More Environmental and Wildlife Ticketable Offences

Summary#

These final regulations amend the Contraventions Regulations so many existing environmental and wildlife offences can be enforced by ticket instead of by court. Most designated offences under federal environmental rules carry a set fine of $500, while some wildlife-area offences carry fines between $100 and $300. Some parts take effect on registration and others on January 1, 2023 or January 7, 2023.

What it does#

• Lets enforcement officers use the ticketing system under the Contraventions Regulations for many minor offences in federal environmental and wildlife rules.
• Designates roughly 266 offences from rules made under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and the Canada Wildlife Act as ticketable.
• Sets the standard set fine for the CEPA-related contraventions at $500.
• Confirms fines in the wildlife-area lists range from $100 to $300 for activities like entering closed areas, hunting without a permit, or introducing harmful organisms.
• Adds or updates entries in the schedules so offences from regulations such as the Benzene in Gasoline Regulations, Ozone-depleting Substances and Halocarbon Alternatives Regulations, Environmental Emergency Regulations, 2019, Wildlife Area Regulations, and Scott Islands Protected Marine Area Regulations are included.
• Makes technical fixes to wording and numbering so the Contraventions Regulations match the updated substantive rules.
• States timing: most of the amendments come into force on registration; sections 15 and 16 come into force on January 1, 2023; section 17 comes into force on January 7, 2023.

Who's affected#

• Owners and operators of industrial facilities and equipment covered by the listed environmental regulations.
• Companies that manufacture, import, export, recycle, sell or use regulated products and substances (for example in gasoline, dry cleaning, pulp and paper, composite wood products, oil and gas).
• People who use or visit protected wildlife areas or the Scott Islands Protected Marine Area (for example boaters, fishers, hikers, and event organizers).
• Enforcement agencies and provincial court services that handle contraventions tickets.
• It does not create new offences or new duties. If anything is unclear about who is affected in a specific case, the underlying regulation named in the schedule is the source of the actual requirement.

Why it matters#

• Ticketing is quicker and less formal than criminal prosecution. People can pay a set fine and avoid a court appearance or a Criminal Code conviction.
• For regulated businesses and facility operators, small paperwork slips (late reports, missing records, labelling or testing issues) can now be handled by ticket instead of a criminal charge. Typical CEPA-related fines are $500.
• For visitors to wildlife areas, conduct that harms habitat or breaks permit rules can result in a ticket with fines from $100 to $300.
• The change aims to make enforcement more proportionate and efficient. It may lead to more use of ticketing as the primary enforcement tool for routine, minor breaches.
• These amendments do not add new obligations; they only change how existing offences are enforced.