Ottawa shelves bill to end elephant, great ape captivity

The federal government has no plans to revive the Jane Goodall Act, a bill that would have phased out the captivity of elephants and great apes in Canada, CBC News reported Sunday.

The bill, known as S-15, passed third reading in the Senate in December 2024 but died on the order paper when Parliament was prorogued in January 2025. Animal advocates told CBC they have seen no movement since the April 2025 federal election, despite a campaign pledge to bring the legislation back.

A spokesperson for Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin, Keean Nembhard, said in a statement that any future consideration of similar legislation would require it to be reintroduced and that no decision has been made on its future. He did not say why, according to CBC.

The act was first introduced in 2020 by the late Manitoba Sen. Murray Sinclair and later reintroduced by Sen. Marty Klyne. It was named for the conservationist and primatologist Jane Goodall, who supported it and died in October 2025. The bill would have banned the import, export and breeding of elephants and great apes unless done for conservation, welfare or scientific research, and would have ended their use in entertainment, including elephant rides.

In March, a group of animal advocates and zoos, including the Toronto and Calgary zoos, wrote to Dabrusin asking Ottawa to introduce legislation to protect captive animals. The minister’s written reply, shared with CBC, said the government’s legislative agenda is influenced by a range of factors, including decisions by the government House leader. She added that provinces and territories are primarily responsible for animal welfare, including the regulation of zoos.

“Since the election occurred, we haven’t seen any movement on this front,” said Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice. She said it is up to the government to explain to Canadians why it is backing away. Angela Fernandez, director of the animal law program at the University of Toronto, called the lack of action a “real lost opportunity” and said the groundwork was already done.

Advocates suspect the government’s focus on the tariff war and other economic issues is behind the delay, CBC reported. The government has not confirmed that explanation.

About 23 elephants are believed to live in Canada. Three are at the Granby Zoo in Quebec, one named Lucy is at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, and roughly 19 are at African Lion Safari near Hamilton, Ont., though the park would not confirm its numbers to CBC. Environment and Climate Change Canada told CBC that two elephants were exported to the United States this year.

The detail comes from a single outlet’s reporting and the government has not issued its own statement beyond the minister’s office response. The bill’s history is recorded on the Parliament of Canada’s LEGISinfo site. This story is developing and will be updated if Ottawa clarifies its plans.

The cost of the legislation was a point of dispute in 2024, when Ottawa called an $8-million price tag speculative and premature. Dabrusin’s department also recently featured in our coverage of the Mackenzie River heritage nomination.

Source: CBC News.

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