Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 154, Number 25: GOVERNMENT NOTICES

June 20, 2020

DEPARTMENT OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION

IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE PROTECTION ACT

Ministerial Instructions with respect to the processing of certain new and existing applications for temporary residence to further support Government-wide measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

These Instructions are published in the Canada Gazette, in accordance with subsection 87.3(6) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

These Instructions are given, pursuant to section 87.3 and subsections 92(1.1) and (2), by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration as, in the opinion of the Minister, these Instructions will best support the attainment of the immigration goals established by the Government of Canada.

These Instructions are consistent with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act objectives, as laid out in section 3, and are compliant with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Authority for these Ministerial Instructions is pursuant to section 87.3 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Instructions are directed to officers who are charged with handling and/or reviewing certain applications for temporary residence.

Considerations

Recognizing the declaration by the World Health Organization regarding the pandemic of COVID-19 (Coronavirus);

Recognizing also that the increased spread of the disease would pose an imminent and severe risk to public health in Canada;

Recognizing also that the entry of persons into Canada who have been in a foreign country may contribute to the spread of the disease in Canada;

Recognizing how the related response measures have reduced Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada’s capacity for processing applications, both in Canada and overseas;

Noting that Canada’s immigration objectives, as laid out in section 3 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, include the protection of the health and safety of Canadians; and

Recognizing that in order to meet the objective of protecting the health and safety of Canadians, these Instructions are to operate consistently with two emergency orders under the Quarantine Act: Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada from any Country other than the United States), and Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada from the United States), as well as the Interim Order to Prevent Certain Persons from Boarding Flights to Canada due to COVID-19, made pursuant to the Aeronautics Act. These Orders restrict travel to and entry into Canada.

To view the language of the emergency orders issued under the Quarantine Act, including details regarding foreign nationals whose entry into Canada is not prohibited by these orders, please consult the Orders in Council online database. For the text of the Interim Order issued under the Aeronautics Act, please consult the webpage on the COVID-19 measures, updates, and guidance issued by Transport Canada.

This information is also published in the Canada Gazette.

Scope

These Instructions apply to certain applications for temporary resident visas, work permits, study permits, and electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) received by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada before the coming into force of these Instructions, and in respect of which a final decision has not been made, and to certain new applications received by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on or after the coming into force of these Instructions.

Any categories for which Instructions are not specifically issued shall continue to be processed.

Applications submitted from outside Canada to be submitted by electronic means — Temporary residence

All applications for a temporary resident visa (including a transit visa), a work permit, or a study permit submitted by foreign nationals who are outside Canada at the time of application must be submitted using electronic means (apply online).

A foreign national who, because of a disability, is unable to meet a requirement to make an application, submit any document or provide a signature or information using electronic means, may do so by any other means that is made available or specified by the Minister for that purpose.

Temporary suspension on processing of certain applications for temporary resident visas and electronic travel authorizations for visitors

Applications for temporary resident visas for visitors that were received before the coming into force of these Instructions and in respect of which a final decision has not been made, and those that are received on or after the coming into force of the Instructions, will not be processed while these Instructions are in effect, unless they pertain to foreign nationals who are not prohibited from entering Canada or from boarding an aircraft for a flight to Canada, per the Emergency Orders under the Quarantine Act, and the Interim Order under the Aeronautics Act, referenced above.

Any eTA applications that require processing by any means other than the electronic automated system will not be processed while these Instructions are in effect, unless they pertain to foreign nationals who are not prohibited from entering Canada or from boarding an aircraft for a flight to Canada, per the Emergency Orders under the Quarantine Act, and the Interim Order under the Aeronautics Act, referenced above.

Retention/Disposition

Applications received by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on or after the coming into force of the Instructions that were not submitted by electronic means will not be accepted and processing fees will be returned, except in the case of foreign nationals who, for reason of disability, submit an application by any other means that is made available or specified by the Minister for that purpose.

Applications received electronically but otherwise subject to these Instructions that were received prior to the coming into force of the Instructions, and in respect of which a final decision has not been made, and those that are received on or after the coming into force, will be retained and processing fees shall not be returned, as these Instructions are temporary in nature.

Effective period

These Instructions take effect on June 10, 2020, and expire on June 30, 2020.

Ottawa, June 9, 2020

Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT, 1999

Final guideline for Canadian drinking water quality for total coliforms

Pursuant to subsection 55(3) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, the Minister of Health hereby gives notice of a final guideline for Canadian drinking water quality for total coliforms. The technical document for this guideline is available on the Water Quality website. This document underwent a public consultation period of 60 days in 2019 and was updated to take into consideration the comments received.

June 19, 2020

Greg Carreau
Acting Director General
Safe Environments Directorate

On behalf of the Minister of Health

ANNEX

Guidelines

The maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) for total coliforms in water leaving a treatment plant and in non-disinfected groundwater leaving the well is none detectable per 100 mL.

Total coliforms should be monitored in the distribution system because they are used to indicate changes in water quality. Detection of total coliforms from consecutive samples from the same site or from more than 10% of the samples collected in a given sampling period should be investigated.

Executive summary

Total coliforms are a group of bacteria that are naturally found on plants and in soils, water, and in the intestines of humans and warm-blooded animals. Because total coliforms are widespread in the environment, they can be used as one of the many operational tools to determine the efficacy of a drinking water treatment system.

Health Canada completed its review on the usefulness of total coliforms as part of a source-to-tap approach to producing microbiologically acceptable drinking water. This guideline technical document reviews and assesses available literature on the uses of total coliforms in drinking water quality management, including as indicators of groundwater vulnerability, the adequacy of disinfection, and changes in distribution system water quality.

From this review, the guidelines for total coliforms in water leaving a treatment plant and in non-disinfected groundwater leaving the well is reaffirmed as a maximum acceptable concentration of none detectable in 100 mL of water. This MAC does not apply to distribution systems where total coliforms are used to indicate changes in water quality.

Significance of total coliforms in drinking water systems and their sources

Monitoring of total coliforms should be used, in conjunction with other indicators, as part of a source-to-tap approach to producing drinking water of an acceptable quality. Total coliforms are naturally found in fecal and non-fecal environments, so they are commonly present in both surface water and groundwater under the direct influence of surface water (GUDI) sources. Consequently, monitoring total coliforms in these sources does not provide information on the quality of the source water regarding health risk. Protected groundwater systems, on the conversely, should not contain total coliforms. As their presence indicates that the groundwater may be vulnerable to contamination from the surrounding environment, detection of total coliforms in the water leaving the well should trigger further actions.

Monitoring for total coliforms at the treatment plant and of the distribution and storage system provides information on the adequacy of drinking water treatment and on the microbial condition of the distribution system. The presence of total coliforms in water leaving any treatment plant signifies that treatment has been inadequate and that additional actions must be taken. These should include actions such as notifying the responsible authorities, investigating the cause of the contamination, and implementing corrective actions; which could include issuing a boil water advisory.

The presence of total coliforms in the distribution and storage system, when water tested immediately post-treatment is free of total coliforms, indicates water quality degradation, possibly via bacterial regrowth or post-treatment contamination. In municipal-scale systems, the detection of more than 10% of samples in a given sampling period, or of consecutive samples from the same site, that are positive for total coliforms indicates changes in the quality of the water and a need for follow-up actions to be initiated. In residential-scale systems where there is little or no distribution system, the presence of any total coliforms should trigger follow-up actions to investigate the cause of the positive results.

Treatment technology

Surface water or GUDI systems that meet the guidelines for enteric protozoa (minimum 3 log or 99.99% removal and/or inactivation) and enteric viruses (minimum 4 log or 99.99% removal and/or inactivation) and groundwater systems that meet the guidelines for enteric viruses (minimum 4 log or 99.99% removal and/or inactivation), will be capable of achieving the proposed MAC of none detectable per 100 mL for total coliforms.

For municipal-scale systems, it is important to apply a monitoring approach that includes the use of multiple operational and water quality verification parameters (e.g. turbidity, disinfection measurements, Escherichia coli [E. coli], total coliforms), in order to verify that the water has been adequately treated and is therefore of an acceptable microbiological quality. For residential-scale systems, regular monitoring of bacterial indicators (e.g. total coliforms and E. coli) combined with monitoring of critical processes, regular physical inspections and a source water assessment can be used to confirm the quality of the drinking water supply.

International considerations

The MAC and distribution system guidance for total coliforms are consistent with drinking water guidelines established by other countries and international organizations. The World Health Organization, the European Union, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council have all established provisions that state that total coliforms should be absent immediately after disinfection, and that their presence is indicative of inadequate treatment. These provisions also include specific recommendations for total coliforms designed to minimize microbial risks from the drinking water distribution system.

(Erratum)

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

FOOD AND DRUGS ACT

Interim Order Respecting the Importation and Sale of Medical Devices for Use in Relation to COVID-19

Notice is hereby given that in the French version of the notice bearing the above-mentioned title published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, Vol. 154, No. 13, Saturday, March 28, 2020, the introductory sentence of section 5, on page 699, that was written as follows:

Délivrance

5 Le ministre délivre l’autorisation d’importation ou de vente si les exigences suivantes sont satisfaites :

Should have been written as follows:

Délivrance

5 Le ministre délivre l’autorisation d’importation ou de vente s’il est satisfait aux exigences suivantes :

In addition, the French version of section 12, on page 701, that was written as follows:

Signalement d’incidents

12 Le titulaire d’une autorisation d’importation ou de vente d’un instrument médical destiné à être utilisé à l’égard de la COVID-19 doit, dans les 10 jours après avoir pris connaissance d’un incident qui est survenu au Canada, signaler l’incident au ministre et en préciser la nature et les circonstances.

Should have been written as follows:

Signalement d’incidents

12 Le titulaire d’une autorisation d’importation ou de vente d’un instrument médical destiné à être utilisé à l’égard de la COVID-19 doit, dans les dix jours après avoir pris connaissance d’un incident qui est survenu au Canada, signaler l’incident au ministre et en préciser la nature et les circonstances.

ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE CANADA

SPECIES AT RISK ACT

Description of Eastern Foxsnake, Carolinian population, critical habitat in the Big Creek National Wildlife Area, Long Point National Wildlife Area, and St. Clair National Wildlife Area

The Eastern Foxsnake (Pantherophis gloydi) is a large snake species with two populations (Carolinian population and Great Lakes/St. Lawrence population) that is listed as endangered on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act. In Canada, the Carolinian population occurs in southwestern Ontario in two apparently disjunct areas along the north shore of Lake Erie, where it inhabits open, unforested areas such as marshes or prairies.

The recovery strategy for the Carolinian population of the Eastern Foxsnake (the Recovery Strategy) identifies the critical habitat for the species in a number of areas, including within federally protected areas.

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to subsection 58(2) of the Species at Risk Act, subsection 58(1) of that Act applies, 90 days after this publication, to the critical habitat of the Eastern Foxsnake, Carolinian population, identified in the Recovery Strategy for that species that is included on the Species at Risk Public Registry, that is found within the Big Creek National Wildlife Area, Long Point National Wildlife Area, and St. Clair National Wildlife Area described in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Area Regulations made pursuant to the Canada Wildlife Act.

Interested parties are invited to contact Environment and Climate Change Canada by email at ec.protectionep-sarprotection.ec@canada.ca to request clarification regarding the location, biophysical attributes and protection of this species’ critical habitat. However, some details may be withheld to protect the species and its critical habitat.

June 20, 2020

Sarah Wren
Director
Species at Risk Act Implementation
Canadian Wildlife Service

PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE

Appointment opportunities

We know that our country is stronger — and our government more effective — when decision-makers reflect Canada’s diversity. The Government of Canada has implemented an appointment process that is transparent and merit-based, strives for gender parity, and ensures that Indigenous peoples and minority groups are properly represented in positions of leadership. We continue to search for Canadians who reflect the values that we all embrace: inclusion, honesty, fiscal prudence, and generosity of spirit. Together, we will build a government as diverse as Canada.

We are equally committed to providing a healthy workplace that supports one’s dignity, self-esteem and the ability to work to one’s full potential. With this in mind, all appointees will be expected to take steps to promote and maintain a healthy, respectful and harassment-free work environment.

The Government of Canada is currently seeking applications from diverse and talented Canadians from across the country who are interested in the following positions.

Current opportunities

The following opportunities for appointments to Governor in Council positions are currently open for applications. Every opportunity is open for a minimum of two weeks from the date of posting on the Governor in Council appointments website.

Position	Organization	Closing date
Member	Atlantic Pilotage Authority
Chairperson	Canada Council for the Arts
President and Chief Executive Officer	Canada Lands Company Limited
Member (Federal)	Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board
Chief Executive Officer	Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
President	Canadian Commercial Corporation
Chief Executive Officer	Canadian Energy Regulator
Commissioner (full-time), Commissioner (part-time)	Canadian Energy Regulator
Director	Canadian Energy Regulator
Chief Commissioner	Canadian Grain Commission
Commissioner	Canadian Grain Commission
Member	Canadian Human Rights Tribunal
Chairperson	Canadian International Trade Tribunal
Director	Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Permanent Member	Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
Executive Director	Canadian Race Relations Foundation
Member (Alberta and Northwest Territories)	Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Member (Atlantic and Nunavut)	Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
President	Canadian Space Agency
Chairperson	Canadian Transportation Agency
Temporary Member	Canadian Transportation Agency
President	Destination Canada
Director	Export Development Canada
Chairperson	Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board
Vice-Chairperson	Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board
Chairperson	Great Lakes Pilotage Authority Canada
Director (Federal)	Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority
Assistant Deputy Chairperson	Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Members (appointment to roster)	International Trade and International Investment Dispute Settlement Bodies
Chairperson	Marine Atlantic Inc.
Director (Federal)	Nanaimo Port Authority
Secretary	National Battlefields Commission
Member	Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada	July 6, 2020
Taxpayers’ Ombudsman	Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman
Member	Payments in Lieu of Taxes Dispute Advisory Panel
Chairperson	Polar Knowledge Canada
Member	Polar Knowledge Canada
President	Polar Knowledge Canada
Director	Public Sector Pension Investment Board
Member	Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada	July 6, 2020
President	Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Registrar	Supreme Court of Canada
Member	Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada
Vice-Chairperson	Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada
Member	Transportation Safety Board of Canada