The Commission Mandate

Terms of Reference

1. The Commission of Inquiry appointed pursuant to the Order will have the responsibility to inquire into and report on and make findings and make findings and recommendations with respect to any and all aspects of the following matters:
   
   1. the circumstances that led to the current contamination of the public water supply of the City of North Battleford;
   2. the adequacy and effectiveness of the actions taken by officials of the Government of Saskatchewan, the Battlefords District Health Board and the City of North Battleford leading up to and in response to the discovery of the contamination of the public water supply in the City of North Battleford;
   3. the effect, if any, of the regulations, bylaws, policies, guidelines, procedures and practices of or applicable to the Government of Saskatchewan, the Battlefords District Health Board and the City of North Battleford on the events referred to in (a) and (b);
   4. any other relevant matters that the Commission considers necessary to determine that the City of North Battleford’s public drinking water is safe in the future.
      
2. The Commission shall perform its duties without expressing any legal conclusion or recommendation regarding the civil or criminal responsibility of any person or organization.
   
3. The Commission shall complete its inquiry and deliver its final report, comments, findings, conclusions and recommendations to the Minister of Justice by March 31, 2002. The Commission may give the Minister of Justice such interim reports as it considers appropriate to address urgent matters in a timely fashion. Each report must be in a form appropriate for release to the public, subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and other laws.
   
4. The Commission shall hold public hearings but may hold some proceedings in camera where it is the opinion of the Commission that it is necessary to do so.
   
5. The Commission shall determine applications by those parties, if any, or those witnesses, if any, to the public inquiry that apply to the Commission to have their legal counsel paid for by the Commission and further determine at what rate such counsel shall be paid for their services.
   
6. The Commission may set such rules of practice and procedure for the conduct of its duties as it deems appropriate.

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