Minister's Advisory Council: Membership

Members

The Minister’s Advisory Council provides the Minister of Environment and Climate Change with non-partisan advice and recommendations on issues related to the implementation of the impact assessment regime.

The Council membership reflects varied backgrounds and experience in industry, academia and research, governance, environmental not-for-profit organizations, and Indigenous Knowledge and rights. The Council includes representation from regions across the country, both official languages and a gender balance.

Lesley Griffiths (Chair)

Lesley Griffiths is a retired environmental and community planner. For over 30 years, she was Co-principal of Griffiths Muecke, a consulting firm providing services in the areas of consultation and consensus-building processes, environmental impact assessment, resource management and community development. Ms. Griffiths has extensive experience relating to coastal and offshore planning, stakeholder involvement and facilitation, resource developments, waste management, watershed management, recreation and tourism planning, and community development.

Lesley has developed and implemented information and consultation strategies for community and social planning, community economic development, resource developments and various types of waste management planning. In addition, she served as Executive Director of East Coast Environmental Law.

Lesley has substantive experience with environmental assessment panels. She first served as a joint panel member for the review of the Halifax Harbour Wastewater Treatment Facility under FEARO. Subsequently, she chaired the federal-provincial joint review panels examining the Voisey's Bay Mine and Mill Project in northern Labrador, the Sydney Tar Ponds remediation in Cape Breton, and the Marathon Platinum Group Metals and Copper Mine Project in Ontario, and co-chaired the joint review panel for the Lower Churchill Hydroelectric Project. Most recently, she has chaired the panel for Joint Process to review the Milton Logistics Hub project in Ontario. Lesley was appointed as Process Lead for the Fundy Tidal Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment, and co-chaired the Nova Scotia Minister of Environment's Task Force on Clean Air, producing the province's first air quality management strategy.

Carl Braun

Carl Braun is Indigenous and holds his traditional land lessons and values high. He has been sharing his Indigenous Knowledge & Natural Resource Management Technologist and environmental science skills with First Nations and governments for thirty years. As a technologist in the fisheries, wildlife, forestry sectors, he participated in many field projects functioning as project lead and liaison. As an Independent Advisor, he provided advisory services at technical and ministerial levels. As Executive Director, he led the Treaty Land Entitlement processes on behalf of 21 First Nations in Manitoba in collaboration with both the federal and provincial governments. As a Senior Mines and Minerals Analyst, he also worked for the Anishinabek of Ontario facilitating consultation processes within the Ontario Mining Act Modernization process. Carl also has extensive experience in government serving as a Senior Policy Analyst for Manitoba’s Department of Conservation and Water Stewardship working specifically on the Duty to Consult advising Interdepartmentally and on specific consultation processes at the ministerial and community level. Currently, Carl has joined the Mikisew Cree First Nation’s Government and Industry Relations office as the Manager, Government Relations and is managing general engagement and key formal consultation files with both federal and provincial government in the Alberta Oilsands region. His keen understanding of both federal and provincial policy and legislation allows him to function at an effective and efficient manner in collaboration with both the federal and provincial governments and within the context of Industry proponent projects and applications and policy and legislation review and creation. Carl’s experience with the Mikisew Cree and oilsands region provides a strong comprehension of federal impact assessment processes including formal Consultation and Accommodation methodologies and the assessment of potential impact to rights.

Johanne Gélinas

Johanne Gélinas is a strategic advisor at Ernst & Young focused on the implementation of pragmatic, strategic and relevant Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) processes. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Fondaction, a fund which invests in socially responsible and sustainable growth, as well as Aequo, which conducts shareholder engagement for investors on ESG issues. Johanne is also the Chair of AquaVerti's Board of Directors, a start-up that specializes in carbon-neutral urban agriculture.

As President and CEO of Transition Énergie Québec from 2017 to 2021, now the Ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources naturelles, Johanne was appointed to create a crown corporation to implement Quebec's energy policy aimed to support, stimulate and promote energy transition, innovation and efficiency, and ensure integrated governance. In 2015, Johanne chaired the Expert Panel established by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change that provided recommendations on the federal environmental assessment process.

Previously, Johanne was a Partner at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton and helped organizations manage governance, socio-economic development and environmental protection issues. Prior to that, she led the Sustainability Team at Deloitte and carried out risk management assessments. As the Federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, Johanne was responsible for the oversight of Crown corporations and federal departments and conducted over 60 performance audits for all sectors of government.

Johanne is a Certified Chartered Director and holds a Bachelor of Geography and a Master of Environmental Science from the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Jocelyn Gosselin

Jocelyn Gosselin is a Métis person with ancestral ties to the Red River. Since finishing post-secondary school, Jocelyn has called the Alberta Oil Sands Region her home until recently returning to her roots in Northwestern Ontario. She has extensive knowledge and experience in the Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring Program, and Impact Assessment Consultation. She serves her Nation by offering her consultative services to support the communities’ initiatives, and is active on various multi-stakeholder committees as Métis representative appointed by her Nation. She holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Management from Royal Roads University, and a Diploma in Environmental Field and Laboratory from Niagara College. Jocelyn embraces the balance between traditional knowledge and modern science and provides policy and technical advice to Indigenous and western governments. Jocelyn practices traditional harvesting which strengthens her connection to community and the land.

Pierre Gratton

Pierre Gratton was appointed President and CEO of the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) on June 1, 2011. Based in Ottawa, MAC is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry. Its members are engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication.

Prior to his appointment to MAC, Pierre was President and CEO of the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC). From 1999-2008, he served as Vice President, Sustainable Development and Public Affairs for the Mining Association of Canada (MAC). In this capacity, he was instrumental in the development of Towards Sustainable Mining, MAC’s flagship program that is gaining international recognition and adoption.

In 2005-06, Pierre was honoured as a Distinguished Lecturer for the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM).

Pierre is First Vice-President of the Interamerican Mining Society (SIM – Sociedad Interamericana de Mineria), Chair of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame and the Co-chair of the Green Mining Initiative Advisory Committee. He also served as a Trustee of the Arctic Inspiration Prize and on the Board of Ottawa’s Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra.

Pierre holds an M.A. degree in political science, a B.A. from McGill University.

Anna Johnston

Anna Johnston, BA, LLB, is a staff lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law, where she works on environmental impact assessment, cumulative effects and climate law.

Anna earned her law degree from the University of Victoria in 2010 after which she interned at the Institute of Environmental Law and Governance in Nairobi, Kenya. She then completed her articles at Ecojustice Canada. Called to the bar in 2011, Anna practiced as a sole practitioner in Aboriginal and environmental law before she joined West Coast in 2013. Currently, she is working towards a Masters of Law from Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law, where she is writing on federal jurisdiction over next generation environmental assessment.

Anna has represented community and Indigenous groups on environmental assessments of major energy projects in British Columbia and Alberta and has provided environmental legal education and support to communities across Canada. She co-chairs the Environmental Planning and Assessment Caucus of the Canadian Environmental Network, and is a former delegate to the Multi-Interest Advisory Committee appointed to assist the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change in reviewing and revising Canada’s federal environmental impact assessment processes.

Channa S. Perera

A seasoned executive, Channa S. Perera has over 20 years of experience in policy analysis, government advocacy, program development and implementation, stakeholder engagement, and corporate strategy, including strategic and business planning and implementation.

He currently serves as Vice-President, Regulatory and Indigenous Affairs at Electricity Canada (previously the Canadian Electricity Association). He is responsible for providing strategic oversight on policy issues related to the electricity value chain, including regulatory issues. In this role, Channa also provides direct leadership to several other industry committees, including Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion, and Indigenous Relations. Prior to assuming this role, he served in other progressive positions at Electricity Canada, including Vice-President, Policy Development, and Director of Generation, Sustainability, and Indigenous Affairs.

Channa also serves on several other external advisory panels, including the Canadian Environment Domestic Advisory Group (CEDAG) under the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

Channa has an Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science/Legal Studies and a Master of Arts (MA) in Political Science from Carleton University (Ottawa, Ontario) and a Mini-MBA from McGill University's Executive Institute (Montreal, Quebec).