Marginal note:Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Special Areas Act.

Marginal note:Definition of "Minister"

2. In this Act, “Minister”, in relation to any class of matters to which this Act extends in any province or region of a province, means such member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada as is designated by the Governor in Council as the Minister for the purposes of this Act in relation to that class of matters in that province or region of a province.

Marginal note:Designation of special areas

3. The Governor in Council, after consultation with the government of any province, may by order designate as a special area, for the period set out in the order, any area in that province that is determined to require, by reason of the exceptional inadequacy of opportunities for productive employment of the people of that area or of the region of which that area is a part, special measures to facilitate economic expansion and social adjustment.

Marginal note:Plans for economic expansion

• 4. (1) The Minister shall

  • (a) in cooperation with other departments, boards and agencies of the Government of Canada, formulate plans for the economic expansion and social adjustment of special areas; and

  • (b) with the approval of the Governor in Council, provide for coordination in the implementation of those plans by departments, boards and agencies of the Government of Canada and carry out such parts of those plans as cannot suitably be undertaken by such other departments, boards and agencies.

• Marginal note:Cooperation and participation

  (2) In formulating and carrying out plans under subsection (1), the Minister shall make provision for appropriate cooperation with the provinces in which special areas are located and for the participation of persons, voluntary groups, agencies and bodies in those special areas.

Marginal note:Agreements in respect of plans

• 5. (1) The Minister may, in cooperation with any province, formulate a plan of economic expansion and social adjustment in a special area and, with the approval of the Governor in Council and subject to the regulations, enter into an agreement with that province for the joint carrying out of the plan.

• Marginal note:Prior approval of plan

  (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), detailed negotiation of any draft agreement under this section shall not be undertaken by or on behalf of the Minister unless the plan to which the draft agreement relates has first been approved by the Governor in Council.

• Marginal note:Provisions in agreements

  (3) An agreement entered into pursuant to this section may be entered into with one or more provinces in respect of one or more special areas and

  • (a) shall provide for the use, where appropriate, of the services and facilities of other departments, boards and agencies of the Government of Canada;

  • (b) may provide for the payment by Canada to a province of contributions in respect of the costs of the programs and projects to which the agreement relates that are to be undertaken by the government of the province or any agency thereof or any of those programs or projects; and

  • (c) may provide that Canada and a province may procure the incorporation of one or more agencies or other bodies, to be jointly controlled by Canada and the province, for the purpose of undertaking or implementing programs or projects to which the agreement relates or any part of such programs or projects.