Québec Boundaries Extension Act, 1912

An Act to extend the Boundaries of the Province of Québec [1st April, 1912]

Whereas on the thirteenth day of July, one thousand nine hundred and eight, the House of Commons resolved that the limits of the province of Québec should be increased by the extension of the boundaries of the province northwards so as to include the territory hereinafter described, as in the said resolution more particularly set out, upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed to by the Legislature of Québec and by the Parliament of Canada: Therefore, subject to the consent of the said Legislature, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and the House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Section 1
This Act may be cited as The Québec Boundaries Extension Act, 1912.

Section 2
The limits of the province of Québec are hereby increased so that the boundaries thereof shall include, in addition to the present territory of the said province, the territory bounded and described as follows:

Commencing at the point at the mouth of the East Main river where it empties into James Bay, the said point being the western termination of the northern boundary of the province of Québec as established by chapter 3 of the Statutes of 1898, entitled An Act respecting the north-western, northern and north-eastern boundaries of the province of Québec; thence northerly and easterly along the shores of Hudson bay and Hudson strait; thence southerly, easterly and northerly along the shore of Ungava bay and the shore of the said strait; thence easterly along the shore of the said strait to the boundary of the territory over which the island of Newfoundland has lawful jurisdiction; thence south-easterly along the western boundary of the said last mentioned territory to the middle of the Bay du Rigolet or Hamilton Inlet; thence westerly along the northern boundary of the province of Québec as established by the said Act to the place of commencement; and all the land embraced by the said description shall, from and after the commencement of this Act, be added to the province of Québec, and shall, from and after the said commencement, form and be part of the said province of Québec upon the following terms and conditions and subject to the following provisions:


 * (a) That the population of the territory hereby added to the province of Québec shall be excluded in ascertaining the population of the said province for the purposes of any readjustment of representation of the other provinces consequent upon any census;


 * (b) That in the general census of the population of Canada which is required to be taken in the year one thousand nine hundred and twenty-one and in every tenth year thereafter the population of the territory hereby added to the province of Québec shall be distinguished from that of the said province as heretofore constituted, and the representation of the said territory in the House of Commons shall be determined according to the rules enacted by section 51 of "The British North America Act, 1867," regulating the representation of the provinces other than Québec;


 * (c) That the province of Québec will recognize the rights of the Indian inhabitants in the territory above described to the same extent, and will obtain surrenders of such rights in the same manner, as the Government of Canada has heretofore recognized such rights and has obtained surrender thereof, and the said province shall bear and satisfy all charges and expenditures in connection with or arising out of such surrenders;


 * (d) That no such surrender shall be made or obtained except with the approval of the Governor in Council;


 * (e) That the trusteeship of the Indians in the said territory, and the management of any lands now or hereafter reserved for their use, shall remain in the Government of Canada subject to the control of Parliament.

Section 3
Nothing in this Act shall in any way prejudice or affect the rights or properties of the Hudson's Bay Company as contained in the conditions under which that company surrendered Rupert's Land to the Crown.

Section 4
This Act shall come into force on a day to be fixed by proclamation of the Governor in Council published in The Canada Gazette, but such proclamation shall not be made until after the Legislature of Québec shall have consented to the increase of the limits of the province herein provided for, and agreed to the terms, conditions and provisions aforesaid.