Vol. 148, No. 6 — March 12, 2014

Registration

SI/2014-19 March 12, 2014

STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS ACT

Canada Gazette Publication Order, 2014

P.C. 2014-172 February 28, 2014

His Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice, pursuant to subsection 10(2) (see footnote a) of the Statutory Instruments Act (see footnote b), makes the annexed Canada Gazette Publication Order, 2014.

CANADA GAZETTE PUBLICATION ORDER, 2014

FORM AND MANNER OF PUBLISHING

1. The Canada Gazette is to continue to be published electronically in Portable Document Format (PDF).

REPEAL

2. The Canada Gazette Publication Order (see footnote 1) is repealed.

COMING INTO FORCE

3. This Order comes into force on April 1, 2014.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Proposal

The Canada Gazette Publication Order, 2014 provides for the continuation of the publication in electronic Portable Document Format (PDF) of Part I, Part II and Part III of the Canada Gazette, pursuant to subsection 10(2) of the Statutory Instruments Act. It also clarifies that the Canada Gazette will continue to be published electronically in PDF.

Objective

The objective of this Order is to eliminate the requirement for a printed version of the Canada Gazette. This initiative was included in the Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act, chapter 19 of the Statutes of Canada, 2012, to support the Government’s greening initiatives as part of its Sustainable Development Strategy.

Background

Subsection 10(2) of the Statutory Instruments Act provides the authority for the Governor in Council to determine the form and manner in which the Canada Gazette is published. The Canada Gazette Publication Order (SI/2003-58), in force since April 1, 2003, provided that the Canada Gazette was to be published in printed form and electronically in PDF, and that the printed and electronic versions were to be published simultaneously.

Section 476 of the Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act provides for the repeal of section 13 of the Statutory Instruments Act, thus removing the obligation to deliver and make available for sale a printed version of the Canada Gazette.

Consequential amendments to the Statutory Instruments Regulations were also made in order to align them with the repeal of section 13 of the Statutory Instruments Act. These amendments, which will come into force on April 1, 2014, will repeal section 19 and Schedule I of the Statutory Instruments Regulations, which describe who would receive the paper copy of the Canada Gazette without charge. The amendments will also repeal section 20 and Schedule II of the Regulations, which prescribe the charges to other persons for obtaining paper copies of the Canada Gazette.

Consequently, the Canada Gazette Publication Order needs to be replaced with the Canada Gazette Publication Order, 2014, since the requirement to publish a printed version of the Canada Gazette will cease on April 1, 2014.

Implications

Publishing the Canada Gazette exclusively in electronic PDF will avoid duplication, as the paper version is an exact replica of the side-by-side bilingual electronic PDF version, which is available free of charge on the Canada Gazette Web site. The initiative provides savings to the Government of Canada of $300,000 a year. It also contributes to the Government’s commitment to sustainable development and to reducing the consumption of energy resources. According to the 2010 Canadian Internet Use Survey (sponsored by Industry Canada), 8 out of 10 Canadian households (79%) had access to the Internet. Canadians who do not have an Internet connection will be able to access the Canada Gazette at a public library that is equipped with Internet access. Alternatively, Canadians can contact their community’s municipal office and ask for the nearest public location that is equipped with Internet access.

Consultation

On April 13, 2012, an announcement was posted on the Canada Gazette Web site advising that the publication of the Canada Gazette would go from traditional print form to exclusively electronic publication as decided in Budget 2012.

The repeal of sections 19 and 20 of the Statutory Instruments Regulations was published in the May 8, 2013, issue of the Canada Gazette, Part II (SOR/2013-85) [http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2013/2013-05-08/pdf/g2-14710.pdf]. A notice of the discontinuance of the printing of the Canada Gazette will be published in printed copies and on the Web site of the Canada Gazette well in advance of the implementation date.

Departmental contacts

For more information, please contact

Lyne Tassé
Director
Canada Gazette Directorate
Public Works and Government Services Canada
350 Albert Street, 5th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0S5
Telephone: 613-943-7635
Email: lyne.tasse@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Ralph Mercedat
Special Advisor and Legal Counsel
Legislative Services Branch
Department of Justice Canada
St. Andrews Tower, Room 4017
275 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H8
Telephone: 613-957-0089
Email: ralph.mercedat@justice.gc.ca