Vol. 134, No 8 — April 12, 2000

Registration
SI/2000-23 12 April, 2000

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION ACT

National Parks Land Rents Remission Order

P.C. 2000-451 30 March, 2000

Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, considering that it is in the public interest to do so, on the recommendation of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and the Treasury Board, pursuant to subsection 23(2.1) (see footnote a) of the Financial Administration Act, hereby makes the annexed National Parks Land Rents Remission Order.

NATIONAL PARKS LAND RENTS REMISSION ORDER

1. Remission is granted of the amount set out in section 2 to every person who holds a leasehold interest in a public land that is situated in a national park set out in Schedule I to the National Parks Act if the amount of rent payable in respect of that land has been or is due to be fixed in the year 2000 for a ten-year period beginning in that year, in accordance with the terms of the applicable lease and the National Parks Lease and Licence of Occupation Regulations (1991).

2. The amount of remission referred to in section 1 shall be equal to the amount by which

(a) the rental rate for the first year of the ten-year period beginning in 2000

exceeds

(b) the rental rate for the last year of the ten-year period ending in 2000.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

This Order remits, to the lessees of public lands that are situated in National Parks and for the year 2000-2001, an amount equal to the increase set for that year for lessees who are under the decennial rent setting.

There are approximately 1,500 leases in western Canada comprising commercial, residential and cottage properties which are subject to the year 2000 decennial land rent review. These rents must be adjusted to reflect changes in land values between the years 1990 and 2000.

The application of the rent formula contained in the current National Parks Lease and Licence of Occupation Regulations (1991), will result in significant increases in rents in several cases, and if fully implemented immediately, is considered to be unreasonable to lessees.

The Parks Canada Agency wishes to maintain the 1999-2000 land rents through 2000-2001 while it continues discussions with the affected parties regarding public land rents.

The Parks Canada Agency will commence public consultations through the regulatory process to address the implementation of land rents from 2001-2002 through 2009-2010. Most leases call for the setting of new rents by April 1, 2000. The difference between the revised and existing rates is to be considered the debt (approximately $4.7 million) for which the authority to remit is requested.

The Parks Canada Agency will consult with advisory councils and leaseholder associations to determine the new land rent options that would come into effect on April 1, 2001. These options will be developed and submitted for ministerial consideration, and the related consultation process will be initiated by May 31, 2000.

Footnote a

S.C. 1991, c. 24, s. 7(2)

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