Environment Committee on June 12th, 2017

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

That's excellent.

In case some of you haven't been in front of us before, what I try to do, rather than interrupt, is wave a yellow card, which means that you have a minute left. A red card means you're out of time, but don't just stop talking. Finish up your thought, and then we'll end that line of questioning.

Joël.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

It's almost like a soccer game in here. I hope I won't get the red card too often.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for taking part in this exercise. As you know, we are trying to gain a better understanding of the situation and make the best possible decisions based on the information you can provide us with.

Your funding requests may not be contradictory, but I would like some clarification from you. It says here that you are seeking funding for 732 internships at a cost of $15,000 each. You're asking for $11 million, but, if I understand correctly, that money will also go towards 2,500 new jobs for young people.

Are we talking about two completely different programs or the same program? If it's the same program, there is not enough money.

[Carol Najm]

Thank you.

You're referring to the youth employment strategy and the science horizons program. The funding in supplementary estimates (A) is incremental to the same program. We're trying to reach more students. The existing reference level reaches 179 interns. Our objective is to deliver an additional 785 interns with this new incremental funding through the same program.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

In Budget 2017, the government promised that the strategy would create more than 2,500 new jobs. If I do some quick math and divide $10,990,000 by 2,500 jobs, I get $4,396 per job. Yet, here, you talk about $15,000 per intern. I'm just trying to get a handle on this. Are the 2,500 jobs promised under the budget going to materialize?

You said you wanted to increase the number of internships from 179 to 732. All I want to know is whether the 2,500 jobs promised in the budget are going to materialize.

[Carol Najm]

I believe the 2,500 jobs you're referring to apply to the entire federal government, not just to Environment and Climate Change Canada. The numbers for our department are the ones I gave, but I believe the figure you're talking about applies to the entire government.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

It's part of the youth employment strategy's focus on green jobs. Is that correct?

[Carol Najm]

The focus on green jobs covers a number of departments, not just Environment and Climate Change Canada.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

How many of those 2,500 jobs are in your department?

[Carol Najm]

I don't know off the top of my head, but I can get that information to you.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Very well. Can you tell us a bit about the science horizons program? Is it partly based on the principle behind the new horizons program? Does science horizons focus solely on creating jobs for youth?

[Carol Najm]

Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the other program you referred to. What is it called?

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

It's called new horizons. It's okay. I'd like you to talk about the science horizons program.

[Carol Najm]

All right.

The science horizons program is to develop opportunities for young graduates and to encourage recent hires from colleges and universities in STEM fields, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, linked to the green economy. The STEM jobs in sectors of the green economy include jobs that require environmental skills, knowledge, experience, and competencies in order to produce these products and services of environmental benefit. Examples include architects and land use planners who incorporate sustainability into designs, air quality engineers, and conservation officers. The criteria for that program are very specific to environmental fields.

That's the difference between the science horizons program and the overall youth strategy.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Is the internship for the summer only or the entire year?

Is it the same program that supports job opportunities for young people through the Canada summer jobs funding?

[Carol Najm]

The interns work on projects for six to 12 months, so they are temporary employees. I'm not sure whether it works the same way under the other program. Unfortunately, I don't know.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Fine. Thank you.

Switching gears, I see that you are seeking additional funding for a new initiative to enhance weather prediction capacity. A lot of people clearly have a keen interest in weather predictions.

What new technology are you looking to invest in to enhance your prediction capacity?

[Carol Najm]

I will turn to Nancy to answer that question.

[Nancy Hamzawi, Director General, Environmental Protection Branch, Department of the Environment]

Thank you for your question.

The new technology uses buoys that interface with GPSs. Although it tends to be used more in high-risk areas, it is also used in low-risk areas.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

When you were shopping around for new technologies, did the data show that it was an effective system?

[Nancy Hamzawi]

The purpose of the initiative is to assess the technology's effectiveness. It's a pilot project.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

You're welcome.

Linda.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you very much for being here today. My comments will probably be directed more to what I don't see in the supplementary estimates than to what is in them.

Perhaps you could interpret the supplementary estimates for me for both Environment and Climate Change Canada and Parks Canada. They're directly related to the UNESCO directives.

When I look at the new monies that have been attributed to Parks Canada, I don't see anything in the supplementary estimates specifically related to possibly new dollars that will be needed to deliver on the UNESCO directives, including action on significant government deficiencies and water management across jurisdictions, in other words, B.C. and Alberta in terms of the Peace-Athabasca onto the Slave. They want action on the scale, pace, and industrial development along those two rivers. They have called for a strategic environmental assessment.

I'd be happy to hear from both Environment Canada and Parks Canada on what measures are being taken and on whether these new dollars will be sufficient to also allow for the response demanded by February of next year.

[Carol Najm]

Rightfully so, a number of items announced in budget 2017 will only be present in future supplementary estimates. This includes any water-related items in the freshwater program announced in the budget. There has been no money coming to the department yet on any of those initiatives in these supplementary estimates. We are seeking them in future estimates, so I don't have an answer for you at this time.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

So we anticipate no new dollars until the fall of next year. It will be kind of a tight timeline to do all of that work by February.

I notice that the minister has the power to pursue a regional environmental assessment where there are two jurisdictions involved. I'm wondering if there is some consideration by the department in the interim with regard to requesting that you work with CEAA on initiating that with Parks Canada.