Environmental Assessment Bill C-69 enters final stretch in Senate; Red Chamber divided on Tanker Ban Bill amendments

PARLIAMENT HILL—With nearly 100 amendments from the Senate—on top of about 100 from the House—the government’s environmental assessment reform legislation is entering its final stretch in the Senate, with debate on the government’s message on the amendments rejected and accepted expected to begin as early as this evening. The Senate had returned 188 amendments to […]
Climate urgency respects no region

Canada has an excellent opportunity to highlight its international commitment to climate justice following the visit of the Green Climate Fund Director on June 13. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is the largest dedicated climate fund within the United Nations convention on climate change and the Paris Agreement. It’s also the world’s most important multilateral […]
Environmentalists brace for resistance from industry over single-use plastics ban

As the Trudeau government looks to ban single-use plastics in response to growing concerns over marine pollution, some environmentalists expect much of the debate to focus on its implications for consumers’ pocketbooks. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) on Monday officially announced his government’s plans to limit the amount of plastic that’s tossed after a […]
Whole-of-society approach needed to keep plastics in economy, but out of landfills

One year ago, Canada’s plastics and chemistry industries committed to paving the path forward for Canada in the global challenge of tackling single-use plastics. Two bold goals were set: 100 per cent of plastics packaging being recyclable or recoverable by 2030; and 100 per cent of plastics packaging being re-used, recycled, or recovered by 2040. […]
Feds’ revamped employment strategy has potential address today’s challenges

It’s not every day that someone launches a bicycle trip all the way from Victoria to St. John’s, N.L. But that’s what Zac Wagman is doing—and on a wooden bike, too. During his 8,750-kilometre trip over the summer, Zac, the green jobs manager at Project Learning Tree Canada, will be visiting young people working in […]
Climate emergency declaration in Greater Sudbury and West Nipissing is real: Serré
Recently, councils for the City of Greater Sudbury and Municipality of West Nipissing unanimously declared climate emergencies in their communities. It is evident with recent weather events that our beautiful landscape, homes, and livelihoods are in jeopardy because of the harmful effects of climate change. We are seeing impacts firsthand this spring locally with devastating […]
Fight over Ottawa River nuclear waste dump getting political, but Liberals downriver standing behind the project—or staying quiet

A proposed dump for low-level nuclear waste near the Ottawa River has stirred up opposition from community groups, environmentalists, and municipalities worried the waste could leach into the river that flows past about 50 federal ridings, including Ottawa Centre, the home of Parliament Hill and Canada’s environment minister, Catherine McKenna. Members of Parliament from riverside […]
Despite U.S. reluctance, MPs hope Arctic Council forges ahead on climate change

In the face of the U.S.’s unwillingness to support the Arctic Council’s declaration on climate change-related challenges in the region, MPs are hoping to keep the Council focused on environmental issues. Liberal MP John McKay (Scarborough-Guildwood, Ont.) said the U.S. position “is consistent with a head-in-the-sand attitude toward climate change.” Regardless of the U.S. stance, […]
Conservative MP Gallant blames spring flooding on fed regulations, but experts say there are no links

Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant is blaming federal regulations for the recent heavy flooding in her Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, Ont., riding and other ridings along the Ottawa River last month, but experts dispute her claims, saying there’s no link between the damages and the measures being taken to manage the water flows. This is the second time in […]
Environment will break through the electoral noise with 100 Debates

Unprecedented, near impossible, and absolutely necessary. All reactions I’ve heard when I’ve talked about an ambitious effort to create a country-wide, non-partisan conversation on the environment during the upcoming federal election campaign. Although Kim Campbell’s famous quote comes to mind, that “An election is no time to discuss serious matters,” GreenPAC is putting this notion […]