Evidence of meeting #5 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was plan.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Yes, of course, but, since all the parties, aside from the Bloc Québécois and the NDP, have been able to ask three sets of questions, could the minister be with us for another five minutes, so that we can each ask questions for a minute and a half?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
It is going against the order in which we pose questions, and this is a routine proceeding that has been adopted. Unless I have unanimous consent on it, and the minister has time, I cannot change the routine proceedings.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
We are okay with adding an extra five minutes, Madam Chair.
Liberal
Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC
Unfortunately, I am actually late for my next meeting.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Sorry, we don't have unanimous consent, so I will have to then let the minister go. You can ask the questions of the departmental officials.
Monsieur Albas, you are—
Conservative
Liberal
Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC
Thank you, everybody. I appreciate your time and the conversation.
Certainly with respect to Mr. Rasmussen, follow up with me again. We'll set that meeting up with Wanuskewin.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you.
Now we have the departmental officials. The first round of five minutes goes to Mr. Albas.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
I would like to start by thanking our witnesses today. I know they're very committed to this country, and I hope that they can answer the questions.
I will start by asking in regard to Parks Canada. The Parks Canada budget is declining significantly this year. I know there were budgetary impacts from free admission to parks as part of the Canada 150 initiative, as well as the increased demand this year due to COVID.
How do those realities reconcile with the significant decline?
Andrew Campbell Senior Vice-President, Operations, Parks Canada Agency
Thank you, Mr. Albas. I will ask my colleague, who is the vice-president of finance, if she is on. Catherine, are you there?
Catherine Blanchard Vice-President, Finance Directorate, Parks Canada Agency
Yes, I'm here. Thank you very much for the question.
Yes, you're right. There is a decrease in authorities for Parks Canada this year. It's primarily related to our infrastructure funding, and it's more of a timing issue. We will be accessing additional infrastructure funding in our supplementary estimates B and through other vehicles. It shows as a decrease a main estimates to main estimates comparison, but it isn't really a true decrease. It is more about timing.
We will, as I said, be accessing funding in supplementary estimates A for capital, at $141 million. We're also carrying forward some funding from 2019, about $130 million, into 2020-21. Again, it's more of a timing issue and a function of how the estimates process works.
I will add, though, that our capital funding does sunset later on, at the end of March—March 31, 2022—but for this year, it is not a real decrease; it's more of a timing issue.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Okay.
I have been hearing serious concerns from across Canada about the planned decommissioning of Weatheradio broadcast towers. I know the government is consulting and believes they are only looking at towers in areas with adequate cell service, but let me tell you that in areas of my riding as well as others, such as Kelowna—Lake Country, there is zero cell service in certain parts, and we are served by a tower that is up for decommissioning.
What is the status of this consultation, and will you proceed with removing these towers?
Madam Chair, I do hope that—
Diane Campbell Assistant Deputy Minister, Meteorological Service of Canada, Department of the Environment
Madam Chair, my name is Diane Campbell—
Liberal
Assistant Deputy Minister, Meteorological Service of Canada, Department of the Environment
I will proceed. Thank you so much.
I'm the assistant deputy minister of the Meteorological Service of Canada. Thank you very much for that question.
We offer a range of services to Canadians over a multitude of dissemination channels. Weatheradio has been one of the lesser known channels to many Canadians. We have used it for many years, and its origins were very much using VHF radio frequencies.
We embarked on this consultation so that we could understand how Canadians are currently using that service. We sent out letters. We also put broadcasts on Weatheradio channels in order to generate that feedback.
This is part of an active consultation. The information and the feedback we're getting are being looked at right now. For those communities and those individuals who have raised concerns, we will be pursuing their use actively with them so that we understand the nature of their needs, and then we will be reassessing, based on that information.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Okay. Well, I would just say, first of all, that many areas on the water in my riding have no cell service. I've heard from boaters. I know this is true right across Canada. In Manning Park, we recently had a Vancouverite lost. Even the Prime Minister mentioned his case. The weather in Manning Park can change quite quickly.
When will you announce which towers will be removed, and can people still try to stop this?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Meteorological Service of Canada, Department of the Environment
We will be looking at a second round of consultations. Right now we haven't finished getting the first round through. Our intention is to engage directly with some of the communities themselves.
We want to do two things. First, we want to see whether there are other mechanisms to be able to meet their needs. You've given a good example. Some of the examples from other communities raise different issues and perhaps different service options. At this point, there will be no plans to announce any closures of stations until that round has been fully looked at and we've had the chance to connect with the users themselves who have raised the issues.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
My suggestion is, again.... Saying that the fact that there's cell service means that you don't need this...when cell service is clearly not in many parts of my riding and quite honestly across this country. My suggestion would be to really look at those two, because they are not as you've said in the consultation website.
Regarding aquatic invasive species, what is the amount budgeted for addressing this issue in British Columbia?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Are people having technical difficulties? I have to stop Mr. Albas's time.
Who's responding, Mr. Albas? Did you have a particular person to respond?
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Well, we have so many wonderful public servants here, I'm sure there's someone who knows exactly what I'm speaking about.
Niall O'Dea Assistant Deputy Minister, Canadian Wildlife Services, Department of the Environment
The reason we may have been struggling to find you an answer, sir, is that aquatic invasive species are under the responsibility of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. As such, we don't have an identified line item for them within our own main estimates.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Okay. So I take it there's no budget for this.