How You Can Urge the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to Introduce a New Government Bill to Address Environmental Racism in Canada
Dear friends, colleagues, family members, and all those who stand for Environmental Justice in Canada, as you may be aware, in December 2020, Lenore Zann, former MP for Cumberland-Colchester forwarded the private members bill A National Strategy to Redress Environmental Racism (Bill C-230) to second reading in the House of Commons. She first introduced this bill in the House of Commons on February 26, 2020:
https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/43-1/bill/C-230/first-reading
Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate location and greater exposure of Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities to polluting industries and other environmental hazards. These toxic burdens have been linked to high rates of cancer, reproductive diseases, respiratory illnesses, and other health problems in these communities. From the decision approximately 60 years ago to offload pulp mill effluent into Pictou Landing First Nation’s once-pristine Boat Harbour, and toxic landfills placed in the African Nova Scotian communities of Shelburne and Lincolnville, to mercury contamination in Grassy Narrows First Nation, petrochemical facilities in Chemical Valley in Ontario and in British Columbia, the legacy of environmental racism can no longer be ignored.
Bill C-230 was eventually approved after the second hour of the debate in at second reading in 2021, approved at amendments a few months later and given a new title: An Act respecting the development of a national strategy to assess, prevent and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice.
https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/43-2/bill/C-230/second-reading
However, when the snap election was called in August 2021, the bill died on the order paper. The mandate letter sent by the Prime Minster to Steven Guilbeault, the new Minister of Environment and Climate Change for Canada, states that the Minister is required to:
- Identify and prioritize the clean-up of contaminated sites in areas where Indigenous Peoples, racialized and low- income Canadians live.
- Recognize the “right to a healthy environment” in federal law and introduce legislation to require the development of an environmental justice strategy and the examination of the link between race, socio-economic status and exposure to environmental risk.
These requirements reflect some of the requests that were outlined in Bill C-230. While the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has indicated his commitment to introducing a new Government Bill that would address environmental racism, we know that government often makes broken promises. Therefore, we are asking you to encourage the Minister of Environment to introduce a new Government Bill to address environmental racism as soon as possible.
The Action
There is one simple way that you can encourage the Minister of Environment to introduce a new Government Bill to address environmental racism as soon as possible: Send an email (below), call (below) or send a tweet (below) to the Minister of Environment, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and MPs across the country to indicate why you support a new Government Bill and why Canada needs environmental racism legislation.
Email Template Letter for Members of the Public to Send to the Minister of Environment, the Prime Minister, and MPs
To: ministre-minister@ec.gc.ca
Cc: justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca;
Cc: insert emails for MPs here (emails can be found here: https://openparliament.ca/politicians/)
Bcc: waldroni@mcmaster.ca; ncharles@beinitiative.com
Subject: Introducing a Government Bill to Address Environmental Racism
Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada
Fontaine Building 12th floor
200 Sacré-Coeur Blvd
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3
Dear Honourable Steven Guilbeault,
Congratulations on your appointment as Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada. As the new Minister of Environment, it is my hope that you will make it your priority to pick up where Bill C-230 left off and commit yourself to addressing the disproportionate siting of polluting industries and other environmentally hazardous projects in Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities in Canada (Environmental Racism). In the mandate letter you received from the Prime Minister in December 2021, it states that you are required to do the following:
- Identify and prioritize the clean-up of contaminated sites in areas where Indigenous Peoples, racialized and low- income Canadians live.
- Recognize the “right to a healthy environment” in federal law and introduce legislation to require the development of an environmental justice strategy and the examination of the link between race, socio-economic status and exposure to environmental risk.
It is my understanding that you are planning to introduce a Government Bill to address environmental racism in Canada. I am urging you to take this opportunity to represent the concerns that your constituents have voiced and take a step towards introducing a new Government Bill that would make Canada a leader on addressing the urgent issue of environmental racism. I am also urging members of all political parties to unanimously pass a Government Bill that would make Canada a leader on environmental justice.
It is important that all communities have the power to control their environment. Currently, Indigenous, Black, and other marginalized communities don’t have that power, and when they don’t have a say in what happens in their communities, we all suffer. A new Government Bill would address this imbalance of power, and benefits everyone. Good for all of us. Good for Canada.
Finally, I would like to thank those MPs who have recognized the right to a healthy environment in Canada but would like to emphasize that we still need to address environmental racism, which is currently preventing some Canadians from achieving these rights.
Sincerely,
Your name
Address (optional)
Title (optional)
Sample Tweets to Send to Canadian Politicians to Support a New Government Bill to Address Environmental Racism
Have you finished sending your letter? Help spread the word by:
- Sending a tweet or placing a phone call (see phone numbers below) to the Minister of Environment, the Prime Minister, and MPs using the
Hashtag #EnvRacismGovernmentBillCanada2022.
- Communicating with your social media followers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to show your support for a new Government Bill using the hashtag #EnvRacismGovernment BillCanada2022.
- Asking your friends, family, and colleagues to send the email template letter above, and/or a tweet or Facebook post, write to, or call the Minister of Environment, the Prime Minister, and MPs.
Here are some sample tweets you can use to send to the Minister of Environment, the Prime Minister and MPs:
#EnvRacismGovernmentBillCanada2022 I am calling on the Minister of Environment to introduce a new Government Bill to address environmental racism. We can no longer look the other way @s_guilbeault @justintrudeau (include Twitter handles for MPs)
Canadians are counting on you, Steven Guilbeault to make environmental racism a thing of the past by introducing a new Government Bill #EnvRacismGovernmentBillCanada2022. @s_guilbeault @justintrudeau (include Twitter handles for MPs)
#EnvRacismGovernmentBillCanada2022 I am calling on our MPs to urge the Minister of Environment to introduce a Government Bill to address environmental racism. This is our chance to show the world that Canada is a leader in addressing environmental racism @s_guilbeault @justintrudeau (include Twitter handles for MPs)
#EnvRacismBillCanada2022 All Canadians should have the power to control their environment. Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities should have a say in what happens in their communities. A new Government Bill would address this issue and will benefit everyone. @s_guilbeault @justintrudeau (include Twitter handles for MPs)
It’s time for Canada to clean up its act & I’m counting on the Canadian govt to make it happen. Please introduce and support #EnvRacismGovernmentBillCanada2022. @s_guilbeault @justintrudeau (include Twitter handles for MPs)
Twitter Handles, Facebook Pages & Phone Numbers for Canadian Politicians
Here are the Twitter handles, Facebook pages and phone numbers for Canadian politicians.
The Minister of Environment & Climate Change:
Twitter: @s_guilbeault
Email: ministre-minister@ec.gc.ca
Telephone: 819-938-3813
Address: Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada, Fontaine Building 12th floor, 200 Sacré-Coeur Blvd, Gatineau QC K1A 0H3
The Prime Minister:
Twitter: @justintrudeau
Email: justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca
Telephone: 514-277-6020
Phone Numbers & Addresses for MPs: https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/addresses
Contact Information for MPs:
Our Commons: https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/search
Open Parliament: https://openparliament.ca/politicians/