Environment Committee on March 12th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

The meeting is resumed.

The committee is resuming its review of the 2025-26 supplementary estimates (C).

The committee is meeting with the following government officials from Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Kurt Chin Quee is the assistant deputy minister and chief financial officer. Welcome.

Alison McDermott joins us. She is the assistant deputy minister, strategic policy and international affairs branch. Welcome.

Also with us is Megan Nichols, assistant deputy minister, environmental protection branch. Welcome.

We also have, from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, Terence Hubbard, president, and Ian Ketcheson, vice-president for indigenous relations and corporate services, and chief financial officer. Welcome.

We also have, from Parks Canada Agency, Andrew Campbell, acting president, chief executive officer and senior vice-president of transformation, and Andrew Francis, vice-president, finance. Welcome.

We are resuming the questioning of witnesses, and the Conservative Party has six minutes of speaking time.

When the witnesses see my small card, that tells them that the member has only one minute of speaking time left. If I turn it to this side and a witness is answering a question, it means that the member's speaking time is up and the witness has to finish their sentence.

Mr. Bexte, the floor is yours for six minutes.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

Welcome, witnesses. I appreciate your time today, and I look forward to what you have to say.

To Parks Canada, we had some discussion in the first hour about fire and fire mitigation. Could you tell me what specific changes have been introduced to the fire mitigation or fire management plans in parks like Banff, Jasper and Waterton Lakes?

[Andrew Campbell]

Thank you very much for an excellent question. I'm happy to respond, Mr. Chair.

In the past year alone, Parks Canada has taken on 44 vegetation management initiatives across the country, which are—

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Excuse me, but because our time is very limited right now, very specifically, what changes have been introduced to Banff, Jasper and Waterton?

[Andrew Campbell]

Do you mean just on those three parks?

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Yes. Very specifically, what did you learn from the failures at Jasper?

[Andrew Campbell]

I would not talk about Jasper as failure, so I—

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

I don't care how you want to characterize that, sir. I'm sorry—

[Andrew Campbell]

Mr. Chair, can I respond to the question?

Within Waterton Lakes and Banff and Jasper, we have increased, in fact, the buffer zones around each of the critical pieces of infrastructure.

In Jasper we have done mitigation efforts, and there are now approximately 2.5 kilometres of buffer zone around the town of Jasper.

Across the country, as I said, we have done 44 initiatives—

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Thank you very much—

[Andrew Campbell]

Then are there are 140 hectares at Banff—

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Thank you very much.

Are there any specific changes or implementations in Banff? Banff hasn't burned yet. Jasper has already burned.

[Andrew Campbell]

In Banff in the past year, we've done 140 hectares of wildfire risk reduction. There has also been the completion of a 74-hectare fireguard around the community of Lake Louise. There has been increased forest thinning around all of the pieces of critical infrastructure there, whether it's the Trans-Canada Highway, Atco or the CPKC. All of that work has been done in the past year. Hundreds of hectares have been further fireguarded within Banff National Park.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Is there more work yet to be done in Banff?

[Andrew Campbell]

In fire and forest mitigation, as forests continue to grow and as risks continue to grow, there is always redoing of some of the fireguarding work—

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

I appreciate that, but—

[Andrew Campbell]

—so that work will continue forever.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

More specifically, I mean urgent work that directly leads to the upcoming fire seasons and the safety of Banff and Lake Louise itself.

[Andrew Campbell]

Yes. We continue to have prescribed burns within Banff this year, and we will also have some mechanical removal, particularly on the bench. There will be further fire reduction on the bench.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Thank you very much.

What percentage of Jasper has been rebuilt so far?

[Andrew Campbell]

Approximately 50% of Jasper's housing currently has approved plans for rebuilding.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Thank you.

Reporting in 2025 stated that the residents rebuilding are facing delays due to strict soil contamination testing and permitting. I get the soil-testing requirements, but on permitting, what accelerated permitting processes by Parks Canada are being done to allow rebuilding to happen quickly?

[Andrew Campbell]

I'm happy to tell the member that there are zero outstanding permits currently existing.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Very good. Thank you for that.

[Andrew Campbell]

All of the soil has been remediated, we are very pleased to say, and we actually have been working with the Red Cross in putting in types of social supports for individuals—