Let's Talk Navigation

The CNWA better protects the public right to travel on all navigable waters in Canada through:

• regulating major works (for example, dams and bridges) and obstructions on all navigable waters
• introducing a fuller definition of “navigable water”
• a more inclusive process to add navigable waters to the list – known as the schedule
• considering the cumulative effects on navigation of multiple projects in a navigable water
• introducing a new public resolution process to address Canadians’ navigation concerns before a work is built

The CNWA enables Transport Canada to engage more closely with Indigenous peoples to:

• create new agreements and arrangements for how we administer the Act (monitoring, enforcement)
• ensure Indigenous knowledge is considered and protected
• explicitly include transport or travel to exercise Indigenous rights in the definition of “navigable water”
• ensure that potential adverse impacts on Indigenous rights are considered before making a decision under the Act

The CNWA results in more accessible and transparent processes, including:

• a new online registry with information about projects and regulatory approvals
• a requirement for owners to provide advance notification for works on any navigable water
• a requirement that owners provide opportunities for early engagement for works on any navigable water

We want to hear from you. Please refer to the discussion paper on the Minor Works Order and provide feedback by sending your comments to NPP-Secretariat-PPN@tc.gc.ca.

On August 28, 2019, the Canadian Navigable Waters Act (CNWA) came into force. The CNWA amended the Navigation Protection Act and:

• restores and better protects your right to move freely over Canada’s waterways
• advances reconciliation with Indigenous peoples
• creates more accessible and transparent decision-making processes

Public right to navigation

The CNWA better protects the public right to travel on all navigable waters in Canada through:

• regulating major works (for example, dams and bridges) and obstructions on all navigable waters
• introducing a fuller definition of “navigable water”
• a more inclusive process to add navigable waters to the list – known as the schedule
• considering the cumulative effects on navigation of multiple projects in a navigable water
• introducing a new public resolution process to address Canadians’ navigation concerns before a work is built

The CNWA enables Transport Canada to engage more closely with Indigenous peoples to:

• create new agreements and arrangements for how we administer the Act (monitoring, enforcement)
• ensure Indigenous knowledge is considered and protected
• explicitly include transport or travel to exercise Indigenous rights in the definition of “navigable water”
• ensure that potential adverse impacts on Indigenous rights are considered before making a decision under the Act

The CNWA results in more accessible and transparent processes, including:

• a new online registry with information about projects and regulatory approvals
• a requirement for owners to provide advance notification for works on any navigable water
• a requirement that owners provide opportunities for early engagement for works on any navigable water

We want to hear from you. Please refer to the discussion paper on the Minor Works Order and provide feedback by sending your comments to NPP-Secretariat-PPN@tc.gc.ca.