Image Credit: CFJC Today / Chad Harris

By Dylana Milobar

BILL C-69

Kamloops Chamber President fears Bill C-69 concerns will be caught in election cycle rhetoric

Jun 22, 2019 | 2:33 PM

KAMLOOPS— The Kamloops Chamber of Commerce has joined several Chambers voicing their concerns to the federal government, after the House rejected a majority of the Senate’s amendments to Bill C-69.

Thursday, Bill C-69 received Royal Assent, and is now law, after Senate passed the bill by a vote of 57-37.

The bill enacts the Impact Assessment Act, and repeals the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

Basically, the bill means major infrastructure projects will be assessed based on how they could impact Indigenous rights, public health, the environment, and the economy.

Projects this Act would cover include mines, pipelines, and highway construction.

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Earlier this week, the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce sent out a release echoing business community concerns around potential impacts to the economy.

Critics worry the bill means passing larger projects will become more difficult, and the uncertainty around whether a project will be given the green light could deter foreign investors.

However, Kamloops Chamber of Commerce President Joshua Knaak says, the bill’s passing has been warped into a partisan issue instead of viewing the recommendations as what is best for Canada.

“We’re turning a bill that’s going to shape the economic future of parts of Canada, perhaps all of Canada, for the next few decades, it’s turning more into rhetoric and talking points than into actually pursuing the best solution for the Canadian resource sector.”

The Impact Assessment Act has drawn criticism from politicians such as Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who nicknamed it the ‘No More Pipelines Law’.

“From both sides, we’re just simply getting talking points of ‘the Conservatives don’t want to consult with anybody’, and ‘the Liberals want to destroy the energy economy’. And I don’t think either are true,” Knaak explains, “But that’s probably what we’re going to get, given that we’re in an election cycle. It’s unfortunate.”

According to Knaak, one of the larger issues with the bill that sticks out to him is the authority the Environment Minister has to turn down recommendations.

That being said, Knaak says a benefit of the bill is that it lays out timelines for when impact assessments need to be completed.

“So we’re not saying that everything about this bill is bad,” Knaak says, “But the absolute authority on the part of the Minister is concerning. Also, there is a lot of additional considerations now that go into making a determination on it, and how those are weighed out is not clear.”

Last week, many of the amendments to Bill C-69 that were added in the Senate were turned down. Following the decision, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce issued a statement – calling the move, ‘a dark day for a nation of builders’.

Knaak says many Chambers are rallying together to bring their issues around the bill to the federal government.