Agenda (Mountain Daylight Time)

Day 1 - Wednesday, April 28, 2021

8:30
Remarks from the Chair
8:45
Think Tank: How to Achieve a Credible Plan Post Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050
9:45
Fulfilling the Expectations of the Tailored Impact Statement Guidelines under SACC
10:30
The Biden Effect on Canada’s Environmental and Energy Sector
11:00
Speaker Lounge is Open and Networking Break
11:30
Adopting a Broader Scope for Environmental Assessments under the Impact Assessment Act
12:15
Integrating vs Analyzing Cumulative Effects: Moving from the Microscope to the Fish-Eye Lens
1:00
1:1 Networking
1:10
Lunch Break
1:45

LIVE Q&A PANEL

Regional and Strategic Assessment Reviews
2:15
Speaker Lounge is Open and Networking Break
2:45

case study

Implementing an Indigenous Assessment Process: A Look at the Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project’s Environmental Monitoring Plan
3:30
Sneak Peek at Data Resources and Information Hubs
4:45
Closing Remarks from the Chair

Day 1 - Wednesday, April 28, 2021

8:30
Remarks from the Chair

George Hegmann
Senior Principal
Stantec

Stephen_Bonnell

Steve Bonnell
Manager Strategic & Regional Assessments
Impact Assessment Agency of Canada
8:45
Think Tank: How to Achieve a Credible Plan Post Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050

Isabelle Turcotte
Federal Policy, Director
Pembina Institute

Anna Johnston
Staff Lawyer
West Coast Environmental Law Association
Member
Minister's Advisory Council

Eddie Pérez
Manager, International Climate Diplomacy
Climate Action Network

Douglas Nevison
Senior Economic Advisor to the Deputy Minister
Environment and Climate Change Canada

In November 2020, Bill C-12, Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act was introduced. The Act respecting transparency and accountability in Canada’s efforts to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. The bill came on the heels of the Government of Canada Strategic Assessment of Climate Change (SACC), released in July 2020.
9:45
Fulfilling the Expectations of the Tailored Impact Statement Guidelines under SACC

David V. Wright
Assistant Professor
University of Calgary Faculty of Law

Anna Johnston
Staff Lawyer
West Coast Environmental Law Association
Member
Minister's Advisory Council

Nichole Dusyk
Senior Analyst
Pembina Institute

Measuring how the project is resilient or how it is at risk from current and future impacts of a changing climate, including

  • scope
  • timescale
  • project’s vulnerabilities to average and extreme conditions.
10:30
The Biden Effect on Canada’s Environmental and Energy Sector

Marla Orenstein
Director, Natural Resource Centre
Canada West Foundation

A look at the incoming policies being enacted by the newly elected U.S. President Joe Biden and anticipating the effect on Canada’s environmental and energy sector.
11:00
Speaker Lounge is Open and Networking Break
11:30
Adopting a Broader Scope for Environmental Assessments under the Impact Assessment Act

Angeline Gillis, B.A., LL.B.
Associate Executive Director
Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq (The CMM)

Mark Cliffe-Phillipe
Executive Director
Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board

  • Incorporating consideration of sex and gender with other identity factors in an environmental assessment
  • Incorporating consideration of the traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples, as well as community knowledge in an environmental assessment
12:15
Integrating vs Analyzing Cumulative Effects: Moving from the Microscope to the Fish-Eye Lens
Alan Ehrlich

Alan Ehrlich
Manager of Environmental Impact Assessment
Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board

  • The missing layer between project assessment and cumulative assessment
  • Systems thinking and the big picture view of project-specific impacts
  • Visualizing impacts at the system level
  • Impact analysis vs impact synthesis
  • Cumulative effects assessment vs collective assessment of impacts from one project
1:00
1:1 Networking
1:10
Lunch Break
1:45

LIVE Q&A PANEL

Regional and Strategic Assessment Reviews
Stephen_Bonnell

Steve Bonnell
Manager Strategic & Regional Assessments
Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

Jill Blakley
Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Planning & School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS)
University of Saskatchewan

Speakers from the On Demand Videos discuss regional and strategic assessments across the country with an aim to finding efficiencies and best practices which can be applied to site-specific environmental assessments. View details here.
2:15
Speaker Lounge is Open and Networking Break

Join speakers for a one-on-one question period during this open forum, where delegates are encouraged to turn on their cameras.
2:45

case study

Implementing an Indigenous Assessment Process: A Look at the Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project’s Environmental Monitoring Plan

Sarah Coughlin
Senior Environmental Specialist, Licensing & Environmental Assessment
Manitoba Hydro

Darryl Taylor
Communications Monitor
Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project (MMTP)
Member
Dakota Tipi First Nation

  • Developing a monitoring committee and ongoing First Nation and Métis engagement
3:30
Sneak Peek at Data Resources and Information Hubs

Mary Beth Garneau
Director, Canadian Centre for Energy Information
Statistics Canada

Ziad Shadid, CPA, CIA
Director General, Agriculture, Energy and Environment Statistics Economic Statistics Field
Statistics Canada

Jessica Coulson
Team Leader, Impact Assessment, Office of the Chief Scientist
Natural Resources Canada / Government of Canada

Marie-Ange Gravel, PhD
Manager, Cumulative Effects Coordination Unit, Environmental Protection Branch
Environment and Climate Change Canada / Government of Canada

Part 1: A look at the Canadian Centre for Energy Information.

  • Exploring opportunities to take part in user consultations, help develop data standards, or serve as a data or modelling partner.
  • Exploring resources for environmental assessment work
  • Exploring opportunities to take part in user consultations, help develop data standards, or serve as a data or modelling partner.
  • Exploring resources for environmental assessment work

Part 2: A look at the Open Science and Data Platform (Government of Canada)

  • Exploring an innovative tool that provides access to data, scientific publications and information about development activities to understand cumulative effects in Canada.
  • Exploring opportunities for user engagement to help prioritize content to onboard and provide feedback to inform future releases of the Platform.

4:45
Closing Remarks from the Chair
BONUS “ON DEMAND” FOCUS SESSIONS

Watch the pre-recorded video in advance of the afternoon’s live Q&A with speakers. Audience members will be able to view these sessions at any time.

Regional Assessment Review

Regional Assessments Under the Impact Assessment Act Ring of Fire and Eastern Newfoundland Offshore Exploratory Drilling

Steve Bonnell
Manager Strategic & Regional Assessments
Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

  • Overview of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada’s national Regional Assessment program
  • Discussion of the role and benefits of regional assessments in assessing and addressing cumulative effects
  • Key considerations and lessons around related to how cumulative effects are addressed in regional assessments, based on the following case studies:
    • Eastern Newfoundland Offshore Exploratory Drilling
    • Ring of Fire Area, Northern Ontario

Regional Assessment

Lessons Learned, Best Practices and Critical Gaps in Regional Environmental Assessment

Jill Blakley
Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Planning & School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS)
University of Saskatchewan

  • Delineating significant gap in reporting and analyzing case experiences, especially for early attempts at RA which were completed up to 20years ago or more
  • Identify the inputs of a regional assessment exercise and the likelihood of verifying possible predictions or determining outcomes