Evidence of meeting #76 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was wetlands.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Right.
Regarding private lands, you mentioned some programs that the government—and I think it's the Government of Canada—runs as incentives for private landowners. For example, you mentioned the habitat stewardship program. Am I correct that this is a Government of Canada program to encourage private owners to safeguard and/or restore wetlands?
Biologist, Conseil régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec
Yes.
In particular, there is the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, which, however, must be adapted when a species at risk is present in a wetland. If there are no species at risk, the program does not apply.
There is also the EcoAction Program, through which we received a grant this year to increase awareness among the owners of 30 wetlands. At the national level, we have the Natural Areas Conservation Program.
All these programs are often renewal-sensitive. We really recommend that these programs be renewed annually in order to support actions intended for private lands.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
That natural areas conservation program is also a federal program. Am I correct about that?
Biologist, Conseil régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec
The programs I mentioned are federal. There are also provincial programs. I failed to mention your Ecological Gifts Program, under which owners may donate their land and receive tax credits in return.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
As I understand it, you are very supportive of these programs and believe they are best practices that should be continued. Is that correct?
Biologist, Conseil régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec
Yes.
However, conservation organizations must be involved in order for these programs to be implemented. CRECQ is one, but there are not enough conservation organizations in the Centre-du-Québec region to benefit from these programs. In my opinion, efforts must also be made to encourage the creation of organizations or to support groups such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada, which receives assistance from the Natural Areas Conservation Program, so that they can expand their fields of action and cover larger regions.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Has your regional council, your agency, been able to work with any Government of Canada program?
Biologist, Conseil régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec
Yes.
Every year we work as part of Environment Canada's programs, particularly the Habitat Stewardship Program and the EcoAction Program. These are programs from which we have benefited. The council is known for the performance of the programs it implements here in the region.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Very good.
The Province of Quebec has an Environment Quality Act. If it were enforced, would it have a good effect on wetland protection in Quebec?
Biologist, Conseil régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec
It would have a considerable impact if it were properly enforced. However, section 22 of the Environment Quality Act is not being adequately enforced. The legal framework is very flexible and the act's enforcement depends on the good will of the analysts in place. However, the minister is currently reviewing his act and will have to introduce a new bill by 2015. That is the result of a lawsuit involving cranberry production. That case has been heard by the courts.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Up until now, which has produced better results, the Environment Quality Act regulation or the incentive and stewardship programs that we've been discussing?
Conservative
Biologist, Conseil régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec
I would say that the incentives for conservation agencies have had a lot more impact on owners than the present act.
Conservative
Liberal
Lise St-Denis Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Good morning.
Is the urban populations' awareness of wetlands conservation different from that of rural populations? Are people in rural areas more or less aware than people in the cities?
Biologist, Conseil régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec
That is an excellent question. People in rural areas are more aware because they have to manage the wetlands on their own lands. People in the municipalities and large cities have less contact with wetlands. They want them to be protected, but that is up to people in the rural areas. The wetlands are located on their lands. They deal with the management of those wetlands. I would say that people are nevertheless aware of the issue, given the pressure from large cities.
I should also mention that the situation is very different from one city to another. The situation of wetlands in Montreal and Laval is a major concern. So immediate action must be taken in those major cities. In other Quebec regions, however, the rural sector is more concerned by wetlands conservation.
Liberal
Lise St-Denis Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
My question is further to that of my colleague opposite.
You said that awareness policies were more effective than restrictive rules. However, if we are talking about the common good of the general public, do you think that awareness will yield better results than imposing more rigid and demanding laws?
Biologist, Conseil régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec
That is an excellent distinction. Given the way the act is currently enforced, awareness policies are more effective. However, if we had a stricter legislative framework or clearer analytical guidelines, the act would have greater impact.
However, both need to be done. If we do not want our population to be dead set against an act, we have to inform them about the basis of that act. The two go hand in hand.
Liberal
Lise St-Denis Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Could the objective of wetlands protection be to preserve public health? Are public health issues considered in discussing wetlands protection?
Biologist, Conseil régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec
That is not currently the case. However, you raise an important point because wetlands are excellent water filters in Quebec. I am talking about the drinking water and freshwater used by many communities. If wetlands disappeared, our water would no longer be adequately filtered and we would then need more effective water purification systems. That would entail higher economic costs.
In that case, the Department of Health would necessarily be involved. I will give you an example. In New York, the entire city is supplied with water filtered by a wetland. There are no water treatment plants. All water consumed there comes from a wetland that has been conserved in a watershed upstream.
Liberal
Lise St-Denis Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Should government environmental assessment regulations adopt a separate approach to wetlands protection? Is that part of the overall environmental act?
Biologist, Conseil régional de l'environnement du Centre-du-Québec
In Quebec, wetlands are considered under the Environment Quality Act in assessments conducted by the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement, the BAPE. However, if the Canadian government effectively enforced its environmental assessments, wetlands would have to be considered even as public areas.
A urea plant project is to be built in Centre-du-Québec. The plant's pilings are to be installed in the last remaining silver maple stands. The environmental assessment for the plant is not strict enough in that regard.
