Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020 — Bill 156 (42nd Parliament, 1st Session)
Bill 156, 42-1
Ontario — Bills
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Bill 156, Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020
Hardeman, Ernie Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Royal Assent received. Statutes of Ontario 2020,
chapter 9
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Bill 156 Royal Assent (PDF)
EXPLANATORY
NOTE
This Explanatory Note was written as a reader’s
aid to Bill 156 and does not form part of the law.
Bill 156 has been enacted as
Chapter 9 of the Statutes of Ontario, 2020.
The
Bill is intended to protect farm animals, the food supply, farmers and others
from risks that are created when trespassers enter places where farm animals
are kept or when persons engage in unauthorized interactions with farm
animals. The risks include the risk of exposing farm animals to disease and
stress, as well as the risk of introducing contaminants into the food supply.
Animal
protection zones are defined in
section 2 of the Bill as areas on farms, animal
processing facilities and other prescribed premises on which farm animals may
be kept or located. Subsections 5 (1), (2) and (3) prohibit persons from
entering in or on the animal protection zones without the prior consent of the
owner or occupier of the farm, facility or premises. Subsection 5
(4) prohibits persons from interfering or interacting with farm animals in or on
the animal protection zones or from carrying out prescribed activities in or on
the animal protection zones without the prior consent of the owner or occupier
of the farm, facility or premises.
Section 6 prohibits persons from
interfering with a motor vehicle that is transporting farm animals and from
interfering or interacting with the farm animals in the motor vehicle without
the prior consent of the driver of the motor vehicle.
The
Bill provides that a consent is invalid if it is obtained using duress or under
false pretences in the prescribed
circumstances or for the prescribed reasons.
Section
4 establishes that nothing in the Act shall be construed so as to abrogate or
derogate from the protection provided for the existing aboriginal and treaty
rights of the aboriginal peoples as recognized and affirmed in the Constitution Act, 1982 , and clause 7 (
f) provides that
certain prohibitions in the Act do not apply to a person who is lawfully
exercising existing aboriginal or treaty rights.
Section
8 allows the owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises to take certain actions in situations where a person
trespasses on an animal protection zone, or does any of the things prohibited
section
Section 9 sets out the actions that the driver of a motor
vehicle transporting farm animals may take in situations where a person does
anything prohibited by
section
Section
15 sets the maximum fine at $15,000 for a first offence under the Act and
$25,000 for subsequent offences. That fine may be increased by a court in
certain prescribed circumstances that increase the gravity of the offence.
Section
16 provides that, if a person is found guilty of an offence under the Act, the
court may, in addition to imposing a fine under the Act, require the person
found guilty to pay restitution to the owner or occupier of a farm, animal
processing facility or prescribed premises or to the driver of a motor vehicle
for any injury, loss or damages suffered as a result of the commission of the
offence.
Section
21 sets out a two-year limitation period for the commencement of proceeding for
an offence under the Act. The two-year period begins on the later of the day
the offence was committed or the day on which evidence of the offence first
came to the attention of a police officer.
The
Bill sets out various provisions relating to the application and enforcement of
the Act and the power to make regulations.
Bill 156 2020
Act to protect Ontario’s farms and farm animals from trespassers and other forms
of interference and to prevent contamination of Ontario’s food supply
CONTENTS
Purposes,
Definitions and
Application
Purposes
Definitions
Application
Existing
aboriginal or treaty rights
Protecting Farm Animals from
Trespass and Interference
Prohibitions
re trespass, etc.
Prohibition
re transportation of farm animals
Exceptions,
prohibitions
Responses
by owner, occupier
Responses
by driver
Reasonable
force
Delivery
of arrested person to police
Prohibition,
interference
Arrest
by police officers without warrant
Offences and Penalties
Offences
Penalties
Restitution
for damages
Costs
of prosecution
Fines
with restitution
Enforcement
of restitution order
General
Limited
liability
Limitation
on proceedings
Common
law rights not affected
Regulations
Commencement and
Short Title
Commencement
Short
title
Her
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the
Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:
Purposes,
Definitions and Application
Purposes
1 The purposes of this Act are to prohibit trespassing on
farms and other properties on which farm animals are located and to prohibit other
interferences with farm animals in order to,
(
a) eliminate
or reduce the unique risks that are created when individuals trespass on those properties
or interfere with farm animals, including the risk of exposing farm animals to
disease and stress as well as the risk of introducing contaminants into the
food supply;
(
b) protect
farm animals and the food supply chain from the risks described in clause (a);
(
c) protect
the safety of farmers, their families and persons working in or on farms,
animal processing facilities and prescribed premises as well as the safety of drivers
of motor vehicles transporting farm animals; and
(
d) prevent
any adverse effects the risks described in clause (
a) may have on Ontario’s
overall economy.
Definitions
2 In this Act,
“animal
processing facility” means a prescribed facility at which farm animals are processed
in a prescribed manner; (“installation de transformation d’animaux”)
“animal
protection zone”, with respect to a farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises, means an area on the farm, facility or premises on which farm
animals may be kept or located and that is,
(
a) an
enclosure for farm animals, whether or not it is marked as an animal protection
zone,
(
b) an area that meets prescribed
requirements and is marked as an animal protection zone by the owner or
occupier using signs in accordance with the regulations, or
(
c) an
area prescribed by the regulations as an animal protection zone for the
purposes of this Act; (“zone de protection des animaux”)
“farm
animal” means an animal that is raised, bred or kept on farms and is prescribed
by the regulations; (“animal délevage”)
“Minister”
means the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs or any other member
of the Executive Council to whom responsibility for the administration of this
Act is assigned or transferred under the Executive Council
Act ; (“ministre”)
“motor
vehicle” means a motor vehicle as defined in the Highway
Traffic Act ; (“véhicule automobile”)
“occupier”
means, with respect to a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed
premises,
(
a) a
person who is in physical possession of the farm, facility or premises,
(
b) a
person who has responsibility for and control over the condition of the farm,
facility or premises, the activities carried out on the farm, facility or
premises or the persons who are allowed to enter the farm, facility or
premises, or
(
c) a
person prescribed by the regulations; (“occupant”)
“prescribed”
means prescribed by the regulations; (“prescrit”)
“prescribed
premises” means premises at which farm animals are kept that are prescribed for
the purposes of subsection 5 (3); (“lieu prescrit”)
“regulation”
means a regulation made under this Act. (“règlement”)
Application
3 This Act applies to all farms, animal processing facilities
and prescribed premises at which farm animals are kept except those farms,
animal processing facilities and prescribed premises that are exempted from the
Act by the regulations.
Existing
aboriginal or treaty rights
4 For greater certainty, nothing in this Act shall be
construed so as to abrogate or derogate from the protection provided for the
existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada as
recognized and affirmed in
section 35 of the Constitution
Act, 1982 .
Protecting Farm Animals from Trespass and Interference
Prohibitions
re trespass, etc.
Animal
farms
(1) No person shall enter in or on an animal
protection zone on a farm without the prior consent of the owner or occupier of
the farm.
Processing
facilities
(2) No
person shall enter in or on an animal protection zone on an animal processing
facility without the prior consent of the owner or occupier of the facility.
Other
animal premises
(3) No
person shall enter in or on an animal protection zone on prescribed premises
without the prior consent of the owner or occupier of the premises.
interaction with farm animals
(4) No
person shall interfere or interact with a farm animal in or on an animal
protection zone on a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises,
or carry out a prescribed activity in or on the animal protection zone, without
the prior consent of the owner or occupier of the farm, facility or premises.
implied consent
(5) For
the purposes of subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4), prior consent of an owner or
occupier shall not be inferred by a person seeking to enter in or on an animal protection
zone referred to in those subsections, or to interfere or interact with a farm
animal or carry out a prescribed activity in or on the animal protection zone, solely
on the basis that,
(
a) the
owner or occupier has not prohibited the person directly, orally or in writing,
from entering the animal protection zone, from interfering or interacting with
a farm animal or carrying out the prescribed activity or has not otherwise
objected to the person’s presence; or
(
b) no
signs have been erected on the farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises
to restrict or prohibit the entry in or on the animal protection zone or the
interference, interaction or prescribed activity.
Consent
under duress, false pretences
(6) For
the purposes of subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4), consent to entering in or on
an animal protection zone, to interfering or interacting with farm animals or
to carrying out prescribed activities is invalid if it is obtained from the
owner or occupier of the relevant farm, animal processing facility or prescribed
premises using duress or under false pretences in the prescribed circumstances
or for the prescribed reasons and a consent so obtained shall be deemed not to
have been given.
Animal
protection zone signs
(7) No
person shall deface, alter, damage or remove any signs that have been posted on
a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises to demarcate an
animal protection zone or to prohibit or regulate access to or activities
carried out in or on animal protection zones.
Non-application
of Trespass to Property Act
(8) The
Trespass to Property Act does not apply to animal
protection zones to which this
section applies.
Prohibition
re transportation of farm animals
(1) No person shall stop, hinder, obstruct or
otherwise interfere with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals.
No interaction with farm animals
(2) No
person shall interfere or interact with a farm animal being transported by a motor
vehicle without the prior consent of the driver of the motor vehicle.
implied consent
(3) For
the purposes of subsection (2), prior consent of the driver of a motor vehicle
transporting farm animals shall not be inferred by a person seeking to interfere
or interact with a farm animal being transported solely on the basis that the
driver has not specifically prohibited the person from doing so.
Consent
under duress, false pretences
(4) For
the purposes of subsection (2), consent to interfering or interacting with a
farm animal is invalid if it is obtained from the driver of the motor vehicle
transporting the farm animal using duress or under false pretences in the
prescribed circumstances or for the prescribed reasons and a consent so
obtained shall be deemed not to have been given.
Exceptions,
prohibitions
7 The prohibitions in sections 5 and 6 do not apply to,
(
a) a
police officer, provincial officer or person employed to serve or execute a civil
process, including a sheriff, deputy sheriff, sheriff’s officer and a bailiff
of the Small Claims Court, if the person is acting in the course of their
duties;
(
b) a
firefighter, ambulance attendant, paramedic or other emergency personnel
prescribed by the regulations if the person is acting in the course of their
duties;
(
c) a
person who is authorized, appointed or designated to exercise a power or carry
out a duty, and who is acting in the course of exercising the power or carrying
out the duty, under,
(
i) the
Municipal Act, 2001 ,
(ii) the
City of Toronto Act, 2006 ,
(iii) the
Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 ,
(iv) the
Animal Health Act, 2009 , or
(
v) any
other Act of Ontario or of Canada;
(
d) a
person who is authorized to exercise a power or carry out a duty under the Animal
Health Act, 2009 in relation to an order made under
section 23 or 24 of
that Act and who is acting in the course of exercising the power or carrying
out the duty;
(
e) a
person acting pursuant to the Labour Relations Act, 1995
or the Agricultural Employees Protection Act, 2002 or
a person doing anything in connection with a lockout or a strike if the person
is permitted to do so by law; or
(
f) a
person lawfully exercising existing aboriginal or treaty rights;
(
g) any
other person prescribed by the regulations acting in the circumstances that are
prescribed by the regulations.
Responses
by owner, occupier
(1) The owner or occupier of a farm, animal
processing facility or prescribed premises who finds a person in or on an animal
protection zone on the farm, facility or premises, in contravention of
subsection 5 (1), (2) or (3), or doing anything in contravention of subsection 5
(4) or (7) may, while the person is still located on the farm, facility or
premises,
(
a) request
that the person provide his or her name and address;
(
b) if
the person is doing anything in contravention of subsection 5 (4) or (7),
request that the person cease doing so;
(
c) request
that the person leave the premises; or
(
d) arrest
the person without a warrant.
Same, Trespass to Property
Act
(2) For greater
certainty, nothing in clause (1) (
d) shall be construed as giving an owner or
occupier a right or ability to make an arrest that is beyond, or otherwise
greater than, what subsection 9 (1) of the Trespass to
Property Act provides that a person may do.
Compliance
with request
(3) A
person who receives a request under clause (1) (
b) or (
c) shall comply promptly
with the request.
Prohibition:
false or misleading information
(4) No
person shall provide false or misleading information in response to a request
for the person’s name and address made under clause (1) (a).
Arrest
by other person
(5) An
arrest under clause (1) (
d) may be carried out by a person authorized by the
owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises,
as the case may be, to do so on his or her behalf.
Responses
by driver
(1) The driver of a motor vehicle transporting
farm animals whose vehicle is stopped, hindered, obstructed or otherwise
interfered with in contravention of subsection 6 (1) or who finds a person interfering
or interacting with a farm animal being transported by the motor vehicle in
contravention of subsection 6 (2) may,
(
a) request
that the person cease stopping, hindering, obstructing or otherwise interfering
with the motor vehicle; or
(
b) request
that the person cease interfering or interacting with the farm animal.
Compliance
with request
(2) A
person who receives a request under clause (1) (
a) or (
b) shall promptly comply
with the request.
Requests
by other person
(3) A
request under clause (1) (
a) or (
b) may be made by a person authorized by the
driver to do so on his or her behalf.
Reasonable
force
10 The owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility
or prescribed premises, or any other person who carries out an arrest under
section
8, may use only such force as is necessary and reasonable in the circumstances
to carry out the arrest.
Delivery
of arrested person to police
(1) Where a person is arrested under
section 8,
the owner or occupier of the farm, animal processing facility or prescribed
premises, or such other person who made the arrest, shall promptly call for the
assistance of a police officer and give the person arrested into the custody of
the police officer.
Deemed
arrest
(2) A
police officer who receives custody of a person under subsection (1) shall be
deemed to have arrested the person for the purposes of the provisions relating
to the release, continued detention and bail of an arrested person under the Provincial Offences Act .
Prohibition,
interference
12 No person shall or shall attempt to stop, hinder, obstruct
or otherwise interfere with,
(
a) the
arrest of a person under
section 8; or
(
b) the
delivery of an arrested person to a police officer under subsection 11 (1).
Arrest
by police officers without warrant
(1) A police officer may arrest without a
warrant,
(
a) any
person found in or on an animal protection zone of a farm, animal processing
facility or prescribed premises, or any person found interfering or interacting
with a farm animal or carrying out a prescribed activity in or on the animal protection
zone, if the police officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that
the person is contravening subsection 5 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7);
(
b) any
person that stops, hinders, obstructs or otherwise interferes with a motor
vehicle transporting farm animals contrary to subsection 6 (1); or
(
c) any
person found interfering or interacting with a farm animal being transported by
a motor vehicle contrary to subsection 6 (2).
Arrest
of person who leaves the scene
(2) A
police officer may arrest a person without a warrant if the police officer
believes on reasonable and probable grounds that the person has committed an
offence under subsection 5 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7) or 6 (1) or (2) and has
recently departed the place where the offence was committed and,
(
a) the
person refuses to give the police officer his or her name and address; or
(
b) the
police officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that the name or
address given by the person is false or misleading.
Offences and Penalties
Offences
(1) Every person who contravenes any of the
following provisions is guilty of an offence:
1. Subsection
5 (1), (2), (3) or (4).
2. Subsection
5 (7).
3. Subsection
6 (1) or (2).
4. Subsection
8 (3) or (4).
5. Subsection
9 (2).
Section
Consent
under duress, false pretences
(2) Any
person who uses duress or false pretences in the prescribed circumstances or
for the prescribed reasons to obtain the consent of the owner or occupier of a
farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises or the driver of a
motor vehicle transporting farm animals, to do anything that would otherwise be
prohibited under subsection 5 (1), (2), (3) or (4) or 6 (2) is guilty of an
offence.
Onus
of proof
(3) In
the prosecution of an offence under subsection 5 (1), (2), (3) or (4) or 6 (2),
(
a) the
consent of the owner or occupier of the farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises or the consent of the driver of the motor vehicle transporting
a farm animal, as the case may be, is presumed not to have been given; and
(
b) the
onus is on the person charged with the offence to prove on the balance of
probabilities that he or she obtained the consent of the owner or occupier or the
consent of the driver, as the case may be, before engaging in the conduct that
he or she is accused of doing without consent.
Same,
sign
(4) For
the purposes of subsection (3), consent is sufficiently proven if the defendant
establishes on the balance of probabilities that,
(
a) a
sign was posted at or near the animal protection zone on the farm, animal
processing facility or prescribed premises authorizing persons to enter in or
on the animal protection zone or authorizing the interference or interaction
with farm animals or the carrying out of the prescribed activity in or on the
animal protection zone; and
(
b) the
defendant reasonably believed that the sign authorized the defendant to enter
the animal protection zone on the farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises or to interfere or interact with the farm animal or to carry
out the prescribed activity in or on the animal protection zone.
Colour
of right as defence
(5) It
is a defence to a charge of contravening subsection 5 (1), (2), (3), (4) or
(7) that the person charged reasonably believed that he or she had title to or other
legal interest in an animal protection zone on the farm, animal processing
facility or prescribed premises that entitled him or her to enter the animal protection
zone or to do anything that is prohibited under subsection 5 (4) or (7).
Same,
s. 6 (2)
(6) It
is a defence to a charge of contravening subsection 6 (2) that the person
charged reasonably believed that he or she had title to or other legal interest
in the farm animal that entitled him or her to interfere or interact with the
farm animal.
Use of motor vehicle
(7) If
a motor vehicle is used to commit an offence under paragraph 1 or 3 of
subsection (1), the driver of the motor vehicle is guilty of an offence under
this Act.
Motor vehicle owner and driver liable
(8) If
the driver of a motor vehicle that is used to commit an offence under paragraph
1 or 3 of subsection (1) is not the owner of the motor vehicle, then, upon the
driver being found guilty of the offence, both the driver and the owner of the
motor vehicle shall be held jointly and severally liable to pay the fine payable
for the offence under
section 15 unless, at the time the offence was committed,
the motor vehicle was in the driver’s possession without the consent of the
owner.
Notice
to motor vehicle owner
(9) Despite
subsection (8), the owner of a motor vehicle shall not be held jointly and
severally liable to pay a fine under that subsection unless notice that the
motor vehicle was used to commit the offence in question is provided to the
owner by a police officer promptly after the driver of the motor vehicle is
charged with the offence.
Penalties
(1) A person who is found guilty of an offence
under subsection 14 (1) is liable on conviction to a fine of,
(
a) for
a first offence, not more than $15,000; and
(
b) for
any subsequent offence, not more than $25,000.
Increased
penalties
(2) If
a person is found guilty of an offence as a result of a contravention of
subsection 5 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7) or 6 (1) or (2) and the court finds that
the offence was committed in prescribed circumstances that resulted in an
increase to the gravity of the offence, the amount of the penalty may be
increased in accordance with the regulations.
Decision
not to increase
(3) If
a court determines that the amount of a penalty should not be increased despite
the existence of prescribed circumstances mentioned in subsection (2), the
court shall include the reasons for this determination in its decision.
Restitution
for damages
(1) If a person is found guilty of an offence as
a result of a contravention of subsection 5 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7) or 6
(1) or (2), the court may make a restitution order requiring the person found
guilty of the offence to pay damages to an owner or occupier of a farm, animal
processing facility or prescribed premises or to a driver of a motor vehicle
transporting farm animals for any injury, loss or damage suffered by the owner,
occupier or driver during or as a result of the commission of the offence,
including losses or damages resulting from a disease contracted by farm animals
as a result of the commission of the offence.
Restitution
order
(2) A
court shall make a restitution order under subsection (1) only if,
(
a) the
restitution order is requested by the prosecutor;
(
b) the
person who suffered the injury, loss or damage consents to the order being made;
and
(
c) the
injury, loss or damage that are the object of the restitution order are readily
ascertainable.
More
than one trespasser
(3) Two
or more persons who entered in or on an animal protection zone together
contrary to subsection 5 (1), (2) or (3) shall be jointly and severally liable
for any damages payable to the owner or occupier of the farm, animal processing
facility or prescribed premises pursuant to a restitution order made under
subsection (1) if,
(
a) they
have each been found guilty of an offence under subsection 5 (1), (2) or (3);
(
b) the
restitution order is made against at least one of them; and
(
c) the
injury, loss or damage that are the object of the restitution order resulted
from acts committed while the persons were all together present in or on the
animal protection zone contrary to subsection 5 (1), (2) or (3).
Civil
action
(4) A
restitution order made under subsection (1) extinguishes the right of the
person who suffered the injury, loss or damage to bring a civil action for
damages against the person found guilty of the offence based on the same facts
that led to the conviction for the offence unless,
(
a) the
amount of damages ordered by the court in the restitution order is less than
the value of the injury, loss or damage actually suffered by the person; and
(
b) at
the time the restitution order was made, the court could not have reasonably
known the extent of the injury, loss or damage.
Same
(5) The
failure of a prosecutor to request a restitution order under subsection (1) or
a refusal by a court to make the order does not affect a right to bring a civil
action for damages arising out of the same facts.
Same
(6) If
a civil action for damages is brought against a person for the tort of
trespassing based on the same facts that resulted in the person being found
guilty of an offence under this Act, the conviction under this Act shall be sufficient
proof of the liability of the person in tort and the only issue to be
determined in the civil action shall be the quantum of damages for the tort.
Costs
of prosecution
17 Despite
section 60 of the Provincial
Offences Act , if a person is found guilty of an offence under this Act
in a prosecution conducted by a private prosecutor, the court shall make a
restitution order requiring the person found guilty of the offence to pay to
the prosecutor any costs actually and reasonably incurred in conducting the
prosecution.
Fines
with restitution
18 A restitution order under
section 16 or 17 may be made in
addition to any fine imposed under
section 15.
Enforcement
of restitution order
19 A restitution order made under
section 16 or 17 may be
filed in a court of competent jurisdiction and, on filing, shall be deemed to
be a judgement or order of that court for purposes of enforcement.
General
Limited
liability
(1) If a person enters in or on an animal protection
zone on a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises in
contravention of this Act, interferes or interacts with a farm animal or
carries out a prescribed activity in or on the animal protection zone in
contravention of this Act, the owner or occupier of the farm, facility or
premises shall not be liable for any injury, loss or damages suffered by that
person unless,
(
a) the
owner or occupier created a danger with the deliberate intent of doing harm or
damage to the person; or
(
b) the
injury, loss or damages were caused by actions taken by the owner or occupier
with wilful or reckless disregard for the presence of the person.
Same,
transportation of farm animals
(2) If
a person contravenes this Act by stopping, hindering, obstructing or otherwise
interfering with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals or by interfering or
interacting with a farm animal being transported on a motor vehicle, the driver
of the motor vehicle shall not be liable for any injury, loss or damages
suffered by that person unless,
(
a) the
driver created a danger with the deliberate intent of doing harm or damage to
the person; or
(
b) the
injury, loss or damages were caused by actions taken by the driver with wilful
or reckless disregard for the presence of the person.
Power
to arrest
(3) Nothing
in subsection (1) or (2) shall affect the right of an owner or occupier of a
farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises or of any other person to
carry out an arrest under
section 8, subject to the requirements set out in
section
Limitation
on proceedings
(1) No proceeding shall be commenced for an
offence under this Act on a day that is more than two years after,
(
a) the
day on which the offence was committed; or
(
b) subject
to subsection (2), the day on which evidence of the offence first came to the
attention of a police officer.
Same
(2) In
the case of an offence under this Act committed before the day this
section
comes into force, a proceeding for the offence shall be commenced no later than
two years after the day on which the offence was committed.
Common
law rights not affected
22 Nothing in this Act limits or affects any rights or
remedies the owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises may have at common law.
Regulations
23 The Minister may make regulations governing anything
necessary or advisable for the effective administration and enforcement of this
Act including,
(
a) prescribing
animal processing facilities for the purposes of this Act;
(
b) governing
animal protection zones to which this Act applies, determining the areas on a
farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises that may be marked using
signs as an animal protection zone by the owner or occupier of the farm,
facility or premises, respecting the manner in which such animal protection zones
may be marked and prescribing areas on a farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises as animal protection zones for the purposes of this Act;
(
c) prescribing
farm animals for the purposes of this Act and specifying animals that are not
farm animals for the purposes of this Act;
(
d) prescribing
persons who are occupiers for the purposes of clause (
c) of the definition of
“occupier” in
section 2;
(
e) exempting
farms, animal processing facilities and prescribed premises from the
application of all or part of this Act for the purposes of
section 3;
(
f) prescribing
premises at which farm animals are kept for the purposes of subsection 5 (3);
(
g) governing
interferences and interactions with farm animals that are prohibited under
subsection 5 (4) or 6 (2) including restricting, limiting or clarifying the
types of actions or gestures that are considered to be interferences or
interactions for the purposes of those subsections;
(
h) prescribing
circumstances and reasons for the purposes of subsections 5 (6), 6 (4) and 14
(2);
(
i) prescribing
emergency personnel for the purposes of clause 7 (
b) and prescribing persons to
whom the prohibitions in
section 5 and 6 do not apply or circumstances for the
purposes of clause 7 (g);
(
j) governing
the increase in penalties under subsection 15 (2), including prescribing
circumstances that may increase the gravity of an offence for the purposes of
subsection 15 (2) and respecting the amount of the increase or the manner in
which the amount of the increase shall be determined;
(
k) defining
“farm” for the purposes of this Act;
(
l) prescribing
anything that this Act requires or authorizes to be prescribed or to be done in
accordance with the regulations.
Commencement and
Short Title
Commencement
24 This Act comes into force on a day to be named by
proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
Short
title
25 The
short title of this Act is Security
from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020 .
Bill 156 As Amended by Standing Committee (PDF)
This
reprint of the Bill is marked to indicate the changes that were made in
Committee.
The
changes are indicated by underlines for
new text and a strikethrough for deleted text.
______________
EXPLANATORY
NOTE
The
Bill is intended to protect farm animals, the food supply, farmers and others
from risks that are created when trespassers enter places where farm animals are
kept or when persons engage in unauthorized interactions with farm animals. The
risks include the risk of exposing farm animals to disease and stress, as well
as the risk of introducing contaminants into the food supply.
Animal
protection zones are defined in
section 2 of the Bill as areas on farms, animal
processing facilities and other prescribed premises on which farm animals may
be kept or located. Subsections 4 (1), (2) and (3) prohibit persons from
entering in or on the animal protection zones without the prior consent of the
owner or occupier of the farm, facility or premises. Subsection 4
(4) prohibits persons from interfering or interacting with farm animals in or on
the animal protection zones or from carrying out prescribed activities in or on
the animal protection zones without the prior consent of the owner or occupier
of the farm, facility or premises.
Section 5 prohibits persons from
interfering with a motor vehicle that is transporting farm animals and from
interfering or interacting with the farm animals in the motor vehicle without
the prior consent of the driver of the motor vehicle.
The
Bill provides that a consent is invalid if it is obtained using duress or under
false pretences in the prescribed circumstances or for the
prescribed reasons.
Section 3.1 establishes that nothing in
the Act shall be construed so as to abrogate or derogate from the protection
provided for the existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal
peoples as recognized and affirmed in the Constitution
Act, 1982 , and clause 6 (d.1) provides that certain prohibitions in the
Act do not apply to a person who is lawfully exercising existing aboriginal or
treaty rights.
Section
7 allows the owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises to take certain actions in situations where a person
trespasses on an animal protection zone, or does any of the things prohibited
section
Section 8 sets out the actions that the driver of a motor
vehicle transporting farm animals may take in situations where a person does
anything prohibited by
section
Section
14 sets the maximum fine at $15,000 for a first offence under the Act and
$25,000 for subsequent offences. That fine may be increased by a court in
certain prescribed circumstances that increase the gravity of the offence.
Section
15 provides that, if a person is found guilty of an offence under the Act, the
court may, in addition to imposing a fine under the Act, require the person
found guilty to pay restitution to the owner or occupier of a farm, animal
processing facility or prescribed premises or to the driver of a motor vehicle
for any injury, loss or damages suffered as a result of the commission of the
offence.
Section
20 sets out a two-year limitation period for the commencement of proceeding for
an offence under the Act. The two-year period begins on the later of the day
the offence was committed or the day on which evidence of the offence first
came to the attention of a police officer.
The
Bill sets out various provisions relating to the application and enforcement of
the Act and the power to make regulations.
Bill 156 2020
Act to protect Ontario’s farms and farm animals from trespassers and other forms
of interference and to prevent contamination of Ontario’s food supply
CONTENTS
Purposes,
Definitions and
Application
Purposes
Definitions
Application
3.1
Existing aboriginal or treaty rights
Protecting Farm Animals from
Trespass and Interference
Prohibitions
re trespass, etc.
Prohibition
re transportation of farm animals
Exceptions,
prohibitions
Responses
by owner, occupier
Responses
by driver
Reasonable
force
Delivery
of arrested person to police
Prohibition,
interference
Arrest
by police officers without warrant
Offences and Penalties
Offences
Penalties
Restitution
for damages
Costs
of prosecution
Fines
with restitution
Enforcement
of restitution order
General
Limited
liability
Limitation
on proceedings
Common
law rights not affected
Regulations
Amendment, Commencement and
Short Title
Bill 136 — Provincial Animal Welfare
Services Act, 2019
Commencement
Short
title
Her
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the
Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:
Purposes,
Definitions and Application
Purposes
1 The purposes of this Act are to prohibit trespassing on
farms and other properties on which farm animals are located and to prohibit other
interferences with farm animals in order to,
(
a) eliminate
or reduce the unique risks that are created when individuals trespass on those properties
or interfere with farm animals, including the risk of exposing farm animals to
disease and stress as well as the risk of introducing contaminants into the
food supply;
(
b) protect
farm animals and the food supply chain from the risks described in clause (a);
(
c) protect
the safety of farmers, their families and persons working in or on farms,
animal processing facilities and prescribed premises as well as the safety of drivers
of motor vehicles transporting farm animals; and
(
d) prevent
any adverse effects the risks described in clause (
a) may have on Ontario’s
overall economy.
Definitions
2 In this Act,
“animal
processing facility” means a prescribed facility at which farm animals are processed
in a prescribed manner; (“installation de transformation d’animaux”)
“animal
protection zone”, with respect to a farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises, means an area on the farm, facility or premises on which farm
animals may be kept or located and that is,
(
a) an
enclosure for farm animals, whether or not it is marked as an animal protection
zone,
(
b) an area that meets prescribed
requirements and is marked as an animal protection zone by the owner or
occupier using signs in accordance with the regulations, or
(
c) an
area prescribed by the regulations as an animal protection zone for the
purposes of this Act; (“zone de protection des animaux”)
“farm
animal” means an animal that is raised, bred or kept on farms and is prescribed
by the regulations; (“animal délevage”)
“Minister”
means the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs or any other member
of the Executive Council to whom responsibility for the administration of this
Act is assigned or transferred under the Executive Council
Act ; (“ministre”)
“motor
vehicle” means a motor vehicle as defined in the Highway
Traffic Act ; (“véhicule automobile”)
“occupier” means, with respect to a farm
or animal processing facility,
(
a) a person who is in physical
possession of the farm or facility,
(
b) a person who has responsibility
for and control over the condition of the farm or facility, the activities
carried out on the farm or facility or the persons who are allowed to enter the
farm or facility, or
(
c) a person prescribed by the
regulations; (“occupant”)
“occupier” means, with respect to a
farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises,
(
a) a person who is in physical
possession of the farm, facility or premises,
(
b) a person who has responsibility
for and control over the condition of the farm, facility or premises, the
activities carried out on the farm, facility or premises or the persons who are
allowed to enter the farm, facility or premises, or
(
c) a person prescribed by the
regulations; (“occupant”)
“prescribed”
means prescribed by the regulations; (“prescrit”)
“prescribed
premises” means premises at which farm animals are kept that are prescribed for
the purposes of subsection 4 (3); (“lieu prescrit”)
“regulation”
means a regulation made under this Act. (“règlement”)
Application
3 This Act applies to all farms, animal processing facilities
and prescribed premises at which farm animals are kept except those farms,
animal processing facilities and prescribed premises that are exempted from the
Act by the regulations.
Existing
aboriginal or treaty rights
3.1 For greater certainty, nothing in this Act shall be
construed so as to abrogate or derogate from the protection provided for the
existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada as
recognized and affirmed in
section 35 of the Constitution
Act, 1982 .
Protecting
Farm Animals from Trespass and Interference
Prohibitions
re trespass, etc.
Animal
farms
(1) No person shall enter in or on an animal
protection zone on a farm without the prior consent of the owner or occupier of
the farm.
Processing
facilities
(2) No
person shall enter in or on an animal protection zone on an animal processing
facility without the prior consent of the owner or occupier of the facility.
Other
animal premises
(3) No
person shall enter in or on an animal protection zone on prescribed premises
without the prior consent of the owner or occupier of the premises.
interaction with farm animals
(4) No
person shall interfere or interact with a farm animal in or on an animal
protection zone on a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises,
or carry out a prescribed activity in or on the animal protection zone, without
the prior consent of the owner or occupier of the farm, facility or premises.
implied consent
(5) For
the purposes of subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4), prior consent of an owner or
occupier shall not be inferred by a person seeking to enter in or on an animal protection
zone referred to in those subsections, or to interfere or interact with a farm
animal or carry out a prescribed activity in or on the animal protection zone, solely
on the basis that,
(
a) the
owner or occupier has not prohibited the person directly, orally or in writing,
from entering the animal protection zone, from interfering or interacting with
a farm animal or carrying out the prescribed activity or has not otherwise
objected to the person’s presence; or
(
b) no
signs have been erected on the farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises
to restrict or prohibit the entry in or on the animal protection zone or the
interference, interaction or prescribed activity.
Consent
under duress, false pretences
(6) For
the purposes of subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4), consent to entering in or on
an animal protection zone, to interfering or interacting with farm animals or
to carrying out prescribed activities is invalid if it is obtained from the
owner or occupier of the relevant farm, animal processing facility or prescribed
premises using duress or under false pretences in the prescribed circumstances or for the prescribed
reasons and a consent so obtained shall be deemed not to have been
given.
Animal
protection zone signs
(7) No
person shall deface, alter, damage or remove any signs that have been posted on
a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises to demarcate an
animal protection zone or to prohibit or regulate access to or activities
carried out in or on animal protection zones.
Non-application
of Trespass to Property Act
(8) The
Trespass to Property Act does not apply to animal
protection zones to which this
section applies.
Prohibition
re transportation of farm animals
(1) No person shall stop, hinder, obstruct or
otherwise interfere with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals.
No interaction with farm animals
(2) No
person shall interfere or interact with a farm animal being transported by a motor
vehicle without the prior consent of the driver of the motor vehicle.
implied consent
(3) For
the purposes of subsection (2), prior consent of the driver of a motor vehicle
transporting farm animals shall not be inferred by a person seeking to interfere
or interact with a farm animal being transported solely on the basis that the
driver has not specifically prohibited the person from doing so.
Consent
under duress, false pretences
(4) For
the purposes of subsection (2), consent to interfering or interacting with a
farm animal is invalid if it is obtained from the driver of the motor vehicle
transporting the farm animal using duress or under false pretences in the prescribed circumstances or for
the prescribed reasons and a consent so obtained shall be deemed
not to have been given.
Exceptions,
prohibitions
6 The prohibitions in sections 4 and 5 do not apply to,
(
a) a
police officer, provincial officer or person employed to serve or execute a civil
process, including a sheriff, deputy sheriff, sheriff’s officer and a bailiff
of the Small Claims Court, if the person is acting in the course of their
duties;
(
b) a
firefighter, ambulance attendant, paramedic or other emergency personnel
prescribed by the regulations if the person is acting in the course of their
duties;
(
c) a person appointed under the Municipal Act, 2001 , the City of
Toronto Act, 2006 ,
an Act relating to animal
health or welfare or any other Act of Ontario or Canada to exercise a power
and who is acting in the course of their duties;
(
c) a person who is authorized,
appointed or designated to exercise a power or carry out a duty, and who is
acting in the course of exercising the power or carrying out the duty, under,
(
i) the Municipal
Act, 2001 ,
(ii) the City
of Toronto Act, 2006 ,
(iii) the Provincial
Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 ,
(iv) the Animal
Health Act, 2009 , or
(
v) any other Act of Ontario or
of Canada;
(c.1) a person who is authorized to
exercise a power or carry out a duty under the Animal Health Act, 2009
in relation to an order made under
section 23 or 24 of that Act and who is
acting in the course of exercising the power or carrying out the duty;
(
d) a
person acting pursuant to the Labour Relations Act, 1995
or the Agricultural Employees Protection Act, 2002 or
a person doing anything in connection with a lockout or a strike if the person
is permitted to do so by law; or
(d.1) a person lawfully exercising
existing aboriginal or treaty rights;
(
e) any
other person prescribed by the regulations acting in the circumstances that are
prescribed by the regulations.
Responses
by owner, occupier
(1) The owner or occupier of a farm, animal
processing facility or prescribed premises who finds a person in or on an animal
protection zone on the farm, facility or premises, in contravention of
subsection 4 (1), (2) or (3), or doing anything in contravention of subsection
4 (4) or (7) may, while the person
is still located on the farm, facility or premises,
(
a) request
that the person provide his or her name and address;
(
b) if
the person is doing anything in contravention of subsection 4 (4) or (7),
request that the person cease doing so;
(
c) request
that the person leave the premises; or
(
d) arrest
the person without a warrant.
Same,
Trespass to Property Act
(1.1) For greater certainty, nothing in clause (1)
(
d) shall be construed as giving an owner or occupier a right or ability to
make an arrest that is beyond, or otherwise greater than, what subsection 9
(1) of the Trespass to Property Act provides that a
person may do.
Compliance
with request
(2) A
person who receives a request under clause (1) (
b) or (
c) shall comply promptly
with the request.
Prohibition:
false or misleading information
(3) No
person shall provide false or misleading information in response to a request
for the person’s name and address made under clause (1) (a).
Arrest
by other person
(4) An
arrest under clause (1) (
d) may be carried out by a person authorized by the
owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises,
as the case may be, to do so on his or her behalf.
Responses
by driver
(1) The driver of a motor vehicle transporting
farm animals whose vehicle is stopped, hindered, obstructed or otherwise
interfered with in contravention of subsection 5 (1) or who finds a person interfering
or interacting with a farm animal being transported by the motor vehicle in
contravention of subsection 5 (2) may,
(
a) request
that the person cease stopping, hindering, obstructing or otherwise interfering
with the motor vehicle; or
(
b) request
that the person cease interfering or interacting with the farm animal.
Compliance
with request
(2) A
person who receives a request under clause (1) (
a) or (
b) shall promptly comply
with the request.
Requests
by other person
(3) A
request under clause (1) (
a) or (
b) may be made by a person authorized by the
driver to do so on his or her behalf.
Reasonable
force
9 The owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility
or prescribed premises, or any other person who carries out an arrest under
section
7, may use only such force as is necessary and reasonable in the circumstances
to carry out the arrest.
Delivery
of arrested person to police
(1) Where a person is arrested under
section 7,
the owner or occupier of the farm, animal processing facility or prescribed
premises, or such other person who made the arrest, shall promptly call for the
assistance of a police officer and give the person arrested into the custody of
the police officer.
Deemed
arrest
(2) A
police officer who receives custody of a person under subsection (1) shall be
deemed to have arrested the person for the purposes of the provisions relating
to the release, continued detention and bail of an arrested person under the Provincial Offences Act .
Prohibition,
interference
11 No person shall or shall attempt to stop, hinder, obstruct
or otherwise interfere with,
(
a) the
arrest of a person under
section 7; or
(
b) the
delivery of an arrested person to a police officer under subsection 10 (1).
Arrest
by police officers without warrant
(1) A police officer may arrest without a
warrant,
(
a) any
person found in or on an animal protection zone of a farm, animal processing
facility or prescribed premises, or any person found interfering or interacting
with a farm animal or carrying out a prescribed activity in or on the animal protection
zone, if the police officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that
the person is contravening subsection 4 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7);
(
b) any
person that stops, hinders, obstructs or otherwise interferes with a motor
vehicle transporting farm animals contrary to subsection 5 (1); or
(
c) any
person found interfering or interacting with a farm animal being transported by
a motor vehicle contrary to subsection 5 (2).
Arrest
of person who leaves the scene
(2) A
police officer may arrest a person without a warrant if the police officer
believes on reasonable and probable grounds that the person has committed an
offence under subsection 4 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7) or 5 (1) or (2) and has
recently departed the place where the offence was committed and,
(
a) the
person refuses to give the police officer his or her name and address; or
(
b) the
police officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that the name or
address given by the person is false or misleading.
Offences and Penalties
Offences
(1) Every person who contravenes any of the
following provisions is guilty of an offence:
1. Subsection
4 (1), (2), (3) or (4).
2. Subsection
4 (7).
3. Subsection
5 (1) or (2).
4. Subsection
7 (2) or (3).
5. Subsection
8 (2).
Section
Consent
under duress, false pretences
(2) Any
person who uses duress or false pretences in the prescribed circumstances or for the prescribed
reasons to obtain the consent of the owner or occupier of a farm,
animal processing facility or prescribed premises or the driver of a motor
vehicle transporting farm animals, to do anything that would otherwise be
prohibited under subsection 4 (1), (2), (3) or (4) or 5 (2) is guilty of an
offence.
Onus
of proof
(3) In
the prosecution of an offence under subsection 4 (1), (2), (3) or (4) or 5 (2),
(
a) the
consent of the owner or occupier of the farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises or the consent of the driver of the motor vehicle transporting
a farm animal, as the case may be, is presumed not to have been given; and
(
b) the
onus is on the person charged with the offence to prove on the balance of
probabilities that he or she obtained the consent of the owner or occupier or the
consent of the driver, as the case may be, before engaging in the conduct that
he or she is accused of doing without consent.
Same,
sign
(4) For
the purposes of subsection (3), consent is sufficiently proven if the defendant
establishes on the balance of probabilities that,
(
a) a
sign was posted at or near the animal protection zone on the farm, animal
processing facility or prescribed premises authorizing persons to enter in or
on the animal protection zone or authorizing the interference or interaction
with farm animals or the carrying out of the prescribed activity in or on the
animal protection zone; and
(
b) the
defendant reasonably believed that the sign authorized the defendant to enter
the animal protection zone on the farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises or to interfere or interact with the farm animal or to carry
out the prescribed activity in or on the animal protection zone.
Colour
of right as defence
(5) It
is a defence to a charge of contravening subsection 4 (1), (2), (3), (4) or
(7) that the person charged reasonably believed that he or she had title to or other
legal interest in an animal protection zone on the farm, animal processing
facility or prescribed premises that entitled him or her to enter the animal protection
zone or to do anything that is prohibited under subsection 4 (4) or (7).
Same,
s. 5 (2)
(6) It
is a defence to a charge of contravening subsection 5 (2) that the person
charged reasonably believed that he or she had title to or other legal interest
in the farm animal that entitled him or her to interfere or interact with the
farm animal.
Use of motor vehicle
(7) If
a motor vehicle is used to commit an offence under paragraph 1 or 3 of
subsection (1), the driver of the motor vehicle is guilty of an offence under
this Act.
Motor vehicle owner and driver liable
(8) If
the driver of a motor vehicle that is used to commit an offence under paragraph
1 or 3 of subsection (1) is not the owner of the motor vehicle, then, upon the
driver being found guilty of the offence, both the driver and the owner of the
motor vehicle shall be held jointly and severally liable to pay the fine payable
for the offence under
section 14 unless, at the time the offence was committed,
the motor vehicle was in the driver’s possession without the consent of the
owner.
Notice to motor vehicle owner
(9) Despite subsection (8),
the owner of a motor vehicle shall not be held jointly and severally liable to
pay a fine under that subsection unless notice that the motor vehicle was used
to commit the offence in question is provided to the owner by a police officer
promptly after the driver of the motor vehicle is charged with the offence.
Penalties
(1) A person who is found guilty of an offence
under subsection 13 (1) is liable on conviction to a fine of,
(
a) for
a first offence, not more than $15,000; and
(
b) for
any subsequent offence, not more than $25,000.
Increased
penalties
(2) If
a person is found guilty of an offence as a result of a contravention of
subsection 4 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7) or 5 (1) or (2) and the court finds that
the offence was committed in prescribed circumstances that resulted in an
increase to the gravity of the offence, the amount of the penalty may be
increased in accordance with the regulations.
Decision
not to increase
(3) If
a court determines that the amount of a penalty should not be increased despite
the existence of prescribed circumstances mentioned in subsection (2), the
court shall include the reasons for this determination in its decision.
Restitution
for damages
(1) If a person is found guilty of an offence as
a result of a contravention of subsection 4 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7) or 5
(1) or (2), the court may make a restitution order requiring the person found
guilty of the offence to pay damages to an owner or occupier of a farm, animal
processing facility or prescribed premises or to a driver of a motor vehicle
transporting farm animals for any injury, loss or damage suffered by the owner,
occupier or driver during or as a result of the commission of the offence,
including losses or damages resulting from a disease contracted by farm animals
as a result of the commission of the offence.
Restitution
order
(2) A
court shall make a restitution order under subsection (1) only if,
(
a) the
restitution order is requested by the prosecutor;
(
b) the
person who suffered the injury, loss or damage consents to the order being made;
and
(
c) the
injury, loss or damage that are the object of the restitution order are readily
ascertainable.
More than one trespasser
(2.1) Two or more persons who
entered in or on an animal protection zone together contrary to subsection 4
(1), (2) or (3) shall be jointly and severally liable for any damages payable
to the owner or occupier of the farm, animal processing facility or prescribed
premises pursuant to a restitution order made under subsection (1) if,
(
a) they have each been found guilty
of an offence under subsection 4 (1), (2) or (3);
(
b) the restitution order is made
against at least one of them; and
(
c) the injury, loss or damage that
are the object of the restitution order resulted from acts committed while the
persons were all together present in or on the animal protection zone contrary
to subsection 4 (1), (2) or (3).
Civil
action
(3) A
restitution order made under subsection (1) extinguishes the right of the
person who suffered the injury, loss or damage to bring a civil action for damages
against the person found guilty of the offence based on the same facts that led
to the conviction for the offence unless,
(
a) the
amount of damages ordered by the court in the restitution order is less than
the value of the injury, loss or damage actually suffered by the person; and
(
b) at
the time the restitution order was made, the court could not have reasonably
known the extent of the injury, loss or damage.
Same
(4) The
failure of a prosecutor to request a restitution order under subsection (1) or
a refusal by a court to make the order does not affect a right to bring a civil
action for damages arising out of the same facts.
Same
(5) If
a civil action for damages is brought against a person for the tort of
trespassing based on the same facts that resulted in the person being found
guilty of an offence under this Act, the conviction under this Act shall be sufficient
proof of the liability of the person in tort and the only issue to be
determined in the civil action shall be the quantum of damages for the tort.
Costs
of prosecution
16 Despite
section 60 of the Provincial
Offences Act , if a person is found guilty of an offence under this Act
in a prosecution conducted by a private prosecutor, the court shall make a
restitution order requiring the person found guilty of the offence to pay to
the prosecutor any costs actually and reasonably incurred in conducting the
prosecution.
Fines
with restitution
17 A restitution order under
section 15 or 16 may be made in
addition to any fine imposed under
section 14.
Enforcement
of restitution order
18 A restitution order made under
section 15 or 16 may be
filed in a court of competent jurisdiction and, on filing, shall be deemed to
be a judgement or order of that court for purposes of enforcement.
General
Limited
liability
(1) If a person enters in or on an animal protection
zone on a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises in
contravention of this Act, interferes or interacts with a farm animal or
carries out a prescribed activity in or on the animal protection zone in
contravention of this Act, the owner or occupier of the farm, facility or
premises shall not be liable for any injury, loss or damages suffered by that
person unless,
(
a) the
owner or occupier created a danger with the deliberate intent of doing harm or
damage to the person; or
(
b) the
injury, loss or damages were caused by actions taken by the owner or occupier
with wilful or reckless disregard for the presence of the person.
Same,
transportation of farm animals
(2) If
a person contravenes this Act by stopping, hindering, obstructing or otherwise
interfering with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals or by interfering or
interacting with a farm animal being transported on a motor vehicle, the driver
of the motor vehicle shall not be liable for any injury, loss or damages
suffered by that person unless,
(
a) the
driver created a danger with the deliberate intent of doing harm or damage to
the person; or
(
b) the
injury, loss or damages were caused by actions taken by the driver with wilful
or reckless disregard for the presence of the person.
Power
to arrest
(3) Nothing
in subsection (1) or (2) shall affect the right of an owner or occupier of a
farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises or of any other person to
carry out an arrest under
section 7, subject to the requirements set out in
section
Limitation
on proceedings
(1) No proceeding shall be commenced for an
offence under this Act on a day that is more than two years after,
(
a) the
day on which the offence was committed; or
(
b) subject
to subsection (2), the day on which evidence of the offence first came to the
attention of a police officer.
Same
(2) In
the case of an offence under this Act committed before the day this
section
comes into force, a proceeding for the offence shall be commenced no later than
two years after the day on which the offence was committed.
Common
law rights not affected
21 Nothing in this Act limits or affects any rights or
remedies the owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises may have at common law.
Regulations
22 The Minister may make regulations governing anything
necessary or advisable for the effective administration and enforcement of this
Act including,
(
a) prescribing
animal processing facilities for the purposes of this Act;
(
b) governing
animal protection zones to which this Act applies, determining the areas on a
farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises that may be marked using
signs as an animal protection zone by the owner or occupier of the farm,
facility or premises, respecting the manner in which such animal protection zones
may be marked and prescribing areas on a farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises as animal protection zones for the purposes of this Act;
(
c) prescribing
farm animals for the purposes of this Act and specifying animals that are not
farm animals for the purposes of this Act;
(
d) prescribing
persons who are occupiers for the purposes of clause (
c) of the definition of
“occupier” in
section 2;
(
e) exempting
farms, animal processing facilities and prescribed premises from the
application of all or part of this Act for the purposes of
section 3;
(
f) prescribing
premises at which farm animals are kept for the purposes of subsection 4 (3);
(
g) governing
interferences and interactions with farm animals that are prohibited under
subsection 4 (4) or 5 (2) including restricting, limiting or clarifying the
types of actions or gestures that are considered to be interferences or
interactions for the purposes of those subsections;
(g.1) prescribing circumstances and
reasons for the purposes of subsections 4 (6), 5 (4) and 13 (2);
(
h) prescribing
emergency personnel for the purposes of clause 6 (
b) and prescribing persons to
whom the prohibitions in
section 4 and 5 do not apply or circumstances for the
purposes of clause 6 (e);
(
i) governing
the increase in penalties under subsection 14 (2), including prescribing
circumstances that may increase the gravity of an offence for the purposes of
subsection 14 (2) and respecting the amount of the increase or the manner in
which the amount of the increase shall be determined;
(
j) defining
“farm” for the purposes of this Act;
(
k) prescribing
anything that this Act requires or authorizes to be prescribed or to be done in
accordance with the regulations.
Amendment, Commencement and
Short Title
Bill 136 — Provincial
Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019
(1) This
section applies only if Bill 136 ( Provincial Animal
Welfare Services Act, 2019 , introduced on October 29, 2019) receives
Royal Assent.
(2) References in this
section to the provisions of Bill 136 are references to those provisions as
they were numbered in the first reading version of the Bill.
(3) On
the later of the day
section 6 of this Act comes into force and the day
section
5 of Bill 136 comes into force, clause 6 (
c) of this Act is amended by striking
out “an Act relating to animal health or welfare” and substituting “the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 ”.
Commencement
24 This Act comes into force on a day to be named by
proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
Short
title
25 The
short title of this Act is Security
from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020 .
Bill 156 Original (PDF)
EXPLANATORY
NOTE
The
Bill is intended to protect farm animals, the food supply, farmers and others
from risks that are created when trespassers enter places where farm animals
are kept or when persons engage in unauthorized interactions with farm
animals. The risks include the risk of exposing farm animals to disease and
stress, as well as the risk of introducing contaminants into the food supply.
Animal
protection zones are defined in
section 2 of the Bill as areas on farms, animal
processing facilities and other prescribed premises on which farm animals may
be kept or located. Subsections 4 (1), (2) and (3) prohibit persons from
entering in or on the animal protection zones without the prior consent of the
owner or occupier of the farm, facility or premises. Subsection 4
(4) prohibits persons from interfering or interacting with farm animals in or on
the animal protection zones or from carrying out prescribed activities in or on
the animal protection zones without the prior consent of the owner or occupier
of the farm, facility or premises.
Section 5 prohibits persons from
interfering with a motor vehicle that is transporting farm animals and from
interfering or interacting with the farm animals in the motor vehicle without
the prior consent of the driver of the motor vehicle.
The
Bill provides that a consent is invalid if it is obtained using duress or under
false pretences.
Section
7 allows the owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises to take certain actions in situations where a person
trespasses on an animal protection zone, or does any of the things prohibited
section
Section 8 sets out the actions that the driver of a motor
vehicle transporting farm animals may take in situations where a person does
anything prohibited by
section
Section
14 sets the maximum fine at $15,000 for a first offence under the Act and
$25,000 for subsequent offences. That fine may be increased by a court in
certain prescribed circumstances that increase the gravity of the offence.
Section
15 provides that, if a person is found guilty of an offence under the Act, the
court may, in addition to imposing a fine under the Act, require the person
found guilty to pay restitution to the owner or occupier of a farm, animal
processing facility or prescribed premises or to the driver of a motor vehicle
for any injury, loss or damages suffered as a result of the commission of the
offence.
Section
20 sets out a two-year limitation period for the commencement of proceeding for
an offence under the Act. The two-year period begins on the later of the day
the offence was committed or the day on which evidence of the offence first
came to the attention of a police officer.
The
Bill sets out various provisions relating to the application and enforcement of
the Act and the power to make regulations.
Bill 156 2019
Act to protect Ontario’s farms and farm animals from trespassers
and other forms of interference and to prevent contamination of Ontario’s food supply
CONTENTS
Purposes,
Definitions and
Application
Purposes
Definitions
Application
Protecting Farm Animals from
Trespass and Interference
Prohibitions
re trespass, etc.
Prohibition
re transportation of farm animals
Exceptions,
law enforcement, etc.
Responses
by owner, occupier
Responses
by driver
Reasonable
force
Delivery
of arrested person to police
Prohibition,
interference
Arrest
by police officers without warrant
Offences and Penalties
Offences
Penalties
Restitution
for damages
Costs
of prosecution
Fines
with restitution
Enforcement
of restitution order
General
Limited
liability
Limitation
on proceedings
Common
law rights not affected
Regulations
Amendment, Commencement and
Short Title
Bill
136 — Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019
Commencement
Short
title
Her
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the
Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:
Purposes,
Definitions and Application
Purposes
1 The purposes of this Act are to prohibit trespassing on
farms and other properties on which farm animals are located and to prohibit other
interferences with farm animals in order to,
(
a) eliminate
or reduce the unique risks that are created when individuals trespass on those properties
or interfere with farm animals, including the risk of exposing farm animals to
disease and stress as well as the risk of introducing contaminants into the
food supply;
(
b) protect
farm animals and the food supply chain from the risks described in clause (a);
(
c) protect
the safety of farmers, their families and persons working in or on farms,
animal processing facilities and prescribed premises as well as the safety of drivers
of motor vehicles transporting farm animals; and
(
d) prevent
any adverse effects the risks described in clause (
a) may have on Ontario’s
overall economy.
Definitions
2 In this Act,
“animal
processing facility” means a prescribed facility at which farm animals are processed in a prescribed manner; (“installation de
transformation d’animaux”)
“animal
protection zone”, with respect to a farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises, means an area on the farm, facility or premises on which farm
animals may be kept or located and that is,
(
a) an
enclosure for farm animals, whether or not it is marked as an animal protection
zone,
(
b) an area that meets prescribed
requirements and is marked as an animal protection zone by the owner or
occupier using signs in accordance with the regulations, or
(
c) an
area prescribed by the regulations as an animal protection zone for the
purposes of this Act; (“zone de protection des animaux”)
“farm
animal” means an animal that is raised, bred or kept on farms and is prescribed
by the regulations; (“animal délevage”)
“Minister”
means the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs or any other member
of the Executive Council to whom responsibility for the administration of this
Act is assigned or transferred under the Executive Council
Act ; (“ministre”)
“motor
vehicle” means a motor vehicle as defined in the Highway
Traffic Act ; (“véhicule automobile”)
“occupier”
means, with respect to a farm or animal processing facility,
(
a) a
person who is in physical possession of the farm or facility,
(
b) a
person who has responsibility for and control over the condition of the farm or
facility, the activities carried out on the farm or facility or the persons who
are allowed to enter the farm or facility, or
(
c) a
person prescribed by the regulations; (“occupant”)
“prescribed”
means prescribed by the regulations; (“prescrit”)
“prescribed
premises” means premises at which farm animals are kept that are prescribed for
the purposes of subsection 4 (3); (“lieu prescrit”)
“regulation”
means a regulation made under this Act. (“règlement”)
Application
3 This Act applies to all farms, animal processing facilities
and prescribed premises at which farm animals are kept except those farms,
animal processing facilities and prescribed premises that are exempted from the
Act by the regulations.
Protecting Farm Animals from Trespass and Interference
Prohibitions
re trespass, etc.
Animal
farms
(1) No person shall enter in or on an animal
protection zone on a farm without the prior consent of the owner or occupier of
the farm.
Processing
facilities
(2) No
person shall enter in or on an animal protection zone on an animal processing
facility without the prior consent of the owner or occupier of the facility.
Other
animal premises
(3) No
person shall enter in or on an animal protection zone on prescribed premises
without the prior consent of the owner or occupier of the premises.
interaction with farm animals
(4) No
person shall interfere or interact with a farm animal in or on an animal
protection zone on a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises,
or carry out a prescribed activity in or on the animal protection zone, without
the prior consent of the owner or occupier of the farm, facility or premises.
implied consent
(5) For
the purposes of subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4), prior consent of an owner or
occupier shall not be inferred by a person seeking to enter in or on an animal protection
zone referred to in those subsections, or to interfere or interact with a farm
animal or carry out a prescribed activity in or on the animal protection zone, solely
on the basis that,
(
a) the
owner or occupier has not prohibited the person directly, orally or in writing,
from entering the animal protection zone, from interfering or interacting with
a farm animal or carrying out the prescribed activity or has not otherwise
objected to the person’s presence; or
(
b) no
signs have been erected on the farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises
to restrict or prohibit the entry in or on the animal protection zone or the
interference, interaction or prescribed activity.
Consent
under duress, false pretences
(6) For
the purposes of subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4), consent to entering in or on
an animal protection zone, to interfering or interacting with farm animals or
to carrying out prescribed activities is invalid if it is obtained from the
owner or occupier of the relevant farm, animal processing facility or prescribed
premises using duress or under false pretences and a consent so obtained shall
be deemed not to have been given.
Animal
protection zone signs
(7) No
person shall deface, alter, damage or remove any signs that have been posted on
a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises to demarcate an
animal protection zone or to prohibit or regulate access to or activities
carried out in or on animal protection zones.
Non-application
of Trespass to Property Act
(8) The
Trespass to Property Act does not apply to animal
protection zones to which this
section applies.
Prohibition
re transportation of farm animals
(1) No person shall stop, hinder, obstruct or
otherwise interfere with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals.
No interaction with farm animals
(2) No
person shall interfere or interact with a farm animal being transported by a motor
vehicle without the prior consent of the driver of the motor vehicle.
implied consent
(3) For
the purposes of subsection (2), prior consent of the driver of a motor vehicle
transporting farm animals shall not be inferred by a person seeking to interfere
or interact with a farm animal being transported solely on the basis that the
driver has not specifically prohibited the person from doing so.
Consent
under duress, false pretences
(4) For
the purposes of subsection (2), consent to interfering or interacting with a
farm animal is invalid if it is obtained from the driver of the motor vehicle transporting
the farm animal using duress or under false pretences and a consent so obtained
shall be deemed not to have been given.
Exceptions,
law enforcement, etc.
6 The prohibitions in sections 4 and 5 do not apply to,
(
a) a
police officer, provincial officer or person employed to serve or execute a civil
process, including a sheriff, deputy sheriff, sheriff’s officer and a bailiff
of the Small Claims Court, if the person is acting in the course of their
duties;
(
b) a
firefighter, ambulance attendant, paramedic or other emergency personnel
prescribed by the regulations if the person is acting in the course of their
duties;
(
c) a
person appointed under the Municipal Act, 2001 , the
City of Toronto Act, 2006 , an
Act relating to animal health or welfare or any other Act of Ontario or
Canada to exercise a power and who is acting in the course of their duties;
(
d) a
person acting pursuant to the Labour Relations Act, 1995
or the Agricultural Employees Protection Act, 2002 or
a person doing anything in connection with a lockout or a strike if the person
is permitted to do so by law; or
(
e) any
other person prescribed by the regulations acting in the circumstances that are
prescribed by the regulations.
Responses
by owner, occupier
(1) The owner or occupier of a farm, animal
processing facility or prescribed premises who finds a person in or on an animal
protection zone on the farm, facility or premises, in contravention of
subsection 4 (1), (2) or (3), or doing anything in contravention of subsection
4 (4) or (7) may,
(
a) request
that the person provide his or her name and address;
(
b) if
the person is doing anything in contravention of subsection 4 (4) or (7),
request that the person cease doing so;
(
c) request
that the person leave the premises; or
(
d) arrest
the person without a warrant.
Compliance
with request
(2) A
person who receives a request under clause (1) (
b) or (
c) shall comply promptly
with the request.
Prohibition:
false or misleading information
(3) No
person shall provide false or misleading information in response to a request
for the person’s name and address made under clause (1) (a).
Arrest
by other person
(4) An
arrest under clause (1) (
d) may be carried out by a person authorized by the
owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises,
as the case may be, to do so on his or her behalf.
Responses
by driver
(1) The driver of a motor vehicle transporting
farm animals whose vehicle is stopped, hindered, obstructed or otherwise
interfered with in contravention of subsection 5 (1) or who finds a person interfering
or interacting with a farm animal being transported by the motor vehicle in
contravention of subsection 5 (2) may,
(
a) request
that the person cease stopping, hindering, obstructing or otherwise interfering
with the motor vehicle; or
(
b) request
that the person cease interfering or interacting with the farm animal.
Compliance
with request
(2) A
person who receives a request under clause (1) (
a) or (
b) shall promptly comply
with the request.
Requests
by other person
(3) A
request under clause (1) (
a) or (
b) may be made by a person authorized by the
driver to do so on his or her behalf.
Reasonable
force
9 The owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility
or prescribed premises, or any other person who carries out an arrest under
section
7, may use only such force as is necessary and reasonable in the circumstances
to carry out the arrest.
Delivery
of arrested person to police
(1) Where a person is arrested under
section 7,
the owner or occupier of the farm, animal processing facility or prescribed
premises, or such other person who made the arrest, shall promptly call for the
assistance of a police officer and give the person arrested into the custody of
the police officer.
Deemed
arrest
(2) A
police officer who receives custody of a person under subsection (1) shall be
deemed to have arrested the person for the purposes of the provisions relating
to the release, continued detention and bail of an arrested person under the Provincial Offences Act .
Prohibition,
interference
11 No person shall or shall attempt to stop, hinder, obstruct
or otherwise interfere with,
(
a) the
arrest of a person under
section 7; or
(
b) the
delivery of an arrested person to a police officer under subsection 10 (1).
Arrest
by police officers without warrant
(1) A police officer may arrest without a
warrant,
(
a) any
person found in or on an animal protection zone of a farm, animal processing
facility or prescribed premises, or any person found interfering or interacting
with a farm animal or carrying out a prescribed activity in or on the animal protection
zone, if the police officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that
the person is contravening subsection 4 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7);
(
b) any
person that stops, hinders, obstructs or otherwise interferes with a motor
vehicle transporting farm animals contrary to subsection 5 (1); or
(
c) any
person found interfering or interacting with a farm animal being transported by
a motor vehicle contrary to subsection 5 (2).
Arrest
of person who leaves the scene
(2) A
police officer may arrest a person without a warrant if the police officer
believes on reasonable and probable grounds that the person has committed an
offence under subsection 4 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7) or 5 (1) or (2) and has
recently departed the place where the offence was committed and,
(
a) the
person refuses to give the police officer his or her name and address; or
(
b) the
police officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that the name or
address given by the person is false or misleading.
Offences and Penalties
Offences
(1) Every person who contravenes any of the
following provisions is guilty of an offence:
1. Subsection
4 (1), (2), (3) or (4).
2. Subsection
4 (7).
3. Subsection
5 (1) or (2).
4. Subsection
7 (2) or (3).
5. Subsection
8 (2).
Section
Consent
under duress, false pretences
(2) Any
person who uses duress or false pretences to obtain the consent of the owner or
occupier of a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises or the
driver of a motor vehicle transporting farm animals, to do anything that would
otherwise be prohibited under subsection 4 (1), (2), (3) or (4) or 5 (2) is
guilty of an offence.
Onus
of proof
(3) In
the prosecution of an offence under subsection 4 (1), (2), (3) or (4) or 5 (2),
(
a) the
consent of the owner or occupier of the farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises or the consent of the driver of the motor vehicle transporting
a farm animal, as the case may be, is presumed not to have been given; and
(
b) the
onus is on the person charged with the offence to prove on the balance of
probabilities that he or she obtained the consent of the owner or occupier or the
consent of the driver, as the case may be, before engaging in the conduct that
he or she is accused of doing without consent.
Same,
sign
(4) For
the purposes of subsection (3), consent is sufficiently proven if the defendant
establishes on the balance of probabilities that,
(
a) a
sign was posted at or near the animal protection zone on the farm, animal
processing facility or prescribed premises authorizing persons to enter in or
on the animal protection zone or authorizing the interference or interaction
with farm animals or the carrying out of the prescribed activity in or on the
animal protection zone; and
(
b) the
defendant reasonably believed that the sign authorized the defendant to enter
the animal protection zone on the farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises or to interfere or interact with the farm animal or to carry
out the prescribed activity in or on the animal protection zone.
Colour
of right as defence
(5) It
is a defence to a charge of contravening subsection 4 (1), (2), (3), (4) or
(7) that the person charged reasonably believed that he or she had title to or other
legal interest in an animal protection zone on the farm, animal processing
facility or prescribed premises that entitled him or her to enter the animal protection
zone or to do anything that is prohibited under subsection 4 (4) or (7).
Same,
s. 5 (2)
(6) It
is a defence to a charge of contravening subsection 5 (2) that the person
charged reasonably believed that he or she had title to or other legal interest
in the farm animal that entitled him or her to interfere or interact with the
farm animal.
Use of motor vehicle
(7) If
a motor vehicle is used to commit an offence under paragraph 1 or 3 of
subsection (1), the driver of the motor vehicle is guilty of an offence under
this Act.
Motor vehicle owner and driver liable
(8) If
the driver of a motor vehicle that is used to commit an offence under paragraph
1 or 3 of subsection (1) is not the owner of the motor vehicle, then, upon the
driver being found guilty of the offence, both the driver and the owner of the
motor vehicle shall be held jointly and severally liable to pay the fine payable
for the offence under
section 14 unless, at the time the offence was committed,
the motor vehicle was in the driver’s possession without the consent of the
owner.
Penalties
(1) A person who is found guilty of an offence
under subsection 13 (1) is liable on conviction to a fine of,
(
a) for
a first offence, not more than $15,000; and
(
b) for
any subsequent offence, not more than $25,000.
Increased
penalties
(2) If
a person is found guilty of an offence as a result of a contravention of
subsection 4 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7) or 5 (1) or (2) and the court finds that
the offence was committed in prescribed circumstances that resulted in an
increase to the gravity of the offence, the amount of the penalty may be
increased in accordance with the regulations.
Decision
not to increase
(3) If
a court determines that the amount of a penalty should not be increased despite
the existence of prescribed circumstances mentioned in subsection (2), the
court shall include the reasons for this determination in its decision.
Restitution
for damages
(1) If a person is found guilty of an offence as
a result of a contravention of subsection 4 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7) or 5
(1) or (2), the court may make a restitution order requiring the person found
guilty of the offence to pay damages to an owner or occupier of a farm, animal
processing facility or prescribed premises or to a driver of a motor vehicle
transporting farm animals for any injury, loss or damage suffered by the owner,
occupier or driver during or as a result of the commission of the offence,
including losses or damages resulting from a disease contracted by farm animals
as a result of the commission of the offence.
Same
(2) A
court shall make a restitution order under subsection (1) only if,
(
a) the
restitution order is requested by the prosecutor;
(
b) the
person who suffered the injury, loss or damage consents to the order being made;
and
(
c) the
injury, loss or damage that are the object of the restitution order are readily
ascertainable.
Civil
action
(3) A
restitution order made under subsection (1) extinguishes the right of the
person who suffered the injury, loss or damage to bring a civil action for
damages against the person found guilty of the offence based on the same facts
that led to the conviction for the offence unless,
(
a) the
amount of damages ordered by the court in the restitution order is less than
the value of the injury, loss or damage actually suffered by the person; and
(
b) at
the time the restitution order was made, the court could not have reasonably
known the extent of the injury, loss or damage.
Same
(4) The
failure of a prosecutor to request a restitution order under subsection (1) or
a refusal by a court to make the order does not affect a right to bring a civil
action for damages arising out of the same facts.
Same
(5) If
a civil action for damages is brought against a person for the tort of
trespassing based on the same facts that resulted in the person being found
guilty of an offence under this Act, the conviction under this Act shall be sufficient
proof of the liability of the person in tort and the only issue to be
determined in the civil action shall be the quantum of damages for the tort.
Costs
of prosecution
16 Despite
section 60 of the Provincial
Offences Act , if a person is found guilty of an offence under this Act
in a prosecution conducted by a private prosecutor, the court shall make a
restitution order requiring the person found guilty of the offence to pay to
the prosecutor any costs actually and reasonably incurred in conducting the
prosecution.
Fines
with restitution
17 A restitution order under
section 15 or 16 may be made in
addition to any fine imposed under
section 14.
Enforcement
of restitution order
18 A restitution order made under
section 15 or 16 may be
filed in a court of competent jurisdiction and, on filing, shall be deemed to be
a judgement or order of that court for purposes of enforcement.
General
Limited
liability
(1) If a person enters in or on an animal protection
zone on a farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises in
contravention of this Act, interferes or interacts with a farm animal or
carries out a prescribed activity in or on the animal protection zone in
contravention of this Act, the owner or occupier of the farm, facility or
premises shall not be liable for any injury, loss or damages suffered by that
person unless,
(
a) the
owner or occupier created a danger with the deliberate intent of doing harm or
damage to the person; or
(
b) the
injury, loss or damages were caused by actions taken by the owner or occupier
with wilful or reckless disregard for the presence of the person.
Same,
transportation of farm animals
(2) If
a person contravenes this Act by stopping, hindering, obstructing or otherwise
interfering with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals or by interfering or
interacting with a farm animal being transported on a motor vehicle, the driver
of the motor vehicle shall not be liable for any injury, loss or damages
suffered by that person unless,
(
a) the
driver created a danger with the deliberate intent of doing harm or damage to
the person; or
(
b) the
injury, loss or damages were caused by actions taken by the driver with wilful
or reckless disregard for the presence of the person.
Power
to arrest
(3) Nothing
in subsection (1) or (2) shall affect the right of an owner or occupier of a
farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises or of any other person to
carry out an arrest under
section 7, subject to the requirements set out in
section
Limitation
on proceedings
(1) No proceeding shall be commenced for an
offence under this Act on a day that is more than two years after,
(
a) the
day on which the offence was committed; or
(
b) subject
to subsection (2), the day on which evidence of the offence first came to the
attention of a police officer.
Same
(2) In
the case of an offence under this Act committed before the day this
section
comes into force, a proceeding for the offence shall be commenced no later than
two years after the day on which the offence was committed.
Common
law rights not affected
21 Nothing in this Act limits or affects any rights or
remedies the owner or occupier of a farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises may have at common law.
Regulations
22 The Minister may make regulations governing anything
necessary or advisable for the effective administration and enforcement of this
Act including,
(
a) prescribing
animal processing facilities for the purposes of this Act;
(
b) governing
animal protection zones to which this Act applies, determining the areas on a
farm, animal processing facility or prescribed premises that may be marked using
signs as an animal protection zone by the owner or occupier of the farm,
facility or premises, respecting the manner in which such animal protection zones
may be marked and prescribing areas on a farm, animal processing facility or
prescribed premises as animal protection zones for the purposes of this Act;
(
c) prescribing
farm animals for the purposes of this Act and specifying animals that are not
farm animals for the purposes of this Act;
(
d) prescribing
persons who are occupiers for the purposes of clause (
c) of the definition of
“occupier” in
section 2;
(
e) exempting
farms, animal processing facilities and prescribed premises from the
application of all or part of this Act for the purposes of
section 3;
(
f) prescribing
premises at which farm animals are kept for the purposes of subsection 4 (3);
(
g) governing
interferences and interactions with farm animals that are prohibited under
subsection 4 (4) or 5 (2) including restricting, limiting or clarifying the
types of actions or gestures that are considered to be interferences or
interactions for the purposes of those subsections;
(
h) prescribing
emergency personnel for the purposes of clause 6 (
b) and prescribing persons to
whom the prohibitions in
section 4 and 5 do not apply or circumstances for the
purposes of clause 6 (e);
(
i) governing
the increase in penalties under subsection 14 (2), including prescribing
circumstances that may increase the gravity of an offence for the purposes of
subsection 14 (2) and respecting the amount of the increase or the manner in
which the amount of the increase shall be determined;
(
j) defining
“farm” for the purposes of this Act;
(
k) prescribing
anything that this Act requires or authorizes to be prescribed or to be done in
accordance with the regulations.
Amendment, Commencement and
Short Title
Bill
136 — Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019
(1) This
section applies only if Bill 136 ( Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 , introduced
on October 29, 2019) receives Royal Assent.
(2) References
in this
section to the provisions of Bill 136 are references to those
provisions as they were numbered in the first reading version of the Bill.
(3) On the later of the day
section
6 of this Act comes into force and the day
section 5 of Bill 136 comes into
force, clause 6 (
c) of this Act is amended by striking out “an Act relating to
animal health or welfare” and substituting “the Provincial
Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 ”.
Commencement
24 This Act comes into force on a day to be named by
proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
Short
title
25 The
short title of this Act is Security
from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2019 .
Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee
June 18, 2020
Royal Assent
Royal Assent received
June 17, 2020
Third Reading
Vote
Carried on division
June 16, 2020
Third Reading
Deferred vote
June 16, 2020
Third Reading
Debated
June 16, 2020
Second Reading
Ordered for Third Reading pursuant to the Order of the House
June 16, 2020
Second Reading
Reported as amended
June 12, 2020
Second Reading
Consideration of a Bill
Standing Committee on General Government
June 9, 2020
Second Reading
Consideration of a Bill
Standing Committee on General Government
June 8, 2020
Second Reading
Consideration of a Bill
Standing Committee on General Government
June 2, 2020
Second Reading
Motion to arrange proceedings
March 19, 2020
Second Reading
Time allocation rescinded
March 11, 2020
Second Reading
Time allocated
March 9, 2020
Second Reading
Ordered referred to Standing Committee
Standing Committee on General Government
March 9, 2020
Second Reading
Discharge the Order of referral to Committee
March 4, 2020
Second Reading
Ordered referred to Standing Committee
Standing Committee on Justice Policy
March 4, 2020
Second Reading
Vote
Carried on division
March 4, 2020
Second Reading
Debated
February 20, 2020
Second Reading
Debated
February 20, 2020
Second Reading
Debated
February 18, 2020
Second Reading
Debated
December 11, 2019
Second Reading
Debated
December 10, 2019
Second Reading
Debated
December 2, 2019
First Reading
Vote
Carried
Debates and Progress
First Reading
December 2, 2019
Committee
Second Reading
December 10, 2019
Principal Debaters :
Hon. Ernie Hardeman, Mr. Randy Pettapiece, Mr. Toby Barrett, Mr. John Vanthof
Questions and Comments :
Ms. Goldie Ghamari, Mr. Dave Smith, Mr. Stephen Crawford, Mr. Robert Bailey
December 11, 2019
Principal Debaters :
Ms. Goldie Ghamari, Mr. Taras Natyshak
Questions and Comments :
Mr. Dave Smith, Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong, Hon. Lisa MacLeod, Miss Monique Taylor, Mr. John Vanthof, Mr. Jeremy Roberts, Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto, Mr. Vincent Ke, Mr. Amarjot Sandhu
February 18, 2020
Principal Debaters :
Mr. Robert Bailey, Ms. Catherine Fife, Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios, Mr. Gurratan Singh, Mr. Lorne Coe
Questions and Comments :
Mr. John Vanthof, Ms. Goldie Ghamari, Mr. Norman Miller, Mrs. Robin Martin, Hon. Lisa M. Thompson, Mr. Toby Barrett, Mr. Sol Mamakwa, Mr. Dave Smith, Ms. Jane McKenna, Mr. Paul Miller, Ms. Donna Skelly
February 20, 2020
Principal Debaters :
M. Guy Bourgouin, Mr. Jeff Burch, Mr. Jim McDonell, Ms. Andrea Khanjin, Ms. Lindsey Park, Mr. Dave Smith, Hon. Bill Walker, Mr. Gilles Bisson, Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong, Hon. Laurie Scott
Questions and Comments :
Mrs. Nina Tangri, Mr. John Vanthof, Ms. Christine Hogarth, Mr. Logan Kanapathi, Mr. Aris Babikian, Mr. Percy Hatfield, Mrs. Nina Tangri, Ms. Peggy Sattler, Mr. Mike Harris, Mr. Randy Pettapiece, Mr. Lorne Coe, Mr. Deepak Anand, Mr. Aris Babikian, Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria
February 20, 2020 (Continued)
March 4, 2020
Principal Debaters :
Hon. Steve Clark
Questions and Comments :
Mr. Sam Oosterhoff, Mr. Gilles Bisson, Ms. Catherine Fife, Mr. Mike Harris, Ms. Parm Gill
Vote deferred
March 4, 2020
Carried on recorded division. Referred to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy.
March 9, 2020
Order of referral to Standing Committee on Justice Policy discharged. Referred to the Standing Committee on General Government.
Time Allocation
March 10, 2020
Hon. Paul Calandra, Mr. Gilles Bisson, Hon. Ernie Hardeman, Miss Monique Taylor, Mr. Toby Barrett, Ms. Catherine Fife, Mr. Randy Pettapiece, Mr. John Vanthof
Vote deferred.
Time Allocation
March 11, 2020
Carried on recorded division.
Motion to Arrange Proceedings
March 19, 2020
The order of the House allocating time rescinded.
Motion to Arrange Proceedings
May 27, 2020
Ms. Andrea Khanjin, Ms. Peggy Sattler
June 2, 2020
Mr. John Fraser, Mr. Sam Oosterhoff, Mr. Gilles Bisson, Mr. Vijay Thanigasalam
Vote deferred
June 2, 2020
Carried on recorded division.
Committee
Standing Committee on General Government
June 8, 2020
June 9, 2020
June 12, 2020
June 16, 2020
Reported to the House as amended. Ordered for third reading pursuant to the orderd of the House.
Third Reading
June 16, 2020
Principal Debaters :
Hon. Ernie Hardeman, Mr. Randy Pettapiece, Mr. Gurratan Singh, Mr. John Vanthof, Mr. Mike Schreiner, Mr. Daryl Kramp, Mr. Toby Barrett
Questions and Comments :
Mr. Percy Hatfield, Mrs. Gila Martow, Mr. Rick Nicholls, Mr. Jamie West, Hon. Paul Calandra, Ms. Jessica Bell, Mr. Gilles Bisson, Mr. Dave Smith, Mr. Robert Bailey, Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto, Mr. Michael Parsa, Ms. Marit Stiles, Ms. Goldie Ghamari, Ms. Rima Berns-McGown, Ms. Doly Begum, Mr. Guy Bourgouin
Vote deferred.
June 17, 2020
Carried on recorded division.
Royal Assent
Thursday, June 18, 2020
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