Tsawwassen First Nation Final Agreement Act (S.C. 2008, c. 32)

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Act current to 2024-11-26 and last amended on 2022-12-15. Previous Versions

Tsawwassen First Nation Final Agreement Act

S.C. 2008, c. 32

Assented to 2008-06-26

An Act to give effect to the Tsawwassen First Nation Final Agreement and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

Preamble

Whereas the Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes and affirms the existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada;

Whereas the Tsawwassen First Nation is part of the Coast Salish, an aboriginal people of Canada;

Whereas the reconciliation between the prior presence of aboriginal peoples and the assertion of sovereignty by the Crown is of significant social and economic importance to Canadians;

Whereas Canadian courts have stated that this reconciliation is best achieved through negotiation;

Whereas the Tsawwassen First Nation, the government of Canada and the government of British Columbia have negotiated the Agreement to achieve this reconciliation and to establish a new relationship among them;

And whereas the Agreement requires that legislation be enacted by the Parliament of Canada in order for the Agreement to be ratified;

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Short Title

Marginal note:Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Tsawwassen First Nation Final Agreement Act.

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

2 (1) The following definitions apply in this Act.
Agreement
Agreement means the Tsawwassen First Nation Final Agreement, between the Tsawwassen First Nation, Her Majesty in right of Canada and Her Majesty in right of British Columbia, including any amendments made to it. (accord)
Tax Treatment Agreement
Tax Treatment Agreement means the Tsawwassen Tax Treatment Agreement referred to in clause 22 of Chapter 20 of the Agreement, including any amendments made to it. (accord sur le traitement fiscal)
Marginal note:Definitions in the Agreement
(2) In this Act, Former Tsawwassen Reserve, Tsawwassen Corporation, Tsawwassen First Nation, Tsawwassen Government, Tsawwassen Lands, Tsawwassen Law, Tsawwassen Member, Tsawwassen Public Institution and Tsawwassen Territory have the same meanings as in Chapter 1 of the Agreement.

Marginal note:Status of Agreement

3 The Agreement is a treaty and a land claims agreement within the meaning of sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

Agreement

Marginal note:Agreement given effect

4 (1) The Agreement is approved, given effect and declared valid and has the force of law.
Marginal note:Rights and obligations
(2) For greater certainty, any person or body has the powers, rights, privileges and benefits conferred on the person or body by the Agreement and shall perform the duties, and is subject to the liabilities, imposed on the person or body by the Agreement.
Marginal note:Third parties
(3) For greater certainty, the Agreement is binding on, and may be relied on by, all persons and bodies.

Marginal note:Inconsistency with Agreement

5 (1) The Agreement prevails over this Act and any other federal law to the extent of any inconsistency between them.
Marginal note:Conflict with Act
(2) This Act prevails over any other federal law to the extent of any conflict between them.

Appropriation

Marginal note:Payments out of C.R.F.

6 There shall be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund any sums that are required to meet the monetary obligations of Her Majesty in right of Canada under Chapters 4 and 18 of the Agreement.

Lands

Marginal note:Fee simple estate

7 On the effective date of the Agreement, the Tsawwassen First Nation owns the estate in fee simple, as set out in Chapter 4 of the Agreement, in

(a) Tsawwassen Lands referred to in clause 1 of Chapter 4 of the Agreement; and
(b) Other Tsawwassen Lands referred to in subclause 18.a of that chapter.

Taxation

Marginal note:Tax Treatment Agreement given effect

8 The Tax Treatment Agreement is approved, given effect and declared valid and has the force of law during the period that it is in effect.

Marginal note:Not a treaty

9 The Tax Treatment Agreement does not form part of the Agreement and is not a treaty or a land claims agreement within the meaning of sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

Fisheries

Marginal note:Powers of Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

10 Despite section 7 of the Fisheries Act, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans may, on behalf of Her Majesty in right of Canada, enter into and implement the Tsawwassen First Nation Harvest Agreement referred to in clause 102 of Chapter 9 of the Agreement, including any amendments made to it.

Marginal note:Not a treaty

11 That Harvest Agreement does not form part of the Agreement and is not a treaty or a land claims agreement within the meaning of sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

Application of Other Acts

Marginal note:Indian Act

12 Subject to the provisions of Chapter 3 of the Agreement that deal with the continuing application of the Indian Act, and clauses 16 to 21 of Chapter 20 of the Agreement, the Indian Act does not apply to the Tsawwassen First Nation, Tsawwassen Members, the Tsawwassen Government or Tsawwassen Public Institutions as of the effective date of the Agreement, except for the purpose of determining whether an individual is an Indian.

Marginal note:Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management Act

13 The Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management Act, the Framework Agreement as defined in subsection 2(1) of that Act and the Tsawwassen land code — adopted under subsection 6(1) of the First Nations Land Management Act, as it read before the coming into force of the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management Act — do not apply in respect of the Tsawwassen First Nation, Tsawwassen Members, Tsawwassen Lands, the Tsawwassen Government or Tsawwassen Public Institutions.

2008, c. 32, s. 13
2022, c. 19, s. 132

Previous Version

Marginal note:Statutory Instruments Act

14 Tsawwassen Laws and other instruments made under the Agreement are not statutory instruments for the purposes of the Statutory Instruments Act.

Application of Laws of British Columbia

Marginal note:Incorporation by reference

15 To the extent that a law of British Columbia does not apply of its own force to the Tsawwassen First Nation, Tsawwassen Members, Tsawwassen Lands, the Tsawwassen Government, Tsawwassen Public Institutions or Tsawwassen Corporations because of the exclusive legislative jurisdiction of Parliament set out in Class 24 of section 91 of the Constitution Act, 1867, that law applies to it or to them by virtue of this section, in accordance with the Agreement and subject to this Act and any other Act of Parliament.

General

Marginal note:Judicial notice of Agreements

16 (1) Judicial notice shall be taken of the Agreement and the Tax Treatment Agreement.
Marginal note:Publication of Agreements
(2) The Agreement and the Tax Treatment Agreement shall be published by the Queen’s Printer.
Marginal note:Evidence
(3) A copy of the Agreement or the Tax Treatment Agreement published by the Queen’s Printer is evidence of that agreement and of its contents, and a copy purporting to be published by the Queen’s Printer is deemed to be so published, unless the contrary is shown.

Marginal note:Judicial notice of Tsawwassen Laws

17 (1) Judicial notice shall be taken of Tsawwassen Laws.
Marginal note:Evidence of Tsawwassen laws
(2) A copy of a Tsawwassen Law purporting to be deposited in a public registry of laws referred to in subclause 16.a of Chapter 16 of the Agreement is evidence of that law and of its contents, unless the contrary is shown.

Marginal note:Orders and regulations

18 The Governor in Council may make any orders and regulations that are necessary for the purpose of carrying out any of the provisions of the Agreement or of the Tax Treatment Agreement.

Marginal note:Chapters 21 and 24 of Agreement

19 Despite subsection 4(1), Chapters 21 and 24 of the Agreement are deemed to have effect as of December 8, 2006.

Marginal note:Notice of issues arising

20 (1) If an issue arises in any judicial or administrative proceeding in respect of the interpretation or validity of the Agreement, or the validity or applicability of this Act, the British Columbia Tsawwassen First Nation Final Agreement Act or any Tsawwassen Law, then the issue shall not be decided until the party raising the issue has served notice on the Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of British Columbia and the Tsawwassen First Nation.
Marginal note:Content of notice
(2) The notice shall
- (a) describe the judicial or administrative proceeding;
- (b) specify what the issue arises in respect of;
- (c) state the day on which the issue is to be argued;
- (d) give particulars necessary to show the point to be argued; and
- (e) be served at least 14 days before the day of argument, unless the court or tribunal authorizes a shorter period.
Marginal note:Participation in proceedings
(3) In any judicial or administrative proceeding to which subsection (1) applies, the Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of British Columbia and the Tsawwassen First Nation may appear and participate in the proceeding as parties with the same rights as any other party.
Marginal note:Saving
(4) For greater certainty, subsections (2) and (3) do not require that an oral hearing be held if one is not otherwise required.

Transitional Provisions

Marginal note:Existing interests — Indian Act

21 (1) Despite section 12, if an interest in land in the Former Tsawwassen Reserve was granted or approved under the Indian Act and exists on the effective date of the Agreement, the interest continues in effect in accordance with its terms and conditions unless a replacement interest is issued in accordance with Chapter 4 of the Agreement.
Marginal note:Transfer of rights and obligations
(2) On the effective date of the Agreement, the rights and obligations of Her Majesty in right of Canada as grantor in respect of such an interest are transferred to the Tsawwassen First Nation, which assumes those rights and obligations in accordance with the interest’s terms and conditions.

Marginal note:Existing interests — First Nations Land Management Act

22 If an interest in land in the Former Tsawwassen Reserve was granted or approved under the First Nations Land Management Act, as it read before the coming into force of the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management Act, and exists on the effective date of the Agreement, the interest continues in effect in accordance with its terms and conditions unless a replacement interest is issued in accordance with Chapter 4 of the Agreement.

2008, c. 32, s. 22
2022, c. 19, s. 133