Attorney General Sean Fraser says tougher Criminal Code penalties are coming for copper thieves who target telecommunications and utility infrastructure, arguing the crimes can no longer be treated as minor property offences.Speaking to reporters, Fraser said courts should make full use of new sentencing provisions aimed at crimes that disrupt Canada's critical infrastructure."This is not a small-time, petty crime," Fraser said. "There are very real consequences."Blacklock's Reporter said the changes are contained in Bill C-14, which received royal assent on May 28. The legislation requires judges to treat interference with essential infrastructure as an aggravating factor during sentencing.Fraser said the new provisions are expected to take effect by mid-July."There should be a deterrent in the Criminal Code for people who commit these very serious crimes," he said. "As a result of this law being passed, we expect by mid-July these measures will be in force and the penalties for damage to our essential infrastructure will be far more serious than they are today."The Criminal Code already makes sabotage of essential infrastructure punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Essential infrastructure includes telecommunications and utility lines, hospitals, sewage facilities, food supply systems, banks and government buildings.Fraser said municipalities and infrastructure operators had repeatedly complained that prosecutors often treated copper theft as a property crime based solely on the value of the stolen metal rather than the broader public impact."When somebody steals copper, for example, or other aspects of essential infrastructure, they are often charged with a crime that ties to the value of the thing they stole," Fraser said..Utility companies have been lobbying Ottawa for stronger penalties for more than a decade, arguing that thieves strip copper wiring for resale as scrap metal while causing extensive service disruptions that far exceed the value of the stolen metal.An earlier private member's bill introduced by former Conservative MP Wai Young sought tougher jail sentences for copper theft but died on the order paper in 2015.The Senate transport and communications committee also recently called for harsher penalties, warning copper theft poses a growing threat to Canada's telecommunications and electricity networks.In its April report, Stolen Signal: The Costly Consequences Of Copper Theft In Canada, the committee concluded that copper theft threatens critical infrastructure and the reliability of essential services.Bell Canada vice-president Michele Austin told senators that copper theft incidents increased by 89% in a single year.She pointed to recurring thefts along the Trans-Canada Highway near Fredericton and Oromocto, including incidents affecting Canadian Forces Base Gagetown.Austin also described a 2024 theft that severed both copper and fibre lines, causing about $30,000 in repair costs and leaving Miramichi Airport without internet service for an entire day.
