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

September 2022

LMG News – September 2022

• The LMG in a nutshell
• Update from the Editor’s Corner
• In the News!
• Did you know…
  • Canada’s Pipeline System – who regulates what?
  • Residential Electricity Bills
• LMG Spotlight – Josh Vass
• Property damage – a matter of concern for many
• Keeping pipelines safe – operating or not

June 2022

LMG News – June 2022

• The LMG in a nutshell
• Update from the Editor’s Corner
• In the News!
• Did you know… Process Advisors can help you
• LMG Spotlight – Graeme Wright
• Emergency Response to BC Floods
• A Pipeline’s Detailed Route and You
• The Detailed Route Process – The Value of Being Heard
• Clubroot Management
• How Deep is that Pipeline?

March 2022

LMG News – March 2022

• The LMG in a nutshell
• Update from the Editor’s Corner
• Other topic of Interest
• Did you know... LMAS
• LMG AC Member Profile – Isabelle Bouffard
• Natural Disasters: Considerations When you Have a Pipeline on Your Land
• Onshore Pipeline Regulations Review
• Stepping Up Participation

November 2021

LMG News – November 2021

• The LMG in a nutshell
• Update from the Editor’s Corner
• CER makes Reconciliation a priority
• Indigenous Monitors, an essential resource at the CER
• Sites of Indigenous Significance
• Chance Finds

August 2021

LMG News – August 2021

• LMG in Brief
• Update from the Land Matters Group Advisory Committee
• Right-of-Entre – What You Need to Know
• Land related Compensation Disputes
• How to Deal with Damages to Lands or Property
• The Safety Behind the Prescribed Area

April 2021

LMG News – April 2021

• The LMG in a Nutshell
• LMG Advisory Committee Members Hold Virtual Workshops
• Contaminated Sites Disclosure and Meaningful Engagement with Landowners
• We are Changing the Way we Communicate Information on the CER Regulatory Framework
• Public Comment Period on the Revised CER Filing Manual, Guides B (Abandonment) and K (Decommissioning)
• April is Dig Safe Month and we all Have a Role to Play
• CER Field Inspections Supported by External Experts and Indigenous Monitors

January 2021

LMG News – January 2021

• How to Submit a Complaint and What is the Resolution Process?
• Let’s Hear it From the LMG Advisory Committee: Frank Annau and Alisha Bhura
• CER Website Renewal

May 2020

LMG News – May 2020

• International and Interprovincial Power Line Damage Prevention Regulations
• Amending Regulations

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.

LMG Sub-Committees (LMG Sub-C) are composed of individuals selected from the LMG AC or from the broader LMG membership to collaborate with a project working group on the review of a specific issue followed by the production of a final document or report.

Progress Update – Since December 2021

• Reference document: 2020-2021 Work Plan Workshops – Summary Notes

In February 2021, the members of the Land Matters Group Advisory Committee participated in a series of virtual workshops designed to discuss priority issues previously identified in the Work Plan. Attendees discussed different aspects involving the following issues:

• Landowner engagement;
• Company access to lands; and
• Damages incurred by landowners.

The comments and suggestions raised during the workshops were compiled into a summary document that can be viewed here. Subsequently, this feedback was reviewed to prioritize the recommendations and determine how each one could be addressed and implemented.

The CER appreciates the input shared during the workshops, and also needs to acknowledge that some of these suggestions will take time to fully realize.

As of December 2021, the following initiatives have either been completed or are underway.

• In the past, the usage of the term “damage prevention” in CER lands publications could be perceived as misleading because it also referred to damage to property. “Damage prevention” is a term that is commonly used across industry, utilities, the excavating community and by regulators worldwide, including the CER’s own Damage Prevention team, and it describes the prevention of damage to buried infrastructure. To provide greater clarity, the CER utilizes the term “property damage”, which now refers specifically to the prevention of damage to a landowner’s property. For more information on this topic, go to “Damage Prevention”.
• The CER recognizes that in some cases, agricultural landowners may not necessarily undertake agricultural activities and conversely, people who undertake agricultural activities may not all be landowners. Consequently and in accordance with the Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations (Regulations), the term any person now refers to anyone undertaking specific activities (in this case agricultural activities) in the prescribed area.
• After an extended consultation with staff and external users, including a prolonged developmental process, the CER launched on January 18, 2022, the improved Participation Portal. Designed with the help of past hearing participants, this new portal features fewer steps, a more intuitive and appealing interface, as well as greater accessibility to make it easier for participants to share their input during CER hearings.
• References to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) have been updated in the Land Matters Guide to reflect that ADR is accessible to both landowners and companies. This update can be found under the “Who is ADR for?” sub-heading.

The members of the LMG AC continue to play an active role by representing the needs and interests of the multi-stakeholder groups they represent. Their contribution in an advisory capacity is valued because it ensures that the views and perspectives of the Canadian public will be considered and reflected in the information that the CER publishes.

Complimentary information about the Advisory Committee:

• Terms of Reference
• Advisory Committee Members
• Advisory Committee Work Plan – Fiscal Year 2020-21
• 2020-2021 Work Plan Workshops – Summary Notes
• Land Matters Group Advisory Committee 2019–2022 meeting summaries
  • 1 March 2022 Meeting Summary
• Land Matters Group Advisory Committee archived meeting summaries

General Inquiries

Land Matters Group Project Manager (bilingual)
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