C-236VIA Rail Canada Act
An Act to continue VIA Rail Canada Inc. under the name VIA Rail Canada and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on February 7, 2022
- Status
- At second reading in the House of Commons since February 7, 2022
What it does
Continues VIA Rail Canada Inc. as VIA Rail Canada, sets its mandate, and updates related federal laws.
What it does
- Continues VIA Rail Canada Inc. under the name VIA Rail Canada, cancels its shares without repayment, and transfers its assets, debts, court cases and by-laws to the new corporation.
- Sets VIA Rail Canada’s mandate to provide safe, efficient and reliable public passenger rail service, develop a modern service, and work with other passenger service providers.
- Requires VIA Rail Canada to operate service on all routes listed in the bill’s schedule, and lets the Governor in Council add or remove routes by regulation.
- Creates a board of up to 15 directors, with the chairperson and chief executive officer appointed by the Governor in Council and the other directors appointed by the Minister with that approval.
- Sets the head office in Montréal unless the Governor in Council orders another Canadian city, and requires a review of the Act every five years with a report to Parliament.
- Replaces references to VIA Rail Canada Inc. with VIA Rail Canada in several federal laws, including the Access to Information Act, the Financial Administration Act, the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act and the Canada Transportation Act.
Who it affects
- VIA Rail Canada
- Train passengers
- Other passenger rail providers
- Railway companies
- Minister of Transport
- Federal departments and agencies
Background
VIA Rail Canada Inc. was incorporated on January 12, 1977, under the Canada Corporations Act. The bill would continue it under the name VIA Rail Canada and make this Act its charter.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Current stage. Now here
Committee
Not reached.
Report stage
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Senate
First reading
Not reached.
Second reading
Not reached.
Committee
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Not reached.
Introduced by an MP who is not a minister. These bills compete in a lottery for debate time, and most do not become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
No recorded votes yet
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
GreenElizabeth May· February 7, 2022
“Moved for leave to introduce Bill C-236, An Act to continue VIA Rail Canada Inc. Under the name VIA Rail Canada and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Outside the Order of Precedence. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.