Duguid lands dream job as environment minister

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This article was published 15/03/2025 (236 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — After being sworn in as Canada’s new environment and climate change minister on Friday, Terry Duguid got right down to business.

The longtime environmentalist, who represents a Winnipeg riding, tackled the controversial carbon tax.

“The consumer carbon tax will go down to zero on April 1,” he said.

“I signed a regulation as my first act as minister, along with what Prime Minister (Mark Carney) did today… families will get one more cheque because they expected it, they planned their finances around it.”

Carney officially became prime minister at a ceremony on Friday with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon. He appointed a much smaller cabinet than his predecessor Justin Trudeau — 23 ministers, down from 36.

In the dying days of Trudeau’s term, Duguid was made sport minister, in December. In addition to getting promoted, he is the only cabinet minister from the Prairies.

“Yes, I am pinching myself,” Duguid said during a phone interview. “It really is a dream come true after working in the field for almost all my adult life.

“It is such an honour to protect the environment for Manitobans, for Canadians, while growing our economy and making sure life is affordable for Manitobans and Canadians alike.”

While the consumer carbon tax is disappearing, the government’s fight against climate change continues.

“We are committed to our international target,” he said. “We will still have a carbon price on industrial emissions and big polluters and we will be providing a positive incentive to consumers to reduce their energy footprint.”

Mike Moyes, Manitoba’s environment and climate change minister, called it a win for the province.

“Minister Duguid has done a lot of great advocacy on our province’s behalf, specifically around water and our environment, so I think it is a really good fit.”

Both Moyes and Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham, hope the appointment also leads to more funding for the $3-billion upgrade of the North End sewage treatment centre.

“We’ve been able to secure $166 million more in federal funding (as) a direct result of Minister Duguid’s efforts.

“(He) understands how critical it is that we fund and build the North End plant … We only have four or six years of capacity left. We need to it protect Lake Winnipeg and the rivers.”

Eric Reder, of the Wilderness Committee, applauded Duguid’s appointment.

“He’ll be in an excellent position to help First Nations in Manitoba realize their conservation goals (and he) has long championed water and specifically, Lake Winnipeg.”

Two of Duguid’s colleagues offered their congratulations.

“I think it was in his wildest dreams he would have loved to be environment minister, and now he is. He cares more about Lake Winnipeg than anyone in Manitoba and he has been concerned about the environment for decades. I’m very happy to learn that he got this,” Winnipeg North MP Kevin Lamoureux said.

Winnipeg South Centre MP Ben Carr said: “Terry Duguid’s entire career has been dedicated to public service, with a focus on environmental stewardship and sustainability. He is the best choice to serve around the cabinet table in this capacity.”

In Ottawa, Churchill-Keewatinook Aski NDP MP Niki Ashton took a swipe at the new cabinet.

“This cabinet is about as conservative as a vision as you can get for this country,” Ashton said.

Duguid’s environmental roots run deep. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in biology and a master’s degree in environmental science. He has chaired the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission and was president of Sustainable Development International.

He was the founding president of the International Centre for Infectious Diseases and was part of a task force whose work led to the National Microbiology Laboratory being located in Winnipeg.

Duguid pushed for the creation of the Canada Water Agency and, once it was decided it would be established, that it be located in Winnipeg. Last year, the federal government announced it would be based here and a downtown office is already being set up. As minister, that agency will report to him.

Duguid’s political career began in 1989, when he was elected to city council. He rose to be chairman of the civic public works committee and helped create the city’s recycling program.

Duguid ran for mayor, but was defeated by Susan Thompson in 1995.

After that, he was president and CEO of Gateway North International and oversaw the transfer of the Port of Churchill and the rail line to the community to a new owner.

On three occasions, Duguid ran unsuccessfully for a federal seat. In 2015, he was elected in Winnipeg South during the Liberal sweep to a majority government.

Paul Thomas, a professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba, said Duguid is a good choice for the environment portfolio “given his passion for this topic, and his long experience with the file of Lake Winnipeg.”

“It is good to have someone around the table who can speak for Manitoba at the cabinet table. There are other provinces which do not have that.”

Alberta and Saskatchewan do not have a federal minister.

» Winnipeg Free Press