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 'essential infrastructure' is expanded to include all land in Alberta within 2 km of the border with the United States of America.
  • The definition 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)