M-26 - Act respecting the Ministère des richesses naturelles

Replaced on 1 April 1980

This document has official status.

chapter M-26

Act respecting the Ministère des richesses naturelles

Chapter M-26 is replaced by the Act respecting the Ministère de l’Énergie et des Ressources (chapter M-15.1). (1979, c. 81, s. 31).

1979, c. 81, s. 31.

DIVISION I GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. The Minister of Natural Resources, in this act called the “Minister”, shall have the direction and management of the Ministère des richesses naturelles.

His functions and duties shall be:

(a)  to promote the development and utilization of the mineral and energy resources of Québec for the benefit of its people;

(b)  to supervise the carrying out of the laws respecting the production, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity and gas;

(c)  to accelerate the expansion of Hydro-Québec and secure for it the development of all unconceded waterpower wherever it can economically harness the same;

(d)  to control the development of all conceded waterpower;

(e)  to superintend the administration and sale of mining lands and the carrying out of the legislation respecting mines;

(f)  to prepare plans for the turning to account, developing and processing in Québec of the mineral and energy resources found therein and, with the authorization of the Government and in collaboration with other ministers, see to the carrying out of such plans;

(g)  to procure the employment, by companies developing natural resources, of Québec labour and staffs trained in Québec.

R. S. 1964, c. 83, s. 1; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1979, c. 49, s. 15.

2. The Gouvernement shall appoint a Deputy Minister of Natural Resources.

R. S. 1964, c. 83, s. 2.

3. Under the direction of the Minister, the Deputy Minister shall have the supervision of the other officers, employees, messengers and servants of the department. He shall have general control of the affairs of the department and shall exercise the other powers assigned to him by the Gouvernement.

R. S. 1964, c. 83, s. 3.

4. The orders of the Deputy Minister must be carried out in the same manner as those of the Minister, his authority shall be that of the incumbent minister of the department, and his official signature shall give force and authority to any document which is or may be within the jurisdiction of the department.

R. S. 1964, c. 83, s. 4; 1978, c. 15, s. 140.

5. The Gouvernement shall also appoint a secretary and all other officers, clerks and messengers necessary for the proper administration of the department in conformity with the Civil Service Act (chapter F-3.1).

R. S. 1964, c. 83, s. 5; 1965 (1st sess.), c. 14, s. 81; 1978, c. 15, s. 140.

6. The respective duties of the officers and clerks of the department, not expressly defined by law or by the Gouvernement, shall be determined by the Minister.

R. S. 1964, c. 83, s. 6.

7. No deed, document or writing shall bind the department or be attributed to the Minister unless it is signed by him, by the Deputy Minister or by a functionary, and only, as regards the latter, to the extent determined by regulation of the Gouvernement published in the Gazette officielle du Québec.

The Gouvernement may, however, upon the conditions it fixes, allow the required signature to be affixed by means of an automatic device to such documents as it determines.

The Gouvernement may also allow a facsimile of the required signature to be engraved, lithographed or printed on such documents as it determines; in such case, the facsimile has the same force as the signature itself if the document is countersigned by a person authorized by the Minister.

R. S. 1964, c. 83, s. 7; 1977, c. 30, s. 1.

8. Every copy of a document forming part of the records of the department, certified by the Minister or the Deputy Minister as a true copy, shall be authentic and shall have the same effect as the original.

R. S. 1964, c. 83, s. 8.

8.1. Within six months following the end of each fiscal year, the Minister shall table a report of the activities of his department for that fiscal year in the Assemblée nationale, if it is in session; if it is not sitting, he shall table it within thirty days after the opening of the next session or after resumption.

1978, c. 18, s. 2.

DIVISION II LABORATORIES FOR RESEARCH IN MINERALOGY AND METALLURGY

9. In order to favour the utilization of the mineral wealth with which the Province is endowed, and the establishment in Québec of plants for processing same, the Gouvernement may authorize the Minister to establish laboratories for research in mineralogy and metallurgy, whose function shall be as follows:

(a)  to help mining and metallurgical enterprises to perfect the processes and techniques of extracting, transforming, and utilizing ores;

(b)  to encourage the studies and scientific research conducive to the invention of processes or techniques useful for the working and preparation of certain ores;

(c)  to study the means of securing the most profitable results from ores and from the by-products deriving from their transformation;

(d)  to provide small industries with the services of laboratories which their financial means do not permit them to establish;

(e)  in general to pursue any other scientific or technical research work which the Minister may deem advantageous for the progress of the mining and metallurgical industry.

R. S. 1964, c. 83, s. 9.

10. To assure the proper operation of such laboratories, the Gouvernement, upon the recommendation of the Minister, may appoint a director general, metallurgists, chemists, physicists, engineers, technicians and any other employees required and determine their functions, remuneration or salaries, in accordance with the Civil Service Act (chapter F-3.1).

R. S. 1964, c. 83, s. 10; 1965 (1st sess.), c. 14, s. 81; 1978, c. 15, s. 140.

11. The Gouvernement may authorize the Minister to enter into agreements with universities, corporations, owning laboratories, in order to facilitate the pursuing of the studies and research work contemplated by this division.

R. S. 1964, c. 83, s. 11.

12. The organization of such laboratories, their maintenance expenses, the execution of the agreements contemplated in section 11 and, generally, the costs incurred for the carrying out of this division, shall be paid out of a special fund composed of

(1)  the sums voted each year by the Legislature for such purposes;

(2)  benevolent contributions made by industrials and other persons desirous of contributing to the success of the studies and researches made in such laboratories;

(3)  royalties and other revenue accruing from the patents obtained as a result of research work carried out in such laboratories.

R. S. 1964, c. 83, s. 12.