June 5, 2026 - Gatineau, Quebec
This week, Canadians are marking Canadian Environment Week, recognizing that collective efforts at home and around the world contribute to a healthier, more sustainable future.
Today, the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, announced that the Government of Canada will invest over $4 million in funding from the Environmental Damages Fund in 12 projects in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. These projects will focus on restoring or improving the natural environment, supporting wildlife, improving environmental quality, and advancing research and development leading to restoration.
Led by environmental non-profit organizations, Indigenous organizations, universities, and municipalities, these projects will:
- Engage more than 8,000 participants and over 132 community partner organizations in project activities, including collaborations with youth, Indigenous communities, and small businesses
- Monitor, assess, and direct studies across extensive wildlife habitat, including the total area of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Grand Banks area, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves
- Provide restoration and management activities on over 110,000 hectares of habitat, which equals roughly the size of the City of Calgary
- Improve environmental quality on more than 15 hectares of habitat, equivalent to about 28 football fields
- Reduce or divert more than 27,000 kilograms of toxic or harmful waste from the environment
The Environmental Damages Fund uses fines from environmental infractions to support projects that will benefit Canada's natural environment, usually in the area where the violation occurred. These funds are directed into measurable and meaningful projects that restore the environment and protect wildlife and their habitats, demonstrating how environmental harm can be turned into environmental healing.
