Natural Resources Committee on Oct. 30th, 2020

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Thank you. I'll be quick, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to tell my fellow member Ms. Harder that all petrochemicals can be replaced by forest-based products, not by cutting down trees, but by leveraging forest waste. That is what the bioeconomy is all about. That is paramount. I hope the committee will be able to show that over the next few weeks, with the help of our friends at innovation. To me, that's fundamental.

Ms. MacNeil, as far as planting the two billion trees is concerned, I've consulted a few people. When trees are planted in order to sequester carbon, it has to be done in a certain way. They can't be planted just anywhere or in any which way. There is a way to maximize their contribution, depending on soil and species. The process requires fairly in-depth knowledge, so I was wondering how far along things are, because we haven't seen any results yet.

Where do things stand in terms of the two billion trees that are supposed to be planted? Have you spoken to any experts?

[Beth MacNeil]

Thank you for the question.

Mr. Chair, with regard to the two billion trees initiative and when that is launched, we are already working with provinces that have registered professional foresters, along with the industry. It's not just.... It takes two years to grow a seedling; it's growing the right seedling, selecting the sites, choosing the right species for the sites and preparing them. Then, once they're planted, we have to monitor for success. We do have the capacity lined up with provinces, and we have capacity internally at NRCan's Canadian Forest Service.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

You have 30 seconds, Mr. Simard.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

I'll keep my question to 30 seconds, then. We talked a little bit about the potential of the forestry sector to fight climate change. A number of stakeholders have told us—and I think the evidence the committee hears will bear this out—that the best way to achieve that goal is to build carbon footprint conditions into government procurement contracts.

Ms. MacNeil, are you aware of any measures the department could take to develop the carbon footprint requirement in government procurement?

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

You might have to answer that with a yes or a no.

[Beth MacNeil]

I would defer to Public Works and Government Services Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

All right. Thanks, Ms. MacNeil. Thanks, Mr. Simard.

Mr. Cannings, we'll go over to you for two and half minutes.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Thanks again.

I'll switch to one of the other focuses in this study, which is the value-added piece about how we can support the forest industry through that mechanism when it's having tough times, especially in terms of the illegal tariffs going to the United States. People who have been on this committee with me for a while know that I've always put forward the idea that mass timber is one of the best ways we can do that. We can take our two-by-fours and two-by-sixes and turn them into something more valuable and get more jobs for every tree that's cut down.

I have Structurelam in Penticton in my riding. They are really the leader in this area in North America. Kalesnikoff in Castlegar has now built a very large brand new plant. We've heard of Chantiers Chibougamau in Quebec, and they do this as well.

I know that in the past the federal government has supported this initiative through pilot projects and through research. Hopefully we'll see a new federal building code that will further support this idea. I'm wondering if you could spend the rest of my two and half minutes talking about mass timber and how that can play into helping the forest sector across Canada get through these times.

[Beth MacNeil]

Nature-based climate solutions are not just about planting trees but also about increasing the use of wood and the circular bioeconomy. Mass timber construction has enormous potential. We've already seen British Columbia and Alberta change their building codes to allow mid-rise buildings to be made out of wood. They were built only with concrete and steel before.

Nationally, we are working on changing the national building codes. I would hope that the change would be announced soon. That would be up to 12 storeys. What folks are realizing is that after we harvest this wood, we keep the carbon in that wood. We call them long-lived wood products, and they continue to sequester that carbon. Then the cycle begins again with reforestation.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Excellent.

Thanks, Ms. MacNeil and Mr. Cannings.

Who's going next from the Conservatives?

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

That would be me, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Okay, Mr. McLean, we'll go over to you for five minutes.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

It's Mr. Patzer, actually.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Oh, sorry. I was looking at the wrong screen.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

No worries.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Go ahead, Mr. Patzer.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Thank you very much, Ms. MacNeil, for joining us here today.

I have a few simple questions to get started. First of all, I am wondering if you know, or if there is a report on it by your department, how much carbon one acre of forest land sequesters.

[Beth MacNeil]

If that's treed land, it would depend on the type of tree, the type of species. We measure in hectares. Certainly we would be able to provide that information, but I don't have it with me right now.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Yes, please do provide that report, if you wouldn't mind, along with the total hectares of forested land there is in Canada so that we can get an overall picture of how much forested land we have in the country and how much carbon it sequesters overall. If we could get a report on that from you, that would be fantastic.

The Prime Minister said it was necessary to prorogue Parliament so that we could consider the government's new plan in light of this year's COVID situation. After prorogation and the new throne speech, what have been the major shifts for your department to refocus your work in the last one to two months?

[Beth MacNeil]

The focus in our department is really to help natural resource sectors get back on their feet. I'd like to say that we're continuing to support the workers in the sectors' communities to survive. We need to help them stabilize and then reimagine a transformed sector, like forestry, that is a part of the bioeconomy. A green, inclusive economic recovery is our focus.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Were any projects or activities put on hold or cancelled because of the prorogation of Parliament?

[Beth MacNeil]

I am proud to say that we launched our programs in July. We are evaluating without delay the expressions of interests in the forest sector programming.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

No programs were put at risk or set back or anything like that?

[Beth MacNeil]

No.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Right on.

How has the government's response to COVID affected your ability to help the industry with the ongoing challenges and losses it has experienced over the last number of months, even prior to COVID?