Details on transfer payment programs under $5 million

A suite of grants under the Program of Energy Research and Development (PERD) and the Energy Innovation Program (EIP), totaling approximately $744,000, was used for memberships in international organizations including the International Energy Agency (IEA), Centre for Energy Advancement through Technological Innovation International, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and Energy Frontiers International.

Grants also supported NRCan participation in collaborative research projects on utility regulations, grid operations, and electric vehicle technology run through the Centre for Energy Advancement through Technological Innovation (CEATI), the Canadian Gas Association (CGA) and Canadian Electricity Association (CEA).

Energy Efficiency Program:

Grants under this funding authority allowed for projects which contributed to the delivery of Canada’s commitments as co-chair of various initiatives under the Clean Energy Ministerial by supporting the ongoing analysis, capacity building and other activities undertaken by the IEA in their role of operating agent of such initiatives.

These grants also enabled research on user-centred energy systems, facilitated international discussions, and supported Canada’s participation in the International Energy Agency’s 4E Implementing Agreement.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

No evaluation is currently planned for this program given its low materiality. The program will continue to be considered in NRCan’s annual departmental evaluation planning.

• Natural resources sectors are innovative
• Clean technologies and energy efficiencies enhance economic performance
• Canada’s natural resources are sustainable
• Enhanced competitiveness of Canada’s natural resources sectors

• Forest Sector Competitiveness

• Support the scale up of Canadian small businesses through early-stage, pre-commercial Research and Development.
• Develop a domestic market for early-stage, pre-commercial innovations
• Facilitate the subsequent testing and validation of prototypes, as well as prepare a pathway to commercialization and purchase of novel new products by government and non-government customers.
• Fund the development and commercialization of new technology to address specific problems identified by the funding department.
• Foster greater industry-research collaboration through the release of challenges for solutions that address key Government of Canada priorities.

This Program does not include repayable contributions.

The Government of Canada will ensure that Indigenous peoples are meaningfully consulted and, where appropriate, impacts on their rights and interests are mitigated and/or accommodated.

This funding will allow NRCan to conduct Crown-Indigenous consultations with Indigenous groups on natural resource projects that require a decision by the Governor in Council.

Non-repayable contributions (neither TMX Accommodations, nor Interim Principles).

During 2021-22, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) established 27 new Contribution Agreements (CAs) with Indigenous groups as part of this program, in addition to 51 CAs established in 2020-21 and 22 CAs in 2019-20.

In 2021-22, NRCan delivered participant funding to Indigenous groups in support of the Phase III Crown-Indigenous consultations for two of the three Nova Gas Transmission Line (NGTL) System Expansion: NGTL North Corridor and NGTL Edson, in order to support meaningful consultations with Indigenous groups potentially impacted by the Projects.

Funding was also provided for the Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project (MMTP) Terrestrial and Cultural Studies Initiative (TCSI), a policy-based accommodation measure.

Further, as identified in the NGTL 2021 GIC project decision, NRCan extended the Terrestrial Cumulative Effects Initiative (TCEI) to Indigenous groups on the NGTL 2021 Crown list.  Five of the 27 new CAs established in 2021-22 under this program were for this accommodation measure aimed at monitoring the cumulative impacts on the environment.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

No evaluation is currently planned for this program, as it is low materiality and low need for evaluation due to extensive recent evaluation work on closely related programs. The program will continue to be considered in NRCan’s annual departmental evaluation planning exercise.

Throughout 2021-22, NRCan regularly engaged recipients via email and phone to ensure compliance with the requirements of the contribution agreements and to support access to funding in a timely manner.

Engagements for delivery of this funding is also supported by NRCan staff responsible for leading consultations related to the Projects.

• Encourage and accelerate innovation in the natural resources sectors;
• Assist in the protection of our natural resources, encourage and develop new and more efficient techniques and technology for sustainable development of our natural resources;
• Provide for a better understanding and knowledge of our natural resources.

Contributions will not be repayable as they will be for projects whose primary aim is fundamental research, research and development, demonstration and other pre-commercial activities.

Since the Research terms and conditions provide a mechanism to further program objectives, the results were considered in the context of evaluations of the programs using this vehicle.

Actual results (outcomes) achieved are:

• 100% of users have reported that the Research Terms and Conditions were accessible
• 100% of users have reported that this mechanism met their needs.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

No evaluation is currently planned for this program given its low materiality. The program will continue to be considered in NRCan’s annual departmental evaluation planning exercise.

GeoConnections is an ongoing program with the mandate and responsibility to lead the evolution of the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) with standards-based technologies and operational policies for data sharing and integration to address key economic, social and environmental priorities.

Through regular Calls for Proposals, GeoConnections is co-funding the development of innovative adoption and further development of the CGDI with eligible recipients by using Non-Repayable Contributions.

The mandate of the GeoConnections program is that Canada has an effective geographic foundation, the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI), which enables the sharing and use of geospatial information about Canada's lands, peoples and natural resources to support economic, social and environmental priorities. Now in its ongoing phase, the program’s role is to maintain and evolve the CGDI. To this end, GeoConnections Program funded two recipients during fiscal year 2021-2022 following a competitive Announcement of Opportunity. Projects that were funded advanced CGDI innovation and improved CGDI’s socio-economic benefit by (1) keeping Canada at the leading edge of accessing, sharing and using geospatial information over the Internet and (2) supported the integration and use of geospatial data to support effective decision making.

The first project successfully authored and published a new made-in-Canada Open Geospatial Consortium best practice standard on methane sensor data exchange. It is a key enabling technology for methane emissions reduction.

The second project created a geospatial visualization platform and real-time data dashboards that included the translation of key terms and place names into Indigenous languages and French in order to make these easily accessible for evidence-based decision making.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

No evaluation is currently planned for this program, as it is low materiality and has been previously evaluated. The program will continue to be considered in NRCan’s annual departmental evaluation planning exercise.

GeoConnections engaged with potential recipients through the Announcement of Opportunity with an official web posting on the GeoConnections’ website as well as an email distribution of the Announcement. All queries were answered through the generic GeoConnections Contribution Agreements mailbox.

The two recipients were engaged and monitored through milestone and final reports, reviews, and online meetings/webinars/presentations.

Ongoing (TGI)

March 31, 2027 (GEM-GeoNorth)

• Geoscience for Sustainable Development of Natural Resources (TGI)
• Geological Knowledge for Canada’s Onshore and Offshore Lands (GEM-GeoNorth)

This transfer payment program covers two Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) geoscience programs, the Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI) and Geo-Mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM-GeoNorth).

The objective of the collaborative federal TGI geoscience program is to provide the Canadian mineral industry with the next generation of geoscience knowledge, innovative techniques and predictive models, which will result in more effective targeting of buried mineral deposits.

The objective of the GEM-GeoNorth Program is to help unlock the full mineral potential of Canada’s North and promote responsible land development in the region by mapping its geology. GEM-GeoNorth works with partners across Canada to develop new geoscience knowledge, tools and educational opportunities focusing on mineral potential, climate-resiliency, and sustainable land-use.

Both TGI and GEM-GeoNorth will provide grants to eligible recipients to conduct science that aligns with program outcomes, or to develop capacity-building opportunities for geoscience professionals; in the case of GEM-GeoNorth, part of this funding will be earmarked for Northern educational institutions. GEM-GeoNorth will also disburse grants to Northern and Indigenous organizations to develop opportunities and tools that enable access and use of geoscience knowledge by Indigenous peoples.

Most transfer payments made under this transfer payment program will be grants, but contributions may be allocated if NRCan deems it necessary to monitor progress and results, receive an accounting of the use of funds from the Recipient, and have the right to carry out a recipient audit or to request some other type of certification or audit assurance from the Recipient.

Grants and contributions will be non-repayable.

For GEM-GeoNorth, most of the grants provided in FY 2021-2022 will end in March 2023. For the few that ended in March 2022, with Northern academia proponents, they developed tools for Northern capacity building in geoscience, as per our eligible projects and activities. No gap occurred.

For TGI, eleven grants were provided in FY 2021-2022 and all extend to March 2023. These geoscience studies are providing scientific results complementary to on-going, internal program research and support enhanced understanding of the formation of critical and economically important mineral deposits, as well as innovative methods to target them. No gaps occurred.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

Evaluation of Geoscience for Sustainable Development of Natural Resources is planned for completion by March 2027.

Evaluation of Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals is planned for completion by September 2028.

GEM-GeoNorth: Communications with applicants and recipients are through emails and the program’s website. In 2021-2022, a call for proposals was launched, as well as receiving some unsolicited proposals. All were thoroughly reviewed and submitted to Senior Management for approval. Documentation is sent to recipients via emails. No difference occurred last fiscal year.

TGI management and its science advisory group completed a review of grant proposals for studies extending until March 2023. The program informed all applicants via email of the results of TGI grant proposal review process. Correspondence with grant recipients in fiscal year 2021-2022 was done primarily by email, with some communication by telephone. No differences occurred between actual and planned communication activities with grant applicants and recipients.

The purpose of the Grant is to support scholarships through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) network to attract post-secondary students from underrepresented groups to get training/education specific to the forest sector. 

The objectives of this partnership are threefold:

• Provide research opportunities in the Natural Science and Engineering to highly qualified individuals, particularly in the research and areas of relevance to NRCan;
• Address the diversity gap in the forest sector with research and training opportunities;
• Encourage postgraduate studies in the fields of forestry.

This transfer payment program does not have any repayable contributions.

No evaluation completed in 2021-22

No evaluation is currently planned for this program, as it is low materiality and will end in March 2023.

The objective of this program is to generate new knowledge through research and development to enable Canadian forest operators and wood product manufacturers to maintain and improve market access and reduce energy consumption and improve on environmental performance.

The program will also bring new and existing knowledge on issues of domestic and international codes and standards relating to wood products, their manufacture and use.

This program will be delivered through non-repayable contribution agreements.

In FY21-22, the program invested $2.3M in projects directly contributing to a more productive, cost effective and efficient Canadian forest sector.

In FY21-22, FRII achieved the following results:

• Developed an integrated mobile platform solution for a real-time forest inventory as well as a data augmentation tool for above canopy remote sensing platforms that is able to extract individual tree contour, estimate diameter along the visible stem and other possible tree metrics.
• Completed a technical report summarizing the efficacy of the new detection method of pathogens in wood products.
• Completed a technical report for the new slash recovery method which reduces the cost and improves recovery of residues created in cut-to-length harvesting operations

No evaluation in 2021-22.

Evaluation of Forest Sector Competitiveness Program is planned for completion by December 2024.

The purpose of the program is to increase Indigenous participation in economic development opportunities in order to contribute to a more environmentally and commercially sustainable natural resource sector.

The objective of the program is to increase the capacity of Indigenous communities to engage in and benefit from economic development arising from opportunities in the natural resource sectors, as well as to increase the investment and collaboration between Indigenous peoples and other natural resource development stakeholders, including governments, industry, and non-governmental organizations.

The IFI supports several Government of Canada priorities, including advancing Reconciliation and enhancing economic outcomes in Indigenous Communities.

At a departmental level, the program directly supports the Minister of Natural Resources’ mandated commitments to support forest sector competitiveness, advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and the Department’s

Program Activity 1.2 – Innovation for new products and processes and Sub-Program 1.2.2 – Forest sector innovation.

This program provides non-repayable contributions.

The Indigenous Forestry Initiative held a second call for proposal at the beginning of the 2021-22 fiscal year that closed at the end of July 2021, through which it received a record 136 proposals. The IFI funding request of $73M exceeded available program funding.

While the program expected to complete contribution agreements early December 2021, significant delays impacted the program’s ability to meet that deadline. NRCan has committed in excess of $7M through 2023-24 to 28 projects.

Results for the last full reporting year (2020-21) include:

Planning of New Businesses: 13

Expanding Businesses: 7

New Businesses: 5

Count of Capital Projects: 19

Count of Training Projects: 15

Joint Ventures (Indigenous Organizations Partnering with Non-Indigenous Organizations: 6

No evaluation in 2021-22.

An advisory review of the Indigenous Forestry Initiative is currently in progress. Evaluation of Forest Sector Competitiveness Program is planned for completion by December 2024.

In addition to typical New Releases and Social Media plans to announce the IFI 2021 call for proposals, NRCan staff hosted information webinars about the program.

In assessing applications submitted to the IFI, NRCan engages subject matter experts with a target of at least 75% Indigenous participation as experts.

The IFI features regionally-deployed Indigenous Forestry Liaison Officers who engage directly with Indigenous communities and interested applicants, to raise awareness of the program and other NRCan programs, and to support

Indigenous-led projects and partnerships planning.

NRCan participated at the 2022 Conference for the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO) to present the IFI’s performance to date and to engage with participants on new project ideas.

NRCan pays 50% of the operating costs of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board. The province pays the other 50%. This is done pursuant to section 28 of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act. The funds are drawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Cost recovery regulations put in place in 2016 allow the Board to cost recover up to 100% of eligible costs from industry, which are remitted to the government of Canada and the province of Nova Scotia on a 50-50 basis.

This transfer payment program does not have any repayable contributions.

The last cycle of the Continuous Audit of Offshore Revenues and Transfers was completed in October 2021.

As part of NRCan’s continuous audit framework, the Audit and Evaluation Branch conducts audits and reports annually on select processes. The Continuous Audit covering March 2020 to March 2021 found that 14 of 15 key controls tested were effective, while one was partially effective.

In respect of each fiscal year and pursuant to the Accord Acts, the Board is required to submit a budget request to Governments for approval by the Minister of NRCan and their provincial counterpart. NRCan officials engaged with the Board to understand the budgetary request and also consulted with the province.

NRCan provided in-kind support for web development and translation of web content. Any costs incurred by the CNSOPB for the provision of French language services are excluded from cost sharing agreements.

• Natural resource sectors are innovative
• Sustainable Forest Management

• Cumulative Effects
• Energy Safety and Security, and Petroleum Resources

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) engages with Indigenous groups in dialogues on issues related to its mandate. The contributions are intended to facilitate Indigenous participation in dialogues.

During these dialogues, Indigenous groups may raise issues relevant to natural resources, which will be tracked and assessed as the dialogue proceeds to determine whether they have been adequately addressed.

In the coming year, the focus will be on supporting research on woodland caribou habitat improvements, as it is considered threatened under the Species At Risk Act.

Between 2016-17 and 2020-21, the National Energy Board (NEB) Modernization’s Participant Funding Program (PFP) provided multi-year funding to 142 Indigenous groups to participate in the Environmental Assessment and

Regulatory Review related to the review of the National Energy Board Act. This funding supported Indigenous participation in various stages of Bill C-69 development and implementation.  In 2020-21, NRCan initiated final payments on legacy contribution agreements and will close out the last phase the PFP in 2022-23.

NRCan has provided funding to five First Nations across the country, to support research on woodland caribou, which is listed as threatened under the Species At Risk Act. This funding helps develop and implement community-driven approaches to conservation built on Indigenous Knowledge.

Indigenous groups are engaged with the Crown or its representative in dialogues related to NRCan’s mandate. Given these agreements are multi-year, expected results related to the protection of species at risk at NRCan include:

• Maps developed based on Indigenous Knowledge, to define caribou-preferred habitat;
• Caribou habitat restoration efforts linked to effectiveness monitoring will help inform restoration decisions;
• Following monitoring of results, draft restoration plan will be developed for each Saskatchewan region; and,
• Development of a community-led land-use plan.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

Interdepartmental Evaluation of TMX Phase IV Implementation, led by NRCan, is planned for completion by June 2022.

There was no engagement of applicants or recipients under the Canada Energy Regulator Regulatory Policy’s (formerly NEB Modernization) PFP.  As no new contribution agreements were issued under this phase of the program, the Department focused on issuing final payments and closing accounts with the very last payment and closure to take place in 2022-23.  Future engagement opportunities will be identified and launched through a new phase of the program, anticipated to start in 2022-23, when the Department is ready to proceed with meaningful engagement on legislation and regulations under development that support the efficient and effective implementation of the Canadian Energy Regulator Act.

Annual check-ins with TPP participants. Annual progress and financial reports have been or will be submitted for 2021-22 (all remaining reports are expected to be completed by August). There are also initiatives to share outcomes from TPP participants with the research community.

The purpose and objectives of this transfer payment program (TPP) are to:

• Secure domestic and cross border critical energy infrastructure assets and cyber systems upon which Canadians and businesses are dependent
• Strengthen the capability of the Canadian energy sector to prevent, prepare, respond to and recover from cyber threats

This TPP has non-repayable contributions.

Seven projects have been funded and are addressing a number of gaps in Industrial Control System cyber security in the energy sector, including:

• Supply chain risk management, including integrity assessment, counterfeit detection and conformance of Industrial Internet of Things devices;
• Identifying, evaluating, managing, and mitigating cyber risks;
• Access to timely information on cyber threats and vulnerabilities; and
• Monitoring and detecting cyber incident response.

During 2021-22, five projects were completed with project findings being distributed to government and industry stakeholders, while one project is still ongoing with results expected in 2022-23.

No audit in 2021-22.

Joint Audit and Evaluation of the Cyber Security and Critical Energy Infrastructure Program is planned for completion by March 2027.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

Joint Audit and Evaluation of the Cyber Security and Critical Energy Infrastructure Program is planned for completion by March 2027.

To increase awareness about the program, projects funded and expected outcomes, program officers have:

• Made presentations at various fora;
• Supported social media campaigns; and
• Engaged key federal, provincial, territorial stakeholders, industry representatives, and academia.

NRCan has facilitated discussion and collaboration with government and industry partners to support planning for projects. The Department continues to liaise with project proponents to support their work, highlight leadership and disseminate results.

The Department liaised with other federal departments supporting R&D programs (e.g., Public Safety Canada, Defense Research and Development Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) in order to help proponents maximize their funding opportunities and continue supporting energy sector cyber security and resilience.

Each project has unique performance indicators and contribution agreements requiring periodic progress reports, annual reporting and a final report. These are required when proponents submit claims for payment and describe how activities have contributed to achievement of project and program objectives, benefits and key performance indicators.

Opportunities to engage project proponents in domestic and international initiatives are being identified, as project deliverables are finalized. NRCan will also continue to engage ongoing project proponents to identify issues and mitigate risks as they arise.

The purpose of the program is to:

• Provide federal science leadership for the collaborative implementation of the Canadian Wildland Fire Strategy^{Footnote 1}, enabling research related to national wildfire risk assessment and analysis to provide information that is grounded in science, which makes strengthened decision-making possible.
• Enhance whole-of-society collaboration and governance to strengthen resilience.
• Increase focus on whole-of-society disaster prevention and mitigation activities to:
  • increase the resiliency of Canadian communities to the risks and impacts of natural disasters.
  • undertake and implement risk reduction analyses and actions.
  • ensure that wildfire response agencies are integrated with each other to implement an effective wildland fire response program.
  • increase the wildfire knowledge of agencies, communities and individuals in order to create a culture of wildfire safety and to empower the public to understand risk.

There are no repayable contributions under this program.

Program objectives were met, with a total of 18 agreements active in 2021-22, including multi-year and single-year agreements. A total of 39 reports and products of various kinds were produced, including 22 science reports, project reports and tools, and 17 information, outreach and coordination products.

Seven agreements were with Indigenous organizations or Indigenous-focused.

Agreements with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, the First Nations Evacuation Partnership (University of Alberta), and Bluesky Canada (Smoke modelling - University of British Columbia) were maintained as per commitments under the EMS program.

Through the products generated by this transfer payment program, the capacity of First Nations Communities to manage wildfire on their territories has been increased; scientific knowledge of wildfire risk including smoke plume transport have been enhanced, and the ability of provincial and territorial wildfire agencies to collaborate and support one another in wildfire management has been improved.

No audit in 2021-22.

Joint Audit and Evaluation of Disaster Risk Reduction is planned for completion by September 2025.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

Joint Audit and Evaluation of Disaster Risk Reduction is planned for completion by September 2025.

Evaluation of Wildfire Resilience Programs is planned for completion by March 2027.

In 2021-22, recipients and prospective applicants were engaged on an ongoing basis through various existing multi-stakeholder forums such as the:

• Canadian Council of Forest Ministers Wildland Fire Management Working Group
• Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Board of Directors and technical working groups.
• Canadian Partnership for Wildland Fire Science (Canada Wildfire)

Indigenous engagement was conducted through Canadian Forest Service Indigenous engagement officers, supported by CFS regional liaison officers, Indigenous elders-in-residence, and NRCan Nòkwewashk.

Recipients of multi-year agreements initiated prior to 2021-22 were engaged through regular reporting activities, and new prospective applicants were engaged via targeted outreach through regional science networks.

The installation of sensors in key-targeted areas will provide a basic earthquake early warning infrastructure and will permit monitoring of federally-critical infrastructure.

Funding will be made through Grants & Contributions to provinces, territories and municipalities in areas of high seismic hazard in order to strengthen the robustness of the national earthquake early warning system.

Contribution payments are non-repayable.

Initial funding for three multi-year projects was disbursed in 2021-22. These projects will improve EEW network coverage in British Columbia improving protection for First Nations and provincial critical infrastructure. A further project has the goal of providing research to inform improved public awareness of the nature of earthquake hazards.

Not all available funding was disbursed, delay in program preparation and in supply chains for recipients allowed initial work to be conducted on the approved projects. In addition, uptake for the program has been limited due to the fact that the core network provides sufficient coverage for most areas of concern.

No audit in 2021-22.

Joint Audit and Evaluation of Disaster Risk Reduction is planned for completion by September 2025.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

Evaluation of the Geoscience to Keep Canada Safe Program was completed in June 2022.

Joint Audit and Evaluation of Disaster Risk Reduction is planned for completion by September 2025.

The purpose of this grant is to fulfill the federal commitment to the operation of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), in order to improve wildland fire management in Canada through interagency cooperation in wildfire prevention, mitigation and operational response.

The objective of this grant is to provide wildland fire management services to CIFFC participating agencies through:

• Gathering, analysing and dissemination wildland fire management information to ensure a cost effective sharing of resources;
• Actively promoting, developing, refining, standardizing and providing services for the improvement of forest fire management in Canada;
• Sharing equipment, technical personnel and information intended to share risk and defray capital and operating costs related to wildland fire management in an effort to maximize program efficiency from national and provincial/territorial perspectives; and,
• Facilitating national wildland fire prevention and mitigation initiatives.

Prevention and Mitigation Strategy

• CIFFC’s Wildland Fire Prevention and Mitigation action plan was developed and approved by CIFFC’s Board of Directors. Based on the action plan, a business case was generated that outlines all the business and resource requirements of the FireSmart function. This business case was also supported and approved by CIFFC’s Management Committee and Board of Directors.
• The Wildland Fire Prevention and Mitigation action plan, along with the FireSmart business case will be used as guiding documents in CIFFC’s strategic plan renewal taking place 2022-23.

During the 2021 fire season CIFFC produced 128 Daily Situation Reports/National Preparedness Level assessments, and facilitated the exchange of:

• 13,000 100-foot lengths of hose
• 59 aircraft
• 200 pumps
• 118 sprinkler kits
• 200 hand tools
• 2,108 personnel, including 379 international (from Mexico, Australia, U.S.A. and South Africa)

No audit in 2021-22.

Joint Audit and Evaluation of Disaster Risk Reduction is planned for completion by September 2025.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

Joint Audit and Evaluation of Disaster Risk Reduction is planned for completion by September 2025.

Evaluation of Wildfire Resilience Programs is planned for completion by March 2027.

To advance the decommissioning of legacy uranium mine and mill tailings in the Province of Saskatchewan according to current regulatory standards.

To provide financial contributions to the Government of Saskatchewan for it to undertake decommissioning activities at the Gunnar uranium mine site. ^{Footnote 3}

This program does not contain any repayable contributions.

During 2021-22, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) reviewed Saskatchewan’s annual reports for the project and had one meeting with Saskatchewan to discuss progress on the project, both of which are required activities under the 2006 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). No other results were achieved.

$11.17 million in federal funding is available to be contributed in 2022-23 for the remediation and monitoring phases of the Project, subject to minor amendments being made to the 2006 MOA. Saskatchewan has not yet agreed to the amendments or accessed these funds, and they will be re-profiled to future years.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

No evaluation is currently planned for this program given its low materiality. The program will continue to be considered in NRCan’s annual departmental evaluation planning exercise.

NRCan reviewed Saskatchewan’s annual reports for the Project and met with Saskatchewan once during 2021-22 to discuss progress on the Project, as required under the 2006 MOA.

Canada filed an Amended Statement of Defence in August 2020 in response to Saskatchewan’s March 2020 Amended Statement of Claim. NRCan officials met with Saskatchewan officials for court-required mediation in September 2020. No further progress on the legal dispute was made in 2021-2022. The activities related to Saskatchewan’s legal actions are not planned activities outlined in the Departmental Plan.

No audit in 2021-22.

Joint Audit and Evaluation of Disaster Risk Reduction is planned for completion by September 2025.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

Joint Audit and Evaluation of Disaster Risk Reduction is planned for completion by September 2025.

Evaluation of Wildfire Resilience Programs is planned for completion by March 2027.

The $10M (over 5 years) challenge will incentivize rapid innovation in oil spill recovery technologies best suited to Canada’s unique oil products and environmental conditions. The ultimate outcome of this initiative is to enable effective and rapid oil spill recovery tailored to Canadian conditions and needs.

The Oil Spill Recovery Challenge is using an innovative prize-based approach that:
Includes significant stakeholder engagement for joint problem framing and informing of the Challenge design elements to ensure a successful launch and implementation.

Improves pace and paths to commercialization of new oil spill recovery technologies.

Grants and contribution payments made under this program are non-repayable.

No audit in 2021-22.

Joint Audit and Evaluation of the Oil Spill Recovery Technology Development Program is planned for completion by June 2025.

No evaluation in 2021-22.

Joint Audit and Evaluation of the Oil Spill Recovery Technology Development Program is planned for completion by June 2025.

In line with the Impact Canada design process previously used for other NRCan Challenges, extensive discussions with stakeholders in Canada and internationally were held in 2020 and in spring/summer 2021 to refine the design elements and Challenge criteria. Delays between these two periods of stakeholder engagement and consultation were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shortly after launching the Challenge in March 2022, a webinar was offered in both official languages to present information on the Challenge and to address questions from prospective applicants. Over 115 prospective applicants attended these virtual sessions, and a recording of the presentation was made available online. An Applicant Guide was also published in both official languages to provide additional guidance.

Energy Efficiency (For EMP): April 1, 2017

Renewable Energy and Electricity Technologies Programs (for CERRC): April 1, 2021

Energy Efficiency (For EMP): March 31, 2022

Renewable Energy and Electricity Technologies Programs (for CERRC): March 31, 2026

CERRC: 2020-2021

EMP: 2020-21

CERRC: Clean technologies and energy efficiencies enhance economic performance

EMP: Clean technologies and energy efficiencies enhance economic performance

CERRC: Energy Efficiency, Electricity Resources

EMF: Energy Efficiency, Electricity Resources

This funding is sought to return a portion of the fuel charge revenues to Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick by providing funding support to small and medium-sized enterprises, municipalities, universities, colleges, schools, hospitals, Indigenous communities and not-for-profit organizations to reduce energy usage and achieve cost savings while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It also serves to support administrative functions to operate the Fund and the Energy Manager Program.

Since the Outreach & Engagement authority is a mechanism to further program objectives, the funding disbursed through the Outreach and Engagement activities was considered in the context of evaluations of the programs to which the funded projects align.

Actual results (outcomes) achieved are that:

• 94% of users reported that they were able to access the Outreach and Engagement Terms and Conditions;
• 94% of users reported that terms and conditions allowed them to fund projects, which they would not have otherwise.

Funding for the Energy Manager Program ended March 31, 2022. Results in 2021-22 include:

• 21 projects completed; proponents will report energy savings for 3 years following completion of the project
• 18 energy managers hired
• Over 16 energy assessments completed

No evaluation in 2021-22.

Evaluation of the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities Program is planned for completion by June 2023.

Evaluation of the Energy Efficiency Program is planned for completion by November 2025.

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients rely directly from those in place within the programs, which make use of this funding mechanism to further program objectives.
NRCan ran a two-month long request for proposals from August 1, 2019, to September 30, 2019.

NRCan worked with partners, stakeholders, and industry associations to promote the program. A project proposal template along with guidance material was provided to solicit core project information, as well as supplemental information that enabled informed funding decisions.

To ensure adequate access to skilled professionals to guide the energy projects, relevant organizations were engaged to increase the supply of qualified energy managers and to promote knowledge sharing and excellence among energy managers, including with Indigenous communities.