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Bill C-234 is a private member’s bill that if passed, would exempt the carbon tax on propane for agriculture applications. However, some of the essential elements of the bill such as exempting propane for barn heating, were removed in the Senate through an amendment to the Bill. It was then sent back to the House of Commons and is waiting for a vote on that amendment.  

In supporting the original Bill, the CPA joined the agriculture community in opposing the amendment in the Senate. Approximately 2,000 communications were made by the propane industry to Senators in the form of letters and other mechanisms. It was the most successful advocacy initiative the CPA has ever undertaken.  

The CPA will continue to carefully monitor the legislation and will do whatever possible to have the vote pass in its original version.  

Read more: Extension of the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane – Updated cost estimate (pbo-dpb.ca)

As part of the consultation process, the CPA provided feedback on the proposed oil and gas emissions cap, which you can view here. The CPA states that the proposed emissions cap for the country’s oil and gas sector is the wrong policy tool to employ to reduce emissions while also ensuring affordable reliable energy for all Canadians. The federal government must ensure a balanced approach to emissions reduction, one which includes all sectors of the economy, with equitable and pragmatic approaches to the transformation. The CPA’s submission was developed with the CPA’s Producer Council members and is in alignment with other energy associations such as CAPP, EPAC and the Business Council of Canada. For further information please contact VP Government Relations West, Katie Kachur.  

As part of the CPA’s commitment to advocacy informed by robust and accurate data, the association will be updating the Regional Profiles, which were last updated in 2022.  

All publicly available information is gathered and compiled into the regional profiles (BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, and Northern Canada), in terms of the following information:  

• Propane in the energy mix 
• Propane production 
• Propane demand by sector 
• Propane exports 
• Regional supply and demand balance 
• End-use stock/infrastructure 
• Estimated propane sales by sector 
• Economic footprint for Canada’s propane industry 

CPA members can expect to receive updated information/communications materials late Q2. If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please contact VP Government Relations West, Katie Kachur.  

The CPA will publicly release its Decarbonization Roadmap for Canadian Propane on March 20, in alignment with National Propane Day. This document outlines key actions that we believe governments must take to produce renewable propane in Canada, along with a description of the viable pathways and opportunities for the industry to get there.  Already available on the market today in other countries, renewable propane allows homes and businesses to significantly reduce their carbon footprint without expensive retrofitting or changes to heating systems. The government must act now to capitalize on the advantages Canada has to produce its own renewable propane. CPA members are invited to attend a member-only webinar on March 5 with the lead researchers to gain insight and understanding into this important analysis. Please visit to register: Webinar Registration 

To accompany the technical report, the CPA will also be providing high-level communications documents, for advocacy purposes. The report was emailed to members this week. Please email info@propane.ca if you did not receive it.  

Enbridge Line 5 which carries NGls from Western Canada to Ontario via the United States continues to make progress on one hand while facing some obstacles on the other. The Michigan leg of Enbridge’s proposal for the pipeline tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac received approval by the Michigan Public Service Commission which bodes well for that section of the line. Final approval by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected by 2026. 

In Wisconsin however, the pipeline has been met with opposition by the local Indigenous community (Bad River Band). Enbridge has been instructed to build the new section of the pipeline around the Indigenous community but cannot access the community to remove that section of the line that currently exists. In addition, Enbridge maintains that the three-year timeline given by the courts is not enough time to remove assets from the community and build a new line. The court is expected to ask the U.S. federal government to become involved in resolving the dispute between Enbridge and the Bad River Band.  The CPA continues to monitor this file closely. 

The CPA has expressed significant concerns about B.C.’s Output-Based Pricing System (BC OBPS), its proposed Net Zero New Industries, and its oil and gas emissions cap to Premier Eby. The association stated these policies as they are currently designed will have a detrimental cumulative impact on local jobs, incomes, and investment as well as a significant financial impact on the ability of industry to continue to invest and grow in B.C.  

It will be important for the province to understand the interactions between these various policies to avoid adverse or unintended consequences for investment. The CPA encouraged the government to recognize the importance of value-added products, like propane, and their impact on reducing overall global emissions. The association also recommended the government engage with the energy sector, including the CPA, on climate policies that will impact the province now and for future generations. For more information, please contact VP Government Relations West, Katie Kachur.  

The CPA attended the Keystone Agriculture Producers (KAP) 2024 Conference and AGM in Winnipeg on January 23 and 24, 2024. CPA’s VP Government Relations, Ontario and Manitoba, Chris Crawford had the opportunity to speak to members of KAP and elected officials that were in attendance about the important role propane has in the agriculture sector. The CPA looks forward to continuing a positive working relationship with KAP and participating in this important event next year. 

On January 17, 2024, CPA Board Member Jason Cooper spoke to the Legislative Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs regarding the CPA’s 2024 Budget recommendations. The recommendations, which were sent to the Ministry of Finance in December, include an off-oil program that would see the province contribute up to $2,500 for Ontario households switching from oil to low-carbon propane furnaces, the reduction or elimination of the 4.3 cents/litre gasoline tax on auto propane, and investing in the research and development of biofuels. The full Pre–Budget submission can be read here.  

On January 22, 2024, the CPA was proud to sponsor a coffee break at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association’s (ROMA) 2024 Conference. Ontario Committee Chair Daryl Patjas, John Thompson from Superior Propane and Chris Crawford from the CPA had many discussions with MPPs and Municipal leaders on the importance of Ontario’s propane industry.  

The CPA continues its efforts to convince provinces to move from home oil to affordable, low-emission propane. In Nova Scotia, the CPA is deep into talks with the provincial government to consider its proposal called the Low-Emission Energy Rebate Program.  

In addition, similar discussions are also taking place with other provincial governments such as Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario. In most provinces, rural areas provide an important market for propane. Many rural, Indigenous, and remote communities are off the natural gas grid and face high electricity costs, all of which provide an important opportunity for propane.