Latest news with #TerryDuguid
Winnipeg Free Press
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Paying attention to changing climate
Opinion Many Manitobans were disappointed to learn that Terry Duguid was not reappointed as minister for Environment and Climate Change Canada. A Mark Carney appointment just two weeks prior to the recent federal election — having served perhaps the shortest ministerial term on record — he is being replaced by an unexceptional Toronto lawyer. Apparently ECCC is not a priority for the new administration. This should not come as a surprise given the lack of attention paid by either major party to environmental issues on the campaign trail, save for both savaging the carbon tax and trying to outdo one another in their love of pipelines. The prime minister had a great deal to say about climate change in his book Value(s), none of which carried over into electioneering. Again, this is not surprising as the PM is a former investment banker who believes that tinkering with the system that caused the problem will solve it. Apparently only by making it extremely profitable can we save the planet — doing good by doing well. Well, maybe. Russell Wangersky / Free Press The climate is all around us, every day. Are governments paying close enough attention? So, what should our new federal government and its rookie ECCC minister do to face a longer-term existential crisis while grappling with a shorter-term threat from our former best friends? Focus on renewable energy, energy infrastructure, water, science and co-operative federalism. All of these fall under the umbrella of climate change adaptation and none is fully under the ECCC mandate. Our response to climate change requires a government-wide effort. But ECCC has a very important role to play. Notice that climate change mitigation — reducing carbon emissions — is not on my list. America now produces twice as much oil as Saudi Arabia. Washington has turned the clock back six decades to the heyday of fossil fuels and is exporting the notion around the world to an alarmingly receptive audience There are cost-effective ways to reduce emissions that we shouldn't ignore, but otherwise mitigation must go on the back burner for at least the next four years. There is no point in crippling our oil sector (and fatally alienating Alberta); it will make absolutely no difference to climate change. That sector will die a natural death and sooner than many suspect. It is imperative that Canada expands its renewable energy capacity — wind, solar and hydro — as rapidly as possible. This may mean rethinking short-term economics, building beyond immediate demand. As with most past environmental issues, climate change will have to have us by the throat before global action is unavoidable; but when that occurs it will be sudden. The future may belong to those who can make that rapid transition to net zero. Key to a renewable energy, self-sufficient economy is the ability to move electrical energy from coast to coast to coast. Presently our power grid is oriented north-south and that has to change. ECCC Minister Julie Dabrusin's role in energy production and transmission is largely regulatory. A regulatory process that minimizes environmental impact, co-ordinates the transboundary dimension of energy transmission, respects local concerns and delivers timely decisions is required. An aggressive renewable energy strategy is all about being prepared for a rapid transition to carbon lite industry and transportation. Not an easy task. Water is the key to insulating our agriculture, infrastructure and urban centres from the expected extremes of surplus and scarcity. It will mean overhauling our water infrastructure, conveyance, retention and flood protection. ECCC and its Canada Water Agency — created by the now-discarded Terry Duguid — has a significant role in partnering with the provinces in this infrastructure overhaul, both from a financial and regulatory perspective. Another massive undertaking. Science is critical to our response to climate change. There may not be a technological magic bullet to extract us from this mess, but we won't find one if we're not looking. And our water-related adaptation has to be supported by sound science. There is already a very solid water research platform to build on, much of it now co-ordinated by the Winnipeg-based water agency. Weekday Evenings Today's must-read stories and a roundup of the day's headlines, delivered every evening. No climate change adaptation strategy will work without intimate co-operation between the federal, provincial and territorial governments, something that was not a strength of the Trudeau government, and on environmental matters was a disaster. The ECCC minister might start by reviving the once-effective Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment — like the water agency also headquartered in Winnipeg. It can and should be the national coordinating body for all matters water. Of course, it all comes down to political will and money. This has to be a government of Canada priority in which ECCC plays an important supportive role. Money ought not to be the problem. We have come up with billions to support important issues like response to COVID, Reconciliation and economic support during the current trade uncertainty; we can fund climate change adaptation. Perhaps the tariff wars will be all this government can handle. Perhaps some geoengineering Hail Mary will solve the climate problem. Perhaps the world's major economies will wake up, perhaps. Unfortunately a future based on perhaps is not a very solid one. Norman Brandson is the former deputy minister of the Manitoba departments of environment, conservation and water stewardship.
Winnipeg Free Press
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
The Lake Winnipeg blame game
Opinion The extent to which our governments will go to avoid responsibility has reached new heights. Lake Winnipeg is dying and, instead of rallying all interested parties and levels of government — including First Nations — to the rescue, a sordid skirmish is occurring before the courts. The most absurd claim has come from the City of Winnipeg, which insists that the release of 220 million litres of raw sewage into the Red River last year had little effect on the pollution of Lake Winnipeg. Such a preposterous assertion was made in defence of a $4.8-billion lawsuit by 11 First Nation communities who have a substantial stake in the health of the lake. Municipal, provincial and federal governments have been named as defendants in the suit. Although this court case is focused on the 2024 spill, it has been nearly impossible to obtain an accurate picture of just what the city regularly spills into our rivers. Recently, Free Press writer Julia-Simone Rutgers provided an in-depth article (From muddy to cruddy, May 10) summing up the sheer scale of releases of sewage, and the results are staggering. In the last decade an average of 10 billion litres/year is now the operative figure that will be used by environmentalists and lawyers alike. This can no longer be termed 'de minimus,' it is a disgusting reality that citizens of this fair city must bear. For years the City of Winnipeg has got away with using the local rivers as its backup to a sewer infrastructure that is designed for a much smaller city and is unable to cope with the strains of increased pressure from growth and a changing climate. Federal dollars are pouring in for housing initiatives without supporting the requisite infrastructure. The city received millions to address our housing crisis yet the $166 million MP Terry Duguid announced for infrastructure work barely scrapes the surface of the $3 billion needed to sustain our north end sewage treatment plant. The frustration with government inaction set this lawsuit in motion, as no long-range tripartite funding arrangements have been negotiated, only dribs and drabs of cash committed to upgrade the treatment plant. As far as achieving the separation of combined sewers, the city hired Jacobs Engineering to create a master plan which is designed for future generations to carry the majority of the financial liability. By allowing this neglect to fester into a lawsuit, city hall and taxpayers will be faced with a colossal debt on top of the need to fix their sewage woes. At least the gargantuan spill of February 2024 has triggered both provincial and federal regulations. For much too long, the City of Winnipeg has found ways to avoid charges under federal and provincial environment laws. In this instance they are being applied but both are lacking in transparency. Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers laid one charge in April under the federal Fisheries Act, which prohibits the deposit of a deleterious substance into water frequented by fish. They will not comment on the charges. The province also took a year to press charges against the city under the environment act and these are before the court, which may result in fines up to $500,000, but likely the fines will be waived as the regulators are part of the problem. It will be a long time before we learn why such a misadventure was allowed to occur at the Abinojii Mikanah bridge last year. The city has certainly not been forthcoming and any attempt to directly reach waste and water officials have been circumvented. Lawyers representing each level of government are scrambling before the Court of King's bench to shirk their responsibility in the $4.8-billion Lake Winnipeg lawsuit. The city has laid cross-claims against the province and feds, while the province has filed a cross-claim against the city and insist that First Nations water quality is a federal responsibility. The blame game has begun. Frankly, the public should feel embarrassed at the inability of our governments to show any leadership aimed at solving this existential crisis for our shared ecosystem. Uniting to provide solutions for the common good has been usurped by political infighting and finger-pointing. Dave Taylor has drawn attention to the pollution of rivers in Manitoba for several decades and is a regular contributor to the Winnipeg Free Press. Please see his blog at
Fibre2Fashion
13-05-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
US AAFA submits comments to Canada on PFAS management
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) recently requested Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Terry Duguid to include an exemption for products that test below the 100 ppm total organic fluorine (TOF) threshold under prohibitions for intentionally-added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in textile products. In California, Vermont and other US states, the intentional addition of PFAS in textile articles is regulated through a limit on TOF, which helps ensure a consistent and easily understood regulatory framework applied across textile products. AAFA members have for several years now been diligently working to ensure products are below the established TOF threshold of 100 parts per million (ppm) currently in place in California. US trade body AAFA has requested Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Terry Duguid to include an exemption for products that test below the 100 ppm total organic fluorine threshold under prohibitions for intentionally-added PFAS in textile products. It also requested Canada to include an exemption from PFAS regulation for products made with at least 50-per cent recycled content. While it is possible to manufacture new, general consumer products without intentionally adding PFAS, it is not possible for textile, apparel or footwear companies to completely eliminate trace contamination that can occur as part of production, AAFA noted. AAFA also requested Canada to include an exemption from PFAS regulation for products made with at least 50-per cent recycled content. Such an exemption is absolutely necessary to enable the industry's transition to a more sustainable and circular sourcing and production, AAFA observed. In a letter to the minister, it urged the Canadian regulatory authorities to consider worker safety when seeking to regulate PFAS and remove personal protective equipment (PPE) from the scope of the proposed Phase 2 prohibition of PFAS in textiles. The requests were part of AAFA's feedback on Canada's 'risk management approach' for PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers, an AAFA release said. Although the 'risk management approach' states that 'alternatives appear to be broadly available to impart waterproof properties to textiles, including in personal protective equipment', it is worth noting that the Washington State Department of Ecology last year declined to propose restrictions on PFAS in PPE because they were unable to identify safer alternatives, AAFA noted. Similarly, California and other jurisdictions that have or are seeking to prohibit the use of intentionally added PFAS in products have created flat exemptions for PPE. Maintaining an exemption for PPE creates regulatory harmonisation and consistency for manufacturers and PPE buyers, AAFA added. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Winnipeg Free Press
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
City downplays impact of sewage spills in lawsuit defence
The city says sewage spills have little effect on pollution in Lake Winnipeg and the blame for any water-quality issues falls on the provincial and federal governments, which have not provided the necessary funds to upgrade the sewer system. That's the argument the City of Winnipeg advanced in a statement of defence filed in Manitoba Court of King's Bench last week against a $4.8-billion lawsuit filed last year by eight Manitoba First Nations. Three additional First Nations have since become joined the legal action that also names the provincial and federal governments as defendants. The First Nations — Black River, Berens River, Brokenhead Ojibway, Hollow Water, Kinonjeoshtegon, Misipawistik Cree, Sagkeeng Anicinabe and Poplar River — launched the suit a year ago. Bloodvein, Dauphin River and Fisher River Cree First Nations have since been added. They claim decades of pollution have caused physical, psychological, social and cultural harms to their communities, all located downstream from Winnipeg. 'The impugned discharges are a de minimis (too small to be of significance) contribution to the cumulative nutrient loading in Lake Winnipeg each year, and the city's impact on same is declining as it continues (to) make significant capital investments to reduce and mitigate the amount of nutrients released by the city's wastewater system,' the city's court document says. The city says Lake Winnipeg's watershed, with drainage from as far away as Alberta, Montana, South Dakota and Minnesota, includes nutrients and pollutants from wastewater and surface runoff areas with intensive agriculture. As well, the city says Manitoba Hydro's hydroelectric infrastructure, including regulating Lake Winnipeg between a fixed range of water levels, also plays a role in lake conditions. 'Due to the predominance of other sources impacting the cumulative nutrient loading and pollutants to Lake Winnipeg, further reducing or even eliminating nutrient contribution from the city's wastewater system would not restore Lake Winnipeg to its natural condition or eliminate the impacts alleged in the claim.' The city also launched a cross claim against both the provincial and federal governments. 'Together, Manitoba and Canada possess the exclusive legislative jurisdiction to regulate the cumulative environmental impacts on Lake Winnipeg,' the claim says. 'If the city has any liability to the plaintiffs, which is denied, then such liability is a result of Manitoba and/or Canada's failure to… provide the city with the necessary financial support to upgrade its wastewater management system.' Earlier this year, before the federal election was called, both senior governments promised more funding to support the $3-billion upgrade of the city's North End sewage treatment plant. Liberal MP Terry Duguid said his government was adding another $16 million to the $150 million it pledged for the project last year while provincial Municipal Relations Minister Glen Simard said the NDP government's total contribution is $414 million, including $120 million of new funding. Black River Chief Sheldon Kent could not be reached for comment Friday. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. But, during a news conference last year, Kent criticized the city for allowing repeated sewage leaks and spills into the Red River, which then flow to Lake Winnipeg. 'Water is life,' he said. The lawsuit said the city itself reports that between January 2004 and mid-April 2024, there were about 353 'major unplanned discharges of untreated wastewater, which includes raw sewage' into both the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, for a total of about 522 million litres of untreated wastewater. Both the city and the province declined to comment because the matter is before the courts. Kevin RollasonReporter Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin. Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Associated Press
21-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Federal industrial carbon pricing delivers 38 new innovative and clean technology projects across Canada
GATINEAU, QC, March 21, 2025 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is taking bold action to strengthen communities by addressing the impacts of climate change. Industrial carbon pricing is a foundational element of Canada's plan to protect the environment and build a strong, competitive, and sovereign 21st-century Canadian economy. Today, the Honourable Terry Duguid, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced investments of nearly $150 million from Canada's Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) Proceeds Fund in 38 Decarbonization Incentive Program (DIP) projects in the four provinces where the federal OBPS applied in 2019 to current. This funding will help Canadian companies and organizations deploy cutting-edge clean technologies which cut pollution, enhance energy efficiency, create jobs, and strengthen Canada's economic footing. Today's investments will support a range of initiatives, such as replacing expensive oil- and gas-fired boilers with more efficient electric ones, producing cleaner and stronger Canadian fibreglass, deploying advanced carbon-management technologies, and enhancing the durability of galvanized steel sheets, all of which help drive down costs for Canadian manufacturers and consumers across the supply chain. Projects funded by the Proceeds Fund will also help unlock new opportunities and markets for made-in-Canada clean technology and innovation, strengthening the Canadian economy while reducing an estimated 544,100 tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution in the year 2030. The federal government recognizes the leadership role that industries and workers play in driving solutions to build a more competitive economy and protect the environment. Through partnerships with workers, industries, experts, enterprises, and Indigenous leaders, industrial carbon pricing supports projects that fight climate change and strengthen our economic security. Quotes 'Canada has everything it takes to be a leader in the low-carbon economy of the 21st century. At a time when we must strategically diversify our trade relationships, industrial carbon pricing is a key driver in protecting the international competitiveness of Canadian industries, enabling access to new export markets, creating good-paying jobs, and ensuring that major industrial polluters pay their fair share in clean technology investments across Canada. These investments are a win-win-win for Canadian workers, industries, and the environment. Fundamentally, industrial carbon pricing makes Canada stronger and more competitive in a changing world.' – The Honourable Terry Duguid, Minister of Environment and Climate Change 'Today, Canada is making significant investments that will not only strengthen our economy at a critical time but will also help protect our environment for future generations. Through the Output-Based Pricing System Proceeds Fund, this federal government is empowering Canadian companies to innovate, adopt cutting-edge technologies, improve their competitiveness and productivity, and reduce pollution. By supporting projects that drive efficiency and lower pollution, we are unlocking new economic opportunities, creating jobs, and positioning Canada as a global leader in the economy of today and tomorrow.' – The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources 'Canada is on track for a more competitive, resilient, and sustainable future. These investments will not only fuel innovation among Canadian cleantech companies but will also create made-in-Canada opportunities that drive growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By working in tandem with key sectors to deploy industrial carbon pricing, we are seizing the opportunity for Canada to lead the global transition to a low-carbon economy, strengthening our country today and in the future.' – The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry 'The University of Toronto is the world's most sustainable university and is a global leader in transforming its infrastructure and operations to reduce carbon emissions. The Decarbonizing Incentive Program supports the modernization of the university's district energy system, ensuring that the energy that powers advanced research is clean and sustainable for decades to come.' – Ron Saporta, Chief Operating Officer, University of Toronto 'Funded in part through the Decarbonization Incentive Program, a new heat plant currently in the planning stages at Roseburg Forest Product's Pembroke facility would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by switching from natural gas to forest biomass to fuel manufacturing of our high-quality, medium-density fibreboard (MDF) and engineered wood products. Environment and Climate Change Canada's focus on supporting clean, sustainable growth through the OBPS Decarbonization Incentive Program aligns with Roseburg's longstanding commitment to innovative manufacturing and responsible forestry, and we're grateful for the support.' – Alexandre Ouellette, Senior Director of Manufacturing, Roseburg Forest Products Quick facts Proceeds from industrial carbon pricing are driving innovative, job-creating Canadian technology projects across regions and sectors. To date, the Decarbonization Incentive Program has supported total investments of over $874 million in 53 clean energy projects. Canada's emissions are now the lowest they have been in 27 years, excluding the pandemic years, and significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels. Between 2005 and 2023, the emissions intensity of Canada's economy was cut by 34%. All proceeds collected under the federal OBPS are returned to the jurisdiction of origin. Proceeds collected in jurisdictions where the federal system has been applied are being returned through the two program streams of the OBPS Proceeds Fund. The jurisdictions where the federal OBPS has applied previously, or continues to apply, are: Manitoba (federal OBPS continues to be in effect and proceeds continue to be collected) New Brunswick (federal OBPS was in effect and proceeds were collected until December 31, 2020) Ontario (federal OBPS was in effect and proceeds were collected until December 31, 2021) Saskatchewan (federal OBPS was in effect and proceeds were collected until December 31, 2023) Through the Decarbonization Incentive Program, the Government of Canada returns a portion of the proceeds collected from the federal pollution price on large industrial emitters to support innovative, clean technology projects across Canada back to their jurisdictions of origin. This funding enables eligible facilities to achieve greater energy efficiency, adopt sustainable solutions, and reduce pollution.
