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Results: 136 - 150 of 920
View Marci Ien Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Marci Ien Profile
2021-05-14 13:52
Mr. Chair, thank you so very much.
Thank you to the minister and deputy minister for joining us here today.
Deputy Minister Drouin, when we last heard from you, my colleague Mr. Housefather was asking you a question. I just want to give you the time to finish it, so please go ahead.
Nathalie Drouin
View Nathalie Drouin Profile
Nathalie Drouin
2021-05-14 13:52
Thank you. I guess the question you are alluding to is the discoverability question.
As I said, because the purpose of the bill hasn't changed, and because the four authorities in this one in particular are not a regulatory power that the CRTC can ask indirectly to broadcasting service providers to change the content of an individual, of an unaffiliated user, this is why we conclude that this power in particular does not affect the guarantee freedom of expression.
Kate Lindsay
View Kate Lindsay Profile
Kate Lindsay
2021-05-14 13:04
Thank you, Mahima.
I will provide just one more example of a positive disruptive clean technology product gaining momentum here in Canada, and that is mass timber and tall wood buildings. In addition to the societal benefits of using wood, mass timber provides enhanced benefits of carbon storage, displacement of more emission-intensive building materials, as well as showcasing the innovative design aspects of wood.
Canada now has a number of companies that play a role in the global mass timber construction space, with facilities located in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia currently. As an example, Quebec's Nordic Structures recently supplied the glulam beams and cross-laminated timber, or CLT, for a college being built in Houston, Texas. The wood for the prefabricated beams and CLT panels was grown in northern Quebec, manufactured in Montreal, and sent to Houston by rail to lower the transportation greenhouse gas emissions. This is just one example where Canadian innovation and manufacturing, as well as integrated supply chains, are allowing Canada to supply these excellent carbon-sequestering products to the world.
We see the recent U.S.-Canada greening government initiative as a great example of where forest products, both wood construction and the bio-based products my colleague spoke of, can contribute to positive changes through the value chain.
Other areas where the government can show support to advance these opportunities include, first, recognizing that Canada's forest products sector is a key contributor to a global low-carbon economy, with great potential to further develop the bioeconomy and export market. Second, the federal government should recognize and promote Canada's world-leading forest management practices with global customers and other governments. This would avoid any unnecessary and additional regulatory requirements that are creating confusion and a challenging investment climate. Finally, there are some key policy and programmatic areas, including modernized building codes, procurement strategies that recognize low-carbon products, ensuring that government funding programs are readily accessible across the sector, and reliable transportation and supply chain networks.
We want to thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. We look forward to answering any questions and following up with you in the future.
Thank you.
Timothy Egan
View Timothy Egan Profile
Timothy Egan
2021-05-14 13:05
I am, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much for the opportunity to participate today.
The Canadian Gas Association is, as many of you know, the voice of Canada’s natural gas delivery industry. Our membership includes utilities and transmission companies, equipment manufacturers and suppliers to the industry. Our members are active in eight provinces and one territory. Combined, we meet roughly 35% of Canada’s energy needs through a network of underground infrastructure. We provide over 20 million Canadians with what is the most affordable, reliable energy service offering available.
Our infrastructure delivers gaseous energy, and increasingly that includes renewable natural gas and hydrogen. Our member utilities are Canadian companies based in communities in your constituencies across the country. We want Canadians to benefit from the energy services we deliver today and in the future. By leveraging our energy infrastructure, we offer some of the most cost-effective options available to help the Government of Canada meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
Four of our members appeared before the committee on April 30: Énergir, Enbridge, Gazifère and Fortis Inc. They outlined the ambition and level of activity under way in their respective provinces.
For us, as the national association, we're working to support members’ goals in all the provinces in which we're active. We're focused on three key priorities. One, we are designing strategic renewable gas programming and policy support for RNG and hydrogen through public-private funding partnerships. This includes a request for federal leadership to commit to purchasing RNG, and in the future hydrogen, for federal buildings across Canada. Two, we are supporting new RNG and hydrogen technology solutions through initiatives like CGA’s natural gas innovation fund. Three, we are working with member companies to modernize provincial regulatory and legislative frameworks that govern investments that CGA members can make.
In 2020, we turned to our members to solicit project concepts to support our economy and contribute to getting people back to work. All told, we created a list of nearly 70 projects in four areas: green building retrofits, alternative transportation, LNG, and infrastructure and renewable gases. Specific to renewable gases, we mentioned over 21 projects across five provinces. That number is ever increasing and points to the opportunity that Canada has to partner with industry to deploy large-scale renewable gas deployment opportunities.
When our companies appeared before your committee on April 30, you heard about programs under way that deliver RNG to customers. Many of our other members are working in the field as well. ATCO in Alberta is piloting hydrogen and recently announced a partnership with Suncor. Heritage Gas in Nova Scotia is also targeting hydrogen as a key component of its future gas supply in the province.
Globally, governments and industry are realizing the need for gaseous energy infrastructure to meet the growing energy needs of the world. Here in Canada, as we note, recent programming and policy documents support renewable gas development, including the national hydrogen strategy, proposed funding in budget 2021 for carbon capture and storage and the $1.5-billion clean fuels fund.
What do we need to deliver on what is being asked?
First, it's essential that legislative and regulatory frameworks in the provinces allow for investment in low-emission projects like RNG and hydrogen. Specifically, we're looking at a process to adjust legislative frameworks that govern utility investments so that regulators can consider emissions reductions goals in their decision-making framework. At present, they're focused strictly on the lowest cost for customers. If governments want energy delivery companies—and this applies to electric utilities and gas utilities—to deliver on emission reduction targets, the regulatory regime governing utilities will have to be adjusted.
Second, Canada requires more public-private co-operation on clean-tech development. We created an excellent opportunity for such co-operation when we launched the NGIF four years ago as a granting vehicle for new technology start-ups using industry dollars. Governments quickly advised they wanted to partner with us, recognizing the industry leadership.
Recently, we built on that original grant fund and created two new entities: a clean-tech ventures fund and the NGIF Emissions Testing Centre. The investments made through the venture fund will improve environmental performance while building the value of natural gas to meet the ongoing needs of Canada’s energy system. The venture fund has an initial investment of $35 million from seven leading companies across the value chain. There is significant opportunity for deeper co-operation so that such market-driven innovation can deliver on the best results for environmental performance.
Third, we need policy leadership from all levels of government that is technology neutral. Government shouldn't pick which energy pathway or technology it thinks best to deliver on its emissions reduction goals. Currently, the Canada Infrastructure Bank prohibits RNG buses and focuses exclusively on hydrogen and battery buses. It's an example of the kind of intervention that needs to change.
To make the point on transportation, RNG is a promising solution in municipal and other fleet applications. We note Canada's first carbon-neutral bus fuelled by RNG in Hamilton, Ontario, and TransLink's recent announcement of 25 CNG buses in B.C.
These announcements mean significant greenhouse gas abatement and reduction in operating costs from the traditional diesel buses you see every day.
View Mario Simard Profile
BQ (QC)
View Mario Simard Profile
2021-05-14 14:42
You and Mr. Egan talked about the legislative and regulatory framework being critical. From a regulatory perspective, what do you feel could be done in the near term to encourage the use of renewable natural gas?
Mr. Egan can add something if he wishes.
Jennifer Green
View Jennifer Green Profile
Jennifer Green
2021-05-14 14:42
Measures with the clean fuel fund are going to be significant. From a regulatory perspective, I think we'll be looking at the provincial domain and, in a federal context, looking at how we can target mandate opportunities for RNG across the country.
View Rosemarie Falk Profile
CPC (SK)
Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Laura and Miranda, for coming today and sharing your wisdom and experience with the committee.
I'm going to start with Miranda.
In advance of Ontario's Personal Support Worker Day, which is next week on May 19, I want first of all to extend my gratitude and thanks to you and through you to support workers across the country for their dedicated and tireless work to care for their patients. Support workers have shown courage and commitment on the front lines throughout the pandemic, and I know that the work support workers does is not easy and takes a certain skill set. It's emotionally, physically and mentally demanding, and has been undoubtedly even more so during this health crisis.
I'm wondering, Miranda, if you could share with the committee the level of professional recognition that support workers have across the country and how this affects the workers and their patients.
Miranda Ferrier
View Miranda Ferrier Profile
Miranda Ferrier
2021-05-13 15:40
Absolutely. Thank you very much MP Falk. It's nice to see you.
Personal support workers across our nation are called something different in almost every single province. In Nova Scotia they're referred to as continuing care assistants. In New Brunswick they're PSWs and health care aides. In Saskatchewan they're continuing care assistants. In Ontario we're personal support workers. I'll refer to them as PSWs moving forward.
In every single province we are unregulated. Two provinces do have registries in place for their workers, but they're employer-driven registries, which does nothing for the worker.
One thing the association has been doing on a provincial level in Ontario for over the past 10 years is lobbying quite hard for the regulation of personal support workers. We know that with title protection, regulations, accountability and oversight put in place, our most vulnerable would be much safer. Right now, to be honest, do you know who's knocking at your door? We don't know who is a personal support worker. There's no way, other than with our association, for them to identify themselves as such. That's a huge concern.
The level of abuse in elder care that's happening right now has been happening forever. A personal support worker working in long-term care, home care, a retirement home or wherever can be accused of abuse, be fired from their job, walk down the street and get a job at another long-term care facility, home care company or whatever, because no one's following them in their jobs. That is where elder abuse really starts.
I am happy to announce that the Province of Ontario has put a bill forward to regulate personal support workers in Ontario. It's currently in its public consultation process. It's Bill 283, if anyone's interested, in Ontario. Hopefully it will be an authority that oversees accountability and protections for the public regarding personal support workers.
PSWs, as you know, are unregulated, so we're not taken seriously in the job in a lot of places. We bring a lot to the table. No one else does personal care; only the PSW does.
View Han Dong Profile
Lib. (ON)
I'll try to get one more question in.
Speaking of the standards, there are two things being considered: the national long-term care services standard and a new national standard focused on operations and infection prevention.
Is there a role for the federal government in ensuring long-term care workers are given adequate training, work conditions and wages?
Laura Tamblyn Watts
View Laura Tamblyn Watts Profile
Laura Tamblyn Watts
2021-05-13 15:51
—but we feel there's an opportunity for incentivized grants; training and education supports; immigration, with the immigration priorities in these areas; and setting out different incentive-based capacity-building programs.
Mark P. Mills
View Mark P. Mills Profile
Mark P. Mills
2021-05-13 12:51
It's a pretty easy, generic one, but it's a very tough one to implement.
It's the same point. Mine sites, if you assume no regulations, still take a very long time to establish. They're physically demanding pieces of engineering. Everything we do to delay that makes it riskier, so risk capital goes to where it's easier to build the mine faster.
By and large, what that means today is that the epicentre of new mining development is Africa, largely through Chinese investments. We all know why. It's because of the far too lax, in my view, environmental regulatory environment.
What we're doing is trading two extremes, essentially no regulations versus too much regulation, so the mines are opening up where there are no regulations, so to speak.
View Brad Redekopp Profile
CPC (SK)
On a different subject, your government has often spoken about businesses needing to retool in the new economy, and workers needing to retrain, often in the context of oil and gas. I was shocked to hear from a company in the clean-tech sector that's facing the same problem. New regulations coming into effect shortly will require that emission controls be added to industrial engines prior to their arriving in Canada.
Safety Power in Mississauga adds emission controls after these engines arrive in Canada, and its products are world-leading and result in lower emissions than the regulations require, yet the new regulations will take away its ability to sell its products in Canada.
When you develop new regulations such as in this case, do you challenge your officials as to the possible economic consequences of their going into effect?
View Jonathan Wilkinson Profile
Lib. (BC)
Of course we do. When you're moving forward to try to put regulatory mechanisms in place, you're thinking about how you would advance the environmental efficacy of these products. At the end of the day, what we're talking about here is enhancing the requirements on engine manufacturers with respect to the pollution that's produced through the engines.
What you're talking about is an after-market solution. Certainly, we are bringing ourselves into alignment in terms of reducing air pollution such as nitrous oxide. We're bringing ourselves into alignment with many countries around the world, including the United States, which is requiring engine manufacturers to become cleaner.
View Yvan Baker Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thanks very much, Chair. That's correct, I'll be sharing my time with Ms. Saks.
Minister, thank you very much for being here today to speak with the committee.
My constituents in Etobicoke Centre are understandably very concerned about the impact of climate change. They expect us, as a government, to do what's necessary to protect our planet. To do so, they expect the Government of Canada to ensure that we reduce our emissions in Canada and globally to the degree necessary to achieve that objective.
Our government has made substantial investments, including in budget 2021, towards a green recovery, to create middle-class jobs, build a clean economy, and fight and protect against climate change. Could you summarize for us what emission-reduction targets our government has committed to, and to what degree this would reduce our emissions? What legislative measures will we pass to ensure this government and future ones will live up to these commitments?
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