Environment Committee on May 26th, 2015

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

You're well beyond your time, Mr. Bevington, but please proceed, Minister, with a short response.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you for that. I'm going to start and then pass it on to Janet for the details of the operations.

As of April 1 of this year, all 12 recommendations by the Auditor General have been addressed. To respond to the Auditor General's recommendations, they have been completely addressed. CanNor has made improvements to its business process. It has implemented performance measurement strategies and a management control framework for contribution programs. CanNor has also revised delivery of its economic development programs, and it has increased the number of employees in the Iqaluit office by adding nine additional positions over the past year.

In terms of status, I'll pass it on to Janet to respond to that.

[Janet King, President, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency]

Thank you, Minister.

I have just a couple of comments on staffing in the Iqaluit office. As the minister mentioned, we've strengthened by nine. That includes staffing the director-general level from the north and having permanently in Iqaluit the director-level staff. We have the senior support people being staffed as well, drawing as much as we can from the labour force in the north. We're also starting to send positions from Ottawa to Iqaluit. I believe that one person is moving in the next couple of weeks from Ottawa up to headquarters. We are progressively strengthening that office.

I would like to note with respect to using the funds that at the close of 2014-15 we had the smallest lapse in our flagship program in the history of SINED. We've been managing those lapses downward as we work very closely with our stakeholders in developing useful projects through the cycle of the fiscal year.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Thank you.

We are two minutes over the time on that one. We'll have to make that up somewhere else.

Mr. Sopuck, please.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

Thanks.

Minister, many developing countries lack the economic resources necessary to invest in new technologies that would help them combat climate change. I was wondering if you could please tell us what Canada is doing to assist developing countries to invest in new green technologies to allow them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you.

To further demonstrate Canada's commitment towards achieving a new climate agreement, $300 million in funding pledged to the Green Climate Fund was announced in November 2014. The Green Climate Fund's strong focus on helping the poorest countries with adaptation and promoting private sector investment will play a key role in addressing climate change globally.

As I mentioned in my opening remarks, Canada has fully delivered on its commitment and has provided $1.2 billion in new and additional climate change financing under fast-start financing. Examples of those projects are: in Chile, we supported solar plants for the mining sector; in Indonesia, we have the world's largest geothermal facility; in Mexico and Colombia, there are mitigations on short-lived climate pollutants or on gas facilities, in partnership with the Canadian private sector; in Haiti, we help communities reduce vulnerability to natural disasters through the construction of irrigation corridors to increase agricultural production; and Parks Canada is providing expertise to Colombia, Kenya, and Mexico to help maintain and restore natural parks and other protected areas and inform people about climate change adaptation.

Thank you.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

This question deals with Parks Canada. In light of the 2014 historic discovery of the HMS Erebus in Nunavut, what is Parks Canada doing in terms of delivering community benefits to the communities across the north regarding this discovery?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

The Government of Canada is committed to developing and implementing northern economic development and tourism initiatives in the north. The historic discovery of HMS Erebus in 2014 would not have been possible without federal-provincial-territorial and private not-for-profit partners as well as some Inuit and their traditional knowledge. We will continue to build on that strong collaboration this year.

Parks Canada will continue to work with Inuit from Gjoa Haven, Cambridge Bay, and other northern communities to provide community benefits and integrate their role of traditional knowledge into science-based activities involved in the 2015 Franklin expedition operations.

The agency is also working in partnership with community representatives, regional Inuit organizations, Kitikmeot Inuit organizations, territorial governments, and the private sector to leverage the 2014 discovery in order to develop and put in place long-term economic benefits and tourism initiatives in the north. Parks Canada will also be working with Inuit to promote the story from their perspective and to showcase Inuit cultural traditions and knowledge on the world stage.

CanNor is also contributing to economic development opportunity initiatives within the region to maximize the potential of this discovery.

Thank you.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

I know that water management and the protection of water quality is a top priority of our government. It's certainly a priority for your department.

Can you talk about some of the actions that Environment Canada is taking in dealing with water management and the improvement of water quality across Canada?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Sure.

As I mentioned in my opening remarks, we have made significant commitments to protect and restore the water bodies including the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake Simcoe, southeastern Georgian Bay, and the St. Lawrence River. In 2010 we announced $8 million per year of funding to go to remediate Great Lakes areas of concern. Work has been completed in five areas of concern, and it is anticipated that all remedial actions in the further five Canadian areas of concern will be completed by 2019.

In 2011, $16 million was allocated over a period of four years to address toxic and nuisance algae in the Great Lakes, with a particular focus on Lake Erie. Canada's collaboration with the United States also led to an enhanced and renewed Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 2012 that included new provisions to address issues such as aquatic invasive species and habitat conservation.

In 2012, $46.3 million was committed to clean up contaminated sediments in the Hamilton Harbour, $29 million over five years to continue with the Lake Simcoe and southeastern Georgian Bay clean-up fund, and $15 million over five years to protect the Great Lakes from the threat of Asian carp.

Last December the Governments of Canada and Ontario renewed their commitment to restore, protect, and conserve the Great Lakes by signing the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health.

Thank you.

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

I did some research concerning Lake Simcoe myself. The improvement of water quality there has been truly remarkable. It shows that the actions your department has taken there are really working.

What actions have been taken by your department dealing with waste water treatment in Canada?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Nunavut, NU]

Among steps we have taken to tackle one of the largest sources of pollution of Canadian water since 2006, our government committed more than $2 billion in direct federal funding to waste water infrastructure projects across Canada. As well, since 2005, municipalities have invested more than $668 million of the gas tax funds for waste water infrastructure.

In 2012 our government put in place waste water system effluent regulations to phase out the release of untreated and undertreated sewage into waterways. This isn't just about improving the quality of our water; it's also about protecting our health, our environment, and our economy.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Thank you, Mr. Sopuck.

Thank you, Minister.

We'll now move to Mr. McKay.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Thank you, Minister.

You've stated that the 2030 targets will be reduced by 30%. Can you express that in terms of megatonnes?

[Michael Martin]

Mr. Chairman, actually I can't do the math off the top of my head, but I'd be happy to provide the numbers to the committee.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Really?

[Michael Martin]

I can't do the math off the top of my head. You got me.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

No, I have absolute confidence in your ability to do the math off the top of your head, but I find it quite remarkable that you should state a target of 30% by 2030 and not know what that is in megatonnes.

[Michael Martin]

Well, if you give me a second, I could probably do the calculation.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

As long as it doesn't come off my time, I'm fine with that.

[Michael Martin]

Why don't I come back to you with that, Mr. McKay?

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Let me just do a little math.

[Michael Martin]

It's about 240 million tonnes, I would think.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

My guessing is that your expectation would be that it would be down to about 549 million tonnes. Would that be right? Would that be close?

[Michael Martin]

Again, I don't have the number in front of me, but that could be in the ballpark.