Chairperson Welcome Letter to Deputy Minister Vandergrift

August 11, 2023

Michael Vandergrift
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources
580 Booth Street (Off-site)
Ottawa, ON –K1A 0E4

Dear Deputy Minister:

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Canada Energy Regulator (CER), I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Deputy Minister of Natural Resources. In addition to sharing some background on the governance of the organization I would also like to invite you to meet with our Board in the coming months, either online in September or in person as we meet in Ottawa in October.

For context, the CER is a Board-governed departmental corporation and agent of the Crown. The Board of Directors is responsible for the governance of the organization and sets the strategic direction of the organization. We have a current complement of seven Directors, of the legislated maximum of nine, all of whom are from a variety of backgrounds and located across the country. In the near term, we anticipate the appointment of additional Directors.

The Board also works closely with the CER Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC). The IAC’s overarching mandate is to advise the Board, for the benefit of the entire CER, on how the CER can build new relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

The governance structure of the CER also includes the CER Commission as well as the CEO and staff organization.

The CER Commission is responsible for making adjudicative decisions and recommendations pursuant to the Canadian Energy Regulator Act and other legislation. The Commission is part of the CER and contributes to the overall effective delivery of the CER’s mandate, operating in a manner consistent with the strategic direction of the CER while maintaining its adjudicative independence.

The Board does not engage in routine operations, which is the role of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CEO is responsible for the management of the CER’s day-to-day business and affairs, including the supervision of its employees and their work, and has all the responsibilities of a deputy head. The Board works closely with the CEO, who provides the Board with the information needed to discharge its responsibilities. The CER’s CEO will be contacting you separately to provide additional information about the CER and shared objectives with Natural Resources Canada.

The CER operates with a level of day-to-day independence from the Minister. However, the Board, under the leadership of the Chairperson, is ultimately accountable to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources to ensure that the CER delivers effectively on its mandate and is appropriately aligned with government policy.

As part of the integral work of the Board, we are currently in the process of developing a new Strategic Plan for 2024–27 building on our current plan. In the spirit of collaboration and to hear directly from you on the Department’s policy priorities, I am pleased to invite you to attend one of our upcoming Board of Directors Meetings. We will work with your office on dates and look forward to that discussion.

Yours sincerely,

Cassie J. Doyle
Chairperson of the Board of Directors

c.c.: George Vegh, Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Directors – CER
Tracy Sletto, CEO – CER
Katherine Murphy, Chief of Staff – CER
Jeff Labonté, Associate Deputy Minister – NRCan

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