Minister's Speech

Speaking points for:

The Honourable John Gerretsen
Minister of the Environment

2009 College Chemistry Canada Conference – C₃ Awards
Centennial College Residence and Conference Centre

Toronto, ON
Thursday, May 28, 2009 (1:30 p.m.)

Thank you, Vicki.  (Minister to be introduced by Vicki Bismilla, Vice-President Academic and Chief Learning Officer, Centennial College)

Good morning, everyone.

It’s great to be here at Centennial College.

I bring greetings from Premier McGuinty.

On behalf of the Premier and our government, I want to congratulate Dr. Brad Pavelich, the winner of this year’s C₃ Award in Chemical Education.  I also want to congratulate Nikeel Raval and Matthew Johnston, who have been selected to receive C₃ scholarships.

As you know, chemistry has been called “the central science.” 

Chemistry helps us learn about contamination problems and their causes.  And it helps us find solutions.

Ontario is fortunate to have such dedicated teachers providing our young people with an excellent education.

You are helping prepare students for a career in chemistry – it’s one of the best choices they can make for their communities, as well as for this province and wherever they choose to work.

In fact, many staff at my ministry have strong backgrounds in chemistry.  Our labs are staffed by some 200 professionals who analyze tens of thousands of samples annually.

Together, educators and future chemists are helping create a strong economy and a healthy environment.

This is very important to me as Minister of the Environment.  The ministry I lead has been directed by the Premier to develop programs and policies that protect the environment while creating opportunities for sustainable growth.

So, whether you are a teacher or a student, you are helping transform Ontario and making our province a leader in the emerging green economy.

The term ‘green economy’ is becoming familiar to most people nowadays and it reflects the new world we’re living in.

We recognize that, in today’s world, a strong economy and a healthy environment are not mutually-exclusive goals.
 
It’s a world where economic growth and prosperity must go hand-in-hand with sound environmental stewardship.

It’s a world of bold thinking and strong leadership – from business, from government and from scientists and educators.

Chemistry has helped lay the foundations for this new world.

Thanks to the work of chemists and other scientists, we understand the need to act both locally and globally to protect our air, land and water.

One early example where chemical science played a large role was the fight against acid rain back in the 1980s. 

In those days, very little was being done about transboundary pollution.   We had to get the science right because we needed to work with our American friends to take action to prevent problems that were crossing borders.

Working through Ontario’s Countdown Acid Rain program, our chemists provided the information we needed to make a clear and convincing case for action on both sides of the border.  It showed we can create successful international partnerships based on good science.

Chemistry remains at the heart of the key issues we are dealing with at our ministry … and as a society.

The most obvious example is climate change – the principal environmental concern of our time.

Climate change threatens our ability to protect and sustain our natural resources as the basis for the health and prosperity of future generations.

It’s a global problem that involves working with other leading provinces and states, with our federal partners and the US government as well as internationally. 

But the foundation for this work remains basic chemistry – understanding the way chemicals interact in our atmosphere … determining where those contaminants originated … and predicting the environmental consequences.

Those consequences, of course, go well beyond the scope of chemical analysis – they include threats to virtually everything that constitutes a good quality of life.

A lot is riding on our ability to mobilize international action and we need the best possible science to make our case.

Scientists and researchers have told us that enough greenhouse gases have already been emitted into our atmosphere to ensure climate change will be with us for decades to come.  We know it’s here already and we need to find ways to adapt and protect our environment.

Work being done in your field is making Ontario a leader in climate change adaptation. 

Our ministry understands and appreciates the role of chemistry.  It’s at the foundation of all the scientific work we do. 

And we are committed to supporting the work of scientists and researchers in this vital field.

One way is through initiatives like our proposed Toxics Reduction Act, which depends on advances in chemistry to help transform industrial processes.  If passed, the act will set aside a total of $24 million for research to help Ontario industries find green chemistry alternatives and reduce the use of toxics in their operations.

We also recognize the importance of nurturing young talent in chemistry and other sciences.

Our ministry is one of the top employers in the province for co-op students from Ontario colleges and universities.

Another way we’re supporting chemistry research is through our Best in Science program.  It was created five years ago to keep our ministry at the forefront of environmental science by increasing our scientific expertise and capacity.

Best in Science is about collaborating with the broader scientific community – working with scientists, academics and students in all scientific disciplines.

Through Best in Science, we’re funding chemistry research to support some of the most important work we’re doing right now in areas like climate change, protecting drinking water sources and carrying out the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan. 

Much of this work we’re funding is being carried out by students, often working with scientists at the Ministry of the Environment.

It’s a great way for young scientists to gain valuable experience where the action is … and that’s certainly a good way to describe what happens in the labs at our ministry.

Today’s students will be making the advances in chemistry that will help address some of the greatest challenges we face today.

The environment industry is the fastest growing industrial sector in Canada ... and one of its key drivers is the work being done in the field of chemistry.

So when we come together today for today’s C₃ awards, we’re not just celebrating accomplishments by some very talented teachers and students. 

We’re also recognizing the role of Ontario’s post-secondary institutions in helping bring about a cleaner environment, healthier communities and a more prosperous future for our province.

Thank you.

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