Through Budget 2023, the Government of Canada is fighting global inflation and supporting families with the cost of groceries and home heating. Today, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Labour, provided an update on the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) Program, first announced in November 2022.
The world is moving toward a global, net-zero economy in order to address the existential threat of climate change. This transition is generating a significant increase in demand for clean energy and technologies, and the raw materials that enable them.
Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, opened two calls for proposals for Indigenous-led projects, one under the Zero-Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative (ZEVAI) and the other under the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP). These funding streams are part of NRCan’s work to build meaningful partnerships and ensure Indigenous Peoples benefit from funding opportunities that can help create good jobs, make EV charging more accessible, spread awareness about EVs and clean fuels, and contribute to our shared fight against climate change.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced an investment of over $1 million for Taykwa Tagamou Nation (TTN) and Oneida Nation of the Thames (Oneida) to develop community distributed energy resources (DER) solutions that will help address the unique demand increases and the reliability and energy challenges in First Nations communities.
The Government of Canada is committed to the safe, effective and environmentally sound management of radioactive waste. Protecting the health and safety of Canadians and the environment is the government’s top priority when it comes to nuclear energy and radioactive waste. Canada already has a robust framework in place; however, we must keep pace with evolving views and technology development.
That is why the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, is releasing the modernized Policy for Radioactive Waste and Decommissioning (the Policy) for Canada, which ensures the safe management of radioactive waste continues to align with international standards and best practices that reflect the values and principles of Canadians. The full text of the Policy will be accessible online in the coming days.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced more than $2.2 million in funding to ALUS to plant more than 400,000 trees on marginal farmland in 13 communities across Canada. The contribution is through the 2 Billion Trees program, which supports program recipients in planting two billion trees for a better tomorrow.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced an investment of $414,000 to the Métis Nation – Saskatchewan (MN-S) to establish the Métis Nation – Saskatchewan EnerGuide Capacity Initiative. This project aims to increase awareness of home energy efficiency and build capacity for Indigenous energy advisors and EnerGuide home energy evaluation services for Métis in Saskatchewan.
There is no global clean energy future without accelerated activity along the critical minerals value chain. Critical minerals are not just the building blocks of clean technology like solar panels and electric vehicle batteries — they are a key ingredient for creating middle-class jobs and growing a strong, globally competitive Canadian economy.
Canada’s abundant natural resources and its ability to develop them — sustainably and inclusively — is a significant comparative advantage in the global transition to a net-zero economy. We have a generational opportunity to create prosperity and high-quality jobs for Canadians and foster economic reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples — from coast to coast to coast.
Critical minerals are more than the building blocks of clean technology like solar panels and electric vehicle batteries — they are also a key ingredient for creating good, middle-class jobs and growing a strong, globally competitive Canadian economy. Accelerating activity in the critical minerals space is essential to meeting global clean energy needs and to building a prosperous economy that will thrive in our net-zero future.
