Environmental Administration in Canada
| Author | O.P. Dwivedi |
| Published date | 01 June 1973 |
| Date | 01 June 1973 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/002085237303900206 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Environmental
Administration
in
Canada
*
UDC
351.777 :
351.791
(71)
by
O.P.
DWIVEDI,
Associate
Professor,
Department
of
Political
Studies,
University
of
Guelph
One
of
the
spill-over
effects
of
rapid
indus-
trial
growth
has
been
the
depletion
of
natural
resources
and
pollution
of
the
environment.
What
was
good
for
industries
was
also
thought
good
for
the
nation,
and
so
public
concern
and
governmental
action
to
foresee
the
im-
pending
environmental
crisis
was
slow
to
come.
It
was
in
the
late
1960’s
when
the
gravity
of
the
situation
became
imminent
and
public
pressure
was
mounted
to
bring
governmental
response
to
environmental
crisis.
To
control
pollution
and
its
further
occurr-
ences,
legislation
was
introduced
and
admin-
istrative
machinery
was
set
up.
This
paper
examines
the
background
which
led
to
the.
establishment
of
the
federal
Department
of
the
Environment
in
Canada.
Also
discussed
are
the
objectives
and
organizational
frame-
work
of
the
administrative
machinery,
con-
stitutional
issues
related
to
environmental
matters,
and
international
aspects
of
envi-
ronmental
affairs.
The
paper
will
focus
on
the
environmental
pollution
issue
rather
than
on
those
issues
which
relate
to
physical
aspects
such
as
natural
resources
management,
parks
and
recreation,
land
use,
and
the
like.
Background
Prior
to
the
creation
of
a
national
organiza-
tion
for
protecting
Canadian
environment
any
federal
legislation
dealing
with
pollution
did
so
in
an
indirect
manner.
The
only
exception
was
the
Boundary
Water
Treaty
of
1909
concluded
between
the
United
States
and
Great
Britain
which
established
an
Inter-
national
Joint
Commission
to
recommend
measures
dealing
with
control
of
pollution
in
The
Great
Lakes
and
other
areas
of
boundary
*
Financial
support
for
this
study
was
provided
by
the
National
Advisory
Committee
on
Water
Resources
Research.
The
opinions
expressed
here
are
those
of
the
author
and
do
not
necessarily
reflect
the
views
of
Environment
Canada.
waters.
The
Canadian
public
became
con-
cerned
about
polluted
water
and
air
much
later
than
their
counterparts
south
of
the
borders
where
the
pollution
crisis
has
been
in
the
public
mind
for
the
last
several
years.
As
such,
environmental
problems
did
not
play
a
major
part
in
Canadian
politics
until
the
late
1960’s
when
general
public
and
mass
media
made
them
an
important
issue.
The
late
public
reaction
in
Canada
with
respect
to
pollution
of
environment
may
be
attributed
to
the
fact
that
a
country
with
the
largest
supply
of
the
world’s
fresh
water
(covering
291,000
square
miles),
the
land
area
being
second
largest
among
all
countries
and
serving
only
about
1/170th
of
the
world
population,
appeared
to
have
immense
re-
sources
for
all
imaginable
needs
of
the
public
and
industrial
demands.
However,
the
Cana-
dians
were
quick
to
learn
from
the
mistakes
of
their
counterparts
south
of
the
border
for
not
taking
adequate
care
of
their
environment.
A
National
Conference
on
Pollution
and
Our
Environment,
organized
by
the
Canadian
Council
of
Resource
Ministers
in
1966,
brought
national
attention
to
the
nature,
extent
and
effects
of
environmental
pollution.
Interest
groups
such
as
Pollution
Probe
of
Toronto
joined
in
the
battle
for
increased
governmental
action
on
environmental
issues.
These
efforts,
including
opposition
parties’
demand
for
immediate
action,
resulted
in
the
passing
of
the
Canada
Water
Act
of
1970,
Canada
Clean
Air
Act
of
1971,
and
the
De-
partment
of
the
Environment
Act
of
1971.
Between
the
1966
National
Conference
and
1971,
not
only
the
Canadian
Federal
Govern-
ment
but
also
many
provincial
governments
took
significant
legislative
measures
to
estab-
lish
administrative
machinery
for
controlling
pollution
within
their
respective
jurisdictions.
It
would
be
erroneous
to
say
that
absolutely
no
attentionwas
paid
by
the
federal
government
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