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View Dan Ruimy Profile
Lib. (BC)
Good morning, everybody. Welcome to meeting 165 of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.
Pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), we're resuming our study of the main estimates 2019-20.
With us today we have the honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport.
Welcome, Minister. Thank you for coming today.
From the Department of Industry we have David McGovern, Associate Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
You have up to 10 minutes to tell us your story.
View Dan Ruimy Profile
Lib. (BC)
We're back.
Before we go into committee business, we need to vote on the main estimates.
ATLANTIC CANADA OPPORTUNITIES AGENCY
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$65,905,491
Vote 5—Grants and contributions..........$241,163,563
Vote 10—Launching a Federal Strategy on Jobs and Tourism..........$2,091,224
Vote 15—Increased Funding for the Regional Development Agencies..........$24,900,000
(Votes 1, 5, 10 and 15 agreed to on division)
CANADIAN NORTHERN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$14,527,629
Vote 5—Grants and contributions..........$34,270,717
Vote 10—A Food Policy for Canada..........$3,000,000
Vote 15—Launching a Federal Strategy on Jobs and Tourism..........$1,709,192
Vote 20—Strong Arctic and Northern Communities..........$9,999,990
(Votes 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 agreed to on division)
CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$181,393,741
Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$78,547,200
Vote 10—Grants and contributions..........$58,696,000
(Votes 1, 5 and 10 agreed to on division)
CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION
Vote 1—Payments to the Commission..........$95,665,913
Vote 5—Launching a Federal Strategy on Jobs and Tourism..........$5,000,000
(Votes 1 and 5 agreed to on division)
COPYRIGHT BOARD
Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$3,781,533
(Vote 1 agreed to on division)
DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY
Vote 1—Operating expenditures ..........$442,060,174
Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$6,683,000
Vote 10—Grants and contributions..........$2,160,756,935
Vote L15—Payments pursuant to subsection 14(2) of the Department of Industry Act..........$300,000
Vote L20—Loans pursuant to paragraph 14(1)(a) of the Department of Industry Act..........$500,000
Vote 25—Access to High-Speed Internet for all Canadians..........$26,905,000
Vote 30—Giving Young Canadians Digital Skills..........$30,000,000
Vote 35—Preparing for a New Generation of Wireless Technology..........$7,357,000
Vote 40—Protecting Canada's Critical Infrastructure from Cyber Threats..........$964,000
Vote 45—Protecting Canada's National Security..........$1,043,354
Vote 50—Supporting Innovation in the Oil and Gas Sector Through Collaboration..........$10,000,000
Vote 55—Supporting Renewed Legal Relationships With Indigenous Peoples..........$3,048,333
Vote 60—Supporting the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs..........$7,300,000
Vote 65—Supporting the work of the Business/Higher Education Roundtable..........$5,666,667
Vote 70—Launching a Federal Strategy on Jobs and Tourism (FedNor)..........$1,836,536
(Votes 1, 5, 10, L15, L20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 agreed to on division)
DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$37,981,906
Vote 5—Grants and contributions..........$209,531,630
Vote 10—Launching a Federal Strategy on Jobs and Tourism..........$3,607,224
Vote 15—Protecting Water and Soil in the Prairies..........$1,000,000
Vote 20—Increased Funding for the Regional Development Agencies..........$15,800,000
Vote 25—Investing in a Diverse and Growing Western Economy..........$33,300,000
(Votes 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 agreed to on division)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF CANADA FOR THE REGIONS OF QUEBEC
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$39,352,146
Vote 5—Grants and contributions..........$277,942,967
Vote 10—Launching a Federal Strategy on Jobs and Tourism..........$3,097,848
(Votes 1, 5 and 10 agreed to on division)
FEDERAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY FOR SOUTHERN ONTARIO
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$29,201,373
Vote 5—Grants and contributions..........$224,900,252
Vote 10—Launching a Federal Strategy on Jobs and Tourism..........$3,867,976
(Votes 1, 5 and 10 agreed to on division)
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$436,503,800
Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$58,320,000
Vote 10—Grants and contributions..........$448,814,193
(Votes 1, 5 and 10 agreed to on division)
NATURAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH COUNCIL
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$53,905,016
Vote 5—Grants..........$1,296,774,972
Vote 10—Paid Parental Leave for Student Researchers..........$1,805,000
Vote 15—Supporting Graduate Students Through Research Scholarships..........$4,350,000
(Votes 1, 5, 10 and 15 agreed to on division)
SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH COUNCIL
Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$35,100,061
Vote 5—Grants..........$884,037,003
Vote 10—Paid Parental Leave for Student Researchers..........$1,447,000
Vote 15—Supporting Graduate Students Through Research Scholarships..........$6,090,000
(Votes 1, 5, 10 and 15 agreed to on division)
STANDARDS COUNCIL OF CANADA
Vote 1—Payments to the Council..........$17,910,000
(Vote 1 agreed to on division)
STATISTICS CANADA
Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$423,989,188
Vote 5—Monitoring Purchases of Canadian Real Estate..........$500,000
(Votes 1 and 5 agreed to on division)
The Chair: Shall the chair report the main estimates for 2019-20, less the amounts voted in the interim estimates, to the House?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
The Chair: Thank you very much.
We will now go in camera to discuss M-208.
[Proceedings continue in camera]
View Dan Ruimy Profile
Lib. (BC)
Good morning, everybody. This is meeting 164 of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology. Pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), we are studying the main estimates of 2019-20.
With us today is the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development; along with John Knubley, deputy minister.
Thank you all very much for coming in today.
Sir, you have up to 10 minutes.
View Majid Jowhari Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Welcome to the department.
I'm going to start with you, Mr. Knubley.
Based on table 1 of the document from the Library of Parliament, there are a number of federal agencies that have received more funding or requested more funding. I would like to go through a couple of them specifically. I looked at the percentages, and I went across. The department that's apparently requesting the highest percentage is the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. It is asking for $63.5 million. That's an increase of about 122%. Can you expand on that one?
I have a number of them, so I can quickly go through them.
Western Economic Diversification Canada has a 106% increase. Then the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario has a 40% increase. National Research Council Canada has a 17% increase. Finally, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada has an 18.3% increase.
If you could cover those so that I don't have to keep interrupting you, that would be good.
John Knubley
View John Knubley Profile
John Knubley
2019-05-28 9:58
You raised the National Research Council. I believe the increase in the main estimates relates specifically to IRAP and the increases in the funding in budget 2018.
Dale MacMillan
View Dale MacMillan Profile
Dale MacMillan
2018-11-05 17:54
I'll speak to clause 278. The National Research Council Act now permits the National Research Council to hold and acquire real property. However, it does not give us the authority to dispose of it.
From time to time when we have infrastructure facilities that are surplus to our needs, after completing all the government processes to make sure that we do our consultation and dispose of property in a proper way, we do not have the authority to actually complete the disposition. Therefore, we are requesting the authority to complete that disposition.
View Greg Fergus Profile
Lib. (QC)
Dale MacMillan
View Dale MacMillan Profile
Dale MacMillan
2018-11-05 17:55
No, actually, this is just to fulfill...because we can acquire property, we can manage it, but we are over a hundred years old and from time to time we do find that we have facilities, land, properties that become surplus to our requirements, particularly as we partner with other organizations and as our needs change through operations.
Now when we identify something that's surplus to our needs, we consult with other federal partners, provincial, municipal and indigenous groups, etc., and perhaps even go to open market, and once all of that process is completed and we have a potential way forward on a disposition, we currently have to go back to Treasury Board to gain the authority to complete that disposition.
What we're seeking is to be able to complete that process. If we do sell something on the open market, any funds received go into the consolidated revenue fund, and we still have to go back to Treasury Board through the estimates process to access those funds, which would also be reinvested in any kind of real property holdings.
This is just a general request in order to complete the whole process for property management.
View Greg Fergus Profile
Lib. (QC)
Is this similar to any of the other granting councils or any of the other scientific bodies that we have?
Dale MacMillan
View Dale MacMillan Profile
Dale MacMillan
2018-11-05 17:56
Very few government departments are actually real property holders. I don't believe that the granting councils hold any property whatsoever. This is something that is unique to our act.
Christopher Johnstone
View Christopher Johnstone Profile
Christopher Johnstone
2018-11-05 17:57
There's one more clause.
Clause 279 has two parts. The first amends the National Research Council Act to broaden the NRC's rights to dispose of its intellectual property to include all forms of intellectual property and future intellectual property rights that may arise under contracts. Previously, the NRC's authority to dispose of intellectual property did not clearly cover certain forms of intellectual property, such as copyright.
The second part of the clause modernizes the act, by moving the administration and control of inventions made by NRC employees from the minister responsible for the NRC to the NRC itself. This brings the act in line with legislation of similar government organizations.
Michel Dumoulin
View Michel Dumoulin Profile
Michel Dumoulin
2018-10-30 12:06
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for the invitation to appear. My name is Michel Dumoulin, and I am the vice-president of Engineering for the National Research Council of Canada. I am joined today by Trevor Nightingale, the principal research officer with our Construction Research Centre.
We are very pleased to have this opportunity here today to speak with you. We would like to highlight the NRC's recent initiatives and contributions to help the Government of Canada and commercial asset owners achieve increased energy efficiency in buildings specifically, and realize compelling returns while contributing to our commitments to the Paris climate change agreement.
Initially, I would like to provide you with an idea of the scale and scope of the NRC. Our work covers a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines, the outcomes of which have changed the lives of Canadians and people around the globe. We are a national organization, with some 3,700 highly skilled and innovative researchers and staff located across the country. Our 14 research centres operate out of 22 locations and are mobilized to deliver on 26 targeted research and development programs.
Over the past century, the NRC has produced breakthrough inventions and innovations such as radar, the pacemaker, the black box, canola, the Canadarm and many more. Each year our organization works closely with industry, conducting research and development work with over 1,000 companies as well as numerous research hospitals, universities, colleges, federal departments and international partners.
This brings me to NRC's contribution to the Pan-Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change. As we heard in the previous session, this framework includes the Canadian government's vision for action to achieve its climate change objectives. As part of the pan-Canadian framework, the NRC, in close collaboration and partnership with Natural Resources Canada, is working with industry to help produce needed technology at the right cost.
I'd like to highlight three of the NRC's recent successes in turning energy-efficiency technologies into market-ready innovations, enabling commercial building owners to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also improving their bottom lines.
First, the Royal Bank of Canada partnered with the NRC to accelerate its rollout of green building technologies and achieve the triple bottom line of reduced environmental impact, lower operating costs and improved employee well-being. This work referenced pre-existing datasets from RBC's HR department, real estate group and the facilities manager, compiled from the dataset of close to 71,000 RBC employees and more than 1,600 North American facilities. lt focused on comparing data from 10 larger green-certified buildings with 10 matched conventional buildings. An annual RBC employee opinion survey confirmed that overall green-certified buildings demonstrated higher job satisfaction, value to clients and stakeholders, evaluation of management and corporate engagement. ln addition, we noticed there was a tendency for higher job performance reported in annual manager evaluations of staff.
The second example is a collaborative project between NRC and PSPC to leverage the big data analytics in real time to support increased operational efficiency and maintenance of Canadian federal government buildings.
NRC piloted technologies in 13 PSPC buildings in the national capital region. This two-year pilot realized 15% energy cost savings with a very simple payback of eight to 12 months. The technology also brings collateral or stacked benefits, making the business case even stronger. The technology also improved maintenance efficiency, because the opportunity costs of not fixing the faults were automatically estimated. This project received the 2017 Real Property Institute of Canada Excellence Award for Energy Efficiency of Federal Buildings.
The final example is a deep energy retrofit undertaken by the Ontario Association of Architects to move their 1980s headquarters building from an energy hog to a highly energy efficient building, with a design performance that is zero-carbon and close to net-zero energy. NRC provided support to the integrated design team and leveraged the project as a platform to demonstrate innovative Canadian energy technologies.
After the building is reoccupied in February 2019, NRC will provide measurement and verification of energy and carbon reduction as well as measurements to assess improvements in organizational productivity KPIs similar to those mentioned in the RBC study. This deep energy retrofit will deliver essentially a completely refurbished building.
These examples help illustrate a few key points.
First, individual component replacement strategies can offer significant energy reduction and cost savings.
Second, there is a range in the simple payback that is based on energy cost savings, with deep energy retrofits typically offering lower returns.
Third, there can be stacked or collateral benefits that should be considered when developing the business case for energy retrofit.
NRC continues to work closely with industry and government collaborators such as NRCan to develop, in government labs, new energy technologies and improve the performance of existing technologies.
We use pilots and demonstration projects in both public and private sector buildings to validate the energy performance and accelerate uptake of new and existing energy technologies. Pilots in DND, PSPC, CNL and other federal department buildings are contributing significantly to the GHG emission reduction of federal custodial departments, while the substantial energy cost savings can be invested in new programming.
We are also performing leading-edge research with industry collaborators to quantify the collateral benefits and develop monetization frameworks for organizational productivity gains, which are required to motivate investment in deep energy retrofits and scale deployment of new energy technologies.
In addition to these long-term impacts, the creation of a low-carbon economy would result in positive impacts immediately, as we help the industry innovate in terms of wealth and job creation.
In the course of achieving these impacts, NRC will lead the way in collaborative research and development with other science-based departments. We will be validating hypotheses and claims, developing new knowledge, asking new questions, providing validated answers and solutions, and filling the knowledge gap. This R and D will be invaluable for industry when responding to the new business opportunities created by the upcoming low-carbon reality, and we'll do all this, while ensuring cost-effective solutions are available where and when needed.
Reducing the carbon footprint of our buildings will support Canada in achieving its commitment, under the Paris Agreement, of a 30% GHG emission reduction by 2030. The work we do at the NRC to address the challenges of today inevitably results in the long-term solutions and innovations that Canada and the world have been waiting for.
Thank you for your interest in the NRC. My colleague and I would be pleased to answer any questions at this time.
Trevor Nightingale
View Trevor Nightingale Profile
Trevor Nightingale
2018-10-30 12:19
Sure.
Maybe I could take a step back and say that NRC collaborates very closely with NRCan and other government departments on a number of important initiatives. In fact, the Canadian centre for housing technology, which is located in the NRC, is a shared facility among NRCan, NRC and CMHC. This is a platform for which many residential energy technologies are demonstrated and validated, and essentially it becomes a gateway to the marketplace.
We collaborate on federal programs like the program on energy R and D and on eco-EII—or eco-energy innovation initiative—programs, where the researchers come together and focus on R and D and developing the information necessary to develop the policies and inform technology development.
We also support the greening of the government through the centre for greening government, run out of Treasury Board. There is strong collaboration between many of the government departments that have a capacity in the area of energy efficiency to bring measures that are the most effective in terms of efficiency and most cost-effective to the Government of Canada buildings.
We have a lot to offer in this area. As my colleague Dr. Dumoulin said, we're ready and able to support these programs as they become available.
Roger Scott-Douglas
View Roger Scott-Douglas Profile
Roger Scott-Douglas
2018-06-11 11:53
Thank you for the question.
The $52.4 million, once you add the EBP, is about $59.6 million. That funding will be ongoing. It has, until now, been sunsetting funding. Indeed, it started in about 2000, and it's been renewed by the government at Treasury Board eight times since then. In this budget and going forward, it will be ongoing.
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