C-411An Act to amend the Criminal Code (arson — wildfires and places of worship)
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on June 19, 2024
- Status
- At second reading in the House of Commons since June 19, 2024
What it does
Creates new Criminal Code offences for causing wildfires and damaging places of worship, and adds sentencing factors for arson by negligence.
What it does
- Creates a new offence for intentionally causing a wildfire, with up to 14 years in prison for a first indictable offence, or a fine of up to $100,000 on summary conviction.
- Creates a new offence for intentionally causing damage by fire or explosion to a place of worship, with up to 14 years in prison and a minimum of 5 years for a first indictable offence.
- Requires courts to treat it as an aggravating factor when arson by negligence leads to a wildfire or the destruction of a place of worship, and to record how that fact affected the sentence.
- Adds the new wildfire and place of worship arson offences to the Criminal Code’s lists of offences for related legal purposes.
Who it affects
- People accused of arson
- Courts and judges
- Religious communities
- Places of worship
Topics
Background
The bill amends the Criminal Code. It adds new sections for arson involving wildfires and places of worship, and changes sentencing rules for arson by negligence.
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.
ConservativeMarc Dalton· June 19, 2024
“Moved for leave to introduce C-411, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (arson—wildfires and places of worship). Today I am tabling legislation to protect Canada's forests and places of worship from arson.”
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.