National Capital Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. N-4)

Development

Marginal note:Coordination of development

11 The Commission shall, in accordance with general plans prepared under this Act, coordinate the development of public lands in the National Capital Region.

Marginal note:Development proposals

• 12 (1) Where

  • (a) any department proposes to erect, alter, extend or demolish a building or other work on any lands in the National Capital Region,

  • (b) any person proposes to erect, alter, extend or demolish a building or other work on public lands in the National Capital Region, or

  • (c) any department or person proposes to change the use of public lands in the National Capital Region,

  the department or person shall, prior to the commencement of the project, submit a proposal therefor to the Commission for approval.

• Marginal note:Approval of proposals

  (2) In determining whether to approve a proposal submitted under subsection (1), the Commission shall consider the following:

  • (a) in the case of a proposal to erect, alter or extend a building or other work, the site, location, design and plans thereof and the use to be made of the building or other work as erected, altered or extended;

  • (b) in the case of a proposal to demolish a building or other work, the site, location, design and use made of the building or other work and the plans for the demolition; and

  • (c) in the case of a proposal to change the use of public lands, the site, location, existing use and proposed use of the lands.

• Marginal note:Prohibition

  (3) No department or person shall commence any project in relation to which a proposal is required to be submitted to the Commission under subsection (1) unless a proposal has been so submitted and has been approved by the Commission.

• Marginal note:Interior alterations

  (4) This section does not apply to any alteration of the interior of a building or other work unless the alteration is made to accommodate a change in the use of the building or work.

Marginal note:Proposals for sale of public lands

• 12.1 (1) Proposals by any department for the sale of public lands in the National Capital Region shall be submitted to the Commission for approval prior to the sale.

• Marginal note:Prohibition

  (2) No public lands in the National Capital Region shall be sold without the approval of the Commission.

Marginal note:Governor in Council may approve

• 12.2 (1) Where the Commission does not give its approval to a proposal made under section 12 or 12.1, the Governor in Council may give such approval and any such approval given by the Governor in Council shall, for the purposes of that section, be deemed to have been given by the Commission.

• Marginal note:Terms and conditions of approval

  (2) Any approval given under section 12, 12.1 or this section may be subject to such terms and conditions as are considered desirable by the Commission or the Governor in Council, as the case may be.

Marginal note:Power to construct railway

• 13 (1) The Commission may construct in the National Capital Region, in accordance with plans prepared under this Act, a railway and related facilities.

• Marginal note:Sale, lease, etc.

  (2) The Commission may

  • (a) sell, convey or lease any railway and related facilities, or any portion thereof, constructed pursuant to subsection (1) to any railway company; or

  • (b) enter into agreements with any railway company for

    • (i) the sole, joint or several use of the railway or facilities, or any portion thereof,

    • (ii) the maintenance by the company of the railway or facilities, or any portion thereof, and

    • (iii) the operation of the railway or facilities, or any portion thereof.

• Marginal note:Application of Part III of the Canada Transportation Act

  (3) Part III of the Canada Transportation Act, with such modifications as the circumstances require, is applicable to the exercise of the powers conferred by this section, but nothing in this section is deemed to constitute the Commission a railway company except for the purpose of subsection (2).

Expropriation

Marginal note:Expropriation

• 14 (1) Where in the opinion of the Commission the acquisition of any land or interest therein by the Commission without the consent of the owner is required for the purposes of this Act, the Commission shall so advise the appropriate Minister in relation to Part I of the Expropriation Act.

• Marginal note:Idem

  (2) For the purposes of the Expropriation Act, any land or interest therein that, in the opinion of the Minister mentioned in subsection (1), is required for the purposes of this Act shall be deemed to be land or an interest therein that, in his opinion, is required for a public work or other public purpose, and, in relation thereto, a reference to the Crown in that Act shall be construed as a reference to the Commission.

Property

Marginal note:Restrictions on transactions

• 15 (1) Except with the approval of the Governor in Council, the Commission shall not

  • (a) acquire any real property for a consideration in excess of a value of twenty-five thousand dollars; or

  • (b) enter into a lease enduring for a period in excess of five years or grant an easement enduring for a period in excess of forty-nine years.

• Marginal note:Idem

  (2) The Commission shall not dispose of real property for a consideration in excess of ten thousand dollars, except in accordance with subsection 99(2) of the Financial Administration Act.

• Marginal note:Contract regulations

  (3) Notwithstanding subsection 41(2) of the Financial Administration Act, the Governor in Council may make regulations under subsection 41(1) of that Act that apply in respect of the Commission.

Marginal note:Payments in lieu of taxes

• 16 (1) The Commission may pay grants to a local municipality not exceeding the taxes that might be levied by the municipality in respect of any real property of the Commission if the Commission were not an agent of Her Majesty.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to parks or squares, to highways or parkways, or to bridges or similar structures.

• Marginal note:Gatineau Park

  (3) The Commission may pay grants to the appropriate authorities in respect of real property of the Commission situated in Gatineau Park not exceeding in any tax year the amounts estimated by the Commission to be sufficient to compensate such authorities for the loss of tax revenue during that tax year in respect of municipal and school taxes by reason of the acquisition of the property by the Commission.

Financial

Marginal note:Loans

17 The Minister of Finance may out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund advance to the Commission such amounts by way of loan as are authorized by Parliament, subject to such terms and conditions respecting interest, terms of repayment and otherwise as are approved by the Governor in Council.

Marginal note:General fund

18 Subject to section 17, the Commission may expend for any of the purposes of this Act any money appropriated by Parliament for the use of the Commission, received by it through the conduct of its operations or received by it by bequest, donation or otherwise.

By-laws and Regulations

Marginal note:By-laws

19 The Commission may make by-laws for the conduct and management of its activities and for carrying out the purposes and provisions of this Act.

Marginal note:Regulations

• 20 (1) The Governor in Council may make regulations for the protection of any property of the Commission and for preserving order or preventing accidents on any property of the Commission.

• Marginal note:Punishment

  (2) The Governor in Council may by regulation prescribe the punishment that may be imposed on summary conviction for the contravention of any regulation made under subsection (1), but the punishment so prescribed shall not exceed that set out in subsection 787(1) of the Criminal Code.

Marginal note:Liability of owner

• 21 (1) Where a vehicle is operated or parked in contravention of any regulation made under subsection 20(1), the owner of the vehicle is liable to the punishment prescribed by the Governor in Council for such contravention, unless at the time of such contravention the vehicle was not operated or parked, as the case may be, by the owner or by any other person with the express or implied consent of the owner.

• Marginal note:Damage to property

  (2) Where a person is convicted for the contravention of any regulation made under subsection 20(1), the convicting court may, at the time sentence is imposed, order that person to pay to the Commission an amount by way of satisfaction or compensation for loss of or damage to property suffered by the Commission as a result of the contravention for which that person was convicted.

• Marginal note:Order enforced as a judgment

  (3) An order made under subsection (2) in respect of a person convicted for the contravention of any regulation made under subsection 20(1) may, on the filing of the order in the superior court of the province in which the trial of the contravention was held, be enforced as a judgment of that court.

Marginal note:Evidence

22 In a prosecution for the contravention of any regulation made under subsection 20(1), a certificate stating that any property described in it is under the control of the Commission and purporting to be certified by the Commission or the Chief Executive Officer, General Manager, Chief Engineer, or Secretary of the Commission shall be admitted in evidence without proof of the signature or official character of the person appearing to have signed the certificate and without further proof and, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, is proof that the property is under the control of the Commission.

General

Marginal note:Gifts

23 The Commission may, if it sees fit, accept any property by way of gift, bequest or devise and may, subject to paragraph 10(2)(b) and subsection 15(1) but notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, expend, administer or dispose of any such property for the purposes of this Act, subject to the terms, if any, on which such property was given, bequeathed or devised to the Commission.

Marginal note:Auditor

24 The Auditor General of Canada is the auditor of the Commission.