Agenda
Day 1
April 16, 2025
Registration and continental breakfast
Indigenous Blessing
Welcome and Opening Remarks from the Event Chairpersons
Jeff RempelDirector, Impact Assessment & PermittingTwo Worlds Consulting
Sharon SinghPartner and Cohead of Indigenous and Environment PracticesMcMillan LLP
Raymond CardinalRegional DirectorIAIA - Western & Northern Canada
Western Science-based IA Practitioner Perspectives and the Indigenous-led Assessment Holistic World View
Changes under Canada’s Impact Assessment Act, require intentional focus on the assessment of Indigenous Interests. However, proponents and their consultants may sometimes be hesitant toward new approaches when to assessing effects.
Innovative changes framed under the act are then addressed as an after-thought to assure concordance with regulatory requirements. Instead, there is an opportunity for IA practitioners to focus on new requirements, and associated opportunities early in the IA process, and underpin the assessment with Indigenous Knowledge, GBA+, ecosystem approach and other requirements designed to improve IA and make it more holistic. In doing so, IAs can establish common ground and align potentially divergent perspectives, as these new requirements are designed to accomplish.
Topics of discussion will include:
- Selecting and defining VC and Indigenous Interests
- Determining appropriate assessment boundaries
- Establishing baseline conditions for Cumulative Effects Assessments
- Assessing residual effects (post-mitigation)
- Strategies for sound decision making in the assessment process
Artificial intelligence has many applications, and many industries are examining its potential to assist with problem solving, addressing labour shortages, and providing multiple data points. As assessments become more complex, environmental management practitioners require more advanced tools to succeed in their roles, AI may serve as a strategic tool for impact assessments.
Topics of discussion will include:
- Utilizing artificial intelligence as a tool for enhanced productivity and predictability
- AI and remote sensing for sustainability and environmental and social risk management
- Practical uses of AI for agriculture, forestry & fisheries that lead to less environmental disruption
- Examining how AI can it assist with stakeholder engagement and enable communities to enhance their capacity building for impact assessment
Coffee and Networking Break
Justin McKeownSenior Advisor, Indigenous ConsultationCanadian Nuclear Safety Commission
Indigenous knowledge has been an effective driver of innovation in impact assessment. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has been collaborating closely with Indigenous groups to participate in knowledge sharing and monitoring initiatives for predictable results.
The federal Impact Assessment Act was created with the goal of providing enhanced transparency and reliability and to streamline the approval process. However, the majority of the 25 projects submitted under the Impact Assessment Act still remain in phase two of four of the approval process. Under the previous Canadian Environment Assessment Act of 2012, a study by the Canada West Foundation found it took almost 3.5 years on average for projects to either receive approval or be terminated. Impact assessments are especially challenging as the parameters for approval are not always transparent, lack clear guidelines for approval standards, and vary by region.
Topics of discussion will include:
- Debating if the regulatory process from the federal government has been streamlined
- Examining strategies for dealing with project delays and timelines
- Defining what parameters work for Indigenous communities and outlining how they are making projects successful
- Creating a regulatory process with enhanced transparency and reliability that aligns with United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
Networking Luncheon
Brad GilmourPartner, Regulatory, Indigenous and EnvironmentalOsler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Following the Supreme Court of Canada’s (SCC)’s decision on Bill C-69 to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, and to amend the Navigation Protection Act, the federal government’s role in provincial environmental matters was deemed to be unconstitutional. Amendments by the federal government were made to the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) in April 2024 which granted additional powers to the federal government to review and potentially prohibit major infrastructure projects. Are these amendments unconstitutional or do they serve a greater role in helping Canada achieve its climate objectives?
Topics of discussion will include:
- Defining which projects are within provincial jurisdiction
- Examining how other provinces are navigating the Impact Assessment Act
- Outlining challenges, opportunities, and solutions of the Impact Assessment Act
Environmental assessments are complex and vary by region leading to inconsistencies in the regulatory approval process. Ignoring or having inadequate cumulative effects information in Impact Assessments may lead to an unsuccessful project bid or delayed approval. Many laws, regulations, and policies are industry specific and cumulative effects help to capture combined effects of all projects regardless of size.
Topics of discussion will include:
- Explaining why a province-wide or territory-wide approach more effective than municipal approaches
- Debating the need to look at cumulative effects in a holistic way
- Clarifying why CEA should be an integral part of, and not separate from, both in-country and international IA processes
- Defining what are land-use planning guides and how are provinces/territories managing Cumulative Effects Assessments for development
Refreshments and Networking Break
Kate KemptonSenior CounselWoodward & Company LLP
Co-management in Canada refers to agreements between government agencies and representatives of Indigenous peoples to jointly make land use and resource management decisions about a tract of government-controlled land or resource. Most impact assessments are led by project proponents which can pose challenges as many proponents do not reside in the community where the assessment will occur. As a result, the environmental impacts may be deemed more significant by community residents. Co-management may provide a solution to the cognitive dissonance that can sometimes occur as agreements are made jointly between governments and Indigenous peoples.
Topics of discussion will include:
- Assessing the benefits of co-management in creating a more holistic approach
- Significance determination and establishing who determines how significant the impact is
- Overcoming potential bias in the assessment process and managing expectations
- Examining jurisdictions that have adopted co-management effectively and strategically
Dave BresciaTechnical Discipline Lead, Assessment & Permitting, Senior Principal, Environmental ServicesStantec
Environmental assessments do not solve all environmental problems as many projects do not fall into the environmental process including forestry, agriculture, and energy transition projects. With multiple stakeholders often involved in environmental projects, defining the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders involved in the cumulative effects process has become more important than ever.
Topics of discussion will include:
- Defining the role of the regulator in the cumulative effects process
- Determining how parties can collaborate effectively during the legal process of cumulative effects
- Examining lessons learned from jurisdictions that have clearly defined roles and responsibilities
Day One Closing Remarks and Conference Adjourns
Day 2
April 17, 2025
Registration and continental breakfast
Opening Remarks from the Conference Chairs
Keynote Address
Resource development is a significant economic driver of Canada’s economy accounting for nearly a quarter of all economic activity and supporting over a fifth of all jobs. However, resource development must be done ethically to minimize the cumulative effects of development over time. As standardized guidelines do not currently exist, practical methods for addressing cumulative effects are becoming more desired as practitioners navigate environmental stewardship and regulatory processes.
Topics of discussion will include:
- Examining how to address cumulative effects practically during resource development
- Adopting holistic approaches allow development while preserving the environment
- Establishing safe minimum standards and implementing adaptive management processes
- Addressing environmental concerns that arise during and after the project approval process
Coffee and visit exhibition
Kim WaltersCumulative Effects AdvisorTsawwassen First Nation
Sheila WilliamsManager of Treaty Rights and TitleTsawwassen First Nation
Dr. Lauren ArnoldProject ManagerThe UBC Centre for Environmental Assessment Research
Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN) is a modern Treaty Nation situated located in the Greater Vancouver area of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia. Recognizing some limitations in impact assessment frameworks, the nation elected to collaborate with the University of British Columbia to develop a specialized TFN Impact Assessment Framework.
Topics of discussion will include:
- Outlining how the framework will serve as a guiding tool for all future assessments of major projects involving TFN
- Examining the comprehensive development process that will involve community engagement through interviews, focus groups, and workshop
- Explaining the challenges and lessons learned from this unique impact assessment framework
Summary of Cumulative Effects in the Athabasca Dene Traditional Territory (Nuhenene) of Northern Saskatchewan
Bruce HanbidgeStrategic AdvisorYa'thi Néné Land and Resource Office
Mary DenechezheChairperson of the Board of DirectorsYa’thi Néné Land and Resource Office
The boreal forest region occupies the northern third of the province of Saskatchewan. It is the home range of the least fragmented population of woodland caribou in Canada, it is the homeland of the Athabasca Denesųłiné people, and it contains the Athabasca Basin, which is the site of intensive and expanding exploration and extraction of uranium and rare earth metals. Due to insufficient control of cumulative effects by government and industry; the Woodland Caribou (WLC), the overall ecological integrity of the area and the Denesųłiné culture are increasingly under threat.
This informative session will provide key updates on a definitive study conducted by the Ya’thi Néné Land and Resource Office on the Federal Woodland Caribou Recovery Plan. Topics of discussion will include:
- Conclusions from management on the study’s findings
- Assessing the environmental impacts on the woodland caribou in the region
- Examining what the study will investigate further and how vegetation in the area may be fixed
Networking Luncheon
Land reclamation and remediation are providing Indigenous communities with new economic opportunities that were not previously available. Communities are capitalizing on their historical knowledge and environmental stewardship expertise to reclaim their nation’s lands and provide prosperity and greater health to their communities at large.
Topics of discussion will include:
- Examining ancestral reclamation strategies and how to conduct reclamation to its original purpose
- Showcasing successful reclamation projects with new water and power use
- Discussing the future of reclamation projects in Canada
Coffee and Networking Break
George HegmannVP Environmental ServicesStantec
These interactive roundtables offer attendees the chance to dive deep into key topics, gain valuable insights, and exchange ideas with peers. With expert-led discussions, participants will uncover actionable strategies and best practices critical to cumulative effects and Canada’s most pressing environmental issues.
Roundtable 1: Overall Issues with Cumulative Effects in Canada
This roundtable will explore and debate some of the key issues affecting cumulative effects in Canada. Attendees will get to share their unique perspectives on the issues closely affecting them and the group will attempt to provide common solutions to some of the more pressing issues involving cumulative effects.
Roundtable 2: Wildfire and Land Recovery Management
Climate change has impacted all regions of Canada making wildfire and land recovery management plans an essential component of environmental management and disaster relief. This roundtable will examine wildfire and flood mitigation strategies and equip attendees with action plans for creating post-fire and post-flood recovery plans for creating resilient communities.