Departmental Strategic Plan, 1984-1989

Merritt Clifton was an environmental journalist and lived in Brigham, Quebec.

Environment Canada’s departmental strategic plan for the next five years describes this branch of government as it envisioned itself functioning under continued Liberal government. The document as it stands was prepared immediately following the appointment of Charles Caccia to the ministry, and may be taken as Caccia’s personally approved blueprint for a more active department. Caccia has a reputation for getting day-to-day work done, where his predecessor, John Roberts, is viewed as a public relations expert and theoretician. Therefore, it isn’t surprising that administrative concerns take precedence. The strategic plan begins by reviewing Environment Canada’s mandate, long-term purpose, and short-term objectives. These are then placed in economic and political perspective in the chapter “Planning Considerations.”

Departmental Priorities are finally established as 1) control of toxic substances, 2) control of acid rain, 3) improved forest management, 4) improved water management, 5) monitoring of possible climatic changes, 6) protection of natural heritage, and 7) promotion of conservation in the far north. Politically significant omissions are improved management of ocean fisheries and increased conservation of wildlife. Freshwater fisheries and salmon spawning streams are already covered under other priorities (chiefly #2, #3, and #4), but nothing here covers fish once they leave fresh water. Environment Canada’s jurisdiction in this area is presently disputed, both by the province and, in some instances, by the United States. One gathers that Caccia would rather not commit money and manpower to this area until the disputed issues are resolved in the courts. Likewise, wildlife habitat will be protected under priorities #2, #3, #6, and #7 — some far-north sanctuaries will be established under #7 — but the ministry apparently doesn’t wish to run afoul of either the hunting and trapping lobbies, or the save-the-seals people, while working on dossiers of more immediate economic and health impact to human beings.

The new environmental priorities include considerable tough talk about tracing toxics from creation to breakdown, tightening herbicide and pesticide registration and use regulations, and replacing chemicals with biological controls. We’ve heard this sort of talk before, without seeing effective action. Historically, Health & Welfare Canada and Agriculture Canada have had the leading mandate in these areas. They have not had the political will to lead crackdowns, however, while Environment Canada, a relatively new department under less entrenched cabinet ministers, has been reluctant to act unilaterally. Perhaps Caccia means to change this.

Description of priority #4 begins, “Fresh water could be the issue in the 1990s that energy was in the 1970s.” This is also no news to environmentalists, but a shift in governmental outlook. Although water pollution was among the very first recognized environmental hazards, water has never become a glamour issue. Clean-ups have consequently been sporadic, with new sources of contamination appearing even before the old ones have been eradicated.

The final lines of the priority #6 description are also significant: “Wetlands, fast disappearing in Canada, make valuable contributions to the maintenance of wildlife populations and water tables. More effective mechanisms for their protection will be sought.” Following up this pledge means direct conflict with both the federal and all provincial departments of agriculture, which still heavily promote drainage. But if Environment Canada does follow up this mandate, Canadians in 1990 shall inherit a markedly better place to live.