At the beginning of a new year, it’s common to look ahead, make resolutions, set goals and make plans. The CAPE Toxics Program Team will share some of our intentions with you! First, let’s take a look back at 2023 and celebrate what we accomplished together for toxics prevention, better human and environmental health, and environmental justice.

Last year, our wish-list included:

• support to grow our toxics program team, 
• create targeted actions to communicate with decision-makers, and 
• embed environmental justice principles in our work. 

You answered the call and now we can see how these wishes came true.

It wasn’t magic that made it happen – it was the collective efforts and sustained advocacy by the CAPE community and our allies. We tackled some of the most timely and powerful means for toxics prevention in Canada. We hope that you will see the magic in this snapshot of what was accomplished as we came together. We made a lot of magic worth celebrating!

 

Canada’s Cornerstone Environmental Law Was Updated After More Than 20 Years!

In a long-awaited and aggressively pursued change, we reached a landmark victory in June 2023 with the Royal Assent of Bill S-5, which modernized Canada’s leading environmental law, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). The CAPE community was an important part of this work, testifying before the Senate and House Environment Committees, sending thousands of emails to the Minister of Environment and MPs, meeting face to face with MPs and Senators during AMP Lobby Day, writing Op-Eds and more. We campaigned with our allies in the Coalition for Action on Toxics (CAT) and in other health, environment and justice organizations for strengthening amendments to Bill S-5 to make the most out of this once-in-more-than-20-years update to CEPA and were successful in advocating for a number of important changes to CEPA. 

While there is more to be done to further strengthen CEPA – including developing an implementation framework for the new right to a healthy environment and a potential second CEPA Reform Bill – this update to the Act was an important step forward for human health, environmental protection and justice. You can get a sense of the journey in this video shared during the CAT Annual Meeting in November.

 

Pesticides Regulators Asked To Take Human Health and Justice Considerations Seriously

CAPE has a long history of advocating for improvements to the regulatory framework for pesticides in Canada. We carried on this legacy in various ways last year, including as a stakeholder in the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) Transformation Agenda process and as a signatory on submissions to the PMRA on various substances of concern. 

We also sent targeted letters to the relevant Ministers and supported a petition to ban the herbicide glyphosate. Our support was part of the broader effort led by the team behind the film “Into the Weeds” and that resulted in over 18,000 signatures in support of the ban. While a ban is not yet in place, our work continues to build on this momentum. Watch video testimony screened at the media event following the tabling of the glyphosate petition as CAPE co-founder Dr. Warren Bell discusses his experience with a patient exposed to glyphosate, and Toxics Program Director Jane McArthur outlines why CAPE supports a ban. 
 

Our Capacity to Address Human Health and Justice Impacts of Extraction Work Grew!

The CAPE Toxics Team grew in 2023! Our new Fossil Fuel Extraction Campaign Manager, Dakota Norris, is a member of the Gwich’in Nation with several years of experience working across youth, Indigenous and climate spaces, often leading research and projects at their intersection. With this staff addition, we began work on the “Place-Based Power Project” in partnership with Keepers of the Water and Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition to amplify the health and justice impacts of extraction activities, specifically fracking in Northern B.C. and tar sands tailing ponds in AB and NWT. An announcement with the official launch of the project is coming soon. In the meantime, you can learn about the project and follow along with development on the project page.
 

A Home for Toxics Prevention Activities

Following the development of an updated theory of change for the Toxics Program and a visioning exercise to clarify where our energies were best placed, we launched a new landing page for the Preventing Toxics Exposures Program. The page reflects the key areas of focus for the program and will be updated as time goes on to capture the evolution of the campaigns and projects. Visit today and keep coming back to see what we’re up to!
 

Toxics Prevention Advocacy Takes Many Forms 

The shape of CAPE community advocacy was diverse and broad reaching in 2023!  Among other activities, we:

• Made numerous submissions to the government, provided expert witness testimony, and contributed to various campaigns
• Sent thousands of emails, lobbied MPs and Senators and engaged in public discourse 
• Published op-eds and had influential media coverage in major publications 
• Broadened awareness and mobilization by doctors, health and environmental advocates and the general public through campaign materials, webinars, conferences, academic presentations and film screenings
• Garnered increased support via volunteer time, donations and foundation financial support
• Participated in numerous coalitions and their actions aimed at toxic exposure prevention and environmental health and justice promotion.

(If you would like to see our 2023 activities listed in greater detail click here)

 

Intentions and Plans for 2024

We hope you will join and support our efforts as we: 

• dig deeper into the Place Based Power Project, 
• contribute to the development of the right to a healthy environment implementation framework under the updated CEPA, 
• continue to seek a centering of environmental, human health & justice concerns at the Pest Management Regulatory Agency including through a commitment to use reduction, identifying clear deliverables for the Global Biodiversity Framework Target 7, 
• development of a national environmental justice strategy, 
• introduction of a second CEPA reform bill, 
• action aimed at plastics reductions, reducing pollution and improving indoor air quality.

In order to make these things happen, we have a 2024 wish list that includes: 

• Growing our capacity to develop powerful communications materials about the need for action to prevent toxic exposures
• Amplifying the voices of communities leading on developing solutions for improving health and environmental justice
• Supporting collaborative action on pollution solutions between physicians and impacted peoples

 

Make A Wish – and Share it With Us!

What are your wishes for 2024? We’d love to know! Drop us a line anytime to share your hopes for the toxics work for the coming year, to tell us your thoughts about what we’re doing, or ask questions about the work and how you can be more involved. How do you want to be engaged – more blog posts, webinars, campaign updates, calls to action? Let us know. 

Looking forward to another year of the magic that comes when we join our efforts for toxics prevention and a healthier environment and the people who are part of it!
 

Sincerely, 

The Toxics Team:
Dr. Jane E. McArthur, PhD, Toxics Program Director, jane@cape.ca
Dakota Norris, Fossil Fuel Extraction Campaign Manager, dakota@cape.ca