Land Matters Group

The best way to stay in touch with LMG updates, events and activities is to subscribe to LMG News – an email newsletter to all registered members.

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) is committed to engaging Canadians on land matters. To that end, the Land Matters Group (LMG) was established in 2011 to bring together people who have similar needs and interests.

The LMG operates as a two-way conduit of information between the CER and LMG members by providing participants with opportunities to share insight and advice on the protection of landowner rights and interests, with the ultimate goal of achieving regulatory excellence. By sharing information and real–life experience, LMG members can build awareness and develop relationships across a diverse network.

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LMG News – a quarterly newsletter about land matters

October 2024

LMG News – October 2024

• The LMG in a Nutshell
• Update from the Editor’s corner
• Filing Manuals – A Resource for the Land Matters Group
• Pipeline Retirement – Decommissioning and Abandonment
• Review of the Rules of Practice and Procedure
• CER Issue and Dispute Resolution Processes

April 2024

LMG News – April 2024

• Update from the Editor’s Corner
• The LMG in a nutshell
• The LMG – then and 12 years later
• Damage to property
• Access to Lands
• Cost apportionment – A path for landowners and municipalities
• Damage prevention guidance for municipal operations

August 2023

LMG News – August 2023

• Update from the Editor’s Corner – A Path for Landowners and Municipalities
• Cost Apportionment – It Matters
• Access to Lands – Not one size fits all
• Role of a Land Agent – It’s all About Building Relationships
• Final Investigation Report on the 2021 Minell Pipeline Incident

February 2023

LMG News – February 2023

• Update from the Editor's Corner
• What’s new at the CER
  • A new face at the helm of the Commission
• The importance of relationships
• Property damages, nuisance and other inconveniences
• The land matters advisory service
• Additional provisions in land acquisition agreements
• Coming to an understanding from different perspectives
• BERDI – access to environmental and socio-economic information
• Damage prevention – safety takes no breaks

LMG News – a quarterly newsletter about land matters archive

Advisory Committee

LMG Advisory Committee (LMG AC) is composed of a balanced representation of the broader LMG membership and functions according to the adopted LMG AC Terms of Reference.

Overall Impressions

A lot of effort was invested this past year to ensure we have greater diversity within the advisory committee. Landowner representation was added in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia, and we also added representation from the electricity sector within the industry group. Even with this last addition, there is consensus that the industry category is under-represented. This summer, we initiated a recruitment initiative to include representation from a Group 2 company, as well as representation at the municipal level of government and another landowner association that will complement the landowner contingent.

Having a few new people around the table always brings renewed energy, a change that was clear during the January in-person meetings and continued during the April meeting. This drive also extends to the members of the LMG project working group^Footnote 1 (LMG PWG) who demonstrated greater motivation to not only work on, but also lead projects.

Filing Manuals Review

CER staff made a Filing Manual 101 presentation that included examples of land matters submissions in applications, and a proposed draft of Guide A.4. This manual serves the following purposes:

1. Assist CER-regulated companies to identify the instances where a filing is necessary, pursuant to the CER Act and CER/National Energy Board (NEB) regulations;
2. Outline the filings needed for most applications within the jurisdiction of the CER; and
3. Provide guidance as to the type of information the Commission would typically need to render a decision.

The members shared the following comments:

1. The proposed updates to Guide A.4 were well received, with members finding them more readable and easier to understand.
2. There was a call for companies to be more transparent about their compensation approaches.
3. The term “third party crossings” was suggested to be expanded to include “utilities and features” to cover a broader range of applicable scenarios.

A significant portion of the discussion centered around the new sub-section on compensation methodology.
This feedback will be instrumental in refining the text of Guide A.4 and the broader Filing Manuals project. It’s great to see such collaborative efforts towards improving the clarity and comprehensiveness of these important documents.

Terms of Reference and Roadmap 2024-2027

Work has started on updating the current LMG AC Terms of Reference to better reflect how the group operates and how it can more consistently provide input into CER initiatives and deliver recommendations that meet the needs of the organization.

CER staff also presented a draft version of the Roadmap 2024-2027. The content of this draft was based on comments collected from the facilitated session during the January meeting.

Some key comments included:

1. Focus on prioritizing and closing out the one outstanding item (early engagement) from the 2019 Workplan;
2. Produce an information kit for landowners; and
3. Develop clear targets, including evaluation measures of outcomes.

Participants also discussed developing a high-level guidance document on how members can share information and report back to their respective organizations, the need to take into consideration accessibility, and the inclusion of information or education on how Indigenous land matters could impact other stakeholders’ land interests.

If you require further information about any of the items described above, feel free to contact us at LMG-GQF@cer-rec.gc.ca.

The meeting summary is available on the CER website’s Land Matters Group page.

Heather Adams
Acting Director of Engagement

Complementary information about the Advisory Committee:

• Terms of Reference
• Advisory Committee Members
• Advisory Committee Work Plan
• 2020-2021 Work Plan Workshops – Summary Notes
• Land Matters Group Advisory Committee 2020–2023 meeting summaries
  • 30 April 2024 Meeting Summary
  • 9-10 January 2024 Meeting Summary
  • 17 November 2023 Meeting Summary
• Land Matters Group Advisory Committee archived meeting summaries

General Inquiries

Land Matters Group Project Manager (bilingual service)
Canada Energy Regulator
Email: lmg-gqf@cer-rec.gc.ca
Telephone:403-850-8867
Telephone (toll free): 1-800-899-1265
Facsimile: 403-292-5503
Facsimile (toll free): 1-877-288-8803