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Description: The Fisheries Act was created to protect fish habitats and regulate fishing in Canada. Significance: It became the foundation for future water and wildlife protection laws. -
Event: The federal government approved Order in Council No. 2197 to set aside land around the Cave and Basin hot springs (the beginning of Banff). Significance: This started Canada’s national park movement and made conservation a real government priority (not just private development). -
Event: Ontario created Algonquin as a protected park area through an act passed on May 23, 1893. Significance: It became a major model for provincial parks and showed Ontario taking action to protect forests and wildlife long-term. -
Event: Canada (through Great Britain at the time) and the United States signed the Boundary Waters Treaty to manage shared lakes and rivers fairly. Significance: It created a system for cross-border water dispute solving and helped reduce conflicts over pollution and water use. -
Event: The Dominion Forest Reserves and Parks Act received Royal Assent and created the Dominion Parks Branch to manage federal parks. Significance: This made park protection more organized and consistent, instead of being managed randomly park-by-park. -
Event: Canada and the U.S. signed the Migratory Bird Convention in Washington to protect migratory birds across both countries. Significance: It was an early international wildlife agreement and it led to stronger bird protection rules and hunting restrictions. -
Event: The National Parks Act was assented to on May 30, 1930, setting stronger rules for how national parks are protected and managed. Significance: It pushed parks more toward conservation (not resource extraction) and made park rules clearer for the future. -
Event: The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) was founded in 1961, following a conference in Montreal where conservationists agreed on the need for a national voice for wildlife. Significance: CWF helped educate the public, support conservation programs, and pressure governments to protect wildlife and habitat. -
Event: The Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act was created to protect Canada’s northern waters from pollution caused by ships, oil activity, and industrial development. It set strict rules to control what can enter Arctic waters and made companies responsible for preventing environmental damage. This bill was actually passed in 1970 Significance: This act is important because the Arctic is one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world, and pollution there can cause long-lasting harm. -
Event: Greenpeace’s first major action began when a ship left Vancouver on September 15, 1971 to protest nuclear testing at Amchitka. Significance: Greenpeace became one of the world’s most influential environmental groups and helped make environmental activism a major public force. -
Event: Canada and the U.S. signed the Air Quality Agreement on March 13, 1991 to reduce cross-border air pollution like acid rain. Significance: It showed both countries working together on pollution and helped reduce major emissions that damage lakes, forests, and health. -
vent: The Clayoquot Sound protests reached a famous peak with mass arrests on August 9, 1993, during blockades against old-growth logging. Significance: It became a turning point in Canadian environmental protest history and pushed stronger public attention on sustainable forestry and Indigenous rights. -
Event: Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights received Royal Assent on December 14, 1993, giving people stronger rights to participate in environmental decisions. Significance: It increased transparency and made it easier for citizens to hold government accountable on environmental choices. -
Event: The Kyoto Protocol was adopted on December 11, 1997, setting targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Significance: It was an early major global climate agreement and pressured countries (including Canada) to treat climate change as a serious government issue. -
Event: CEPA 1999 received Royal Assent on September 14, 1999, creating federal rules for pollution prevention and toxic substances control. Significance: It became one of Canada’s strongest pollution laws and gave the government more power to regulate harmful chemicals. -
Event: SARA received Royal Assent on December 12, 2002, protecting endangered species and their habitats. Significance: It helped prevent extinctions in Canada and forced governments to plan recovery actions for species at risk.
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Event: Ontario’s Clean Water Act received Royal Assent on October 19, 2006, focusing on protecting drinking water sources. Significance: It strengthened drinking water safety by requiring prevention plans before contamination happens. -
Event: CEAA 2012 was assented to on June 29, 2012 (and came into force July 6, 2012), changing how federal environmental reviews work for major projects. Significance: It reshaped environmental decision-making in Canada and created debate about balancing economic development with environmental protection.
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Event: The Paris Agreement was adopted on December 12, 2015 at COP21. Significance: It became the main global climate plan and pushed countries to set climate targets and report progress over time.
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Event: The Great Bear Rainforest Agreement was announced on February 1, 2016, protecting most of the rainforest from logging with First Nations involved in decision-making. Significance: It’s a major example of conservation + Indigenous partnership and protected one of the world’s largest temperate rainforests.