3, 2026) lists a batch of government notices. It mainly records a large number of appointments by the Office of the Registrar General and several administrative changes by Transport Canada under the Canada Marine Act affecting a few port authorities and some port lands.

What it does#

• Records many appointments to courts, boards and tribunals across Canada (judges and part‑time and full‑time members for federal bodies). These are routine personnel appointments; the Gazette lists names and the instrument of appointment.
• Amends port authority letters patent and property listings under the Canada Marine Act:
  • The Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority is authorized to dispose of specific non‑federal real property described as parts of Strathearne Avenue and 151 Hillyard Street in Hamilton, totalling 0.2667 hectares (0.6591 acres). The change takes effect when the related deed of sale is registered.
  • A clerical correction to the earlier November 29, 2024 supplementary letters patent for the Hamilton‑Oshawa authority: a wrong plan number is being replaced with the correct one for a property exchange with the City of Oshawa. The exchange only proceeds once deeds are registered.
  • The Saint John Port Authority had its borrowing limit increased. Section 9.2 of its letters patent now caps aggregate borrowing at $70,000,000. This was made effective December 22, 2025.
  • The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is being given management responsibility for a federal immovable on the Fraser River (the Fraser River Trifurcation Wall – Phase 1). This amendment takes effect on issuance.

Who's affected#

• People working in or using federal courts, boards and tribunals named in the appointments (judges, tribunal members, their staff, and litigants).
• The Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority, the City of Oshawa and nearby property owners and developers where the small Hamilton parcels are being disposed of or exchanged.
• The Saint John Port Authority, its lenders, contractors and local businesses that use the port — because a higher borrowing cap makes larger financing possible.
• The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the Department of Fisheries (which consented to the transfer), and companies or residents near the Fraser River structure that is now managed by the port authority.
• The general public only indirectly — many items are administrative and procedural.

Why it matters#

• Appointments keep courts and boards staffed so they can hear cases and make decisions. That affects access to justice and administrative processes.
• The Hamilton property disposal and the Oshawa plan‑number correction are local land‑use and legal tidy‑ups. They can affect development potential, access, and municipal records for those small parcels.
• Raising the Saint John port’s borrowing limit to $70,000,000 lets the authority take on larger loans for port improvements or projects. That can speed upgrades, support shipping and jobs, or increase financial exposure depending on how funds are used.
• Moving management of the Fraser River structure to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority centralizes responsibility for that infrastructure, which may affect maintenance and operations on that stretch of the river.

If you want the exact legal descriptions or the full list of appointed names, the Gazette notice contains the detailed text and instruments.