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Results: 1 - 15 of 132
Tareq Hadhad
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Tareq Hadhad
2021-06-21 17:14
Thank you, Madam Chair, vice-chairs and honourable members of the committee, for having me here. Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day.
I've been looking forward to my presentation in front of the committee for many reasons. You all are doing amazing jobs from your places to appreciate diversity and strengthen our country by living up to the values of compassion and empowerment for newcomers every day. My family and I came to Canada a few years ago after losing everything to the war in Syria. We have been in love with this country that restored our faith in humanity and our hope that what we lost can be rebuilt with the fortitude of the power and resiliency that's in each and every one of us.
Newcomers bring great skills and experiences with them. They are here to contribute and give back to their communities that they now call home. With other countries closing their doors and their borders, Canada is leading the world in attracting newcomers, and it's no surprise that Canada has been ranked the best country in the world this year.
Nova Scotia, for example, is a big part of that. It has done so much to help newcomers. In my area alone, I have met people from 35 countries who have started businesses here. On the other hand, we all know that immigrants are motivated to translate their skills and experiences into an opportunity for a life here. Entrepreneurship is only one way that immigrants give back to their new home, each by their unique remarkable and amazing values and culture they bring. They celebrate the true meaning of being Canadians.
As a newcomer family ourselves, we are bringing our values and our message. It's not just about business. By starting in our own town of Antigonish, which is home to 4,300 residents, we wanted to take advantage of the international stage to share this message.
Just a few years ago, we started a journey in Antigonish with Peace by Chocolate. There is something unique and special about small towns in Nova Scotia, like all the beautiful provinces in this country. We have believed since the beginning that our success story is not alone: There are thousands of Canadian success stories that should be shared around the world.
In Nova Scotia, people travel for job opportunities, going out west and to other places. We started Peace by Chocolate in 2016, a few months after arriving in Canada, because we believed that we came to Canada not to take jobs—we came to Canada to create them. We are now hiring tens of people—tens of people, Madam Chair—in distribution, development, production and many other departments and specialties.
We are so honoured at the same time to launch our Peace on Earth Society, where we donate proceeds to the Canadian Mental Health Association, indigenous communities and many other organizations whose work is very well rooted in our society. The people of Antigonish have done an amazing job and have been a great support to us.
The examples of rural municipalities doing amazing work to support newcomers are countless. For example, we did not know how to apply to governments or start our business or network with neighbouring provinces, but everyone helped us to succeed much faster.
While I'm really honoured to share our successful and amazing journey with you, it's so important to mention that no one is born to emigrate. We are all born to live in our homeland, but after losing everything to the war in Syria, our family had refugee status for a few years and realized that Canada is the land of freedom, human rights and opportunity. In her communities, immigrants find opportunities for a better life, no matter how big or small the place they live in, and they can help build our communities together.
The most noble values for each newcomer I meet are peace and kindness. We suffered violence, persecution and devastating circumstances until we reached this country. It was not an easy journey. We lost everything, but we are here because we need peace, and peace is the main foundation for life for everybody. Without that, we have no work, we have no business, we have no school and we have no family.
In the end, Canadian communities continue to bring hope to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who come here looking to rebuild their lives with passion, peace, determination and persistence, and they give back immensely to make Canada the great country that it is today and every day.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you.
Michael Wolinetz
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Michael Wolinetz
2021-06-18 13:05
There we go. I thought you'd have another go at a tricky last name.
My name is Michael Wolinetz. I am a partner, senior analyst and consultant with Navius Research. We are a Vancouver-based energy and economic consultancy. Our work primarily involves producing forward-looking analyses where we simulate how government policy, technology and energy markets and costs will affect greenhouse gas emissions and the economy in general. Our work spans all sectors of the economy, all energy consumption, all emissions sources and all potential greenhouse gas abatement actions.
I'll be speaking somewhat more briefly, focusing more on the renewable and biofuels side of things. I think there is significant opportunity for renewable low-carbon biofuels in Canada. To get there, it's critical to have policies that create long-term and durable signals for the consumption of these low-carbon and renewable fuels. In order to get to some meaningful level of production, there needs to be very large investments. These will only happen if they can be significantly de-risked by ensuring that there will be some market for the product being produced.
In terms of the cost and benefits of these fuels, our work consistently shows us that these fuels will cost more than conventional fossil fuels, but the benefit is that there are new sectors and commodities that create new economic development jobs in Canada, and there are significant opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Regarding economic activity and job creation, if we're focusing on the biofuels side of things, there is significant potential for job creation, especially in rural parts of Canada, as it may involve additional collection of forestry harvest residues or agricultural residues, as well as processing within the rural areas. That being said, from this specific green economy sector, we see a lot of jobs but not such a quantity that it would completely offset the jobs related to the current conventional fossil fuel industries.
Regarding the potential for net reduction in Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, there's substantial abatement potential from low-carbon renewable fuels, especially when we're talking about advanced biofuels produced from woody or grassy feedstocks. That being said, it's not a silver bullet. We're talking about a silver buckshot approach here, so it will have to have to occur in conjunction with numerous other abatement opportunities. That would include electrification and energy efficiency as well as other low-carbon fuels like hydrogen.
We see a pretty healthy niche that could be occupied by biofuels. We do a lot of work now forecasting how Canada's economy and energy system evolves when meeting legislated and announced targets, as well as it how it evolves as we trend towards a net-zero-emissions future. We see a persistent and ongoing demand for energy-dense fuels that could be used, notably for transportation like trucking, marine and aviation, as well as in industry.
Biofuels, notably those produced from residues that could be sustainable and also give a real greenhouse gas reduction, could occupy a healthy niche of our energy system, something on the order of 15% to 25%, depending on the extent of energy consumption and the extent of feedstock production. That being said, it requires careful management to ensure that the bioenergy system is actually giving a real and substantial net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. You need careful management to ensure that you're not depleting stocks of soil carbon—for example, not degrading soils and not resulting in additional deforestation.
As I mentioned earlier, biofuels may be complemented by hydrogen in terms of other low-carbon fuels, and certainly will act in concert with energy efficiency and electrification using renewable energy consumption. That being said, I am somewhat less optimistic and more uncertain about the future of hydrogen. I certainly see a role for it in interacting with intermittent renewable solar and wind electricity generation, and potentially blue hydrogen, although I don't necessarily see it as an outright shift to a full hydrogen economy in the future where hydrogen is cheaper than current energy sources.
Thanks for having me participate. That's all I'll say right now.
View Mario Simard Profile
BQ (QC)
View Mario Simard Profile
2021-06-18 14:53
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to ask Mr. Wolinetz another quick question.
Mr. Wolinetz, you talked about the job creation potential of low‑carbon sectors.
Do you have any data on what the development of the biomass sector might represent in terms of job creation?
Michael Wolinetz
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Michael Wolinetz
2021-06-18 14:54
We've seen nationally, if we're just talking about the collection and delivery of feedstock to production facilities, that it could be on the order of 20,000 to 30,000 jobs nationally, roughly speaking. I can look for some numbers and perhaps send you something off-line if you'd like.
View Mario Simard Profile
BQ (QC)
View Mario Simard Profile
2021-06-18 14:54
How long would it take to create these 20,000 to 30,000 jobs?
Michael Wolinetz
View Michael Wolinetz Profile
Michael Wolinetz
2021-06-18 14:54
It would be over the next 20 to 30 years.
Jennifer Deleskie
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Jennifer Deleskie
2021-05-31 17:01
Thank you, Chair.
It's an honour to be invited today to appear before the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. My name is Jennifer Deleskie, and I'm the vice-president of business development and public affairs at Membertou Corporate. I am joined by my colleague, Christine Penney, who is the vice-president of sustainability and public affairs at Clearwater Seafoods.
We are pleased to provide comments on the committee's study examining the process and structure for corporate offshore licences and quota transfers. We're also eager for the opportunity to address some of the concerns and issues raised in previous fisheries and oceans committee sessions on the topic of inshore fishing licences.
Founded in 1976, Clearwater is one of North America's largest vertically integrated seafood companies and one of Canada's leading seafood exporters. It is recognized globally for its superior quality, food safety, diversity of species and reliable worldwide delivery. Over the years, Clearwater has become an integral part of the community in Atlantic Canada, with a focus on responsibly harvesting seafood of the highest quality, all while investing in communities and innovation in the sector and working toward indigenous reconciliation.
Clearwater has a long history of working collaboratively with Mi'kmaq first nations, helping to foster meaningful participation in the commercial fishery and working toward economic outcomes that benefit everyone. There have been significant agreements over the last few years that have strengthened Clearwater's decades-long relationship with indigenous communities. These agreements have contributed to establishing and advancing avenues for more indigenous participation in Canada's seafood industry.
Most notably, in January 2021, Premium Brands Holdings Corp. and Mi'kmaq first nations reached a historic agreement in acquiring ownership of Clearwater Seafoods. The collective investment of seven Mi'kmaq nations in Clearwater represents the single largest investment in the seafood industry by any indigenous group in Canada. This is truly a generational investment that will secure and create new jobs, advance meaningful reconciliation and will continue Clearwater's international reputation for excellence in sustainable seafood. With this partnership, Mi'kmaq are now 50% owners in the company, and it has become a new way in how we do business in this industry.
Over the last few years, it's been a pleasure to work in close collaboration with Christine Penney. We are all committed to building the world's most extraordinary wild seafood company, dedicated to sustainable seafood excellence.
With that, I want to hand it over to Christine.
Christine Penney
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Christine Penney
2021-05-31 17:03
Thank you, Jennifer.
Thank you, Chair and members of the committee.
I too would like to emphasize how proud we all are to have built and to be continuing to build a relationship with the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia and the Miawpukek in Newfoundland and Labrador. It's tangible proof of both the community and the business benefits of indigenous reconciliation and the benefits to rural fishing communities. It is truly a win-win-win.
We are pleased to have new owners who are focused on creating sustainable value over the long term, which allows Clearwater to continue to invest in maintaining resources, opening markets and building the reputation and value of Canadian seafood.
Recently there have been some questions raised regarding the ownership structure of inshore fishing licences. I want to make it clear today that historically under the owner-operator and fleet separation policies and now under the current DFO policy for preserving the independence of the inshore fleet in Canada's Atlantic fisheries, which has been turned into regulation, Clearwater is prohibited from owning inshore fishing licences or entering into controlling agreements.
The change in ownership of Clearwater does not impact the application of these policies and regulations or change the application of the policies and regulations to our business. Clearwater does not own and has no intention of owning licences that fall under the PIIFCAF regulations, and Clearwater does not enter into controlling agreements for licences.
Our new ownership structure puts the Mi'kmaq at the boardroom table as owners of our company, but it does not alter or impact the day-to-day operations of the company. This provides stability for 1,500 good middle-class jobs across the 276 communities in Atlantic Canada that continue to help drive the economy in the region.
The whole Clearwater team is excited to embark on this next chapter of the company's journey. We're proud of the partnership between Premium Brands and the Mi'kmaq and this monumental step toward reconciliation and greater indigenous participation. We will continue to work collaboratively to build a sustainable and diverse Canadian seafood industry that supports thousands of jobs, generates significant economic activity in coastal communities and provides seafood products of the highest quality to consumers all over the world.
We look forward to your questions and thank all of you for your continued leadership and commitment to fisheries excellence in Canada.
View Gord Johns Profile
NDP (BC)
Thank you. I appreciate that.
As you are aware, there have been some concerns regarding the sale. You can use the last few minutes of my time to talk about any issues that maybe haven't come up, that you haven't addressed, around removing those concerns. Please feel free to talk about anything that might have been missed.
Ms. Penney, do you want to lead off on that?
Christine Penney
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Christine Penney
2021-05-31 17:30
I would just go back to the earlier statements.
It has been a bit puzzling for me personally as to where the concerns were coming from. When I hear that perhaps there was a misperception that these were being converted to commercial communal licences, I can see where maybe that would have raised some questions.
Again, I don't see this as something that should be creating concern for the rest of the industry. The industry at large has understood that there has been an appetite for further participation by indigenous groups in the fishery, and has been looking for ways to partner and work with the indigenous community to build relationships on a business level.
This transaction has created a model for economic reconciliation in Canada that will serve the fishing industry and it goes beyond that to other industries as well. This is a transaction where the Mi'kmaq participate equally in every aspect of the company, from governance to operations, to the financial benefits that are generated from the company and to the employment benefits Jennifer spoke to.
We've certainly been able to provide reassurance to our employees that no one is going to lose their job as a result of this transaction, but we will be redoubling and refocusing our efforts on our diversity commitments and making sure that we are providing opportunities for Mi'kmaq individuals at every level of the company.
We've recently hired an indigenous employment officer who will lead that effort across the company. She will be working with the individual communities, with Mi'kmaq individuals, to make sure that job opportunities are well advertised and well known, that we're also looking at training and recruitment gaps and ensuring that Clearwater continues to grow and continues be a visibly indigenous-owned company.
Sherry Baker
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Sherry Baker
2021-05-25 12:21
Thank you, Madam Chair and honourable members of the standing committee, for the opportunity to contribute to the important work you are doing to study elder abuse in Canada.
I am proud to be able to describe to you the fine work being done in British Columbia to raise the awareness of abuse, neglect and self-neglect, and to help our communities find ways to prevent this.
The last two provincial governments have recognized that this issue is often hidden, little understood and extremely damaging to older and vulnerable adults throughout the province. For the last 10 years they have funded the work that our organizations are doing, and it is my distinct pleasure to have been involved since the beginning.
I have written a more detailed description of how the B.C. Association of Community Response Networks and the Council to Reduce Elder Abuse are organized to work towards reducing elder abuse by concentrating on supporting a local community response.
Here is just a sampling of the issues and remedies that you can consider. One, middle-aged children of aging parents find it difficult to help their growing families' needs. They see their parents with assets, and they think it would be good if they could have their inheritance before their parents die.
Two, when companies find themselves having to downsize or, as is happening during the COVID pandemic, having to lay off workers, many wage earners are finding themselves desperate and move back into their parents' home, often with children.
Three, immigrant families often bring older family members from their homeland to help look after the children. Sometimes these older adults are not provided with any freedom to create a safe life for themselves, which is further hindered by the inability to speak English or French.
Four, adding to the challenges of reconciliation, decolonization and the impact of residential schools, some of the older indigenous Canadians are also faced with pressure from their younger family members, who expect them to provide financial support to help them deal with their own issues.
I would like to list some of the ways that the federal government can play a role in reducing elder abuse.
First, it can understand that it is a systemic issue, and there is no quick fix.
When considering mandatory reporting, understand that most elder abuse is perpetrated by family members, and few parents will report or lay charges against their own child. This could have the effect of driving the abuse further underground.
As Krista James of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law said at the last hearing, abused adults don't want their family members to go to jail; “they just want the abuse to stop.”
It can provide support for law reform initiatives.
It can provide support for the key role played by the RCMP so they can respond effectively.
It can provide support for research projects, which help seniors live safely in their own homes.
It can provide support for research into what causes elder abuse.
It can provide support for safe and accessible housing projects for elders.
It can provide support for job creation and retraining for people trying to enter the workforce or dealing with being downsized or laid off.
It can provide support for training for frontline workers in institutions as well as in the community.
It can provide support for English as a second-language projects for immigrant seniors, along with other settlement services.
It can provide support for indigenous communities in developing safe and healthy housing for their families and elders.
It can provide support for mental health and addiction services, especially for families in crisis. No individual can be forced into therapy, so there needs to be supports in place to help them want to change.
It can provide support for the development of safe and accessible transition houses for older adults and allow a longer stay. In B.C. a woman can only stay for 30 days in a transition house.
It can provide support for the development of a national elder abuse strategy.
I've included a lot more information in the brief that I've submitted to you.
I look forward to answering your questions.
Thank you.
Tara Peel
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Tara Peel
2021-05-20 14:49
Good afternoon, chair and committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.
The Canadian Labour Congress is Canada's largest central labour body. It advocates on national issues on behalf of more than three million working people from coast to coast to coast. Climate change is a vitally important issue for unions and all working people in Canada. That's why the CLC and Canada's unions welcome the Canadian net-zero emissions accountability act.
In the limited time I have, I will confine my remarks on the legislation to three areas: accountability mechanisms in Bill C-12, the just transition and the net-zero advisory body.
First, with respect to accountability, as others have said before me, Canada has never met a single climate target that it has set for itself. To break this pattern of missed greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, we need a law that holds governments accountable for meeting its milestones, not for trying to meet them. Bill C-12 requires a rolling cycle of planning and reporting against the five-year milestones and the long-term targets. However, the bill provides too much leeway to set weak targets and issue plans with few details.
The act should set clear and firm obligations on the minister to meet or exceed robust minimum standards when setting targets and establishing emissions reduction plans. These plans need to contain robust modelling clearly demonstrating how the targets will be met. Accountability must be results-driven, not process-driven.
Additionally, there are inadequate accountability checkpoints in the crucial next decade. Bill C-12 uses milestone targets rather than carbon budgets. Compounding this, the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development would be required to prepare reports on the implementation of measures only once every five years. Now that the government has set a target for 2030, there is no justifiable reason not to hold the government accountable in 2025.
Finally, to remain aligned with the 1.5°C limit on warming, this legislation must require absolute reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, rather than relying on carbon offsets and hopeful technological solutions that will allow industry to continue to generate rising emissions.
I'll turn now to the just transition. The CLC appreciates the job-creation focus that went into developing Bill C-12, and we don't expect this legislation to achieve all of the goals of the promised just transition legislation. However, in our view this bill should contain specific references to a just transition as an important driver of climate ambition. Concrete just transition plans for affected workers and communities are essential, not only so we can increase climate ambition, but also to ensure that our actions meet our ambition. The bill should recognize that meeting climate milestones will require robust plans for a just transition of the workforce.
Finally, I'll turn to the net-zero advisory body. This body is an important component of the bill; there is no question. It is composed of representatives of diverse communities, including indigenous communities, government, the labour movement, environmental organizations, industry and academia, all with their own expertise. We are pleased that the CLC's president, Hassan Yussuff, will represent workers on the advisory body.
In our view, though, the net-zero advisory body must be positioned to provide strong science-based guidance on pathways to achieving the five-year milestones. While the advisory body would provide important guidance on measures and strategies for meeting Canada's emissions reduction milestones, there is currently no clear role for the advisory body in monitoring, assessing and reporting on progress towards meeting Canada's targets. In our view, there should be independent and frequent detailed assessment of whether Canada is on track to meet its targets.
The CLC welcomes this legislation, which has the potential to change Canada's history of never having met our climate targets. Strengthening certain areas of the bill could put Canada on track to meaningfully contribute to the crucial efforts of limiting warming to no more than 1.5°C.
Thank you very much. I look forward to your questions.
View Tracy Gray Profile
CPC (BC)
Thank you.
How many jobs have been created to date through the investments with BDC, specifically with this clean-tech practice?
Susan Rohac
View Susan Rohac Profile
Susan Rohac
2021-05-14 14:52
I can table that as well. I don't have that statistic with me.
View Bryan May Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Bryan May Profile
2021-05-14 14:05
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
As the member of Parliament for Cambridge, it seems to me that the concept of hydrogen is on everybody's mind in my region. As I have said before, I attended a virtual town hall with Sustainable Waterloo Region not that long ago, and the hydrogen hub concept was ranked as one of the highest priorities for that organization. I have Toyota in my backyard, which is clearly taking a hydrogen approach moving forward.
I want to thank Mr. Cannings for the question he asked Ms. Quan about the idea of a hub. I want to give Mr. Kirby an opportunity to expand a bit on the idea of a hydrogen hub.
Specifically in terms of the Government of Canada's national jobs strategy, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, Mr. Kirby. My thought is that this could create jobs not just in the Waterloo region but literally all across Canada.
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