Evidence of meeting #97 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was board.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Norman Shields  Manager, Heritage Designations, Parks Canada Agency
Karen L. Pearce  Legal Counsel, Parks Canada Agency
Rachel Grasham  Director Policy, Legislative and Cabinet Affairs, Parks Canada Agency
Alan Kerr  Vice-President, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Sylvain Michaud  Chief Financial Officer, Parks Canada Agency
Douglas McConnachie  Director General and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Financial Management Directorate, Department of the Environment
Sue Milburn-Hopwood  Assistant Deputy Minister, Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of the Environment
Matt Jones  Assistant Deputy Minister, Pan-Canadian Framework Implementation Office , Department of the Environment
John Moffet  Acting Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Protection Branch, Department of the Environment
Rob Prosper  Vice-President, Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation, Parks Canada Agency

12:50 p.m.

Rob Prosper Vice-President, Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation, Parks Canada Agency

Perhaps I can start. Thank you for the question.

Certainly, in terms of the circumstance in Wood Buffalo and the issue that we have there with the state of the park—that's the state of the universal values there—we're guided by the guidelines for UNESCO in terms of the processes that we have to have in place to address those concerns. The two areas that we're currently working on are the strategic environmental assessment, as you know, as well as an action plan. We're working on both of those elements with indigenous groups, with the intent to develop a robust response that would—

12:50 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Okay, I don't want to interrupt. I know all of that. But my specific question is have you been allocated additional resources or are you having to rob Peter to pay Paul? Are some of the Parks Canada programs suffering because you're having to carry the weight of doing the Strategic Environmental Assessment?

12:50 p.m.

Vice-President, Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation, Parks Canada Agency

Rob Prosper

So, we have reallocated internally resources focused on addressing the Strategic Environmental Assessment and engagement with indigenous groups. But in order to have a fulsome action plan it will require additional resources and that is something that we would be looking at going forward.

12:50 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

But we definitely don't see those in these estimates.

My second question is about the transfer of indigenous resources for SARA. I think those are probably coming from Aboriginal Affairs to Environment Canada. I don't know where they are coming from but there is a transfer to Environment Canada. I'm wondering if that's to do with the woodland caribou we're covering.

12:50 p.m.

Director General and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Financial Management Directorate, Department of the Environment

Douglas McConnachie

Thank you very much for the question.

12:50 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

That is the almost $67,000, or is it $67 million?

12:50 p.m.

Director General and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Financial Management Directorate, Department of the Environment

Douglas McConnachie

I'm sorry. Is that in supplementary estimates or...?

12:50 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Yes, it's in the supplementary estimates, 2-43. It's for indigenous involvement in SARA, and I'm wondering if that's related to the woodland caribou.

12:50 p.m.

Director General and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Financial Management Directorate, Department of the Environment

Douglas McConnachie

I don't believe it is. I'm just having difficulty locating the information at this time.

12:50 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Maybe you could get back to us on what that is about because I have another question.

12:50 p.m.

Director General and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Financial Management Directorate, Department of the Environment

12:50 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

I have a different opinion on the low-carbon economy. I am troubled that the $1.2 billion that was committed in 2016 has been sitting, and I'm a little stunned at the small amount that is being disbursed. I'm puzzled as to why that money has not been released to the territories and provinces more expeditiously.

12:50 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Pan-Canadian Framework Implementation Office , Department of the Environment

Matt Jones

Thanks for the question. This being a brand new program, we needed to establish the parameters around how it would be operated, what its scope would be, and how the guidance would be provided to provinces to ensure that we would have proper oversight and review of the individual programs. As is often the case with new programs, an awful lot of work has gone into the front end in order to set out the parameters, the application process, the review process, and the approvals process. We've been working away on that while consulting with provinces and while receiving projects. A lot of things have been happening in parallel to help speed up this process.

We've been engaging with provinces, receiving proposals, and reviewing those proposals while negotiating contribution agreements simultaneously in order to move those monies as quickly as possible. We now have contribution agreements in place with a couple of provinces, and we have agreements in principle with a number of others. We have sifted through, reviewed, given feedback on, and reviewed again a very long list of projects, and there is quite a pipeline now of projects. Our expectation is that those agreements will be concluded shortly and that the monies will start to flow soon.

12:55 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

I'm a little puzzled when I look at the budget.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Please be very quick.

12:55 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

This follow-up will be real fast.

So the money will be coming, but the only thing, in the coming budget.... There's nothing about the fund. There are no plans to allocate any more money. The only thing is the federal carbon pollution pricing backstop. That all goes to finance. I don't see anything in the budget for future allocation of these dollars. It leaves me wondering what's going on.

I would appreciate some kind of update on what is going on with this fund. Perhaps you could send that to us.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Be very quick, if you could. That's a decent question. Go ahead.

12:55 p.m.

Director General and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Financial Management Directorate, Department of the Environment

Douglas McConnachie

Just very quickly, the funds were announced in previous budgets. The transfer that you see in the supplementary estimates (C) is the first of several waves of funding that will come through future estimates. Our main estimates will also include a sizable transfer of funding for the low-carbon economy fund, but not the full amounts that have been announced previously. You will see those allocations in future estimates documents.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Thank you.

Next up we have Mr. Amos.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you to the witnesses for their patience.

I want to get into the new budget around nature parks and wild spaces. I too am very enthusiastic about this, as I'm sure you're aware. I note that for 2018-19 there will be $24 million available. That will be ramping up, at least on the parks side. I presume there are some other funds for the species at risk side and some other funds for the CWS side.

I wonder if there's any breakdown between the species at risk aspect of it and the CWS and migratory birds side of it. We have the parks stuff; that's fairly clear. I just wasn't sure about the rest. Then I'll get more specifically into next steps on that.

12:55 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of the Environment

Sue Milburn-Hopwood

We still don't have all of those details laid out yet. There's still some work to do. I think we can get back to you, but there's still some work to do. This has just come out, and we have to work through what that allocation is.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC

I understand, and I look forward to that. Thank you for getting back to me on it.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

I know that all members can ask any and all questions, and that has been clear, but this really is about estimates. To be fair to those who have come prepared for estimates, if we could.... You're allowed to ask anything. I get it. However, if we could focus on the estimates, it would be great. Thank you.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC

Sure.

Madam Chair, I'm not really interested in losing my time to quibble with this—

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

It's okay. You have the floor.