Agenda
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Day 1
April 16, 2025
Registration and continental breakfast
Seeking Common Ground in Impact Assessment (IA) and Cumulative Effects: Comparing Western Science-based Biophysical and Human Environment IA with Indigenous Interests Assessment
Raymond CardinalRegional DirectorIAIA - Western & Northern Canada
Sharon SinghPartner and Cohead of Indigenous and Environment PracticesMcMillan LLP
Jeff RempelDirector, Impact Assessment & PermittingTwo Worlds Consulting
Canada’s Impact Assessment Act (SC 2019) requires an intentional focus on assessing project effects on Indigenous Interests. Proponents and their consultants may default to familiar approaches to assessing impacts using Western science to predict potential biophysical and socio-economic effects of project components and activities. This may include cursory treatment of Indigenous inputs designed to assure concordance with regulatory requirements rather than meaningfully applying Indigenous knowledge to the assessment of potential effects. Instead, there is an opportunity for IA practitioners to rethink assessment processes, including Indigenous-led and collaborative authorship models, and to reframe assessments to meet IAA requirements in ways that demonstrate the consideration of rigorous scientific information alongside shared Indigenous knowledge. These innovations, combined with GBA+, ecosystem and other approaches, will improve assessments and make them more holistic in nature and informative for decision-makers. Assessments can be structured to plan for and optimize the flow of information among Indigenous Interests and linked biophysical and human environment components.
Topics of discussion may include best practices and situational-specific approaches for effectively applying Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science for:
- Protecting Indigenous knowledge and permissions for its application
- Indigenous-led assessment
- Collaborative assessment and authorship
- Selecting and defining Indigenous Interests and linked biophysical and human environment valued components
- Determining suitable assessment boundaries
- Establishing baseline conditions and assessing residual effects, including cumulative residual effects
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.
Topics of discussion will include:
- CNSC-led and funded cumulative effects monitoring initiatives
- How Indigenous knowledge guides monitoring and sampling
- How collaboration with Indigenous Nations and communities has led to increased understanding of the impacts of industrial activity
George HegmannVP Environmental ServicesStantec
Ron StevensonCounselJuristes Power Law
The Impact Assessment Act was amended with the goal of streamlining efficiency and ensuring the Act was more constitutionally sound. The amendments aim to promote substitution of the federal impact process with other equivalent provincial processes where applicable and to further clarify the parameters for when an impact assessment is required. Topics of discussion will include:
- Defining what impacts constitute adverse effects within federal jurisdiction
- Debating if removing GHG emissions from federal impact assessments has expedited project approvals
- Examining if deference to provincial impact assessments in certain areas may reduce inter-provincial trade barriers
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
Paul-Antoine CardinResearcherIndigenous Centre for Cumulative Effects (ICCE)
Jennifer GrantDirector, Cumulative Effects ImplementationBC Energy Regulator
Danielle WilsonExecutive DirectorIndigenous Centre for Cumulative Effects (ICCE)
Indigenous involvement in cumulative effects regulations and processes varies by region. Ignoring or having inadequate understanding of Indigenous perspectives on cumulative effects information in Impact Assessments may lead to an unsuccessful project and have significant impacts on Indigenous communities. Many laws, regulations, and policies are industry specific and cumulative effects help to capture combined effects of all projects regardless of size and jurisdiction..
Topics of discussion will include:
- Explaining why a province-wide or territory-wide approach considering Indigenous ancestral territories is more effective than localized approaches
- Explaining the need to look at cumulative effects in a holistic way
- Clarifying why CEA, including Indigenous perspectives, should be an integral part of, and not separate from, both in-country and international IA processes
- Defining the importance of strategic planning efforts in managing for cumulative effects
Refreshments and Networking Break
Kate KemptonSenior CounselWoodward & Company LLP
Somia SadiqFounder, Principal PartnerNarratives Inc.
Desirée ThériaultPartner, Senior Landscape DesignerNarratives Inc.
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
Kent BretzlaffExecutive DirectorYukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board
Heather Exner-PirotSenior Fellow and Director of Energy, Natural Resources and EnvironmentMacdonald-Laurier Institute
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 2
April 17, 2025
Registration and continental breakfast
Tammy RosnerEcologist, Water Quality ModellerFour Elements Consulting Ltd.
Barry J. WilsonSystems Ecologist & Paraglider PilotCE Analytic Ltd.
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 Networking Break
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
Somia SadiqFounder, Principal PartnerNarratives Inc.
Most cumulative effects processes focus on biophysical markers that can be measured but what about the other cumulative psychological and sociological effects? How can they be measured and why are they important? Topics of discussion will include:
- Understanding the importance of a collective identity
- Assessing the roles of historical, industry, and project impacts
- Building a Trauma-Informed Decision-Making Model and a Trauma-Informed Engagement Plan
Coffee and Networking Break
Kay-Lee EckhardIndigenous Relations LiaisonCanada West Land
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: Assessing the State of 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: Balancing Economic Development with Environmental Stewardship
Economic development is important for Canada’s economy but creating economic prosperity while working with proponents to minimize environmental impacts can be challenging as not everyone agrees on how to address the cumulative effects from development. This roundtable will examine how to balance economic development and the environment and will look at new models of economic development including reclamation and remediation.