Evidence of meeting #128 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sdtc.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
What would happen to those Canadian assets if you didn't have that corporation?
Chief Executive Officer, Smarter Alloys Inc.
They would likely leave Canada. Our competitors, to retain.... Our human resources are mostly folks in the valley. The Apples and the Googles of the world would probably pick up our people.
Liberal
Chief Executive Officer, Smarter Alloys Inc.
Yes. Most of these guys and girls are educated here, and they often have a master's or Ph.D.
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Mr. McArthur, can you add some of your own experience with what these investments are doing in the industry or in the community, or for your companies and the companies you represent?
Chairman of the Board, Ontario Clean Technology Industry Association, Canada Cleantech Alliance
Canada has competitive advantages in a number of areas. I will highlight three.
One is in water. There are more water patents filed in the province of Ontario than there are in any other jurisdiction in the world.
Carbon capture, utilization and storage is going to be key to decarbonizing the industrial sector all across Canada. The cement industry is located all over. There are steel industries and the oil and gas sector.
On energy storage, there is a phenomenal amount of strength in Canada in energy storage. There are batteries, water and variations on themes...recovering waste heat energy, as my esteemed colleague here has talked about.
Canada has some real, competitive advantages here. As you said, in fact, one of our contributors, Soula Chronopoulos from AquaAction in Montreal said Canada threw the baby out with the bathwater when freezing funding at SDTC. There's no good alternative to the SDTC funding for the water sector in Canada. That's an area where we punch above our weight.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Écotech Québec, Canada Cleantech Alliance
We are very competitive right now on the international scene. Canada is perceived as an avant-garde player on many fronts. That edge is going to be closing very quickly, because some countries are investing massively in different subsectors of clean tech. If this sector is not supported at the right time—right now—we are going to lose the competitive edge we have internationally on various fronts.
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
In your presentation, regarding your letter dated April 24, you indicated that, drawn only from the survey of 191 respondents, over $400 million in investment has been paused or abandoned.
Is that opportunity lost? Is that opportunity recoverable? If so, what's the shelf life of those opportunities? I'm trying to get some sense of urgency in terms of the timeline you're looking at.
Anyone can go ahead.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Écotech Québec, Canada Cleantech Alliance
Well, out of that $400 million, a combination of projects were abandoned or suspended. We believe that some of them could be recovered. Of those respondents, some have clearly already abandoned projects. I would say that half of the respondents said they had projects that were suspended or abandoned.
Out of that $400 million we've accumulated through what was shared, some of them could be recuperated, but some of them can't, at this point.
Chairman of the Board, Ontario Clean Technology Industry Association, Canada Cleantech Alliance
I would reiterate that some of them have been lost. With some of them, there's opportunity to recuperate and build new.
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
There's talk about realignment of these resources within National Research Council.
Do you see that as a benefit? Do you see this making it a more robust process? Do you feel the bureaucracy might be a hindrance to the speed entrepreneurs need? What are your thoughts on this realignment?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Écotech Québec, Canada Cleantech Alliance
I think the expertise that has been developed over the years at SDTC.... It was mentioned earlier that it's an arm's-length organization that understands the challenges of commercializing a technology. If the expertise that has been gained over the years is transposed or brought over to the new structure, if the funding decisions under all the required guidelines resume very quickly, and if it's not heavier for entrepreneurs and businesses to file for these processes, I think we can say it could be a good solution.
We'll definitely make sure we consult with our ecosystem and members to make sure we make it a good solution and one as efficient as possible, but it has to be quick.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Thank you.
Thank you, MP Van Bynen.
It will now be Mr. Cooper.
However, Mr. Cooper, before I yield the floor to you, I'm thinking back about what happened earlier with a witness. Looking at the record, it's clear to me that you used language that does not conform to the kind of decorum I try to set in this committee and that we try to set as a committee.
I'll just ask you to retract. Then we can move on.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Bains, I'll try again with respect to the question from Mr. Perkins that you didn't answer.
Were you aware of Ms. Verschuren's conflict, namely that her company was receiving money from the green slush fund when you appointed her as chair of the board, yes or no?
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Seeing as you're not answering the question once again—it was a yes-or-no question—I'll move on to a different question. I think the answer is yes to that question, but you just won't admit it, because you don't take responsibility.
Liberal
Ryan Turnbull Liberal Whitby, ON
I have a point of order.
Mr. Chair, I don't know whether it's acceptable for Mr. Cooper to both talk over the witness and then answer for him—
Liberal
Ryan Turnbull Liberal Whitby, ON
—but I don't think that's what Mr. Bains said. Maybe Mr. Cooper could just allow the witness to respond to his questions. I know he's framing them as yes-or-no questions, but perhaps the witness doesn't see it as a yes-or-no question.
Conservative