On March 31, 2019, a new federal fuel surcharge came into effect in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and New-Brunswick (July 2019: Yukon and Nunavut). It is part of the federal carbon pollution pricing system and there are implications for CPA members.

The CPA issued a news release on April 1, taking advantage of the customary prank day to garner media and government attention. Check it out - No April Fool’s Joke – Federal carbon levy favours dirty fuels over low-emission propane. The release was picked up by several media outlets.  

The CPA is working with the ministries of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Finance to urge the exemption of propane from the new federal carbon levy as it pertains to agricultural applications. The new levy or “Backstop” affects the provinces of New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

On March 19, the federal government indicated that it is seeking further stakeholder comment on refinements to the Carbon Pollution Pricing System - otherwise known as the federal carbon levy or the “backstop” - which affects CPA Members in New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

On March 19, federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau provided details for the 2019 Budget. The final budget to be tabled before the next federal election this fall contained many spending initiatives that are to be expected from a pre-election budget but no signature policy “game changer”. 

On March 21, 2019, Ontario Premier Doug Ford joined Minister of Agriculture and Food Ernie Hardeman and Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Rod Phillips for a roundtable discussion on the impact of the federal carbon tax on Ontario’s agri-food industry. They were joined by 25 sectoral representatives at an Oxford county farm in Woodstock.

 

The much anticipated first budget of the new CAQ government was presented today in the National Assembly by Finance Minister Éric Girard. It was widely seen as a “good news” budget – a politician’s favourite synonym for “more spending”. 

Prince Edward Island's new Lobbyists Registration Act and online registry take effect April 1, 2019. Anyone paid to lobby the provincial government may have an obligation to register and publicly disclose the details of their lobbying activities.

The CPA is currently looking for qualified candidates to fill the position of Coordinator, Communications and Membership. Please circulate the job description to anyone you know who may be interested in applying. 

The CPA issued it’s perennial flood preparation release to Canadians at the end of March – It’s never too early to have a flood plan in place. It seems like every year, one or more parts of Canada experiences flooding. The CPA hopes these Flood Safety Tips for Propane Users can help Canadians take concrete actions to be prepared if or when flood warnings are issued. To help educate consumers, please post these tips to your website, Facebook page or other social network.

The Ministère de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC) and the California Air Ressources Board (CARB) announced that the next joint carbon market auction will be held on May 14, 2019.

Date: May 28-30

Location: Niagara Falls, ON

Date: June 12-13

Location: Morell, PEI

CPA members are entitled to a 15% discount on conference passes to the Operational Excellence in Energy, Chemicals & Resources Summit being held this June 4-6, 2019 in Calgary.

On January 28, Transport Canada launched its new system, ERAP online services (EOS); EOS replaces the previous manual ERAP application process. This new system changes how ERAPs are managed, updated and renewed.