Acts and Regulations

2006-62 - Blueberry Plan Administration

Full text
Current to 1 January 2024
NEW BRUNSWICK
REGULATION 2006-62
under the
Natural Products Act
Filed July 31, 2006
Under sections 19 and 35 of the Natural Products Act, the Commission makes the following Regulation:
Citation
1This Regulation may be cited as the Blueberry Plan Administration Regulation - Natural Products Act.
Definitions
2The following definitions apply in this Regulation.
“Act” means the Natural Products Act. (Loi)
“Agency” means Bleuets NB Blueberries. (Agence)
“designated representative” means an individual appointed under section 5. (représentant désigné)
“district” means a district described in section 3. (district)
“eligible producer” means a producer who cultivates the regulated product on at least 2 hectares of land. (producteur habilité)
“member” means a member of the Agency. (membre)
“person” means an individual, corporation, partnership or cooperative. (personne)
“Plan” means the Plan as defined in the Blueberry Plan and Levies Regulation - Natural Products Act. (Plan)
“regulated area” means the regulated area as defined in the Blueberry Plan and Levies Regulation - Natural Products Act. (zone réglementée)
“regulated product” means the regulated product as defined in the Blueberry Plan and Levies Regulation - Natural Products Act. (produit réglementé)
Membership of Agency
3The Agency shall consist of the following nine members:
(a) four members elected to represent District A, consisting of the portion of the regulated area that is north of latitude 47° N;
(b) four members elected to represent District B, consisting of the portion of the regulated area that is south of latitude 47° N; and
(c) one member elected at large.
2019-6
Term of office
4A member shall hold office for a term of up to four years and shall assume office at the first meeting of the Agency following the member’s election.
2019-6
Designated representative
5(1)Where an eligible producer is a corporation, partnership or cooperative and wishes to vote or be elected as a member in an election or vote at an annual district meeting, the eligible producer shall appoint one individual as a designated representative to act on behalf of the eligible producer and shall file the designation with the Agency.
5(2)Where an eligible producer is a corporation or cooperative incorporated in New Brunswick, the designated representative must be an officer or shareholder of the eligible producer.
5(3)Where an eligible producer is a corporation or cooperative incorporated outside New Brunswick, the designated representative must be a principal officer of the eligible producer in New Brunswick.
5(4)Where an eligible producer is a partnership, the designated representative must be a partner of the eligible producer.
5(5)Only the individual appointed as a designated representative of an eligible producer under subsection (1) shall vote in an election or at an annual district meeting or be elected as a member on behalf of the eligible producer.
2019-6
Eligibility requirements – elections and membership
2019-6
6(1)Subject to subsections (2) and (3), unless a person is an individual and is an eligible producer in the district, a person shall not
(a) sign nomination papers for a prospective candidate in an election for a member,
(b) vote in an election, or
(c) hold office as a member.
6(2)A designated representative of an eligible producer that is a corporation or cooperative may sign nomination papers for a prospective candidate, vote in an election and hold office as a member if
(a) the eligible producer
(i) has filed the designation with the Agency, and
(ii) is incorporated in Canada, and
(b) the designated representative
(i) where the eligible producer is incorporated in New Brunswick, is an officer or shareholder of the eligible producer, and
(ii) where the eligible producer is incorporated outside New Brunswick, is a principal officer of the eligible producer in New Brunswick.
6(3)A designated representative of an eligible producer that is a partnership may sign nomination papers for a prospective candidate, vote in an election and hold office as a member if
(a) the eligible producer
(i) has filed the designation with the Agency, and
(ii) has filed a declaration with the Agency that the designated representative is a partner of the eligible producer, and
(b) the designated representative is a partner of the eligible producer.
6(4)A designated representative shall hold office as a member only for so long as he or she remains a designated representative.
6(5)Where an eligible producer notifies the Agency that an individual has ceased to be its designated representative, the Agency shall declare the member’s position vacant.
2019-6
Election of members
2019-6
6.1(1)An election of a member shall be held on the date fixed by the Agency.
6.1(2)The Agency shall send an announcement of the date of the election
(a) for a district or districts, as the case may be, to each eligible producer in the district or districts, and
(b) for a member at large, to each eligible producer in the regulated area.
6.1(3)An announcement under subsection (2) shall be sent at least 60 days before the date of the election.
6.1(4)The announcement shall contain the list prepared under section 9, and, if applicable, the names of the designated representatives who are eligible for election as the member representing the district or as a member at large, or both, as the case may be.
6.1(5)A candidate for election as a member shall file nomination papers with the Agency at its head office at least 30 days before the date of the election.
6.1(6)A person who is an eligible producer in both districts may be a candidate in only one district in each election and shall declare in the nomination papers the district in which the person intends to be a candidate.
6.1(7)Nomination papers shall be signed by the candidate and three other persons who are eligible to sign.
6.1(8)At least 15 days before the date of the election, the Agency shall mail a ballot form with directions for its proper completion to each eligible producer in the district or districts, as the case may be, in which the election is to be held, together with the list of nominated candidates.
6.1(9)Completed ballots, postmarked no later than the date of the election, shall be mailed to the Commission.
6.1(10)The winner of the election shall be the candidate with the largest number of properly completed ballots in the candidate’s favour.
6.1(11)The Commission shall count the ballots and forward the result of the election to the Agency which shall notify the producers of the district or districts, as the case may be.
2019-6
Voting in election
2019-6
6.2(1)Only eligible producers whose names appear on the list prepared under section 9 are entitled to vote in an election.
6.2(2)A person who is an eligible producer in both districts may vote in only one district each year and shall inform the Agency of the district in which the person intends to vote before an election.
6.2(3)An individual voting in an election is entitled to vote only once in the election.
6.2(4)If there is a dispute as to a person’s or individual’s entitlement to vote, the Commission shall settle the dispute.
2019-6
Annual district meetings
7(1)In accordance with this section, the Agency shall call an annual district meeting of eligible producers for each district
(a) to review the operations of the Agency and the Plan,
(b) to review the financial statements of the Agency for the previous fiscal year, and
(c) Repealed: 2019-6
(d) to consider any other matter raised by eligible producers and designated representatives concerning the promotion and research of the regulated product.
7(2)An annual district meeting of eligible producers shall be held on the date fixed by the Agency.
7(3)Notice of an annual district meeting setting out the date, time and place fixed for the meeting shall be published in a newspaper published in the Province and having general circulation in the regulated area.
7(4)Notice shall be published under subsection (3) at least 7 days before the date fixed for the annual district meeting.
7(5)One of the elected members representing the district shall act as chair of an annual meeting of that district unless none of the elected members are able or willing to act, in which case, the eligible producers and designated representatives present at the meeting shall choose one among them to be the chair.
7(6)The Secretary-Manager of the Agency shall act as secretary of an annual district meeting or in his or her absence, the chair may appoint an individual to be the secretary of the meeting.
2019-6
Change of address
8(1)An eligible producer or designated representative shall notify the Agency of any change of his or her recorded address not later than 14 days after the change.
8(2)Where, in the opinion of the Agency, a change has occurred in the address of an eligible producer or designated representative, the Agency may change the recorded address.
List of eligible producers
9(1)The Agency shall prepare a list of eligible producers.
9(2)The list of eligible producers shall be
(a) arranged in alphabetical order and according to the district in which blueberries are cultivated, and
(b) based upon the records of the Agency.
9(3)Additions to or deletions from the list of eligible producers may be made at any time by the Agency where it receives sufficient evidence as to qualifications to vote.
2019-6
Voting at annual district meetings
10(1)Subject to subsections (2) and (3), only eligible producers whose names appear on the list of eligible producers are entitled to vote at an annual district meeting.
10(2)Where the Agency has not prepared the list of eligible producers required by subsection 9(1), a producer who proves to the satisfaction of the chair at an annual district meeting that he or she is an eligible producer is entitled to vote at the annual district meeting.
10(3)A producer whose name is not on the list of eligible producers and who proves to the satisfaction of the chair at an annual district meeting that he or she is an eligible producer is entitled to vote at the annual district meeting.
10(4)Repealed: 2019-6
10(5)Repealed: 2019-6
10(6)Repealed: 2019-6
10(7)Repealed: 2019-6
10(8)Repealed: 2019-6
2019-6
Vacancy
11(1)If a position is not filled after an election for a district, or a member representing a district becomes unwilling or unable to act, or a vacancy in respect of a district occurs for any other reason, the Agency shall, subject to subsection 3(4), appoint at the next regular meeting of the Agency or the next annual meeting for that district, whichever occurs first, a person qualified under section 6 from that district to fill the vacancy.
11(2)Where no person from the district is willing to be appointed under subsection (1), the Agency shall, subject to subsection 3(4), appoint a person who is otherwise qualified under section 6 from another district to fill the vacancy.
11(3)A member appointed under this section shall hold office for the remainder of the term of the member whose position was vacated.
Removal of member
12The Agency may remove from office any member who
(a) has violated the Act, the regulations under the Act or an order of the Agency or the Commission,
(b) has been convicted of an offence under the Criminal Code (Canada), or
(c) has failed to attend 3 consecutive meetings of the Agency without reasonable excuse.
Powers of Agency
13The following powers are vested in the Agency:
(a) to exempt from the Plan respecting promotion or research of the regulated product any producer or class of producers;
(b) to appoint officers and employees, assign their duties and fix their remuneration;
(c) to undertake and assist in the promotion of the consumption and use of the regulated product, the improvement of the quality and variety of the regulated product and the publication of information in relation to the regulated product; and
(d) to undertake or to engage other persons to conduct research activities with respect to, and advertise and promote in any other manner, the regulated product.
Advisory committees
14The Agency may establish advisory committees to advise and to make recommendations to the Agency in respect of any matter respecting which the Agency is empowered to make orders under the Act, the regulations under the Act or the Plan.
By-laws
15The Agency may make by-laws that are not inconsistent with the Act, the regulations under the Act or the Plan.
Commencement
16This Regulation comes into force on August 1, 2006.
N.B. This Regulation is consolidated to May 1, 2019.