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Fisheries Act
The Fisheries Act is a federal legislation that aims to manage and also protect, Canada's fisheries resources. It outlines the requirements for preventing pollution in Canadian waters. The act prohibits the deposit of all deleterious substances into water frequented by fish, or to any place, under any conditions, where it may enter water frequented by fish. -
Banff National Park
The park was established on November 25, 1885, and is Canada's first and most visited National Park. It is located 100km west of Calgary in the Rocky Mountains and stretched approximately 240 km. There are 53 species of mammals in the park and contains to at least 280 species of birds. It is home to the endangered Banff Springs Snail and the woodland caribou that right now, is listed as threatened. -
Algonquin Provincial Park
The Algonquin Provincial Park is located northeast of Toronto and northwest of Ottawa. It contains 5 major rivers and numerous lakes within is landscape. In fact 15% of the area is water. In 1992, it was designated a national historic site due to the cultural landscape, comprised of a large natural area of forests and water populated with indigenous flora and fauna, in occasional vacation structures and in its illustration of park management. -
Boundary Waters Treaty Signed
This treaty was signed on January 11, 1909 and the agreement was made between Canada and the United States. It has rules that help keep Canadian Waters clean. As many lakes and rivers flow through both of the countries, they follow the same set of rules. They agreed not to pollute water if it could hurt people or property in the other country and they also need to agree on certain projects that could change the amount of water in lakes and rivers. They work on taking care of the water they share -
National Parks Service
In 1911, Canada established the first national parks service in the world. What began as a cluster of parks in the Rocky Mountain gradually became a national system that drove economic growth and fostered tourism. Parks Canada was established as the Dominion Parks Branch under Canada's Department of the Interior to become the worlds first national park service. -
Migratory Bird Convention Signed
The Canada-US convention protecting migratory birds was signed on August 16, 1916 and came into force October 8, 1999. As stated in the name, it was signed to protect migratory birds. In 1916, it only protected the migratory birds that were either considered useful or harmless to humans and many were excluded due to their undesirability to humans. The migratory birds, their eggs, and their nests are protected. -
Canada National Parks Act
The National Parks Act of 1930 was created to ensure that no new parks could be established or any changes made in the boundaries of the existing Canadian parks except by an act of parliament. In addition, mineral exploration and development was prohibited and only limited use of green timber essential for park management purposes was allowed. Overall, it is a federal law that regulates the protection of the national parks of Canada. -
Canadian Wildfire Federation
The Canadian Wildfire Federation is a national, nonprofit, nongovernmental conservation organization founded in 1961 and it was chartered in 1962. The purpose for its creation is to promote an understanding of Canada's wildfire resources and ensure that stocks of all species would be preserved for the use and enjoyment of all Canadians. Today, the CWF represents over 500,000 members and supporters across the country and they have a wildlife affiliate in all provinces and territories. -
Greenpeace
Greenpeace was originated in Vancouver in 1971 as a small group of opposed to nuclear testing in the Pacific. Since then it has grown into one of the largest and best-known environmental organizations in the world. Through nonviolent confrontation it attempts to draw attention to violations of ecological principles, such as equal rights of all species to exist and flourish. In the hope that public pressure will help change policies, Greenspace aims for maximum publicity for its activities. -
Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act
This Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act is a government of Canada statute to prevent pollution in areas of the arctic water adjacent to the mainland and islands of the Canadian arctic. The government of Canada departments are responsible for enforcing the Act are Transport Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Indian and Northern affairs Canada. Overall, the act regulates the deposit of domestic and industrial waste in arctic waters and on land in the arctic. -
Canada-US Air Quality Agreement
The Canada-US Air Quality Agreement was signed by both Canada and the United States in 1991 for the purpose of addressing transboundary air pollution leading to acid rain. They planned to reduce sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions. Both Canada and the United States have made significant progress in reducing emissions of pollutants that cause acid rain and ground-level ozone since 1991. For instance as of 2020, emissions of sulphur dioxide decreased by 78% and 92%. -
Ontario Environmental Bill of Rights
The Environmental Bill of Rights (1993) came into effect in February of 1994, and it allowed citizens to participate in the decisions that could effect the air, water, land, and wildlife of Ontario. It is a law that recognizes that Ontario's have the right to know about and participate in government decisions that affect the environment. In addition, citizens can hold the government accountable for the decisions that are made. -
Clayoquot Sound Blockade
In 1993 tensions erupted between the peaceful protesters and industry giant MacMillan Bloedel when government approval allowed for 2/3 of Clayoquot Sound to be opened up to logging. That summer, around 825 people were arrested, bringing international pressure for Clayoquot Sound to be protected. The Clayoquot protests were also called the “War in the Woods” and they were a series of protests in the 80s and 90s against clear cut logging of the temperate rainforest of Clayoquot Sound. -
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol was an international agreement that was aimed towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions as well as reducing the amount of greenhouse gases. It is an international agreement that called for industrialized nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions but originally, the protocol was adopted in Kyoto Japan, 1997. Although the Kyoto Protocol no longer exists, many steps are currently being taken in the long-term preservation. -
Canadian Environmental Protection Act
The 1999 Canadian Environmental Protection Act came into action in the end of March 2000. It was updated to include all amendments to better the act. It is an act that contributes to a sustainable development through pollution prevention and it provides a legislative basis for environmental and health protection programs. It was designed to provide a systematic approach to assess and manage chemical substances in the environment that were not addressed by other acts and programs. -
Species at Risk Act
The Species at Risk Act is a federal government commitment to prevent wildlife species from becoming extinct and secure the necessary actions for their recovery. It also provides for the legal protection of wildlife species and the conservation of their biological diversity. The overall purpose of the Act is to prevent Indigenous species, subspecies, and distinct populations from becoming extirpated or extinct. This way they can encourage the management of other species to help them. -
Ontario Clean Water Act
The Ontario Clean Water Act is an act that specifically protects municipal drinking water sources and ensures clean drinking water is available for the province. It recognizes that the people of Ontario are entitled to expect their drinking water to be safe, allowing people to have good health. -
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
An environmental assessment is a process to identify, predict and evaluate the potential environmental effects of a proposed project. This process happens before decisions about a proposed project are made.The Act requires federal departments, including Environment Canada, agencies, and Crown corporations to conduct environmental assessments for proposed projects where the federal government is the proponent or where the project involves federal funding, permits, or licensing. -
Paris Climate Change Agreement
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference on 2015 in Paris. Its overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.” The Paris Agreement is a landmark because it brings all nations together to combat climate change. -
Great Bear Rainforest Agreement
The Great Bear Rainforest covers 6.4 million hectares on British Columbia’s north and central coast. Over the last five years, the Province of British Columbia and First Nation governments in partnership with stakeholders have made significant progress in the implementation of the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements. The agreement ensures protection for forest land and ecosystems in the 6.4 million hectare Great Bear Rainforest, on the central and north coast of BC Canada.