OTTAWA, Ontario - December 3, 2014. Today, Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, Wai Young, introduced a Private Members Bill that aims to amend the Criminal Code of Canada to better reflect the severity of interference with Critical Infrastructure including the growing problem of copper theft from electricity facilities.
“The introduction of this bill is a significant development as we seek to actively deter copper theft,” said Jim Burpee, President and CEO of the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA). “Given the high price of copper, thefts are on the rise. These thefts pose a real and significant threat to the safety of Canadians and to the reliability of our electricity system. We applaud MP Wai Young for bringing this issue to the attention of Parliament.”
“Enhancing the protection of Critical Infrastructure is good for communities,” added National Capital Area Crime Stoppers President Richard McMullen. “Ms. Young’s legislation will protect citizens and address crimes, particularly copper theft, that are expensive with costs ultimately born by Canadians.”
CEA began a national discussion about copper theft in March 2014, launching a policy paper called Copper Theft from Canada’s Electricity Infrastructure: Dangerous, Expensive and a Threat to Reliability that highlighted the consequences of copper thefts across the country and outlined four detailed recommendations to deter copper thefts in Canada.
The Private Members Bill introduced today will amend the criminal code to address a gap in the current legislation, capturing conduct that is more significant in its consequences than mischief or theft, but less significant than offenses such as terrorism. It will also help keep communities across Canada safe by better aligning punishments with the impact of criminal actions–meaning that penalties will take into consideration the larger impact of copper theft on critical infrastructure.
Since 2006, media reports show that many people have suffered serious injuries from copper theft, and tragically ten people have lost their lives. While costly to the electricity sector (approximately $40 million each and every year), copper theft is also costly to other sectors and businesses across the country. Additionally, these thefts pose a significant threat to the reliability of Canada’s electricity system, putting Canadians in vulnerable situations such as loss of access to 9-1-1, medical care, and other critical services.
Click here to learn more about the impacts of copper theft in Canada.