Natural Resources Committee on Nov. 17th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Good morning, everyone. I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 41 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee is meeting to hear from witnesses for its study of federal assistance for various natural resource industries. Today’s meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of June 23, 2022.

For everyone participating today, neither screenshots nor photos of any sort are allowed now that we're in session.

For the benefit of witnesses and members, please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mike, and please mute it when you're not speaking. There is interpretation available. You have the choice of the floor, English or French. That's on the bottom of your screen, for those participating remotely. For those in the room, you can.... Everybody in the room knows the drill.

All comments should be addressed through the chair.

For anyone wanting to join in the conversation, feel free to use the “raise hand” function. When we get into the questions and answers, I leave it very much to the member who has the floor to guide where they're directing their questions. I'm sure many of you have participated at committee before, but it goes pretty quickly, so the members may sometimes have to jump in and ask you to wrap up, so that they can move on to their next round of questioning.

All witnesses have completed the required connection tests.

Before we get started, I will point out that I use a handy card system. When you see the yellow card, there is 30 seconds left in the allotted time. The red card means that time's up. Wrap up your thoughts, but don't stop mid-sentence.

With that, we have seven participating organizations today. Thank you all for being here with us.

We'll have the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency go first with a five-minute opening statement, followed by Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, or CanNor, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, Prairies Economic Development Canada and, lastly, the Canada Energy Regulator. At that point, we will be moving to our rounds of questions.

I have been asked by members to conclude as close to one o'clock as possible. I have a bit of committee business—administrative tasks—relating to this study that I'd like to deal with, so I'll keep an eye on when we stop the questions and move to that. We should be able to get through close to two rounds of questions this morning.

With that, if we're ready to go, I will turn it over to the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency for their opening five-minute statement.

As you take the floor for each of your organizations, if you would like to introduce yourself and then go into your statements, that would be appreciated.

ACOA, the floor is yours. When you start speaking, I will start the clock for your five minutes.

[Chuck Maillet, Vice-President, Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Good morning, Mr. Chair and committee members.

Thank you for the invitation to appear today. My name is Chuck Maillet. I am the vice-president for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, or ACOA, for Nova Scotia's operations. I'm joined by my colleague David Boland, director general of regional operations for the Newfoundland and Labrador office.

I am joining you today from Halifax, the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people.

Mr. Chair, in Atlantic Canada, natural resources industries are important employers and contributors to the economy. As key economic drivers in many communities, small and large, across the region, these industries are a priority for ACOA.

The agency works to create opportunities for economic growth in the region by helping businesses become more competitive, innovative and productive, and by working with diverse communities to develop and diversify local economies, and by championing the strengths of Atlantic Canada.

Through its suite of programs and initiatives, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is well placed to work with businesses, industry associations and government agencies at all levels to help our region's natural resource industry remain stable, innovative and competitive, and to improve its resilience to the effects of extreme weather.

As such, agency employees in more than 30 communities, from our major cities to resource-dependent villages, work closely with community representatives, provincial governments, indigenous organizations and other economic stakeholders to identify priorities and opportunities to maximize the potential of our region's natural resources in a strategic and sustainable manner.

In addition, our presence on the ground allows us to provide effective and targeted advice and support that helps businesses in the natural resources industry grow, diversify and offer new or value-added products and services, and adopt or adapt new technologies to become more innovative, productive and competitive. We also help businesses access supply chains and start or expand exporting their products to domestic and international markets.

I can give you some examples. In the oil and gas sector, we’ve assisted the industry associations econext and Energy NL to conduct a project titled “net zero pathways”, which will provide detailed pathways for Canada’s offshore oil and gas industry to achieve net-zero GHG emissions targets in offshore oil and gas production by 2050 while maintaining economic development and industry growth.

In addition, we have supported Enaimco management in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, to commercialize its digital twinning services for subsea infrastructure monitoring, which will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, operating costs and risk for operators.

In the forestry sector, we supported Lewis Mouldings in Weymouth, Nova Scotia, to automate its operations to process waste wood into new products.

In the mining sector, we've partnered with Tacora Resources in Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador, in the development of a new innovative process to separate manganese from iron ore, resulting in a higher-grade iron concentrate.

Additionally, ACOA supports research aimed at sustaining and growing the region's natural resources industries, with over 20 projects supported to date.

ACOA’s efforts are focused on assisting SMEs, and complement the work of other federal departments and agencies like Natural Resources Canada. We do share a goal of supporting the competitiveness of Canada’s natural resources industries, and in our particular case Atlantic Canada’s, by helping small and medium enterprises to diversify products, markets and processes.

ACOA will continue to work with natural resources industries’ players, especially small and medium enterprises, all levels of government and community leaders to ensure that Atlantic Canada’s natural resources industries can take advantage of emerging opportunities and continue to thrive, create jobs and help grow the economy.

This concludes my remarks. Thank you for your time. I will be pleased to answer any questions you may have.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Great. Thank you so much for your opening comments.

Next we'll go to Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. I believe Madame Petit will be providing the opening statement.

Go ahead when you're ready, Madame Petit, and I'll start the clock. Thanks very much.

[Marie-Claude Petit, Vice-President, Operations, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd also like to thank the members of the committee.

My name is Marie-Claude Petit, vice-president of Operations at Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. From Montreal I'd like to thank the first nations who have used and occupied this land for millennia for welcoming us to their traditional territory.

I'm pleased to be here today to talk to you about our agency's activities in Quebec. Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, or CED, is the key federal player when it comes to the economic development of the regions and SMEs.

To begin, I'd like to point out to the committee that CED, like other regional development agencies in Canada, isn't sectoral. We don't have a mandate to intervene in one industry or another.

Rather, our mandate is to foster conditions for economic growth in the regions we serve. We are interested in the natural resources sector because it is a solid driver of growth in some regions. Our intervention priorities address such cross-cutting economic issues as the competitiveness of SMEs, market access issues, the necessary transition to net zero and support for devitalized communities.

Canada Economic Development supports SMEs, and the organizations that assist them, in the development, marketing and adoption of technologies. We also support the development of community assets, including tourism and the promotion of foreign investment.

In all areas of activity, we pay particular attention to projects led indigenous people or that could benefit their communities.

Just as they are all across Canada, natural resources are an asset for Quebec and an economic driver in several of our regions.

When they are related to businesses or economic players in this sector, our investments aim, among other things, to lead Quebec's regions beyond resource extraction, in order to protect them from the cyclical and structural challenges associated with it.

That's why our interventions don't directly affect natural resources development, but rather support secondary and tertiary processing activities, when they are promising projects for their region.

We also promote the creation of innovation ecosystems, such as those that are deployed in the college centres for the transfer of technology, or CCTTs.

For several years now, we've been supporting Nergica, a CCTT affiliated with the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles that works in the wind and solar energy sector.

In Saguenay—Lac‑Saint‑Jean, we invested in a project with Agrinova, another CCTT created by Collège d'Alma, to set up a centre to process forestry waste, in addition to acting as a business accelerator.

By focusing on these promising sectors and leveraging the competitive regional advantages, Canada Economic Development is contributing to the economic vitality of the regions and helping them obtain exposure, both within Quebec and beyond its borders.

We also play a key role in terms of integration and networking, which allows us to bring the right partners together for a given project.

This type of collaboration allows us to deliver on large-scale projects for our regions.

We also rely on cross-sectoral co‑operation and, of course, on collaboration with the Quebec government, a partner we have a special relationship with.

CED's approach is nimble, agile and focused on our community. We prioritize projects that generate long-term economic benefits.

Canada Economic Development will continue to support Quebec businesses and regions to foster a greener, more resilient economy for everyone.

Thank you. I will be pleased to answer any questions you may have.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Thank you for your opening comments.

We'll move now to the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.

You will also have five minutes for your opening statement.

[Margaret Buist, Vice-President, Policy, Planning, Communications and Northern Projects Management Office, NPMO, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency]

Thank you, Chair and members.

My name is Margaret Buist. I am the vice-president of policy, communications and northern projects at the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, or CanNor. I will be providing my opening remarks in both English and French.

Like other regional development agencies, CanNor is responsible for promoting economic development within a distinct region of this country. In our case, the region is the three territories.

Our fundamental responsibility is to support the conditions for a sustainable, diversified and innovative economy in collaboration with northerners and indigenous peoples, businesses, organizations, other federal departments and other levels of government.

The natural resources sector remains a cornerstone of the northern economy, primarily driven by the mining industry, which is the largest private sector contributor to the territories' economies, accounting for approximately 23% of the GDP in 2020 and likely to reach over 28% by 2024.

Much of Canada's mineral potential lies in the territories, including critical minerals that are essential to Canada's economic security and its transition to a low-carbon economy.

While the region north of 60 presents 40% of Canada's land mass, more than 75% of the region's known mineral deposits remain undeveloped due to a significant infrastructure deficit and high operational costs, amongst other factors.

The gross domestic product of all the territories is expected to grow over the next few years. This growth will be largely driven by the mining sector, particularly in Yukon and Nunavut. However, the Northwest Territories is facing headwinds due to lower mineral exploration investment activity and the planned closure of diamond mines.

CanNor is guided by its pan-territorial growth strategy, which is aligned with the Government of Canada's Arctic and northern policy framework. Much of the agency's funding is centred on foundational investments intended to attract economic development, including in the natural resources sectors. CanNor has invested over $38 million for 72 projects since 2015 in energy, forestry, minerals and geoscience sectors.

For example, CanNor invested $1.26 million in the Nechalacho project in the Northwest Territories to fund innovative ore-sorting technology that makes the process more environmentally friendly. This is the first rare earth mine in production in Canada and one of the first to have an indigenous company responsible for mining on its traditional territory.

CanNor also invests in preconstruction readiness of foundational infrastructure projects that, when built, will improve the competitive position of resource development projects. For example, there's $1.28 million to advance planning for the road that will connect the Slave Geological Province in the Northwest Territories to the Kitikmeot Inuit region of Nunavut. There's more than $875,000 toward an all-season Mackenzie Valley Highway. There's $1.6 million to support the Kivalliq hydro-fibre link between Nunavut and Manitoba. There's also $480,000 to support the planning of the proposed Taltson hydroelectricity expansion project.

The renewable energy sector is expanding in the territories to reduce their dependence on diesel. Over the past three years, CanNor has invested more than $16 million in energy projects. I'll give you a few examples.

There's CanNor's $4.6-million investment in the Old Crow solar project to support the Vuntut Gwitchin in equipping their community members with the knowledge and experience to manage operations, and $1.2 million to the Qulliq Energy Corporation in Nunavut to study geothermal potential.

Other resource sectors are smaller in the north, although they are important for economic diversification. For instance, we're helping a small indigenous women-led business called Yukon Timber, a local Whitehorse firewood supplier, expand its services.

CanNor will continue to work with territorial governments, indigenous partners and industry to advance resource development projects in the north that support sustainable economic development.

I'm happy to address any questions you may have.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Great. Thank you so much.

Now we'll be moving to the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario.

[Lucie Perreault, Executive Director, Programs, Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Good morning.

It is my privilege to appear before the committee today.

I would start by acknowledging that I'm joining you from Sudbury, which is located on land within the Robinson Huron Treaty territory.

I'm here in my capacity as executive director of program delivery for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, also known as FedNor.

FedNor serves a dual role, both as pathfinder and funding partner, connecting the region's businesses and stakeholders to opportunities, and investing in key initiatives that lead to job creation and economic growth in our great region. In northern Ontario, this includes support for projects in key sectors that are the focus of the committee today.

The mining sector, in particular, is a key driver of northern Ontario's economy, and the region is widely recognized as Canada's centre for mining excellence. In addition to many operating mines located across the region, northern Ontario is also home to a substantial supply and service subsector that serves mines across the country and exports its products around the globe.

To support the continued growth of the mining sector, FedNor is focused on key activities including promoting the adoption and commercialization of new technologies, fostering linkages between businesses and institutions and improving trade and export performance. Since 2015, FedNor has invested more than $28 million toward 48 mining projects that have leveraged a further $106.5 million.

For the past eight years, FedNor has funded a pavilion that now showcases more than 100 mining-related businesses at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada—PDAC—convention. There, exhibitors have used the opportunity to form strategic alliances, strike business deals and increase exports. They have recommended some $85 million in direct economic benefits for the region.

To further support mining innovation and to reinforce links in the mining ecosystem, FedNor also works with public sector organizations, such as colleges, universities and innovation centres, with a mandate to support the mining industry or SMEs in the mining supply chain. This past summer, FedNor invested $2 million in two key battery electric vehicle projects in Greater Sudbury.

Northern Ontario's wealth of mineral deposits positions the region as a key player in the global supply chain for electric vehicle batteries and clean energy. As such, FedNor's focus on mining also includes emerging opportunities around critical minerals. As we move forward in developing the mining ecosystem, FedNor's focus is to support projects that move beyond simple extraction and into value-added production. Our goal is to maximize the benefits for northern Ontario communities, while ensuring that we do so correctly by working closely with many indigenous communities and rural communities in our region.

Speaking of which, northern Ontario is, of course, home to the Ring of Fire. This is a region in the Far North that contains concentrations of chromite and nickel worth up to $60 billion. There's enough to be mined for decades. The Ring of Fire falls within the traditional territories of several remote first nations communities and has the potential to benefit these communities, if done right, and help grow the economy at both the provincial and national levels.

FedNor has supported a variety of initiatives in these rural and remote communities to build the capacity they need in order to take advantage of the economic opportunities coming forward.

Now that I've touched on mining, I wanted to quickly touch on the forestry industry in the region.

Northern Ontario accounts for more than 75% of the province's productive woodlands, and is home to 70% of the province's mills, accounting for more than 35,000 jobs. But while the forestry sector is an important contributor to the region's economy, it faces a number of challenges. Some of these include the high costs of transportation, energy and labour, and the difficulty companies have in recruiting and retaining skilled labour.

To help address these challenges, FedNor has supported 33 projects in the forestry sector since 2015, representing an investment of more than $12.7 million. In response, northern Ontario mills have been upgrading and diversifying their operations to develop value-added products. Just last month, FedNor invested $1.7 million to support the expansion of a value-added sawmill operation in a First Nation near Thunder Bay, who is now diversifying its product line and increasing production.

In conclusion, as you can see, natural resources are vital to the economic success of northern Ontario. FedNor will continue to play a key role in supporting economic development opportunities in these sectors of growth.

We would be pleased to answer any questions.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Great. Thank you very much for those comments.

We move now to the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

You have five minutes for your opening statement.

[Linda Cousineau, Vice-President, Business Innovation and Community Development, Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Good morning, committee members and federal colleagues.

Thank you for the invitation to appear today. My name is Linda Cousineau. I'm the vice-president of business innovation and community development for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, or FedDev Ontario for short. I'm joined virtually today by my colleague Steve Masson, who is the director general for strategic policy.

Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that I am speaking to you from Waterloo on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, land promised to Six Nations, which includes six miles on each side of the Grand River.

I'm pleased to be here to discuss the committee's examination of federal assistance to natural resource industries. FedDev Ontario was created in 2009 with an initial five-year mandate to provide critical stimulus support in southern Ontario in response to the 2008-09 economic downturn.

In 2019 the agency was made permanent, and its mandate since that time has evolved. It is now an important partner that delivers funding programs to help growing businesses innovate and scale. It also supports the development of regional ecosystems and the diversification and economic development of communities across southern Ontario.

This past September, Minister Tassi was assigned responsibility for the agency with a mandate to promote job creation and drive clean and inclusive economic growth across southern Ontario. Our region accounts for more than a third of Canada's overall GDP and employment. Its economy has a major impact on prosperity across Canada. Its 289 distinct and diverse communities include a mix of large urban centres such as Toronto and Ottawa, mid-sized cities like Windsor and Kitchener-Waterloo, and smaller rural communities from Hawkesbury to Sombra.

The region is a service economy and manufacturing hub. It is home to such globally integrated sectors as manufacturing, life science and agri-food. Emerging areas, such as artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and clean energy technologies, also have a footprint.

The region's economy is increasingly innovation-driven. Our resource sector is becoming part of that story. Our petrochemical sector is transforming to seize new clean-fuel opportunities. The region's energy sector is at the forefront of nuclear innovation with spinoff technologies, such as small modular nuclear reactors, having the potential to drive significant carbon reductions.

Finally, increased access to critical mineral resources is expected to directly benefit southern Ontario's growth, given that they are key inputs to the battery manufacturing cluster that is emerging in the region.

Like other regional development agencies, FedDev Ontario delivers programs tailored to regional growth opportunities, challenges and the government's economic priorities. Since 2015 the agency has invested over $2.2 billion in over 3,000 projects across the region. These investments helped create or maintain over 180,000 jobs, and are leveraging over $3.1 billion in additional investment in the region. They are helping build a more vibrant, diverse and inclusive economy and create future-looking jobs in communities across southern Ontario.

In response to the government’s clean growth priority, the agency is investing in companies that are commercializing clean technologies. These investments have potential to drive carbon emission reductions and green outcomes in major resource projects.

While FedDev Ontario does not have dedicated programming for the resource sector, we recognize that there are parts of the region where the sector and its downstream activities are critical economic drivers. Southwestern Ontario contributes to Canada’s efforts in developing clean fuels.

For example, Sarnia and the surrounding area was a key petro-chemical hub for decades and a key node in the region’s energy infrastructure. In recent years, support from FedDev Ontario, such as our investment in Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) has contributed to transforming the area into a national leader when it comes to sustainable chemistry and clean fuels. This, among other investments in innovative and growing companies that are commercializing clean technologies, can support sustainable growth for the province’s natural resource sector.

Thank you again for the opportunity to be here today. I look forward to hearing from my colleagues and answering any questions committee members have about the resource sector in southern Ontario and FedDev Ontario’s investments in growth and innovation.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Thank you for those opening comments. We'll jump now to Prairies Economic Development Canada. When you are ready, please start, and we'll give you five minutes.

[Abdul Jalil, Assistant Deputy Minister, Prairies Economic Development Canada]

Good morning, Chair and honourable members.

My name is Abdul Jalil and I am the assistant deputy minister for the PrairiesCan Saskatchewan region. I'm joined by my colleague Joanne Pawluk, director general of business innovation and community development.

I'm pleased to be speaking with you from Regina on Treaty Four territory, the traditional land of the Cree, Ojibwe, Saulteaux, Dakota, Nakota and Lakota peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.

PrairiesCan is the federal department that supports economic growth in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. We provide targeted investments, advocate for the Prairies' interests and collaborate with stakeholders across the prairie provinces. Our programs and services are sector-neutral. They help businesses, not-for-profits and communities grow stronger.

Since November 2015, we have invested more than $1.5 billion to diversify and grow the western Canadian economy, support innovation and stimulate the Canadian economy with pandemic support programs.

While our programs are not sector-driven, we have identified an estimated PrairiesCan investment of roughly $50 million for more than 90 projects closely linked to the natural resource sector and several tens of millions of dollars in indirect support since 2015. From oil and gas to hydro, and from potash to minerals and uranium, the natural resources sector supports quality jobs and helps communities prosper.

I'm pleased to share a few examples of these projects. We recently invested $7.5 million to establish two new rare earth element processing facilities in Saskatchewan. They are the first in Canada, and one of them will be the first of its kind in North America. These facilities mark the creation of a new value-added natural resource industry in Canada and a significant step toward establishing a secure domestic rare earth supply chain.

Earlier this year, PrairiesCan also announced more than $2.1 million to support the Energy Transition Centre. Based in the heart of downtown Calgary, this centre provides a space where Canada's largest energy companies can collaborate with clean energy start-ups, innovators and investors.

We invested $75,000 in the International Minerals Innovation Institute to undertake Saskatchewan's first ever alternative energy systems innovation challenge. This challenge connects mining companies and local businesses to support the accelerated application, scale-up and adoption of clean technology in the mining sector.

We are also making strategic investments in the growing hydrogen sector and have committed more than $6 million in support of hydrogen projects to date. Our investment has enabled the launch of the Edmonton Region Hydrogen HUB, an alliance of government, indigenous, academic and economic development leaders. This is Canada's first hydrogen hub, and it serves as the blueprint for other hydrogen nodes across the country.

In addition, carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies will play a vital role in enabling Canada to meet its net-zero commitments. That's why we invested more than $1.5 million for carbonNEXT, a Canadian commercialization hub for carbon capture, utilization, storage and monitoring technologies.

We make investments to support inclusive economic development as well. For example, we invested $150,000 to support the mineral-rich communities of Northern Saskatchewan in the Athabasca basin. This funding supported training and employment opportunities for residents, including indigenous participants, when they were affected by the slowdown of uranium mining. The Athabasca basin is now identified as one of Canada's critical mineral-rich regions.

The team at PrairiesCan has deep roots on the Prairies. We are engaging communities and collaborating with diverse interests to support sustainable economic development in the natural sector. Our intent is a strong economy that works for everyone.

I would be pleased to answer your questions.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Thank you for those opening comments.

For everybody's information, unfortunately PacificCan was unable to provide us with a witness today, but they have indicated that we will be receiving a written brief by the end of next week in both official languages. I'll circulate that document to committee members as soon as we receive it from PacificCan.

Now, for the last opening statement for this morning, we're going to the Canada Energy Regulator.

You'll also have five minutes for your opening statement.

[Jean-Denis Charlebois, Chief Economist, Canada Energy Regulator]

Thank you, Mr. Chair and honourable members.

My name is Jean-Denis Charlebois, and I am chief economist at the Canada Energy Regulator. I am joined by my colleague Jess Dunford, director of major projects oversight at the CER.

I want to acknowledge to you today that I am speaking to you from Montreal, the traditional territory of the Kanien'kehá:ka, or the Mohawk, a place that has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst nations.

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to speak about our work at the Canada Energy Regulator, or CER, and how it relates to your study of federal assistance to various natural resources sectors, including the energy sector.

I would also like to thank the committee for your flexibility as several members of our senior management team are at home recovering from illness.

I am going to speak to you today about the CER, our mandate, how energy infrastructure projects under the CER’s jurisdiction are assessed, and provide some context about the CER’s role as it pertains to the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, or TMX.

At the CER, we work to keep energy moving in Canada while enforcing some of the strictest safety and environmental standards in the world. In everything we do, safety and environmental oversight are always at the forefront. It is the reason we exist.

The CER is a cost-recovered organization, which means that the cost of virtually all of our activities is recovered by the Government of Canada from the industry we regulate, in accordance with our cost recovery regulations.

It's very important to point out that the CER does not develop or set government policy, nor is the CER involved, in any way, in federal programs designed to provide assistance to the natural resources sector. We are the regulator. Questions on these matters are best directed to my colleagues on the panel today, as well as previous panels that you've seen this week from Natural Resources Canada, for example.

The commission of the CER is a court of record responsible for making independent adjudicative decisions and recommendations on pipeline, power line and offshore renewable energy projects under federal jurisdiction. Our commission assesses project applications to make a determination or a recommendation as to whether the project is in the public interest.

As a regulator, we oversee the safe construction, operation, decommissioning and abandonment of energy infrastructure.

In addition to our adjudicative role, the CER provides oversight throughout the life cycle of pipelines and power lines under federal jurisdiction. Our standards are among the highest in the world, and we conduct inspections and company audits to ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements during construction and ongoing operations. We also partner with indigenous peoples in undertaking our life cycle oversight.

Alongside our regulatory functions, the CER plays a vital role in providing timely and relevant energy information and analysis to support the energy conversation in Canada. For example, we model, based on different assumptions, how possible energy futures might unfold for Canadians over the long term under various scenarios in our energy future series. The next iteration of the CER's “Energy Futures” report will include scenarios where Canada meets net-zero emission by 2050, and will be published next spring.

Since the TMX project was approved by the Governor in Council, the CER has been actively involved in monitoring the construction of the project and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Once the project's construction phase has been completed, the CER will continue to provide life cycle oversight to ensure that it is operated in accordance with our world-leading environmental and safety standards.

Additionally, I would like to note that the then NEB back in 2018 had no role in the government's decision to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline. The NEB did not provide any advice, nor was it consulted by the government prior to the purchase.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you today about the work of the Canada Energy Regulator, and more specifically, about our role relating to the Trans Mountain Expansion Project.

I look forward to your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

That's great.

Thank you so much for those opening comments.

I want to say that I understand there are some members of the Canada Energy Regulator who have fallen sick. We are hoping that they are on their way to a speedy and full recovery. Please pass along those wishes to your team.

Before we get started, I wanted to welcome Mr. Hoback, Mr. May and Mr. Miao as guests to our committee today.

With that, we're going to get right into our rounds. We'll see how far we can get. The first round is of six minutes each.

First up, I have Mr. Falk. It's over to you for six minutes, when you're ready.

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all of the panellists and department heads who have testified here this morning. I appreciate your testimony and I've learned quite a bit.

I note that many of you are in your home offices. I'm wondering if this is departmental policy. Why is it that you wouldn't be in your normal offices?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Chair, I'm not sure how that question pertains to our study about investments in natural resources.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

I've stopped the clock.

You know I tend to allow a lot of latitude with these. I'll let the question stand.

We have seven witnesses here. Use the six minutes as you go through....

I'll see if anybody wants to weigh in on that.

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I think it's important because—

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

I'll explain my objection.

There might be personal reasons why people have to work from home. I don't think we should be asking public servants for personal information on why they may have to work from home or why they may have made that choice.

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Chair, my question was whether it is a policy that people are working from home, or whether it is an individual decision. I think it's a relevant question.

We've heard lots over the last several weeks and months about the slow movement of federal agencies to deliver services to Canadians. I'm wondering whether part of that is because we have a disproportionate amount of our federal employees working from home.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Mr. Angus has his hand up.

Charlie, if it's for a point of order, please weigh in. We'll then get back to a decision by me on our next step.

Charlie, you have the floor.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I think it is highly inappropriate, given the fact that some of my Conservative colleagues have phoned in their committee testimony from home and were not sitting around the table. If we're going to allow MPs to do that—I've watched many MPs in the Conservative Party speak in the House from home—why is our colleague is trying to attack civil servants who are here to talk about investments that the government is making in our communities?

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Thank you.

I have heard from the witnesses. I think there are issues—as Ms. Dabrusin has said—about personal reasons.

I will see if one representative would like to weigh in on whether there is a policy from their respective agency. Perhaps we can then move to the next round of questions.

I see Ms. Buist has her hand up. I'll turn it over to you.

[Margaret Buist]

Thank you, Chair.

I can't speak for all of us, but I know that the clerk has asked the deputies to institute hybrid work models for public servants in the federal public service. All of us are working on hybrid work models, which means that we spend some time in the office and some time in home offices.

I would say that we also spend a lot of time in communities. We spend time at mining conferences. It was just Mining Day on the Hill. We are back and forth, doing whatever works most effectively and efficiently for all of us, given the types of jobs that we do.

On the speed of service, I can tell you that this group was at the forefront of providing economic relief at the commencement of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. My colleagues here on the screen and I worked 60, 70 or 80 days straight in 2020, getting economic development relief funding out the door.

This is a group that can work from anywhere, and we often do. We are in various locations today.