EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill amends the Great Lakes Protection Act, 2015 to change its title to the Great Lakes Protection and Promotion Act, 2019 and to add the promotion of tourism and other economic activities in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin that respect the ecological health of the Basin as a purpose of the Act.

When carrying out activities under the Act that affect the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin, the Minister may consult with the government of any jurisdiction, other than Ontario, that borders on the Basin if the Minister is of the opinion that it is desirable to so consult to achieve one or more of the purposes of the Act.

Bill 166 2019

An Act to amend the Great Lakes Protection Act, 2015

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

1 The short title of the Great Lakes Protection Act, 2015 is repealed and the following substituted:

Great Lakes Protection and Promotion Act, 2015

2 The preamble to the Act is amended by adding the following paragraph as the last paragraph before the enacting paragraph:

All Ontarians also have an interest in the promotion of tourism and other economic activities in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin that respect the ecological health of the Basin.

3 Subsection 1 (1) of the Act is amended by striking out “and” at the end of clause (a), by adding “and” at the end of clause (b) and by adding the following clause:

   (c)  to promote tourism and other economic activities in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin that respect the ecological health of the Basin.

4 Subsection 5 (2) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:

Review of Strategy

(2)  The Minister shall cause a review of the Strategy to be undertaken,

  (a)  before December 17, 2018 and before every sixth anniversary after that; and

  (b)  as soon as reasonably possible after the enactment of the Great Lakes Protection Amendment Act, 2019.

5 (1)  Section 6 of the Act is amended by adding the following paragraph:

  1.1  A summary of types of tourism and other economic activities that are feasible to promote in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin and that respect its ecological health.

(2)  Paragraph 4 of section 6 of the Act is amended by adding the following subparagraph:

          i.1  The importance of promoting tourism and other economic activities in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin that respect the ecological health of the Basin.

(3)  Section 6 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Goals for tourism and other economic activities

(2)  The goals of the Strategy shall include developing,

  (a)  guidelines on determining what tourism and other economic activities respect the ecological health of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin;

  (b)  plans for the government to create standardized educational materials on the guidelines described in clause (a) and to distribute them to members of the public;

   (c)  plans to promote research into determining what tourism and other economic activities respect the ecological health of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin;

  (d)  plans to promote the holding of international symposia to provide education to members of the public on the guidelines described in clause (a);

  (e)  programs for the government to fund, out of the funds appropriated to the Ministry and to the extent that the Minister considers appropriate, the research described in clause (c) or the international symposia described in clause (d); and

   (f)  programs to encourage the raising of money from non-government sources to fund the research described in clause (c) or the international symposia described in clause (d).

6 The Act is amended by adding the following section:

Consultation with other jurisdictions

27.1  When carrying out any of the following activities, the Minister may consult with the government of any jurisdiction, other than Ontario, that borders on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin if the Minister is of the opinion that it is desirable to so consult to achieve one or more of the purposes of this Act:

    1.  Reviewing or amending the Strategy under Part III.

    2.  Establishing a target under Part IV.

    3.  Preparing a plan under subsection 9 (5).

    4.  Deciding whether to approve a proposal for an initiative under Part V.

    5.  Deciding whether to refer a draft initiative to the Lieutenant Governor in Council under Part VI.

Commencement

7 This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

8 The short title of this Act is the Great Lakes Protection Amendment Act, 2019.