Evidence of meeting #61 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was environmental.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Robert McLean  Executive Director, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment
Tovah Barocas  Director, Development, Earth Rangers
Mike Puddister  Director, Watershed Transformation, Credit Valley Conservation
Terri LeRoux  Executive Director, Credit Valley Conservation Foundation

9:50 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht

Thanks.

Thanks, Mr. Bevington.

Mr. Sopuck, please.

9:55 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB

Thank you.

I'd like to take off from the line of questioning of Mr. McKay. The implication of his point was that this mining company went and just tore off the top of the mountain on its own accord.

I hope both groups, Earth Rangers and Credit Valley, realize that every single natural resources operation cannot move its first yard of dirt unless it has an environmental licence and adheres to strict terms and conditions. Those environmental licences are issued by duly elected governments, so by definition, once a company has an environmental licence after going through the environmental process, they are by definition an ethical company. To set your minds at ease, once a company is in operation, as I said, they do have an environmental licence and I think you shouldn't have any worries in that particular regard.

Regarding Credit Valley Conservation, I would assume there's a fair bit of private agricultural land in the watershed. Is that a fair assumption?

9:55 a.m.

Director, Watershed Transformation, Credit Valley Conservation

Mike Puddister

Yes, that's correct. About a third of the watershed is in agricultural land use.

9:55 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB

I represent a very large natural resource and agricultural constituency, so I'm very interested in the interplay between the privately owned agricultural landscape, the farming communities, and the issue of the conservation of public resources.

What is your approach at Credit Valley to dealing with private agricultural landowners when it comes to encouraging conservation on that privately owned landscape?

9:55 a.m.

Director, Watershed Transformation, Credit Valley Conservation

Mike Puddister

I'd have to say that the first thing is trust. It's about building relationships. We have really put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that the agricultural sector knows who we are and what it is that we're trying to offer them. We're fortunate to have some funding through the Region of Peel for our rural water quality program. I have an individual who is leading that program who has an agricultural background and is building those bridges and working directly with the operators to provide them with some new opportunities for water and land stewardship. We're also combining some other interests in dealing with species at risk, creating a market-based mechanism to provide habitat for significant breeding birds, the meadowlark and bobolink. We've created a certified bird friendly hay program, where we're bringing together producers and operators and buyers of late-cut hay—steer operators and the equine industry—and it's a win-win for everybody.

I think we have to be sensitive to the fact that those operators are in fact running a business and want to run that business in a sustainable way, which means that they have a long-term view of the land and water resources they're utilizing. We have to provide tools, mechanisms, and support for them so they can carry out their operation in a very challenging industry.

9:55 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB

I find it very intriguing that you're providing incentives for late-cut hay, because we had the same thing in prairie Canada with waterfowl, and so late-cut hay as well. I know that Ducks Unlimited, for example, encourages the late cutting of hay. So I'm intrigued, given the lower quality of late-cut hay, that you're able to get producers to do that.

I'd like to turn to Mr. McLean for a minute.

Mr. McLean, you've been involved in the conservation field for decades now. Can you talk about the private and public partnership that created the North American waterfowl management plan, which, quite frankly, is the single largest conservation program in the world? Could you talk about that, Mr. McLean?

9:55 a.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment

Robert McLean

The program that Mr. Sopuck is referring to, the North American waterfowl management plan, started in 1986. To date in Canada we've invested about $2 billion in it—“we” being the partnership—securing about 8 million hectares of wetland and upland habitat, enhancing about 1.4 million hectares of habitat, and influencing producers with respect to another 46.4 million hectares of habitat—a staggering number.

The program is successful, I think, because it engages all the key partners in conservation, not just, if you will, the government agencies. We've worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service. We worked with provincial ministries, but we also work with Duck Unlimited and the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation. When you get down to on-the-ground delivery, those organizations are engaging with industry, and with the community-based conservation organizations as well, but industry is an important player. Clearly, with respect to waterfowl, as you just mentioned with respect to agriculture, the agriculture community is really critical and working with ag producers, whether it's farmers or ranchers, is dependent upon the trust that Mr. Puddister just referred to, building that longer-term relationship and enabling those longer-term agreements. But that's a public-private NGO partnership that's made that program successful.

10 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Sopuck.

Mr. Choquette, please.

10 a.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to go back to Mr. McLean.

In my riding of Drummond, the CRECQ, the Conseil régional de l’environnement du Centre-du-Québec, the regional environmental council, received funds from the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk for two endangered species, the Northern spring salamander and the wood turtle.

For some years now we have observed that there are some big issues with the Endangered Species Act. The government had to go to court for the sage grouse and the orca in British Colombia. Currently it is also in court for the striped chorus frog in Quebec. This problem is very serious and that is why the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk is so important; we have benefited from it at various times in Drummondville and in the Centre-du-Québec region.

Currently, is the Habitat Stewardship Program an annual program? Can people submit a three-year project, or something similar?

I think that would have to be renewed every year. Is that the case?

10 a.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment

Robert McLean

Thank you for your question.

We have agreements that are for more than one year. In fact, one of the agreements that's been mentioned earlier, the Holcim project, is a three-year agreement. We would be limited by the nature of the approved funding within the national conservation plan. There are four years left in the funding we have approved. We could enter into, as of today, four-year agreements.

10 a.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

If I understand correctly, a project funded through the Habitat Stewardship Program can be subsidized for three years. Is that correct?

I think that normally it is one year at a time. You have to obtain a renewal for a second year, and so on.

10 a.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment

Robert McLean

We have projects that are annual. If the recipient would wish to have a second year of funding, that's absolutely possible. Equally, it's absolutely possible for that project proponent to apply for multi-year funding.

10 a.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

Fine.

I saw on the Environment Canada website that there had been a change in 2014-2015. I am still talking about the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. That is the one we turned to in Drummond. My fellow citizens are really concerned, among other things, by the situation of the wood turtle which is an endangered species.

This is what the website says:

Starting in 2014-2015, the Prevention Stream focuses on the very same results as the Species at Risk Stream, but with a focus on species of interest beyond those listed under Schedule 1 of SARA.

So there has been a change in the prevention aspect. Can you explain why this change was made for 2014-2015?

10 a.m.

Conservative

Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

We're supposed to be talking in this study about private-public partnerships. We're really not supposed to be talking about this topic. I don't think it's relevant to our study.

10 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht

Mr. Choquette, can you bring some relevance to the issue that we're studying?

10 a.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

As everyone knows, the Habitat Stewardship Program is a shared-cost program. Every dollar from the Stewardship Program must be matched with a dollar from private funds or organizations. The study we are doing currently is precisely on that.

Mr. McLean talked about this program in the beginning of his presentation. I am asking him questions because the community in my riding of Drummond participates in the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, and there have been changes. In what way are these changes important? Are they going to help the companies, enterprises and organizations in Drummond to use that program?

I will repeat my question: what is the explanation behind the changes made to the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk for 2014-2015?

10:05 a.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment

Robert McLean

Thank you again for your question.

I would need to double-check the exact facts with respect to the wood turtle just in case it had changed status, but perhaps I could make a more general comment about the priority species for funding.

The habitat stewardship program started way back in 2000, and our priority obviously was to focus on those species that are listed under the Species at Risk Act. Within that we focus on endangered and threatened species, species of special concern. When we score project proposals, they get a lower score because we're trying to keep our eye on the ball of the highest-priority species.

The habitat stewardship program has operated since 2000. In the initial year it had $5 million. It was operating at about $12 million per year until the national conservation plan came along, which added funds to the program.

The other feature or policy change that occurred was the opportunity to fund projects for species that are not actually listed under the Species at Risk Act, so now we can also fund projects to prevent species from becoming endangered. What does that mean? It means it opens up an opportunity for any species. If it's a good project delivering on the Species at Risk Act or helping to prevent species from becoming at risk, we can fund it. So I think we now have a policy frame for the program that is not limiting.

The only other comment I want to make is that I wouldn't want any of my comments to be seen as being linked to the matter of the western chorus frog. That matter is before the courts, and I wouldn't want anything I'm saying today to be construed as being connected to that particular court case.

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht

Mr. Carrie, go ahead, please.

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I have one question, and I'll give the rest of my time to Ms. Ambler.

I wanted to talk to you, Ms. Barocas, just to let you know I had the pleasure of having Earth Rangers come to Oshawa. I was there during the presentation and I want to let you know about the awe and the wonder your program created with the young kids in the gymnasium just by letting them see wildlife and having people there to answer their questions. You do have a fantastic program, and I'm very proud we are supporting you.

Without the partnership of the private sector you wouldn't be able to continue such a vigorous outreach program and to really get Canadian kids excited the way you do. I was wondering if you could outline for the committee any barriers you see or any difficulties you have working with businesses on your endeavours, and if there are barriers, whether there are things the federal government could do to lessen those barriers.

10:05 a.m.

Director, Development, Earth Rangers

Tovah Barocas

The private sector has been a really successful source of funding for Earth Rangers over the last five or six years since we've begun to focus on that area. As I said at the beginning, really sometimes our biggest barrier is that we are a national organization so even though we're headquartered in Vaughan, we have members in every province and territory, and really our membership follows pretty accurately the population of Canada. We're a little bit under-represented in Quebec because we're just now truly becoming bilingual.

The biggest barrier for us is geography. Oftentimes businesses—and this makes perfect sense—want to support organizations that have a local connection to where their head office is or where their operations are.

The one thing I would say is that oftentimes we get questions about whether our programs are competing with smaller, on the ground, access to nature programs or things like that. Our answer to that is that we feel the Earth Rangers program actually reinforces all of those global programs because we provide a broader kind of perspective on biodiversity nationally, and we provide kids and families with a brand and organization to associate themselves with.

You probably saw in the show—and thank you for saying those kind words about it—that kids across Canada self-identify as Earth Rangers. They will send us letters and sign off Ranger Katie or Earth Ranger Joel. I think the program creates that initial awareness and connection, and then it can serve to support local initiatives even more just by staying top of mind with families all year-round.

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht

Ms. Ambler.

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

Stella Ambler Conservative Mississauga South, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

If I could echo Mr. Carrie's comments about the Earth Rangers to you, Ms. Barocas, I was so impressed when you were talking even about just the three examples. I remembered about five or six years ago that I had been to visit the headquarters with the late Honourable Jim Flaherty, who was a big supporter, which I think was because of the family component. When we, at this committee, did our study of the national conservation plan to inform the minister about what the committee thought should be included in the plan, children and youth were a top priority, as was urban conservation. I think you've done a really great job of putting those two things together towards your goal of conservation and raising a new generation of young people who care about the environment. I wanted to thank you for that.

If I could go back to CVC, I'd like to ask Terri and Mike how these partnerships come about. For example, you mentioned UPS being a six-figure donor and very involved in tree planting. You talked about corporate grants and cash donations from RBC, TD Friends of the Environment, Brookfield Homes, Scotiabank, and Dufferin Aggregates. These are all very large companies. If your focus is on large companies, how could smaller and medium-sized enterprises also consider these programs? How could they manage the scale of them to fit a smaller business? Do you approach them? Who makes the first approach to whom?

For the Lakeview waterfront connection, for example, you mentioned you were looking for corporate partners. Would you just start with those big companies? Are they the low-hanging fruit and then you move to smaller ones? How does it all get started? Do they come to you or do you go to them?

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht

All right, we'll have to move to the answer. We're well beyond our time.

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

Stella Ambler Conservative Mississauga South, ON

Yes, sorry. Thank you.

10:10 a.m.

Executive Director, Credit Valley Conservation Foundation

Terri LeRoux

Thank you.

Yes, it's a combination of approaches and efforts that we take. With the larger companies we do quite extensive prospect research to understand their values, their motivations, their history of giving, and then generally the initial approach happens either by me or another member of senior management. We'll initially attempt to cultivate that relationship. Very often, as well, the volunteer members of the foundation's board are instrumental in forming those relationships.

To your point about the small to medium-sized organizations, absolutely. In fact, we have more small to medium-sized private sector partners than we do the large ones. They tend to be scaled also to the size of the project and to the community that they exist within. Again, speaking to the point about local impact and companies wanting to have local impact, we have some incredible projects. For example, a trail project in the Orangeville area has raised well over $2 million, with the majority of that coming from very small, local, family-based businesses.