From the 1800s to Now: A Brief Look at Canada’s History of Environmental Action

Over the last 150 years, the primary focus of the Canadian government has always been to improve their economy and to try and compete at the International market level. The environment and impact of climate change has not traditionally been seen as a priority. The past 30 years, however, have seen more change and prioritization of environmental importance in Canada than ever before.

As StFX hosts its first Climate and Democracy Week (November 14-21) the question “Has Canada Done Enough?” is top of mind. In taking a look at Canada's past, we can see what the country has done to preserve our planet. In the late 1800s, Canada began implementing some of the first ever environmental programs. One of the first efforts made was through an act for the regulation of fishing and the protection of fisheries. This was a concrete way in which Canada demonstrated their concern for waterways, mainly the great lakes and surrounding oceans.

In 1885, the Federal Government took further interest in preserving and protecting some of Canada's most stunning landscapes. Canada's first National Park was formed in Alberta (Banff), and the Canadian National Park Act was implemented. Almost 15 years later the Canadian Forestry Association was founded, furthering Canada’s commitment to conserving national forests. This goal has continued with the mandate to “protect the forest, water and wildlife by promoting sustainable development and conservation.” Later, during the Great Depression (1929-1933), Canada was mainly focusing on the economy and trying to boost the standard of living. The environmental programs and initiatives put in place were still in play, but no further efforts or programs were implemented for some time.

In the 1960s, a youth led movement came to the attention of national news. The wave known as the “Hippie Movement” went on to spark respect for the land we live on, and focus was once again put on the environment. The Canadian population became more concerned about pollution, which led to the creation of three very important programs: The Promotion of Environmental Conservation, Pollution Probe, and in the Maritimes, the Ecology Action Centre.

As we approach the 70’s, one of the major parties coming into play in the public sector and Environment Canada was formed, a significant move by the Government to show their commitment to the preservation of the environment. In 1971, Canada created a new ministerial position to focus solely on environmental issues. In 1985 Environment Canada came to be governed by the Minister of the Environment. This allowed the Minister much more power, and the ability to implement rules and regulations - The Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act (R.S., 1985, c. E-10 ). This enabled Canada to have a clear voice defending the environment at a Governmental level.

To date, Canada has been primarily concerned about their own environment and climate health. They have not made much progress working with other countries, and thus have not contributing in a cohesive way to the global problem. In 1992, for the first time ever, several countries met to discuss started to the topic of global warming and environmental improvements – this was known as the Kyoto Protocol, and was a ground-breaking meeting that essentially spurred the global effort of environmental protection. The protocol was governed by the United Nations, and member countries signed a contract stating their commitment to solve this global problem. Progress has been somewhat slow, but in the last ten years, many programs and pacts across participating countries have been put into place to help with the preservation of the earth's well being.

The Kyoto protocol has held up and been adjusted throughout the years, and every year the member countries meet at the COP 21 in Paris to discuss new goals and the ongoing progress of each country. The United Nations released this statement after the most recent meeting:

 “The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change.”

This was considered a tangible and concrete goal for the countries to work towards. In 2019, more than ever before, a much greater focus on climate change is being centred by citizens, corporations, government, and other countries. Following the recent Federal election, the Green Party made history, winning 3 seats in the House of Commons – further evidence of the importance Canadians are placing on the issue of climate change. This year, a climate strike also took place, involving more than 150 countries and an estimated 7.6 million participants. Many major universities across Canada participated, including StFX. Canada has many programs and goals in place to reduce our emissions and preserve our planet, putting the country in the top 30 in the world on the Environmental Performance Index chart. The chart takes into account factors such as Air Quality, Water & Sanitation, Biodiversity & Habitat and Forests. Canada has an index of 72.18, with the highest ranked country being Switzerland at 87.42, so Canada can be proud of their progress so far, in relation to other countries.

The question “Is Canada Doing Enough?” is difficult to answer. The problem of climate change that the world faces is grave. More awareness, funds, and collaboration will be crucial to make the difference required to impact this global problem.