Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) supports Aboriginal people (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) and Northerners in their efforts to: improve social well-being and economic prosperity; develop healthier, more sustainable communities; and participate more fully in Canada’s political, social and economic development — to the benefit of all Canadians.
LawNow is a bi-monthly digital public legal education magazine which has been published by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta for 40 years. Its articles and columns are written in plain language take a practical look at how the law relates to the every day lives of Canadians. In each issue, LawNow’s aboriginal law column takes a look at a specific topic in this area of law and explains it clearly and concisely.
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) administers many pieces of legislation, either in whole or in part. AANDC also develops and enforces regulations under authority delegated by the legislation that directly impacts First Nations, Inuit, Metis and Northerners.
The act outlining the rights and responsibilities of people living in “common law” relationships (not marriages) or who have signed an interdependent relationship agreement.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) provides information, research and technology, and policies and programs to achieve security of the food system, health of the environment and innovation for growth. AAFC, along with its portfolio partners, reports to Parliament and Canadians through the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board.
The Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre is a Canadian non-governmental, non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Calgary which undertakes research on contemporary civil liberties and human rights issues that are of concern to Albertans. The projects are diverse – from proposals for reform of human rights legislation, to a report on citizen complaints about police conduct, to a manual for lawyers who represent mentally disabled clients. Staff and volunteers make presentations on a wide range of civil liberties and human rights topics.
A searchable database of Alberta judgments can be found on CanLii. For official versions of judgments, copies of the original court files may be obtained through the Alberta Courts. For more information, see the appropriate level of court:
Court of Appeal judgments;
Court of King’s Bench judgments;
Alberta Court of Justice judgments
This resource is provided by Alberta Law Libraries. Provides information on finding provincial, federal, and internation cases.
The Alberta Law Reform Institute is the official law reform agency for the province of Alberta. It provides independent comprehensive advice to the Government of Alberta and other agencies to ensure that the law and administration of justice are kept up to date and serve Albertans to the best extent possible.
The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) represents Alberta’s 277 urban municipalities including cities, towns, villages, summer villages, and specialized municipalities, as well as Associate and Affiliate members. Their website features toolkits that can be used by municipalities within Alberta when addressing challenges such as creating welcoming and inclusive communities, providing affordable housing, and engaging citizens in the decision-making process.
The British Columbia Law Institute was created in January 1997 by incorporation under the Provincial Society Act. The broad purposes of the Institute, described in Article 2 of its Constitution, are to: promote the clarification and simplification of the law and its adaptation to modern social needs, promote improvement of the administration of justice and respect for the rule of law, and promote and carry out scholarly legal research. The website of the British Columbia Law Institute provides access to an invaluable database of law reform materials from common law jurisdictions around the world.
Provincial database containing all the Bills introduced in Legislation by Session year.
On this website from the Legislative Assembly of Alberta you can find Bills and Amendments, Bill Status Report, Archived Bills, Daily Activity, Archived Reports, and a Private Bills Guide.
This booklet provides information on the rules and regulations enacted by cities and provincial law with regard to tickets and fines.
From the Great Library of the Law Society of Upper Canada, this web page provides annotated links to case law as well as case-related services and information available mainly on the websites of Alberta courts and administrative tribunals.
The Agency protects consumers by contributing to food safety, the protection of plants and the health of animals in Canada. Food safety and consumer protection are essential to the health of Canadians. Inspection and verification of importers and exporters enhance the level of confidence in agricultural inputs, animal and plant health and food safety, elements essential to marketplace confidence. The legislative authorities provide health, social and economic benefits for all Canadians.
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), a Special Operating Agency (SOA) associated with Industry Canada, is responsible for the administration and processing of the greater part of intellectual property in Canada. Topics covered include: Patents, Trade-marks, Copyright, Industrial designs, and Integrated circuit topographies.
The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) was established at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law in the fall of 2003. Through student-centered research and advocacy, the clinic represents consumer and other public interests in such areas as intellectual property, consumer protection in e-commerce, domain name governance, personal information protection and privacy.
Founded in 1978, the Canadian Study of Parliament Group (CSPG) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that brings together parliamentary experts, academics, and public servants with an interest in the role, function and reform of parliamentary institutions. The CSPG organizes and undertakes various events and research publications that foster discussion and enhance knowledge of parliamentary government.
CanLII (Canadian Legal Information Institute) is a free, non-profit online database that makes Canadian law publicly accessible. For Alberta specifically, the site provides free access to Alberta’s consolidated statutes and regulations, court decisions from all three levels of Alberta courts (Provincial Court, Court of King’s Bench, and Court of Appeal), and decisions from provincial tribunals — all searchable and up to date.
The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) is a not-for-profit organization initiated by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. CanLII’s goal is to make primary sources of Canadian law accessible for free on the Internet. CanLII seeks to gather legislative and judicial texts, as well as legal commentaries, from federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions on a single Web site.
Although legalization is a federal decision, provinces and municipalities are responsible for setting rules with respect to cannabis consumption. This page summarizes the rules set by both the Province of Alberta and by the city of Calgary for cannabis smoking within the City of Calgary. The Calgary Bylaw regulates where smoking is permitted in public places: this includes tobacco, vaping and cannabis. Whether you are smoking cannabis for recreational or for medical purposes, everyone is expected to respect the same rules for where you can smoke.
Information about cannabis, process of legalization, cannabis in provinces and territories, and driving laws.
Although legalization is a federal decision, provinces and municipalities are responsible for setting rules with respect to cannabis consumption. This page summarizes the rules set by both the Province of Alberta and by Edmonton City Council for cannabis smoking and vaping within the City of Edmonton. The City of Edmonton’s Public Places Bylaw regulates where smoking is permitted in public places: this includes tobacco, vaping and cannabis. Whether you are smoking cannabis for recreational or for medical purposes, everyone is expected to respect the same rules for where you can smoke.
This information is written for new and long-term Calgarians, homeowners or tenants looking for more information about their responsibilities within their neighbourhood. It is a quick reference to help you get started. See also: the Good Neighbour Practices Reference Guide which is an overview of municipal bylaws governing neighbourhood issues.
This consolidation contains the text of the Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly the British North America Act, 1867), together with amendments made to it since its enactment, and the text of the Constitution Act, 1982, as amended since its enactment. The Constitution Act, 1982 contains the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and other provisions, including the procedure for amending the Constitution of Canada.
Consulting with Canadians is a website from the government of Canada that provides you with a “single-window” access to a listing of consultations from selected government departments and agencies. You can view current and past consultations by date, by department and by subject and topic.
Service Canada offers single-window access to a wide range of Government of Canada programs and services. For general enquiries call toll-free 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232), Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., your local time. In addition, this web page provides contact information for a variety of specific programs and services.
The Criminal Code of Canada (C-46) provided by the Department of Justice Canada. This Act is also available to download as a PDF.
This federal government website details a legislative plan to strengthen accountability in government through democratic reform.
The Department of Justice fulfills three distinctive roles within the Government of Canada. It acts as: a policy department with broad responsibilities for overseeing all matters relating to the administration of justice that fall within the federal domain; a provider of legal advisory, litigation and legislative services to government departments and agencies; and a central agency responsible for supporting the Minister in advising Cabinet on all legal matters.
The Privy Council Office has created an online database that allows users to search for federal Orders in Council (OICs) made between 1990 and the present. Check it out here if you are looking for a Federal Order in Council.
The Alberta Law Libraries provides links to the municipal bylaws pages for the following locations:
Liaising between the government and Alberta’s Francophonie, the Francophone Secretariat coordinates and implements the French Policy.
If there is a topic that is of interest to you, or if you have seen a public consultation advertised, you can use the links in this webpage to find more information. You can also check the individual ministry websites for consultation information.
unThis page from the Labour Program of Employment and Social Development Canada outlines the laws that govern federally regulated workplaces.
This Guide describes the steps to be followed to transform policy into Federal Acts and regulations, which are forms of written law generally referred to as “legislation.” It also outlines the roles of the participants in this process. The Guide also serves as a reference for those already involved in law-making and as a training tool for those who are becoming involved for the first time.
Canada’s parliamentary system is open and democratic. It offers the opportunity for people to give their input and it is designed to make sure proposals for laws are carefully considered. Canada’s Parliament consists of three parts: the King, the Senate and the House of Commons. They work together to make the laws for our country. This guide provides an overview of the following topics: The Canadian Parliament, Who’s Who in the House, A Working Day in the Commons Chamber, Parliamentary Highlights, Making Canada’s Laws,The Role of a Member of Parliament, and Being Part of Parliament.
Hansard provides transcripts of Parliamentary debates. Searchable by date or by Parliamentary Session.
This web page from the Labour Program of the government of Canada contains information on the following: workplace safety; prevention; workkers compensation; ; compliance policy; and mental health in the workplace.
The following guide will explain the process by which a typical government initiated bill becomes law. This guide provides an overview of the Federal Legislative Process. To beome law, a bill must first be introduced in either the Senate or the House of Commons. It must then pass through various stages in each House: first, second and third reading. Then it must receive Royal Assent.
Acts are passed by members of the legislative assembly (MLAs). They are introduced as bills, and debated in the Legislature before being put to a vote. If the assembly passes a bill, it receives royal assent from the Lieutenant Governor, at which point it becomes law.
For further information on this process, see the Citizen’s Guide to the Alberta Legislature.
For information on Alberta’s published statutes and regulations, see Finding Alberta Legislation
In Canada’s Parliament, bills may originate in eith of its two houses – the Senate and the House of Commons. Most legislation begins in the House of Commons. Regardless of where a bill originates, it must be passed by both houses in identical form before it can receiv Royal Assent and become law. This guide provides an overview of the process of how a Senate Bill goes through Parliament.
This online source of the consolidated Acts and regulations of Canada is provided by the Department of Justice Canada. The consolidations are generally updated on a weekly basis.
Alberta King’s Printer is the official publisher of Alberta’s laws and publications. The website provides accurate, up to date access to current legislation in a variety of formats to meet your needs.
The Office of the Queen’s Printer publishes and distributes the authoritative versions of all Government of Saskatchewan legislation, regulations and other legislative publications.
The King’s Printer is the official source of Government of Manitoba laws and publications since 1870.
The Manitoba King’s Printer – Statutory Publications is the central distribution centre for acts, regulations, and other legislative material, the Manitoba Gazette, and the CCSM (Continuing Consolidation of the Statutes of Manitoba).
CanLii’s searchable database of Statutes and Regulations in [province]. Legislation can be searched by name, version, keywords or scopes.
Learn the importance of developing a good search strategy in order to quickly and effectively answer legal questions. This web page is the starting point for the University of Ottawa learning modules about legal research. Topics include: searching using keywords and Boolean logic, secondary sources, legal journals, case law, using CanLII, federal legislation, and legal citations.
University of Ottawa.
The Legislative Assembly website provides links to information about the Members of Legislative Assembly, Bills and Amendments, Assembly Documents and Records, Public Information, and Assembly Support Services as well as other information.
On this website provided by the Government of Manitoba the online versions of the laws of Manitoba can be viewed free of charge. The opening page describes the types of laws that can be accessed from the various menus and describes how these laws come into force.
This resource is provided by the Government of Alberta and contains information and recent news about Alberta government ministries. A complete listing of direct links to ministry websites is also available.
The Municipal Profiles are from Alberta Municipal Affairs and contain a compilation of statistical, financial, and other information about municipalities in the Province of Alberta. The information is based on data made available to and reports submitted to Alberta Municipal Affairs. The Ministry is not responsible for the accuracy of the information. Users are encouraged to verify the accuracy of the information contained in the Municipal Profiles before relying on it. Select a municipality from the list and then click on the “Contacts” icon to get access to that municipality’s website.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is the federal ministry responsible for the development and use of Canada’s natural resources and the competitiveness of Canada’s natural resources products. They deal with the fields of energy, forests, and minerals and metals and use their expertise in earth sciences to build and maintain an up-to-date knowledge base of our landmass.
This is the official site for New Brunswick Acts and Regulations. New Brunswick Acts and Regulations are officially published on-line under the authority of the Queen’s Printer Act.
The Department of Justice believes it is of fundamental importance to Nunavummiut that their laws be accessible. To ensure access to the laws of Nunavut, the following may be copied freely for personal use: the statutes and regulations of Nunavut, consolidations of the statutes and regulations of Nunavut, and consolidations of the statutes and regulations of the Northwest Territories as amended, adopted or enacted for Nunavut as of April 1, 1999.
Appeals Officers in occupational health and safety, designated by the Minister of Labour and grouped under an administrative structure known as the Occupational Health and Safety Tribunal Canada (Tribunal), exercise the functions of an administrative tribunal.The mission of the Appeals Officers is to ensure expert, independent, unbiased quality service to all parties by treating them equally, fairly and with understanding, respect and dignity.
Legislation Commented On: Cannabis Act, SC 2018, c 16; Cannabis Regulations, SOR/2018-144; Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act, RSA 2000, c G-1; Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Regulation, Alta Reg 143/996
The Department of Justice is committed to encouraging the participation of all Canadians and justice-sector stakeholders in the development of law, policy and programs, as well as in identifying emerging trends in law and policy. In this website section you can learn about current and upcoming consultations, past consultations and their consultation policy.
Public Safety Canada was created in 2003 to ensure coordination across all federal departments and agencies responsible for national security and the safety of Canadians. Their mandate is to keep Canadians safe from a range of risks such as natural disasters, crime and terrorism. Public Safety Canada works with five agencies and three review bodies, united in a single portfolio and all reporting to the same minister. Areas of concern are national security, border strategies, countering crime and emergency management issues.
The Lobbyists Registration System allows users to search for active and terminated registrations listed in the Registry of Lobbyists. Searches can be performed using a full-text search function for specific keywords, or on the basis of lobbyist/registrant name, lobbyist/registrant firm or employer, registration type and status.
Self-government agreements set out arrangements for Aboriginal groups to govern their internal affairs and assume greater responsibility and control over the decision making that affects their communities. Includes links to the Federal Policy Guide Aboriginal Self-Government and information about the self-government process.
Service Alberta’s divisions are committed to delivering high-quality business, financial, information and technology services to government ministries as well as a diverse range of services that touch the lives of Albertans. Divisions include: Consumer Information; Businesses and Charities; Landlords & Tenants; Registries; Drivers and Vehicles; Land Titles; Vital Statistics; Information and Technology; and Government Buying and Selling.
The Ministry of the Attorney General’s e-laws website provides information on all Ontario Statutes and Regulations.
Both the City of Edmonton and City of Calgary have passed bylaws about the licencing of short-term rentals. The City of Edmonton’s bylaw about short-term rentals is already in effect. The City of Calgary’s bylaw about short-term rentals will come into effect on February 1, 2020.
This page provides information on short-term rentals in Edmonton only. Information about short-term rentals in Calgary will be added to this page. If you have a question about short-term rentals outside of Edmonton, contact your local municipality.
BC Laws provides this alphabetical listing of Statutes and Regulations for the province of British Columbia.
CanLii’s searchable database of Statutes and Regulations in New Brunswick. Legislation can be searched by name, version, keywords or scopes.
A searchable database of statutes and regulations provided by the House of Assembly in Newfoundland and Labrador.
CanLii’s searchable database of Statutes and Regulations in [province]. Legislation can be searched by name, version, keywords or scopes.
CanLii has put together these databases based on materials available on the Statutes website of the Nova Scotia Office of the Legislative Counsel and on the Registry of Regulations Regulations website. They can be searched by keyword, title or scope.
This website provides free public access to current side-by-side bilingual versions of Yukon legislation (Acts and Regulations). Please note that although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the legal materials on this site have been prepared for convenience of reference only and are not the official versions.
This online database is provided by CanLII. You can search through decisions of the courts and boards/tribunals as well as statutes and regulations. There are also direct links to the most viewed documents as well as the opportunity for you to search decisions by court.
CanLii’s searchable database of Statutes and Regulations in Prince Edward Island. Legislation can be searched by name, version, keywords or scopes.
The Canada Gazette is the official newspaper of the Government of Canada and has been published regularly by the Queen’s Printer since 1841. Published within the Canada Gazette are new statutes and regulations, proposed regulations, decisions of administrative boards and an assortment of government notices.
IGOV is a part of the Faculty of Human and Social Development (HSD). Research and course content are informed by a deep respect for Indigenous knowledge and traditions as well as a thorough understanding of the current political realities of Indigenous communities. They offer degree and certificate programs and initiate community projects. Website includes a recommended reading list.
