Canada West Foundation Blog

By: Shawna Stirrett

There are many benefits to be had from improving the environmental performance of Canadian cities. Residents can benefit from improved aesthetics, lower water treatment costs, higher property values, increased air quality, the attraction and retention of skilled workers and much more. General environmental benefits can include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, improved water and air quality, less fragmented ecosystems and improved biodiversity.

And the good news is that we have a pretty good sense of how these environmental improvements can be realized. There are many different tools for, and principles of, creating more sustainable cities that individuals, businesses, communities and municipal governments can employ. Outlining these tools is the focus of Canada West Foundation’s most recent report Tools of the Trade: Urban Environmental Improvement Options.

The real challenge, however, isn’t in knowing what to do but rather in implementing the good ideas that we already have. Many people are well aware of the environmental benefits of recycling, composting, improved energy efficiency and transit-oriented development. The fact remains, though, that we are not using these tools as much as we could in Canadian cities for myriad reasons.

Let’s take, as an example, a very simple environmental tool like the use of rain barrels to harvest rainfall.

Rain barrels are used to capture and store rainwater for later use on lawns and gardens. The environmental and economic benefits of rain barrels are clear. Using rainwater is better for your lawn and garden because it is not chlorinated and contains many of the minerals that your soil needs for healthy plant growth. Rain barrels also save money as you are not paying for water to be treated, transported and metered by the city. It’s a clear environmental and economic win-win.

So, given that, why wouldn’t everyone use rain barrels?

Well, in the spirit of full disclosure, I have to confess I do not have a rain barrel. I’m not trying to be hypocritical, and I would love to have one, but I live in a condo and our condo board does not allow rain barrels because they are unsightly and ruin the grass and I don’t have enough space on my patio for both a rain barrel and a barbeque.

I also find that I’m not alone in this. Using a very informal survey methodology (I asked my friends on Facebook), I have discovered that while only a few of my friends actually use rain barrels currently, almost everyone wants to use them. For those not using them, their reasons include laziness, aesthetics, cost of the rain barrel and living in a condo or apartment. The most frequently cited reason was living in a condo or an apartment building.

This raises the question for me: if we want to encourage higher density living and smaller carbon footprints, then why are we not designing environmental products that can be used by a variety of people in different types of housing?

Conventional rain barrels can hold about 45 gallons of water, are made of plastic, cost around $70 and come in a couple different colour options. While there is no question that these rain barrels work for many people, they also don’t work for many others as my survey and personal experience testifies. Rain barrels are really big, for starters, meaning that unless you have a house or a very large deck they are impractical. They are also somewhat awkward to use. The downspouts are located at the bottom and they often have to be positioned on cinder blocks so that you can access the water inside them. Finally, they are ugly and do little for the overall aesthetic of your yard and garden.

If we really want more people to use rain barrels as a way to make cities more environmentally friendly, we need to think about the full picture. It’s not going to be enough to tell people they should be using rain barrels, we need to be thinking about why they aren’t and designing solutions that are holistic and practical. We need to remember that “Good design is not about color, style or trends—but instead about thoughtfully considering the user, the experience, the social context and the impact of an object on the surrounding environment” (Inhabitat).

For a good example of how good design can change our relationship with environmental products, check out some innovative rain barrels by clicking here.
 

By: Robert Roach

The federal government recently announced a “Plan for Responsible Resource Development” that will streamline the federal regulatory review process. While this is a step in the right direction, a report from the Canada West Foundation being published on May 3 argues that the task at hand is much larger. Keeping Pace: Improving Environmental Decision-Making in Canada reveals an environmental decision-making process that, while one of the best in the world, is dogged by a number of significant shortcomings. These weaknesses include insufficient integration of scientific research; a lack of clarity regarding exactly what trade-offs between environmental protection and economic development are acceptable to the government of the day; and the ongoing need to ensure that the various government departments and agencies at the federal and provincial levels are cooperating as much as possible.

You can download this timely new report for free from the Canada West Foundation website on Thursday.

As reflected by the results of the 2011 census, the creation of new House of Commons Seats and the ongoing news about the westward titling of the economy, it is clear that the nature of the Federation is shifting. The latest research from the Canada West Foundation looks at the consequences for the region and the country, now that the West is truly “in”.

Taking Stock of the Federation by Dr. Roger Gibbins, President & CEO and Robert Roach, VP, Research, is the synthesis report from a roundtable held on February 9, 2012 in Calgary. This roundtable gathered sixteen participants who provided their insights on the contemporary political landscape, the likely direction of future change, and the potential for strains within the federation across the four western provinces.

“Each region in Canada is vitally important,” notes Dr. Gibbins. “While differences between the regions have evolved, they are still key variables in both Canada’s political environment and the economy. For the federation to work well, we must ensure that all regions— including the West—are heard, understood, and integrated into the whole.”

While participants expressed a general sense of optimism about the region’s future, they also highlighted some significant challenges western Canadians will face in securing a new position within Canada and the global economy. By addressing issues like market access, sustainable environmental management, labour shortages and a fiscally unbalanced federal state, we can ensure that the future remains bright.

Taking Stock of the Federation is part of Foundation’s The West in Canada initiative, which examines public policy innovation in the West, discusses and recommends ways to improve the Canadian federation, and analyzes regional economic, demographic and public opinion trends. Click here for your copy of the report.

Western Canada profits from its abundance of natural resources, however, in the changing global landscape, we need to take action to ensure our future prosperity. The latest research from the Canada West Foundation outlines the main contours of the contemporary energy world and takes stock of the trends shaping energy in western Canada.

State of the West: Energy – 2012 Western Canadian Energy Trends, by Senior Economist Michael Holden and Policy Analyst Robbie Rolfe, provides an overview of the provincial energy systems in western Canada, including the current state of energy production, consumption, and other associated activities and impacts. That information is framed in the context of the energy-related policy issues and challenges facing the four western provinces.

“Western Canada is characterized by a profound diversity of resources, consumption patterns, and economic and environmental impacts” said Michael Holden. “The energy picture in each province is unique, but their strengths are complementary. Through a more coordinated approach to energy policy, the western provinces can become more than the sum of their parts.”

Given the extent to which it permeates our daily lives, energy has come to dominate the economic, social, and political agenda in the region. State of the West: Energy provides a one-stop information resource on energy in western Canada, informing the debate surrounding energy policy in the West, and providing context to both where we are today and where we may go in the future.

State of the West: Energy – 2012 Western Canadian Energy Trends is part of the Foundation’s Powering Up for the Future initiative, which facilitates constructive debate on sustainable energy policy solutions for Canada and promotes the vital importance of western Canadian energy systems in the national, continental, and global economy. Click here to download a copy of the report.

By: Larissa Sommerfeld 

Alberta is now in the throes of the third week of the provincial election campaign. Given the critical importance of the province’s water resources to its economy and environment, it is worthwhile checking in to see how water policy is being addressed by the contending parties.

I’ve reviewed the platforms of the main parties and have highlighted their water policies below:

Alberta Party
The Alberta Party’s platform focuses on the five core ideas of healthcare, students, democracy, the economy and communities. It doesn’t specifically place environmental concerns front and centre. However, under the “economy” section, the Party commits to promoting a “positive brand image for our resource industries by insisting on best practices and a strong commitment to environmental stewardship.”

Evergreen Party
The Evergreens—a newer addition to Alberta’s political scene who have replaced the Alberta Greens—simply state in their party platform that “we will encourage conservation and reduction of water usage, and prevent the sale or export of water.”

Liberal Party
The Liberals do not mention water in their party platform at all. Rather, their key environmental policies focus on emissions and the monitoring of the oil and gas industry.

New Democratic Party
The NDP has some very specific water policy goals outlined in their platform including stopping the expansion of water markets and putting human and ecosystem needs first when it comes to water allocation. Regarding industry activity, the NDs support:

• Cleaning up tailings ponds, but at a cost to companies rather than taxpayers;
• Doubling the monitoring and enforcement activities of the Ministry of Environment and Water to “make sure the industry lives up to its environmental obligations under the law”; and
• Appointing an independent scientific panel to examine hydraulic fracturing.

Progressive Conservative Party
The PC Party does not have a comprehensive policy platform available on their website. In this case, we have to look at past policy to see where they might stand on water:

• Premier Redford renamed the Ministry of the Environment as the Ministry of Environment and Water last fall. According to Diana McQueen, the current Minister for Environment and Water, this was a “deliberate move to emphasize the priority that our government places on this resource.”
• The government has committed to increase funding to about $11 million for environmental monitoring; and
• An annual amount of $150 million has been committed to fund the Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority (AOSTRA) to support research that will help Alberta work toward meeting the Water for Life goals.

Wildrose Party
The Wildrose Party has a fairly robust environmental platform. Some of their commitments include creating a position for an Albertan environmental ombudsman and addressing water quantity issues in the south and water quality issues in the north. The Party is committed to finding ways to improve water storage by building more dams and/or reservoirs and states it will review and reform Alberta’s licensing system to “ensure that existing licenses are fully utilized while respecting the principle of first in time, first in right.” It also is supportive of new conservation technology that allows for the use of things such as grey water recycling and supportive of the movement toward a federal ban on bulk water exports to the US. Regarding industry, the Wildrose has stated it in its platform that it will:

• Work toward eliminating tailings ponds;
• Support water technology so that industrial use of water decreases; and
• Strictly enforce existing regulations on effluent-producing industries.

By: Robert Roach, VP, Research

While the recession has affected countries throughout the globe in the past few years, Canada’s economy has done reasonably well. Yet, things are not all that they seem. Like a frog in a pot of warm water, Canadians have not yet realized the danger. A rapidly changing global economy is heating up the water in the pot.

The Boiling Frog Dilemma: Saving Canada from Economic Decline by Todd Hirsch, Senior Economist, ATB Financial and Robert Roach, Vice President of Research, Canada West Foundation, outlines ways that Canadians can get out of the pot before the water boils—and not only survive, but thrive, in the global race for good jobs.

Canadians need to become much more creative and this means a revolution in education and how creativity is harnessed in the workplace. Canadians need to embrace risk and stop lamenting the good old days when more things were made in Canada. They need to see the potential in lodging themselves at the top of the global value chain as the world’s designers, managers, educators, investors and creators. Canadians need to integrate their business practices with environmental stewardship, see the world as their oyster rather than a threat, and be much better neighbours to one another at home.

It is individual Canadians who need to change their own attitudes and habits. Governments can’t do it for them. The Boiling Frog Dilemma envisions new Canadian entrepreneurs who will move Canada from being largely invisible to totally indispensible in the global economy of the 21st century. The new entrepreneur puts into action the argument that nothing generates economic wealth except the power of ideas.

Read Rob and Todd’s op-ed in the Calgary Herald “People, not tax credits, will power the economy.”

To order The Boiling Frog Dilemma: Saving Canada from Economic Decline, visit www.toddhirsch.com

By: Larissa Sommerfeld

In Canada, we often think within our respective provincial/territorial bubbles, but it’s important to create public policy on a regional basis.

Take the case of the Northwest Territories (NWT) and its recently developed water stewardship strategy, Northern Voices, Northern Waters. Published in 2010, this strategy is lauded due to the fact that the NWT government engaged and collaborated with citizens, introduced an eco-system approach to governance and defined water as a human right.

One of the main obstacles to success of the strategy, however, is what neighbouring jurisdictions, such as British Columbia and Alberta, do or don’t do in terms of water policy.

The NWT is almost entirely enclosed with the Mackenzie River Basin—a massive watershed that contains 20% of Canada’s landmass and also includes parts of Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. While borders separate governance, they do not separate the flow of water. What happens downstream will affect water quality or quantity upstream. And upstream in this case goes all the way north to the Beaufort Sea.

The real test for the NWT will come in implementing the strategy. And that’s where things get tricky.

For instance, take the obvious example of Alberta’s oil sands. Long criticized for affecting both water quality (pollution and altered water temperature) and quantity (altered in-stream flow needs), those in the NWT assert that Alberta needs to continue to work toward sustainable development to ensure that those who rely on a clean and stable water supply upstream aren’t unduly affected.

This isn’t to say that the NWT isn’t dealing with similar issues within its own borders. The point, however, is that activity outside of those borders requires intergovernmental discussion and coordination because governments have different goals, different solutions and different opinions.

Last week, the Canada West Foundation and the Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW) co-hosted two events held in Edmonton and Calgary which were part of water expert Bob Sandford‘s 15 city cross-country speaking tour titled “Northern Voices, Southern Choices” on this very topic.

One of the key themes that emerged from both discussions was the need for a Canadian water strategy—a strategy that would get provincial and territorial governments on the same page so that strategies like “Northern Voices” would have a greater chance of being successfully implemented.

What do you think? Does Canada need a national water strategy? Should we be thinking about other provinces or territories when developing our water policies, or should we just focus on our own jurisdiction? Can southern choices truly silence northern voices?

These aren’t easy questions to answer. But, in the end, we’re all downstream from someone.

For more on Bob Sandford’s presentation and thought-pieces on this issue, check out FLOW’s website at www.flowcanada.org.

By: Dr. Roslyn Kunin

Over the years, I have spoken with many people who were planning on starting their own business. They told me about the great product or service they would offer. They described how they would set up the business. They all told me how much money they hoped to be making once the business got rolling.

What they never mentioned, until they were prompted, were customers. That basic business need, someone willing and able to pay for the good or service provided was, if not totally missing from the mental image of the new business, certainly not in the foreground.

We should not be too hard on these aspiring entrepreneurs for not thinking about who was going to buy their output. For a very long time, governments, policymakers, planners and others interested in economic development did the same thing. Some still do so.

Take western Canada as an example. When we think about advancing our economy, we think about inputs. These include our resources and how we can access and develop them. They include infrastructure; transportation, communication, etc. They definitely include human capital—a workforce with both hard and soft skills and, ideally, some relevant experience.

We think about what we might produce. In the past, the focus has been around the question of how the West can move up the food chain beyond its traditional, resource-based industries and into manufacturing and the newer technologies.

What we have not been thinking about is customers. Who is going to want whatever it is we are or might be producing? For too long, we have had an “if you build it, they will come” attitude. But that only happens in the movies.

Relative to much of the rest of the world, western Canada is blessed with various essential resources, an educated labour force, decent infrastructure and political stability. But we are seriously limited by our lack of customers. We have been, and still are, far too dependent on one customer—the United States.

If you have only one customer, the US is a good one to have. It is close, big, speaks English and has similar laws and customs. But it exposes you to the risk of having all your eggs in one basket. We learned this to our sorrow in the last downturn.

To advance western Canada, we need more customers, and those potential customers are sitting across the Pacific and beginning to creep into our awareness. They want, need and can afford the resources and high level services that we can provide.

So let us adjust our focus to look west as well as south. Let us develop the pipelines and other infrastructure needed to serve new markets. Let us develop and add to our customer base. That is how businesses and economies grow.

By: Larissa Sommerfeld, Policy Analyst 

The Okanagan Valley. For many, these two words can conjure up an image of green orchards filled with fruit, endless vineyards and an idyllic landscape.

When driving through or flying over the Okanagan, the scale of the four major lakes that sit in the middle of the valley are breathtaking. It’s almost unexpected that there would be so much water inland, and in such a dry part of Canada.

But although everything seems to be going well on the surface, there is a growing wave of concern among decision-makers in the Valley.

Increasing population and development are putting new pressures on the Okanagan’s water resources. More people are demanding water, but the supply is fixed—a supply facing its own challenges due to climate change, invasive species such as milfoil (aquatic weeds) and mysis shrimp and increasing amounts of contamination from pesticides and livestock.

Many people in the Valley’s twelve municipalities, three regional districts and four First Nations bands rely on tourism and agriculture for their bread and butter. Ensuring that the water needs of these sectors are met is essential to maintaining a vibrant Okanagan economy. But can all the demands be met? Should some individuals or sectors make sacrifices? And who should make these prickly decisions?

Given these pressures, many are questioning the way water is currently allocated, priced and monitored. For example, there are no permits or regulations protecting groundwater in the province of British Columbia. This is likely to change in the coming year: next fall, the provincial government is expected to put forth new legislation that will amend the province’s one hundred year old Water Act.

One thing is certain: water management in the Okanagan Valley needs to change in order to satisfy the demand of a complicated array of stakeholders and to sustain the local economy. How this will come about is yet to be seen. It’ll be interesting to follow along and see what changes in the next year—BC might set an example for the rest of Canada, or they might not. Only time will tell.

A new publication released by the Canada West Foundation illustrates Canada’s current energy reality and highlights opportunities for a bright energy future.

Catching a Rising Tide: A Western Energy Vision for Canada by Sheila O’Brien and Shawna Ritchie, draws from one-on-one conversations with 50 leading western Canadian experts in energy and the environment who share their vision for energy. Energy has been an important centerpiece in public policy discussions for the last half-century, conversations which are now part of a global debate.

“Western Canada has expertise in the production of various energy resources, but we have also had to address the need for sustainable and responsible development and the reality of unequal resource distribution—making our energy reality a microcosm of global energy production,” notes authors O’Brien and Ritchie. “This gives western Canada’s vision for energy particular importance in national discussions about where energy should and could go in the future.”

Canada has the opportunity to become a supplier of choice for energy products, services and expertise, supported by environmental and social records that define our values as a nation and give us a stronger voice internationally. However, achieving this vision will be a challenge for all Canadians regardless of where they live. As the Foundation’s President and CEO, Dr. Roger Gibbins explains, Catching a Rising Tide, “provides a model for western Canadian thought leadership on the big national policy issues of the day, setting out creative options rather than narrow prescriptions.”

To purchase a copy of Catching a Rising Tide: A Western Energy Vision for Canada, click here.