HOW-TO · CANADA GAZETTE · PART I

How to comment on a federal regulation

When the federal government proposes a new regulation, the draft is published in Canada Gazette Part I and opened for comment. Anyone — a citizen, a business, an association — can comment, and the department must consider what it hears before the rule is finalized. Here is how, with the open comment periods live below.

The five steps

1. Find it in the Gazette, Part I. Proposed regulations are pre-published in Canada Gazette Part I with a Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement that explains the problem, the options and the expected costs. Browse the latest items on the Gazette desk or search gazette.gc.ca.
2. Read the notice and the deadline. Every notice names the department to write to and states the comment period — often 30 days — with the exact closing date. Your comments must reach them before it closes.
3. Write specific, factual comments. Refer to the regulation by name or clause. Say what you agree with, what worries you and why — and suggest alternative wording where you can.
4. Send your comments to the department. Use the address or email in the notice, not a general portal. You do not need to be a lawyer or an expert to comment.
5. Watch the final rule in Part II. After review, the approved regulation is registered as a Statutory Order (SOR) and published in Gazette Part II — tracked on the Gazette desk.

Open consultations with deadlines — join now

Live from the Government of Canada consultations registry, closest deadlines first. Every one of these is a real, open comment period you can contribute to today.

FPIC-flagged consultations

Consultations that may affect the rights of Indigenous peoples carry the FPIC flag — free, prior and informed consent. Read the notice, then engage early and directly with the communities concerned.

After you comment

The department reviews every submission. Once the rule is approved, it is registered as a Statutory Order (SOR) and published in Gazette Part II, where the accompanying statement summarizes how public input shaped the final text.

Live consultation listings refresh daily from the official registry · updated 2026-09-10

Sources

• Comment on proposed regulations — official (gazette.gc.ca)
• Consulting with Canadians — official portal
• Registry behind the live table (open.canada.ca, CSV, OGL-C)