Specific lakes and streams in Newfoundland and Labrador are now exempt from federal work-approval rules for navigable waters
Order Exempting Certain Navigable Waters Located in Newfoundland and Labrador from the Application of Sections 22 and 23 of the Canadian Navigable Waters Act — under the CANADIAN NAVIGABLE WATERS ACT
Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice
A new federal order removes the requirement to obtain federal approval before carrying out works, undertakings, or obstructions on ten named lakes and three named streams in a specific area of Newfoundland and Labrador (clustered around coordinates near 52°51′N, 66°46′W). Normally, anyone proposing to build in, on, over, under, through, or across a navigable water must comply with the approval and interference-prevention provisions of the Canadian Navigable Waters Act. This exemption means those requirements no longer apply to the listed water bodies. Developers, infrastructure operators, or others planning projects on or near these specific waters no longer need to seek federal navigable-waters approval for works at those locations. Anyone unsure whether their project falls within the exempted coordinates should verify the precise location against the schedule.
Who this affects: infrastructure developers and contractors · mining or resource project operators · local and provincial government project planners · engineering and environmental consultants working on projects in this area
Source of truth: SOR/2026-111 on the official source
Legislative text © King's Printer for Ontario. This page is not an official version of the law and is not legal advice. Verify against the official source before acting.
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