Vol. 134, No. 53 — December 30, 2000

Regulations Amending the Letter Mail Regulations

Statutory Authority

Canada Post Corporation Act

Sponsoring Agency

Canada Post Corporation

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

Description

On June 21, 2000, the Price-Cap Formula (PCF) for the domestic basic letter rate was established in the Letter Mail Regulations (the Regulations) under the Canada Post Corporation Act. The PCF takes 66.67 percent of experienced inflation (based on the Consumer Price Index) from a base date of August 1995 to calculate the annual increase in the domestic basic letter rate.

The establishment of the PCF also created notification obligations for Canada Post Corporation (Canada Post). While there is an obligation to provide the public with notice of upcoming increases six months in advance, the means by which that notice is to be given was not specified in the Regulations.

In an effort to increase the effectiveness of the existing notification requirement, the proposed amendment would obligate Canada Post to provide formal notification to its customers through Part I of the Canada Gazette. This new obligation would supplement Canada Post's current notification efforts.

Alternatives

No other alternatives were considered.

Benefits and Costs

By providing a notice of an upcoming rate change in an official publication, transparency and accountability to customers would be enhanced. Readers would be provided with information, such as detail on the workings of the formula, that is not easily included in other communications vehicles.

Consultation

As required by the Canada Post Corporation Act, these amendments are being published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, followed by a 60-day comment period in which interested persons can make representations to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services. All such representations should cite the Canada Gazette, Part I, and the date of publication of this notice.

Contact

William R. Price, Director, Economic Strategy and Regulatory Affairs, Canada Post Corporation, 2701 Riverside Drive, Suite N1080(b), Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0B1, (613) 734-6739 (Telephone), (613) 734-7207 (Facsimile).

PROPOSED REGULATORY TEXT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to subsection 20(1) of the Canada Post Corporation Act, that the Canada Post Corporation proposes, pursuant to subsection 19(1) (see footnote a) of that Act, to make the annexed Regulations Amending the Letter Mail Regulations.

Interested persons may make representations with respect to the proposed Regulations within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice. All such representations must cite the Canada Gazette, Part I, and the date of publication of this notice, and be addressed to the Honourable Alfonso Gagliano, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Room 435-S, Centre Block, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6.

CANADA POST CORPORATION

REGULATIONS AMENDING THE LETTER MAIL REGULATIONS

AMENDMENT

1. Section 3 of the Letter Mail Regulations (see footnote 1) is amended by adding the following after subsection (4):

(4.1) The Canada Post Corporation shall publish a notice in the Canada Gazette of any increase to the domestic basic letter rate no later than July 1 in the year before the increase goes into effect.

COMING INTO FORCE

2. These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are registered.

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Regulations Amending the Pacific Pilotage Tariff Regulations

Statutory Authority

Pilotage Act

Sponsoring Agency

Canadian Transportation Agency

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

Description

The Pacific Pilotage Authority (the Authority) is responsible for administering, in the interests of safety, an efficient pilotage service within Canadian waters in and around the Province of British Columbia. In addition, the Authority prescribes tariffs of pilotage charges that are fair, reasonable and consistent with providing revenues sufficient to permit the Authority to operate on a self-sustaining financial basis.

The amendment accommodates an increase in most pilotage charges and accommodates a decrease in the pilotage charge for an assignment on the Fraser River. It also reflects a restructuring of the pilot boat and helicopter charges and the transportation charges.

Alternatives

The Authority is required to provide a safe and efficient pilotage service to ensure safe navigation and protection of the marine environment. Costs have been kept to the minimum consistent with providing a safe and effective service and reductions in operating costs are not an alternative. These charges are necessary to offset the increased costs in providing pilotage services and in general operating expenses, thereby ensuring that the Authority will continue to operate on a self-sustaining financial basis.

Benefits and Costs

The 2.75 percent increase in the pilotage charges is consistent with the current costs of providing the service. As part of this amendment, the Authority has reduced the Fraser River pilotage charge for an assignment on any ship by 9.9 percent. This reduction is estimated to amount to $140,000 per annum at current trip volumes. It is anticipated that the pilotage charge increases will result in an increase of $800,000 and that the restructuring of the pilot boat and helicopter charges will result in an increase of $120,000 in revenue annually which will compensate for the increased costs of providing pilotage services.

The restructuring of the travel and transportation charges will produce $140,000 in revenue annually and is consistent with the current costs in providing air and ground transportation.

These charges, which will be absorbed by the shipping industry, are beneficial in that they will ensure the continued efficiency of the pilotage services and the Authority's capability to operate on a self-sustaining financial basis that is both fair and reasonable.

Consultation

The Authority met with the Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia to discuss these particular tariff charges. The Chamber represents the shipping industry on the West Coast.

Compliance and Enforcement

Section 45 of the Pilotage Act provides the enforcement mechanism for these Regulations in that a pilotage authority can inform a customs officer at any port in Canada to withhold clearance from any ship for which pilotage charges are outstanding and unpaid.

Contact

Mr. D. B. McLennan, Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Pilotage Authority, 1130 West Pender Street, Suite 1000, Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 4A4, (604) 666-6771 (Telephone), (604) 666-1647 (Facsimile).

PROPOSED REGULATORY TEXT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to subsection 34(1) (see footnote b) of the Pilotage Act, that the Pacific Pilotage Authority, pursuant to subsection 33(1) of that Act, proposes to make the annexed Regulations Amending the Pacific Pilotage Tariff Regulations.

Interested persons who have reason to believe that any charge in the proposed Regulations is prejudicial to the public interest, including, without limiting the generality thereof, the public interest that is consistent with the national transportation policy set out in section 5 of the Canada Transportation Act (see footnote c), may file a notice of objection setting out the grounds therefor with the Canadian Transportation Agency within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. The notice of objection should cite the Canada Gazette, Part I, and the date of publication of this notice, and be sent to the Canadian Transportation Agency, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N9.

Persons making representations should identify any of those representations the disclosure of which should be refused under the Access to Information Act, in particular under sections 19 and 20 of that Act, and should indicate the reasons why and the period during which the representations should not be disclosed. They should also identify any representations for which there is consent to disclosure for the purposes of that Act.

DENNIS B. MCLENNAN
Chief Executive Officer
of the Pacific Pilotage Authority

REGULATIONS AMENDING THE PACIFIC PILOTAGE TARIFF REGULATIONS

AMENDMENTS

1. Section 8 (see footnote 2) of the Pacific Pilotage Tariff Regulations (see footnote 3) is replaced by the following:

8. Despite sections 6 and 7, the total charges payable under those sections in respect of a ship are not less than $587.56.

2. The portion of items 1 to 3 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations in column 3 (see footnote 4) is replaced by the following:

Item	Column 3 Pilotage Charge ($)
1.	2.527
2.	5.054
3.	2.527

3. The portion of item 1 of Schedule 3 to the Regulations in column 2 (see footnote 5) is replaced by the following:

Item	Column 2 Time Charge ($)
1.	126.96

4. The portion of items 1 and 2 of Schedule 4 to the Regulations in column 2 (see footnote 6) is replaced by the following:

Item	Column 2 Cancellation Charge ($)
1.	381.59
2.	126.96

5. The portion of items 1 to 3 of Schedule 5 to the Regulations in column 2 (see footnote 7) is replaced by the following:

Item	Column 2 Out-of-Region Charge ($) (per hour or part of an hour)
1.	126.96
2.	126.96
3.	126.96

6. The portion of items 1 to 6 of Schedule 6 to the Regulations in column 2 (see footnote 8) is replaced by the following:

Item	Column 2 Transportation Charges ($)
1.	83
2.	115
3.	1,821
4.	260
5.	260
6.	83

7. The portion of items 1 to 7 of Schedule 7 to the Regulations in columns 2 (see footnote 9) and 3 (see footnote 10) is replaced by the following:

Item	Column 2 Charge ($)	Column 3 Additional Charge
1.	249	n/a
2.	925	n/a
3.	1,196	n/a
4.	4,000	n/a
5.	176	$44 for each period of 15 minutes that a pilot boat is detained on standby
6.	516	n/a
7.	2,035	n/a

COMING INTO FORCE

8. These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are registered.

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Footnote a

S.C. 1992, c. 1, s. 34

Footnote 1

SOR/88-430; SOR/90-801

Footnote b

S.C. 1998, c. 10, s. 150

Footnote c

S.C. 1996, c. 10

Footnote 2

SOR/2000-22

Footnote 3

SOR/85-583

Footnote 4

SOR/2000-22

Footnote 5

SOR/2000-22

Footnote 6

SOR/2000-22

Footnote 7

SOR/2000-22

Footnote 8

SOR/2000-22

Footnote 9

SOR/2000-22

Footnote 10

SOR/2000-22

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