|
You are here:
Home > About
Us > Environment Canada On-Line > 2005
Report
Environment Canada’s 2005 Report
on Government On-Line
Environment Canada remains committed to delivering timely, accurate, and relevant environmental information and services to a diverse range of clients and partners through all delivery channels, including the Internet. We are pleased to provide Canadians with this update on how Environment Canada is making effective and innovative use of its Internet presence to reach out to Canadians and provide them with the services they are seeking.
Environment Canada already provides a well established link to weather and environmental information and services through our Web site (www.ec.gc.ca). In the spirit of continuous improvement Environment Canada has launched an initiative called Better Serving Canadians through the Internet Channel. As a result of this initiative, Environment Canada will provide more integrated and responsive environmental information and services to Canadians, tailored in some cases to specific clients' such as business, youth and educators and volunteers.
Here are this year's highlights:
- Changing How We Work: We understand that only by transforming our business processes will we increase the relevance of our services to clients and citizens. Service is based on the premise that the better we can "connect" Environment Canada's science, policies, regulations, information and advice to Canadians, the more effective Canada will be in achieving environmental results that contribute to our high quality of life. Environment Canada is committed to managing and sharing knowledge creatively and encouraging innovation to better serve Canadians now and in the future.
- Strategic Alliances and Partnerships: The environment crosses all boundaries and progress can only be made by government and civil society working together. We continue to seek out new alliances and partnerships and strengthen and build on those already in place. Our partnership with other government departments and jurisdictions reflects our commitment to Canadians to provide integrated environment related information services.
- Canadians Involved with their Environment: Environment Canada provides many ways for Canadians to learn about their environment and to become actively engaged.
- Government On-Line: Environment Canada has met the 2005 Government of Canada deadline for the Government On-Line Initiative. We have met our commitment with our services related to Information on Air Quality and Pollutants, Regulations and Permits and Weather. We have also reached our target for our 2005 Government On-Line service related to water.
Changing How We Work
Developed as an online service, the Species at Risk Act (SARA) Public Registry is a gateway to information and documents relating to the Act. In addition, it provides a convenient forum for submitting comments on documents being developed by the Government of Canada under SARA. In 2004, a number of new documents were added to the Public Registry, which led to an increase in visits to the Web site.
Currently, work is underway towards improving this service by providing clients with the ability to apply for a SARA permit through the Public Registry. Once the integration is complete, clients will be able to apply online for a permit to engage in an activity affecting a listed wildlife species. This service transformation will ensure that SARA permits are processed effectively and efficiently, in a way which meets the needs of Canadians.
Significant work has taken place to renew the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). Active consultation with industrial and commercial companies on how to streamline their electronic reporting on releases, disposal and recycling of pollutants continues. This ensures that the reporting system remains client-focused and efficient.
Strategic Alliances and Partnerships
Environment Canada has a long history of developing strategic alliances and partnerships, both within government and with others, in order to provide Canadians with environmental information they need and want so they can make informed decisions about their environment.
We continue to work with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) on their Science
and Technology Clusteron the Canada site which provides single window access to government science and technology information.
Environment Canada also contributes to the Public
Safety Portalwhich provides information and services on public safety and security in Canada.
RésEau – Building Canadian Water Connections was a two year demonstration project led by Environment Canada in partnership with Health Canada and Natural Resources Canada. The goal of RésEau was to develop and demonstrate the partnerships and information frameworks needed to identify, manage, integrate and disseminate water-based environmental data and information to all Canadians via the Internet. RésEau was released on March 31st, 2006.
The Convention on Biological Diversity has established an international clearing-house mechanism (CHM) to ensure that all governments have ready access to the information and technologies they need for their work on biodiversity. As the official Canadian component of the CHM, the Canadian Biodiversity Information Network (CBIN) brings together seekers and providers of information on biological diversity. Among the array of initiatives highlighted on CBIN in 2004 was the new Invasive Alien Species Strategy for Canada, along with a number of provincial biodiversity strategies. On CBIN, one can search, by keyword, for information on Canadian activities related to implementing the Convention and the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy. The material accessible through CBIN comes from anyone wishing to share biodiversity-related information, with each information provider retaining responsibility for inputting, maintaining, and updating their information.
Canadians Involved with their Environment
Every year, each Canadian produces, on average, five tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Visit http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/onetonne/english to find ways to use less energy, save money, improve air quality and protect our environment. You'll find a Calculator that helps estimate your annual greenhouse gas emissions, a Tips Guide with ideas on how to save money and energy, and a listing of energy-efficiency incentives and rebates from governments, utilities and the private sector. You can also test your knowledge by playing the KnowZone Trivia Game. Plus, find out how others are taking action to reduce their emissions, and submit your own ideas.
The Weather On-Line Initiativeprovides one-window access to weather forecasts, warnings and other environmental information tailored to a number of audiences. Over the coming year, the focus will be on sustaining the infrastructure to meet the growing information demand for this service by Canadians.
EnviroZine,
Environment Canada's monthly online newsmagazine, offers Canadians reliable and comprehensive information on today's environmental issues. Each edition includes feature articles, a section for youth, ideas for how to get involved and a question and answer section. Each article contains related links to more information on Environment Canada's Web site and other relevant Internet sites. Readers can subscribe
to the free newsletter to receive monthly updates on the news affecting Canada's environment.
Environment Canada now provides one window access to volunteer programs available within the Department. Opportunities to volunteer reflect the diversity of Canadian environmental concerns, including wildlife, weather and environmental action. The site provides online resources to enable Canadians to join Environment Canada's team of "citizen volunteers".
The National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) Network is a federal/provincial/territorial/regional air quality monitoring program, which collects air quality data from across Canada. The Network permits NAPS agencies to more readily transmit and share data on air quality with the public, which translates into Canadians accessing better information related to air quality within their local areas. The NAPS Web site features a mapping application for Canadians to visually locate NAPS participating air quality monitoring stations in their area. This Web site also features seamless retrieval and graphing of historical summary air quality data for any of the participating NAPS stations.
As part of our efforts to improve the access to environmental release information, we developed the National
Pollution Release Inventory Communities Portal.
This portal provides Canadians with different data search capabilities, including an interactive on-line mapping tool to help them find out more about pollutant releases, disposal, recycling and pollution prevention in their community by companies and organizations in Canada. This portal provides Canadians with the tools to make knowledgeable decisions related to their health, environment, and quality of life.
Government On-Line
Environment Canada remains committed to meeting its targets for the 2005 Government of Canada deadline for the Government On-Line Initiative. While the following examples illustrate that Environment Canada has embraced the Internet as a way of providing environmental information and services, our work is far from over. The needs of Canadians vary and change over time, so we too are in a state of evolution and change – the one constant being our commitment to provide Canadians with the right services in the right way at the right time.
The Weather On-Line Initiative provides single window access to weather forecasts, warnings and other environmental information tailored to a number of audiences. Usability improvements to weather radar content in late December 2003 led to a ten-fold increase in demand for weather radar data. This translates to as many as 4 million visits to weather radar content during peak months. The weather
Web site continues to grow in popularity among Canadians. In comparison with 2003, an increase of about 30% in web traffic occurred bringing our average to 400,000 visits per day with major peaks on significant weather days. Environment Canada continues to be seen as the official source of weather information by its web visitor's. We are currently focusing our efforts on improving the site's dependability and capacity to meet the challenges of providing real-time access to weather and environmental information for an ever-increasing volume of web visitors.
The On-Line initiative on Freshwater, continued to provide Canadians with one-window access to water-related information tailored to specific client groups. The wealth of information geared to the general public, educators, students and the media, was complemented this year by the addition of five case studies highlighting best practices on source water protection in Canada, which offered decision-makers the benefit of others' experiences. The 2001 Municipal Water Use Database and summary report were also released. This information is used by policymakers, planners and researchers to provide an indication of the general status of Canadian water use, pricing, metering, and water and wastewater infrastructure facilities and programs. The launch, in August 2005, of the 2004 Municipal Water and Wastewater Survey will ensure that the collection and analysis of this kind of data continues.
In collaboration with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service, continues to present a range of information on wildlife and wildlife conservation on the Hinterland Who's
Who Web site. The site includes fact sheets on wildlife species and related topics, materials for educators, and videos and sound clips of many of the featured wildlife species. It also seeks to engage Canadians through interactive polls on environmental issues and the ability to submit stories on users' experiences with wildlife.
For more information
Previous Reports:
Mail:
Inquiry Centre
70 Crémazie
Hull, Québec
K1A 0H3
Telephone/Fax:
Telephone: (819) 997-2800 or 1-800-668-6767 (Canada)
TTY: (819) 994-0736 (Teletype for hearing impaired)
Fax: (819) 994-1412
Email: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
|
