Canadian Navigable Waters Act

Marginal note:Abandoned vessel

• 20 (1) If any vessel or thing is wrecked, sunk, partially sunk, stranded, grounded, including on the shore, or abandoned in a navigable water, the Minister may, for a purpose that he or she specifies and subject to any conditions that he or she considers appropriate, authorize any person to take possession of all or part of the vessel or thing, for the benefit of that person or the public.

• Marginal note:Notification

  (2) The Minister must not authorize a person to take possession of all or part of the vessel or thing under subsection (1) unless the person has given 30 days’ notice, in the form and manner specified by the Minister, of their intention to do so

  • (a) to its owner; or

  • (b) to the public, if its owner is unknown or cannot be located.

• Marginal note:Consent not required

  (3) A person that is authorized to take possession of a vessel under subsection (1) is not required to obtain the consent of its owner to register the vessel or obtain a pleasure craft licence for it under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.

• Marginal note:Statutory Instruments Act

  (4) For greater certainty, conditions imposed under subsection (1) are not statutory instruments as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Statutory Instruments Act.