Editing Notary public (section)

===Canada===
Canadian notaries public (except in the province of [[British Columbia]] and [[Quebec]]) are very much like their American counterparts, generally restricted to administering oaths, witnessing signatures on affidavits and statutory declarations, providing acknowledgements, certifying true copies, and so forth.

====British Columbia====
In [[British Columbia]], a notary public is more like a [[#England and Wales|British]] or [[#Australia|Australian notary]]. Notaries are appointed for life by the [[Supreme Court of British Columbia]] and as a self-regulating profession, the Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia is the regulatory body overseeing and setting standards to maintain public confidence.<ref>The Society of Notaries Public of BC. (2011).: [http://www.notaries.bc.ca/resources/Upload/28-04-2011-10-11-25_BecomingANotary-Mar2011.pdf ''Becoming a Notary''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721062511/http://www.notaries.bc.ca/resources/Upload/28-04-2011-10-11-25_BecomingANotary-Mar2011.pdf |date=21 July 2011 }}.</ref> A BC notary is also a commissioner for taking affidavits for British Columbia, by reason of office. Furthermore, BC notaries exercise far greater power, able to dispense legal advice and draft public instruments including:

* Notarization – notarizations/attestations of signatures, affidavits, statutory declarations, certified true copies, letters of invitation for foreign travel, authorization of minor child travel, execution/authentications of international documents, passport application documentation, proof of identity for travel purposes
* Real estate law – home purchase/sale; business purchase/sale; [[mortgages]] and [[refinancing]]; residential, commercial, and manufactures home transfer of title; restrictive covenants and builder's liens
* Wills and estate planning – preparation and searches of last wills and [[Last will and testament|testaments]], advance directives, representation agreements and [[power of attorney]]
* [[Contract law]] – preparation of contracts and agreements, commercial lease and assignments
* [[easements]] and [[Right-of-way (property access)|right of way]]
* insurance loss declarations
* marine bills of sale and mortgages
* marine protestations
* personal property security agreements
* purchaser's side for foreclosures
* subdivisions and statutory building schemes
* zoning applications

====Nova Scotia====
In [[Nova Scotia]] a person may be a notary public, a commissioner of oaths, or both. A notary public and a commissioner of oaths are regulated by the provincial Notaries and Commissioners Act.<ref name="nslegislature.ca">{{cite web|url=http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/notaries.htm|title=This page has moved|access-date=14 June 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045858/http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/notaries.htm|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> Individuals hold a commission granted to them by the Minister of Justice.

Under the Act a notary public in has the "power of drawing, passing, keeping and issuing all deeds and contracts, charter-parties and other mercantile transactions in this Province, and also of attesting all commercial instruments brought before him for public protestation, and otherwise of acting as is usual in the office of notary, and may demand, receive and have all the rights, profits and emoluments rightfully appertaining and belonging to the said calling of notary during pleasure."<ref name="nslegislature.ca"/>

Under the Act a commissioner of oaths is "authorized to administer oaths and take and receive affidavits, declarations and affirmations within the Province in and concerning any cause, matter or thing, depending or to be had in the Supreme Court, or any other court in the Province."<ref name="nslegislature.ca"/>

Every barrister of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia is a commissioner of oaths but must receive an additional commission to act as a notary public.

"A Commissioner of Oaths is deemed to be an officer of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. Commissioners take declarations concerning any matter to come before a court in the Province.".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/legal_services/commissioner_oaths.asp|title=Nova Scotia Commissioners of Oaths – novascotia.ca|access-date=14 June 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005163134/http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/legal_services/commissioner_oaths.asp|archive-date=5 October 2012}}</ref> Additionally, individuals with other specific qualifications, such as being a current [[Member of the Legislative Assembly]], commissioned officer of the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] or [[Canadian Forces]] may act as if explicitly being a commissioner of oaths.

====Quebec====
Since [[Quebec]] uses [[Quebec law|a civil law system for non-criminal matters]], notaries in that province are [[civil law notary|civil-law notaries]] (''notaires'') that are full lawyers licensed to practice notarial law and regulated by the [[Chamber of Notaries of Quebec]]. Quebec notaries draft and prepare major [[legal instrument]]s ([[Act (document)#Notarial Acts|notarial acts]]), provide complex legal advice, represent clients (out of court) and make appearances on their behalf, act as arbitrator, mediator, or conciliator, and even act as a court commissioner in non-contentious matters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cdnq.org/en/notariesInQuebec/essence.html |title=Essence of notarial service - Chambre des notaires du Québec |access-date=2009-02-16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211040137/http://www.cdnq.org/en/notariesInQuebec/essence.html |archive-date=11 December 2008}} A general overview of the notarial profession in Quebec: taken from the website of the Chambre des Notaires du Quebec.</ref> To become a notary in Quebec, a candidate must hold a bachelor's degree in civil law and a one-year Master's in notarial law<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cdnq.org/ |title=- Chambre des notaires du Québec |access-date=2009-02-16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225052340/http://www.cdnq.org/ |archive-date=25 February 2009}} The main page for the Chambre des Notaires du Quebec.</ref> and serve a traineeship (''stage'') before being admitted to practice.

The concept of notaries public in Quebec does not exist. Instead, the province has Commissioners of Oaths (''Commissaires à l'assermentation'')  who may administer oaths in Quebec (and outside of Quebec, if authorized) for a procedure or a document intended for Quebec (or Federal matters).  A Quebec commissioner for oaths can not certify documents or attest that a copy of a document is in accordance to the original; only a ''[[Civil law notary|notaire]]'' can do it.