Regulatory Stock Review Plan: 2025 to 2027

Enabling Act(s)

• Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act
• Canada-Nova Scotia Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation and Offshore Renewable Energy Management Act

Rationale

Targeted amendments are planned for the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Cost Recovery Regulations, including to expand the regulations to include cost recovery for offshore renewable energy activities.  

Narrative

Bill C-49 - An Act to amend the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts received Royal Assent on October 3, 2024, and served to, among other things, expand the Canada-NL and Canada-NS Accord Acts to include the regulation of offshore renewable energy activities.

Targeted amendments to the Offshore Petroleum Cost Recovery Regulations are required, including amendments to expand the regulations to include cost-recovery for offshore renewable energy activities.

Date of last review or amendment

The Offshore Petroleum Cost Recovery Regulations came into force in February 2016, and have not been reviewed since then.

Targeted start for review

2025 to 2027

For further information

Bill C-49 - An Act to amend the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

Departmental or agency contact

Kim Phillips
Senior Regulatory Officer Off
shore Management Division
Analysis and Operations Branch
kim.phillips@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Enabling Act(s)

• Explosives Act

Rationale

The Regulatory Review of the Explosives Regulations, 2013 aims to further modernize the Regulations according to the Government of Canada’s Regulatory Modernization agenda.

Narrative

In spring 2021, NRCan’s Explosives Program initiated a comprehensive review of the Explosives Regulations, 2013 to modernize the explosives regulatory regime in line with the Government of Canada’s Regulatory Modernization agenda. The Explosives Regulatory Review engaged in extensive research, carried out targeted national and international comparisons to identify best practices, and conducted stakeholder and expert outreach to seek sector views on regulatory challenges.

NRCan collected over 280 regulatory irritants from internal and external stakeholders and experts. The following five key themes emerged from this outreach; The safety and security requirements in the Regulations need to better align with the risk; the licensing and fee scheme in the Regulations is overly complex and outdated; administrative burden in the Regulations needs to be reduced; the inaccuracies and “clean-up” of the Regulations need to be addressed; and the regulatory regime requires updates to reflect modern industry practices.

NRCan has brought forward two consecutive omnibus amendments packages to address the Review’s findings. The first of the two regulatory amendments packages titled Regulations Amending the Explosives Regulations, 2013 was published in Canada Gazette, Part II on May 22, 2024 and came into force on that date.

The second amendments package is still in development and contains proposed amendments to enhance safety and security while modernizing program underpinnings such as the licence, permit, certificate and fee regimes.

Date of last review or amendment

NRCan conducted a comprehensive review in 2012 that resulted in the overhauled Explosives Regulations, 2013.

In November 2018 a set of amendments came into force that enhanced the safety and security of handling explosives at Canadian ports and wharves, as well as miscellaneous minor amendments.

NRCan brought forward an amendments package focused on strengthening Canada’s security regime by updating the list of regulated explosives precursor chemicals, otherwise known as restricted components. These proposed amendments were published in the Canada Gazette, Part II in June 2022 and came into force on June 3, 2023.

Targeted start for review

The Regulatory Review of the Explosives Regulations, 2013 was launched in spring 2021.  The first set of amendments to address the Review’s findings were published in Canada Gazette, Part II in May 2024.  It is expected that the second set of amendments would be published in Canada Gazette Part II in early 2026, with a staggered coming into force for some elements.

Stakeholder Feedback

Following the launch of the Regulatory Review of the Explosives Regulations, 2013, NRCan conducted outreach with stakeholders to announce the Review and the plan going forward, and to seek views on current regulatory irritants. In the feedback received, stakeholders expressed support for the Review and its modernization goals and identified areas of the Regulations that required update or renewal. NRCan launched stakeholder pre-consultations on the first set of regulatory amendments in late 2022 and on the second set in spring 2023. 

For the second set of amendments, stakeholder feedback was generally positive, although stakeholders recommended a delayed coming into force for some proposed amendments in the package.

Outcomes

The Regulations will be amended to meet modernization goals.

For further information

For further information, please contact NRCan’s Explosives Program at ERDmms@nrcan.gc.ca.

Departmental or agency contact:

For further information, please contact NRCan’s Explosives Program at ERDmms@nrcan.gc.ca.

Enabling Act

• Canada Lands Surveys Act

Rationale

The current regulation on Lands Surveys Tariff is outdated and no longer in use. It was identified as a regulation that can be repealed. It was recommended that NRCan maintain it until the department has a requirement to meet the “One-for-One” requirement.

Narrative

The Canada Lands Surveys Act dates back to 1960 with minor amendments along the way to reflect policy changes. The Act affects land management in Canada’s Northern Territories, on Indigenous lands and in Canada’s Oceans. Territorial devolution, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, Canada’s extended territory over its Continental Shelf, and digitization have considerably changed the landscape since 1960. The Department started a review of the Act in 2020-2021 that will likely lead to changes in Regulations.

Date of last review or amendment

Not reviewed.

Targeted start for review

2025-2027

Departmental contact

Martin Gingras
Director General/Surveyor General/International Boundary Commission
(613) 899-6611
Martin.Gingras@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Enabling Act

Canada Lands Surveyors Act

Rationale

The regulatory review is necessary to maintain professional practice standards for the Canada Lands Surveyor to ensure the continued protection of the public.

Narrative

The Council of the Association of Canada Lands Surveyors is the Regulatory authority for making regulations, subject to the approval of the Minister. Natural Resources Canada is working with the Council in reviewing the Complaints and Discipline process to ensure the public interest is served. These reviews will likely lead to changes to the Act and the regulations.

Date of last review or amendment

Last amended on October 12, 2016.

Targeted start for review

The Regulatory Stock Review of the Canada Lands Surveyors Regulations is dependent on the adoption of the modernization of the Canada Lands Surveyors Act (CLSA). The timeline for review’s commencement is now unclear, as Bill S-6: An Act respecting regulatory modernization, which had been with Parliament since 2022, died on the order paper in 2025.

https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/s-6

Departmental contact

Martin Gingras
Director General/Surveyor General/International Boundary Commission
(613) 899-6611
Martin.Gingras@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca