The Honourable Stéphane Dion

Minister of the Environment

Saint-Laurent Cartierville (Quebec)

First elected in a 1996 by-election, Stéphane Dion was re-elected in 1997, 2000 and 2004.
Mr. Dion obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from Laval University in 1977 and 1979, respectively. Stéphane Dion received his doctorate in sociology from the Institut d'études politiques in Paris. He taught at the University of Moncton in 1984, and from 1984 to January 1996 he was a professor of political science at the Université de Montréal.
On Jan. 25, 1996, Mr. Dion was sworn in as President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, a position he held until Dec. 12, 2003. He was named Minister of the Environment on July 20, 2004.
Since being named Minister of the Environment, Mr. Dion has been working to ensure the highest level of environmental quality while enhancing the health and well-being of Canadians. 

In April 2005, Canada launched an updated climate change plan to honour its Kyoto commitment.  In July 2005 the Notice of Intent to Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions was released to show how the government intends to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from major industrial sources.  Canada is also playing host to the Eleventh Conference of the Parties (CoP 11) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in late 2005.  At Cop 11 Canada will attempt to lead discussion among countries to determine the longer term global approach on climate change after 2012.

In June 2005, Mr. Dion announced $9.2 million in funding to help protect species at risk and their habitat.  In July 2005, 32 terrestrial species and 7 aquatic species were added to Schedule 1, the list of species protected under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).

In 2005, Canada introduced its greenest budget ever by investing $5 billion for the environment over five years.  In August 2005, Mr. Dion announced that the Government of Canada is investing $138.7 million in measures to help remediate 97 priority contaminated sites under federal responsibility across Canada.

As Minister for the Parks Canada Agency, Mr. Dion is responsible for the protection of Canada's heritage places.  He has announced agreements that expand Tuktut Nogait National Park of Canada and will lead to the creation of the Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve of Canada, thereby expanding Canada’s protected areas by 11,550 square kilometres.  Mr. Dion has completed the establishment of Gros Morne National Park of Canada and also announced nearly $50 million for ecological integrity restoration and species at risk projects in national parks, many of which involve Aboriginal partners.  Key aspects of Canada’s rich cultural heritage have been commemorated through the Minister’s designation of 12 sites, 7 events and 6 persons of national historic importance, and $24 million will be invested to honour the 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec in 2008.  Minister Dion has championed the protection of built heritage in communities, approving 22 contributions under the Commercial Heritage Properties Incentive Fund with a total potential investment value of $10 million.  He has approved $46 million to advance the Historic Places Initiative, a program established with the unanimous support of all provincial and territorial governments.  Mr. Dion has also secured $389 million in new funding for major projects related to protecting the Agency’s $7.1 billion in capital assets, such as the twinning of portions of the Trans Canada Highway through Banff National Park of Canada.

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