Short Title

Marginal note:Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Tla’amin Final Agreement Act.

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

• 2 (1) The following definitions apply in this Act.

  Agreement

  Agreement means the Tla’amin Final Agreement, between the Tla’amin 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 tax treatment agreement referred to in paragraph 22 of Chapter 21 of the Agreement, including any amendments made to it. (accord sur le traitement fiscal)

• Marginal note:Definitions in Agreement

  (2) In this Act, Former Sliammon Indian Reserves, Other Tla’amin Lands, Sliammon Indian Band, Tla’amin Citizen, Tla’amin Corporation, Tla’amin Government, Tla’amin Lands, Tla’amin Law, Tla’amin Nation and Tla’amin Public Institution 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 referred to in the Agreement has the powers, rights, privileges and benefits conferred on the person or body by the Agreement and must 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:Agreement prevails

• 5 (1) The Agreement prevails over this Act and any other federal law to the extent of any inconsistency between them.

• Marginal note:Act prevails

  (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 must 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 18 and 19 of the Agreement.

Lands

Marginal note:Fee simple estate

7 On the effective date of the Agreement, the Tla’amin Nation owns the estate in fee simple, as set out in Chapter 3 of the Agreement, in the Tla’amin Lands, except for the lands described in Part 1 of Appendix C-3 of the Agreement, and in the Other Tla’amin Lands.

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:Clarification

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.

Application of Other Acts

Marginal note:Indian Act

10 Subject to the provisions of Chapter 17 of the Agreement that deal with the continuing application of the Indian Act and to paragraphs 16 to 21 of Chapter 21 of the Agreement, the Indian Act does not apply to the Tla’amin Nation, Tla’amin Citizens, the Tla’amin Government, Tla’amin Public Institutions, Tla’amin Lands or Other Tla’amin Lands 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

11 The Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management Act, the Framework Agreement as defined in subsection 2(1) of that Act and the Sliammon First Nation 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 to the Tla’amin Nation, Tla’amin Citizens, the Tla’amin Government, Tla’amin Public Institutions or Tla’amin Lands.

12 [Repealed, 2022, c. 19, s. 141]

Marginal note:Indemnification

13 For as long as the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management Act is in force, Her Majesty in right of Canada or the Tla’amin Nation, as the case may be, must, as of the effective date of the Agreement, indemnify the other in respect of anything done or omitted to be done in relation to the Former Sliammon Indian Reserves, in the same manner and under the same conditions as would be applicable if the First Nations Land Management Act, as it read before the coming into force of the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management Act, continued to apply to the Former Sliammon Indian Reserves.

Marginal note:Statutory Instruments Act

14 Tla’amin 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 Tla’amin Nation, Tla’amin Citizens, the Tla’amin Government, Tla’amin Public Institutions, Tla’amin Corporations, Tla’amin Lands or Other Tla’amin Lands, because of the exclusive legislative authority of Parliament set out in Class 24 of section 91 of the Constitution Act, 1867, that law of British Columbia 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 must be taken of the Agreement and the Tax Treatment Agreement.

• Marginal note:Publication of Agreements

  (2) The Agreement and the Tax Treatment Agreement must 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 presumed to be so published unless the contrary is shown.

Marginal note:Judicial notice of Tla’amin Laws

• 17 (1) Judicial notice must be taken of Tla’amin Laws.

• Marginal note:Evidence of Tla’amin Laws

  (2) A copy of a Tla’amin Law purporting to be deposited in the public registry referred to in subparagraph 19.a of Chapter 15 of the Agreement is evidence of that law and of its contents, unless the contrary is shown.

Marginal note:Notice of issues arising

• 18 (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 Tla’amin Final Agreement Act or any Tla’amin Law, then the issue must 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 Tla’amin Nation.

• Marginal note:Content and timing

  (2) The notice must

  • (a) describe the proceeding;

  • (b) specify the subject matter of the issue;

  • (c) state the day on which the issue is to be argued;

  • (d) give the particulars that are 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) The Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of British Columbia and the Tla’amin Nation may appear and participate in any proceeding in respect of which subsection (1) applies 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.

Marginal note:Chapters 22 and 23 of Agreement

19 Despite subsection 4(1), Chapters 22 and 23 of the Agreement are deemed to have effect as of April 1, 2009.

Marginal note:Orders and regulations

20 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.

Consequential Amendments

Access to Information Act

21 [Amendment]

Fisheries Act

22 [Amendment]

Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act

23 [Amendment]

Privacy Act

24 [Amendment]

First Nations Land Management Act

25 [Amendment]

Specific Claims Tribunal Act

26 [Amendment]

Coming into Force

Marginal note:Order in council

Footnote ^*27 The provisions of this Act, other than section 19, come into force on a day to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.

• Return to footnote ^*[Note: The provisions of this Act, other than section 19, in force April 5, 2016, see SI/2016-4.]