Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Minister, for joining our committee today to talk about the main and supplementary estimates.
I really appreciate your opening comments about the breadth of all of the different programs that are under your mandate here, everything from traditional natural resource sectors to a lot of the areas that we're moving towards right now as well, which are going to lead to job growth in our country in the future.
In the estimates this year, Natural Resources Canada is requesting $24 million in support for electric vehicles and alternative fuel infrastructure deployment, and $34 million in support of the zero-emissions vehicle infrastructure program. These two programs have made a huge difference in my riding, with 27 new charging stations being established in Whistler and Squamish just last year. I know that the Village of Lions Bay is interested in it. As well, the District of West Vancouver is in the midst of considering transitioning its entire fleet to electric vehicles.
More charging infrastructure and support from both the federal and the provincial level for the temporary additional costs that we're going to see for EVs until they reach parity in a few years is why B.C. has the fastest electrical vehicle adoption rate in North America right now. We know this is important, because Canada has the least fuel-efficient fleet in the world and transportation is our second-largest source of emissions right now.
What opportunities do you see for Canada's economy with the rollout of cleaner transportation throughout the whole value chain, and how do these programs fit into it?