Canada Wildlife Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. W-9)

Marginal note:Offence

• 13.01 (1) Every person commits an offence who contravenes

  • (a) any provision of the Act or the regulations, other than a provision the contravention of which is an offence under subsection 13(1); or

  • (b) an order made under this Act, other than an order the contravention of which is an offence under subsection 13(1).

• Marginal note:Penalty — individuals

  (2) Every individual who commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable,

  • (a) on conviction on indictment,

    • (i) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $100,000, and

    • (ii) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not more than $200,000; or

  • (b) on summary conviction,

    • (i) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $25,000, and

    • (ii) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not more than $50,000.

• Marginal note:Penalty — other persons

  (3) Every person, other than an individual or a corporation referred to in subsection (4), that commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable,

  • (a) on conviction on indictment,

    • (i) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $500,000, and

    • (ii) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not more than $1,000,000; or

  • (b) on summary conviction,

    • (i) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $250,000, and

    • (ii) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not more than $500,000.

• Marginal note:Penalty — small revenue corporations

  (4) Every corporation that commits an offence under subsection (1) and that the court determines under section 13.02 to be a small revenue corporation is liable,

  • (a) on conviction on indictment,

    • (i) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $250,000, and

    • (ii) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not more than $500,000; or

  • (b) on summary conviction,

    • (i) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $50,000, and

    • (ii) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not more than $100,000.

Marginal note:Determination of small revenue corporation status

13.02 For the purpose of sections 13 and 13.01, a court may determine a corporation to be a small revenue corporation if the court is satisfied that the corporation’s gross revenues for the 12 months immediately before the day on which the subject matter of the proceedings arose — or, if it arose on more than one day, for the 12 months immediately before the first day on which the subject matter of the proceedings arose — were not more than $5,000,000.

Marginal note:Deeming — second and subsequent offence

• 13.03 (1) For the purposes of subsections 13(2) to (4) and 13.01(2) to (4), a conviction for a particular offence under this Act is deemed to be a conviction for a second or subsequent offence if the court is satisfied that the offender has been previously convicted — under any Act of Parliament, or any Act of the legislature of a province, that relates to environmental or wildlife conservation or protection — of a substantially similar offence.

• Marginal note:Application

  (2) Subsection (1) applies only to previous convictions on indictment and to previous convictions on summary conviction, and to previous convictions under any similar procedure under any Act of the legislature of a province.

Marginal note:Additional fine

13.04 If a person is convicted of an offence under this Act and the court is satisfied that, as a result of the commission of the offence, the person acquired any property, benefit or advantage, the court shall order the person to pay an additional fine in an amount equal to the court’s estimation of the value of that property, benefit or advantage. The additional fine may exceed the maximum amount of any fine that may otherwise be imposed under this Act.

Marginal note:Notice to shareholders

13.05 If a corporation that has shareholders is convicted of an offence under this Act, the court shall make an order directing the corporation to notify its shareholders, in the manner and within the time directed by the court, of the facts relating to the commission of the offence and of the details of the punishment imposed.

Marginal note:Liability of directors and officers, etc., of corporation

13.06 If a corporation commits an offence under this Act, any director, officer, agent or mandatary of the corporation who directed, authorized, assented to, acquiesced in or participated in the commission of the offence is a party to and guilty of the offence and is liable on conviction to the penalty provided for by this Act for an individual in respect of the offence committed by the corporation, whether or not the corporation has been prosecuted or convicted.

Marginal note:Directors’ duties

13.07 Every director and officer of a corporation shall take all reasonable care to ensure that the corporation complies with the provisions of this Act and the regulations and obligations and prohibitions arising from this Act or the regulations.

Marginal note:Fundamental purpose of sentencing

13.08 The fundamental purpose of sentencing for offences under this Act is to contribute, in light of the significant and many threats to wildlife and the importance of wildlife to the well-being of Canadians, to respect for the law protecting wildlife through the imposition of just sanctions that have as their objectives

• (a) to deter the offender and any other person from committing offences under this Act;

• (b) to denounce unlawful conduct that damages or creates a risk of damage to wildlife; and

• (c) to recover wildlife and restore wildlife habitat.

Marginal note:Sentencing principles

• 13.09 (1) In addition to the principles and factors that the court is otherwise required to consider, including those set out in sections 718.1 to 718.21 of the Criminal Code, the court shall consider the following principles when sentencing a person who is convicted of an offence under this Act:

  • (a) the amount of the fine should be increased to account for every aggravating factor associated with the offence, including the aggravating factors set out in subsection (2); and

  • (b) the amount of the fine should reflect the gravity of each aggravating factor associated with the offence.

• Marginal note:Aggravating factors

  (2) The aggravating factors are the following:

  • (a) the offence caused damage or risk of damage to wildlife or wildlife habitat;

  • (b) the offence caused damage or risk of damage to any unique, rare, particularly important or vulnerable wildlife or wildlife habitat;

  • (c) the damage caused by the offence is extensive, persistent or irreparable;

  • (d) the offender committed the offence intentionally or recklessly;

  • (e) the offender failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the commission of the offence despite having the financial means to do so;

  • (f) by committing the offence or failing to take action to prevent its commission, the offender increased revenue or decreased costs or intended to increase revenue or decrease costs;

  • (g) the offender committed the offence despite having been warned by a wildlife officer of the circumstances that subsequently became the subject of the offence;

  • (h) the offender has a history of non-compliance with federal or provincial legislation that relates to environmental or wildlife conservation or protection; and

  • (i) after the commission of the offence, the offender

    • (i) attempted to conceal its commission,

    • (ii) failed to take prompt action to prevent, mitigate or remediate its effects, or

    • (iii) failed to take prompt action to reduce the risk of committing similar offences in the future.

• Marginal note:Absence of aggravating factor

  (3) The absence of an aggravating factor set out in subsection (2) is not a mitigating factor.

• Marginal note:Meaning of damage

  (4) For the purposes of paragraphs (2)(a) to (c), damage includes loss of use value and non-use value.

• Marginal note:Reasons

  (5) If the court is satisfied of the existence of one or more of the aggravating factors set out in subsection (2) but decides not to increase the amount of the fine because of that factor, the court shall give reasons for that decision.

Marginal note:Documents admissible in evidence

• 13.091 (1) A document made, given or issued under this Act and appearing to be signed by an analyst is admissible in evidence and, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, is proof of the statements contained in the document without proof of the signature or official character of the person appearing to have signed the document.

• Marginal note:Attendance of analyst

  (2) The party against whom the document is produced may, with leave of the court, require the attendance of the analyst who signed it.

• Marginal note:Notice

  (3) No document referred to in subsection (1) may be received in evidence unless the party intending to produce it has given to the party against whom it is intended to be produced reasonable notice of that intention together with a copy of the document.

Marginal note:Proof of offence

13.1 In any prosecution of an offence under this Act, it is sufficient proof of the offence to establish that it was committed by an employee, agent or mandatary of the accused, whether or not the employee, agent or mandatary is identified or prosecuted for the offence.

Marginal note:Continuing offence

13.11 A person who commits or continues an offence under this Act on more than one day is liable to be convicted for a separate offence for each day on which the offence is committed or continued.

Marginal note:Offences involving more than one animal, plant or other organism

13.12 If an offence under this Act involves more than one animal, plant or other organism, the fine to be imposed in respect of that offence may, despite sections 13 and 13.01, be the total of the fines that would have been imposed if each of the animals, plants or other organisms had been the subject of a separate information.

Marginal note:Application of fines

• 13.13 (1) All fines received by the Receiver General in respect of the commission of an offence under this Act, other than fines collected under the Contraventions Act, are to be credited to the Environmental Damages Fund, an account in the accounts of Canada, and used for purposes related to protecting, conserving or restoring the environment or for administering that Fund.

• Marginal note:Recommendations of court

  (2) The court imposing the fine may recommend to the Minister that all or a portion of the fine credited to the Environmental Damages Fund be paid to a person or an organization specified by the court for a purpose referred to in subsection (1).