VICTORIA – Cabinet has given the green light to move forward with implementing the 31 Local Government Elections Task Force recommendations for improving local elections, announced Minister of Community and Rural Development Ben Stewart.

“The Province is now in a position to proceed with drafting the legislation necessary to implement the recommendations,” said Stewart. “We expect the legislation to be introduced next spring, in time for the local elections in November 2011. There is a lot of hard work ahead to flesh out the details of the recommendations, such as how to establish expense limits that will work in B.C.’s diverse communities, but we’re confident the end result will have a positive impact on the elections process.”

“UBCM’s task force representatives relied heavily on the local election policies that have been endorsed by our membership in recent years,” said UBCM president Harry Nyce. “We look forward to discussing the task force report with our members during a special policy session at our annual convention in September.”

Premier Gordon Campbell announced the joint provincial-UBCM Local Government Elections Task Force at the 2009 Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention. In a final report submitted on May 28, 2010, the task force outlined 31 recommendations for improving local government elections by ensuring accountability, enhancing transparency, strengthening compliance and enforcement, increasing accessibility, and expanding education and advice.

To read the full report, go to www.localelectionstaskforce.gov.bc.ca.

Review of Management of Property Tax Exemptions, Abatements, Discounts and Penalties in Relation to Education Property Tax

		Discussion Paper: Review of Management of Property Tax Exemptions, Abatements, Discounts and Penalties in Relation to Education Property Tax (PDF 153 KB)

Electronic waste will be diverted from landfill sites in Prince Edward Island with the introduction of a new province-wide recycling program starting July 1, 2010, said Environment, Energy and Forestry Minister Richard Brown.

Government has accepted a plan from Atlantic Canada Electronics Stewardship (ACES), an industry organization representing electronics manufacturers, distributors and other stakeholders, to manage a recycling program, said Minister Brown.

“There is growing public awareness about the risks to human health and the environment from dumping products that contain toxic chemicals into our landfill sites,” said Minister Brown. “Government is creating alternatives that will benefit our environment and our Island community.”

ACES has operated a similar Electronics Recycling Program in Nova Scotia since 2008.

“As an industry-led, non-profit association, ACES is looking forward to providing a responsible electronics recycling program for residents of Prince Edward Island,” said Gerard MacLellan, Executive Director of ACES. “We’re committed to working closely with the Government of PEI and Island Waste Management Corporation to ensure unwanted electronics are diverted from landfills and recycled responsibly.”

The new program will address the growing environmental problem of electronic waste in PEI’s solid waste system.

“I think most Islanders would be shocked to know that 700 metric tonnes of electronics are disposed of each year in local landfills,” said Minister Brown. “Implementing this new program will send a strong message about the responsibility we all have to protect the environment.”

The ACES program is not funded by government but through an environmental handling fee paid by consumers and producers of electronics products.

A fee will be applied to the purchase of new electronic products to assist with the cost of the recycling program. The fees will vary from 40 cents for digital cameras, $2.10 for laptop computers and $10.50 for desktop computers.

Products that can be recycled include computers, televisions, portable stereos and CD players, VCRs and DVD players, and non-cellular telephones. These products will no longer be accepted in residential solid waste carts or commercial waste collections.

ACES will work with Island Waste Management Corporation to set up convenient drop-off locations across the province. IWMC will publicize details within the next week. Information about the ACES PEI launch is available at www.acestewardship.ca.

“I am pleased to see industry accept responsibility for the management of this new electronics recycling plan and I would like to thank them for their leadership on this project,” said Minister Brown.

A public consultation meeting and webcast on May 4 in Saskatoon is a step toward improving recycling opportunities for residents across the province.
Industry and municipal representatives, along with the public, are invited to participate in a discussion on the design of a new residential Multi-Material Recycling Program (MMRP) for printed paper and packaging materials such as paper, metal, cardboard, glass and plastic.
“Our government is committed to managing waste in an environmentally responsible manner,” Environment Minister Nancy Heppner said. “The long-term solution for public recycling in Saskatchewan is solidly-built, well-supported industry stewardship programs. It is a model that has served us well for waste electronics, scrap tires, used oil, waste paint and beverage containers.”
Stakeholders and the public are encouraged to participate in this meeting to become informed about the future posibilities for recycling services in Saskatchewan. This includes companies that sell consumer products in the province, representatives of municipalities that offer recycling services, private waste management operators, not-for-profits and environmental organizations and the general public. All are invited to register at www.mmstewardship.ca/consultation.html to attend in person or by webcast and provide their views.
A MMRP consultation paper is posted on the above noted website that provides background information, data on current waste and recyclables management in Saskatchewan and an outline for how the new stewardship program might work.
“We know that achieving a recycling target of anything more than 50 per cent is going to take a great deal of effort and a deep seated commitment by all stakeholders,” Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors Vice President Allen Langdon said. “This is a fundamental change for Saskatchewan residents but at the same time, it’s a fantastic opportunity for all of us to take steps daily to protect the environment in a way that we’ve been eager to do for quite some time.”
Date: May 4, 2010
Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. MDT
Location: Saskatoon Inn Hotel and Conference Centre or by webcast
To register: Call 1-888-277-2762 ext 3368
Email info@mmstewardship.ca
MMRP Consultation Paper:

http://www.mmstewardship.ca/pdf/consultation_paper_april21.pdf

Results of the consultation and future program developments will be posted online. Visit: http://www.mmstewardship.ca
In March, the Ministry of Environment provided $350,000 from the Go Green Fund for development and consultation on the Multi-Material Recycling Program with a goal to commence the program in 2011.
For more information or to register contact 1-888-277-2762 ext 3368 or email info@mmstewardship.ca.

OTTAWA, Ont. – April 19, 2010 – Canada’s Environment Minister Jim Prentice announced today the start of a public consultation period that begins the process of updating Canada’s regulatory framework for the transboundary movement of waste and hazardous recyclable materials. Environment Canada posted a discussion paper online that interested stakeholders and Canadians can comment on until June 14, 2010.

“I am very pleased that Environment Canada is set to strengthen its regulatory framework for the export and import of all waste, including e-waste, and hazardous recyclable materials,” said Minister Prentice. “This consultation process is the first step in streamlining some of Canada’s regulations and ensuring that our practices are harmonized with international standards and agreements.”

The Government of Canada is updating three existing regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999), to ensure greater protection of the health and environment of Canadians and of other countries, improve policy alignment with international agreements, and add clarity to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the regulations.

The regulations to be updated are the Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations, 2005, the Interprovincial Movement of Hazardous Waste Regulations, 2002, and the. The new regulatory framework will ensure that electrical and electronic equipment (commonly referred to as e-waste), being exported or imported for disposal, recycling or reuse is managed in an environmentally sound manner. It will strengthen the implementation of Canada’s international commitments to control the movement of waste, particularly under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (1989), ratified by Canada in 1992. The regulatory update will also improve the enforceability of the regulations while reducing administrative and paperwork burden on stakeholders.

The Discussion Paper is posted for public comment on the Environment Canada’s web site, at http://www.ec.gc.ca/gdd-mw/default.asp?lang=En&n=C6D17E79-1

A collaborative process is now underway to review the way provincial and municipal tax revenues are distributed, says Finance and Municipal Affairs Minister Wes Sheridan.

The review responds to the Commission on Land and Local Governance recommendation that the provincial government initiate consultations with municipalities to establish a process for the implementation of an equitable transfer of tax room.

Minister Sheridan met this week with the president of the Federation of PEI Municipalities and the mayors of Charlottetown, Summerside, Stratford and Cornwall to discuss new tax sharing options.

“As minister with responsibility for both finance and municipal affairs, I am very pleased that we have been able to initiate this collaborative process,” said Minister Sheridan. “We are all optimistic about working together to review our taxation systems, examine other models, and develop a fair and predictable solution that works for us all.”

A sub-committee of senior staff from the province and municipalities will be established to carry out the review. It will meet in mid-April and report every three months to a steering committee of the minister, the four mayors and the Federation of Municipalities president.
“Municipalities are very pleased to be full participants in this process,” said Federation of Municipalities president Bruce MacDougall. “We look forward to exploring options that could provide municipalities with a more progressive funding model and more predictability in projecting revenues.”

The report of the Commission on Land and Local Governance is available at www.gov.pe.ca/landandlocalgovernance.

“Last month, I released a public-consultation draft of the regulations because we wanted to hear back from Canadians. And today with the Canada Gazette posting, we are again listening to Canadians and working to make the proposed wastewater regulations law.  These are concrete steps we are taking to make sure that Canadians continue to enjoy water that is clean, safe and plentiful for generations to come,” said Minister Prentice. ”

The Government of Canada is taking the lead in proposing regulations for municipal, community, federal and other wastewater systems, which include standards for national wastewater effluent quality and provide regulatory clarity for rules on reporting for more than 3,700 Canadian facilities.  For those not already meeting the effluent quality standards, there is a proposed phase-in approach.  For higher-risk wastewater effluent discharges, facilities will have up until 2020 to upgrade, whereas others would have until 2030 or 2040 depending on level of risk associated with existing effluent quality and environmental considerations.

“We are committed to continue working together with provinces, territories and municipalities to make this a reality,” said the Minister. “These regulations will help us conserve and protect Canada’s water quality. And I am happy to point out that this collaborative spirit and progress speak to the theme of “Clean Water for a Healthy World” that is the global focus of the upcoming World Water Day on March 22.

The regulations are the principal instrument that Environment Canada is using to implement the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater that was endorsed in 2009.

The Government of Canada is partnering with provinces, territories and municipalities to make significant investments in water and wastewater infrastructure. Under Government of Canada infrastructure funds, including the Building Canada, Green Infrastructure, Stimulus and Gas Tax Funds, over $3.25 billion has been spent or committed for wastewater and water infrastructure. Such projects are a top priority for these funds.

Canadians can now access the proposed regulations at http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2010/2010-03-20/html/reg1-eng.html

(Gatineau, Quebec, March 16, 2010) – Calling it a “blueprint for change” the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) today released a “Watchlist” that points to nine critical safety issues troubling Canada’s transportation system.

“These issues pose the greatest risk to Canadians,” said Board Chair Wendy Tadros. “There is no higher priority. It’s time for industry and regulators to step up and tackle these nine critical issues.”

According to Ms. Tadros, the TSB Watchlist took shape after analysts found troubling patterns in their work. “Many times, we arrive on the scene of an accident and see the same safety issues—issues that we have raised before.”

Singled out by the Board were the frequency of collisions at railway crossings, the lack of emergency preparation on Canada’s large passenger vessels, and the consequences should an airliner fail to stop on one of Canada’s runways.

“Airlines, ferries, railways—we’re talking about tens of millions of trips annually,” said Ms. Tadros. “We need the right players at the table to tackle these tough issues to make the system safer.”

As an independent government agency, the Board already publishes its findings in public reports and makes frequent recommendations. Ms. Tadros, however, said that while she was generally pleased by Canada’s track record in advancing safety, it’s time for a more focused effort.

“In some cases industry and regulators share our concerns. However, we know from hard experience, if persistent problems are not addressed, there will be another accident. That is why we have our Watchlist.”

To bolster the impact of the Watchlist, the TSB is releasing a series of fact sheets, outlining the scope of each issue and providing background and solutions. Looking forward, Ms. Tadros added that she hopes the list will evolve as progress is made. “We’re not saying it will be easy, but we’re saying it’s time to act. We’re calling on change agents to work together and solve these problems, and make transportation safer for all Canadians—that’s our goal.”

The TSB is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline, railway and aviation transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.

“The Federal Emergency Response Plan will help ensure the Government of Canada’s response to an emergency is seamless, and that key decisions can be made quickly when disasters strike,” said Minister Toews. “Canadians can be assured that we have the right plan and the right decision-making structures in place in the event of an emergency.”

“The plan is designed to coordinate the federal emergency response effort with those of the provincial and territorial governments as well as the private sector and non-governmental organizations.  Our goal is to ensure the protection and safety of Canadians,” added Mr. Petit.

This year Canada has hosted the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and will host the G8 and G20 meetings and the North American Leaders’ Summit. Canadians and visitors to Canada can be confident that the Government of Canada is ready to collaborate effectively with its partners to respond to any emergency.

The Federal Emergency Response Plan was developed by Public Safety Canada in consultation with other federal departments. It has been formally approved by the Government of Canada along with the Federal Policy for Emergency Management, which outlines Canada’s emergency management policy and provides a framework for emergency management at the federal level. This policy details the emergency management roles and responsibilities of federal institutions derived from existing legislative authorities.