Alberta Record

· Bill / Critical Infrastructure Defence Expansion · enacted

Bill 45 — Critical Infrastructure Defence Amendment Act, 2025

Expands the definition of 'critical infrastructure' under the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act to include border areas and a broader range of energy facilities, and explicitly states the Act binds the Government of Canada.

High impactCivil libertiesCentralization of powerThe public, directly

What changed

  • The definition of 'critical infrastructure' is expanded to include all land in Alberta within 2 km of the border with the United States of America.
  • The definition of 'critical infrastructure' now includes facilities involved in the extraction, processing, or production of bitumen, crude oil, and natural gas, as well as their head or principal offices in Alberta.
  • The Act explicitly states that it binds the Government of Canada.

Why it matters

  • Expands the geographic and industrial scope where protests and activities could be restricted under the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act.
  • Asserts provincial jurisdiction over federal government operations and property within Alberta, potentially leading to inter-jurisdictional conflicts.
  • Increases the range of sites where individuals could face penalties for interfering with 'critical infrastructure'.

Rights affected

  • Freedom of expression — The freedom to speak, publish, and access ideas.
  • Freedom of assembly — The freedom to gather, protest, and organise.

Other governance concerns

  • Freedom of assembly
  • Freedom of expression
  • Provincial-federal jurisdiction
  • Scope of protest restrictions

Primary sources (1)

Secondary sources (3)