Natural Resources Transfer Acts
Encyclopedia
The Natural Resources Transfer Acts were passed by the Parliament of Canada in 1930 in order to give the Prairie provinces (Manitoba
, Saskatchewan
, and Alberta
) jurisdiction over their crown lands and natural resources
, a right they were not given when they entered Confederation
. The passage of these Acts rendered the Dominion Lands Act
obsolete, since these same lands were no longer under federal jurisdiction.
A few small sections of resource-rich territory were excluded from the act, although they would be transferred later. National park
s were also excluded - they remain under the jurisdiction of the federal government, and are generally off-limits to resource development.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, and Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
) jurisdiction over their crown lands and natural resources
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
, a right they were not given when they entered Confederation
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
. The passage of these Acts rendered the Dominion Lands Act
Dominion Lands Act
The Dominion Lands Act was an 1872 Canadian law that aimed to encourage the settlement of Canada's Prairie provinces. It was closely based on the United States Homestead Act, setting conditions in which the western lands could be settled and their natural resources developed...
obsolete, since these same lands were no longer under federal jurisdiction.
A few small sections of resource-rich territory were excluded from the act, although they would be transferred later. National park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s were also excluded - they remain under the jurisdiction of the federal government, and are generally off-limits to resource development.