Hear from employees of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

Location: Ottawa, Ontario

What is your job? What are your main job functions?
I currently work as a Team Leader at the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada's Regional Operations. In short, my job is to supervise a team of impact assessment consultants/specialists, ensure that we are providing our clients with the best advice on how to implement the impact assessment process, and support consistency on a national-level. Together, we address a range of impact assessment issues and work to find solutions.

What interesting projects / programs do you work on?
I support a team involved in impact assessments for a wide range of projects in various sectors across Canada, such as mining, energy and transportation. I ensure that my team can deliver high-quality work by providing guidance, advice, training and feedback.

What is the best part of your work and what do you like the most about working at IAAC?
I often feel as though IAAC is one big family. What I like most about my current position is the opportunity to connect with my colleagues, both in the regions and at headquarters, and to work together towards a common goal. Over the years, I have developed a sense of belonging that makes me happy in my role.

Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia

What is your job? What are your main job functions?
I work with my team to provide high quality environmental assessment for major projects, which contributes to informed decision making. We are front-line staff, working directly with government experts, Indigenous communities, stakeholders, the public, and proponents.

What is the best part of your work and what do you like the most about working at the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada?
I love the culture at IAAC—I get to work with a talented team on interesting and challenging projects, in a supportive and healthy work environment.

What makes you proud to work at the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada?
I am proud to work with an organization that is dedicated to helping eliminate or reduce a project’s potential negative environment, economic, social and health effects.

Location: Ottawa, Ontario

What is your job? What are your main job functions?
I am part of the Cabinet Affairs team, which means that I often get to review new proposals (going to Cabinet for decision) for implications for the Agency. In addition, I’ve been involved in the drafting of two Memoranda to Cabinet (the briefing documents that the Minister presents to Cabinet colleagues to seek approval of projects which are likely to have significant adverse effects).

What is the best part of your work and what do you like the most about working at the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada?
The best part of my work is the variety of files I get to work on and I also really enjoy having the opportunity to contribute on some of the very high priority files despite having graduated fairly recently. I love team IAAC, the people I work with on a daily basis are incredibly intelligent and driven, as well as very agreeable, which makes for a very pleasant working environment.

What makes you proud to work at the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada?
What I am the most proud of is that my colleagues aren’t here just to do the bare minimum. I am proud that they continually find innovative approaches and push the boundaries of the practice of impact assessment to ensure that while certain projects are approved despite posing risks to the environment, the impact assessment process limits adverse impacts and addresses stakeholders’ concerns.

Location: Ottawa, Ontario

What is your job? What are your main job functions?
I am a Human Resources Data Analyst. I gather data from various different sources and structure them into organized and easy to consume reports. Due to the nature of my job, I work across the human resources (HR) division. Whenever there is a need to handle and/or clean up data, I am usually involved.

What interesting projects / programs do you work on?
I helped design and run the employment equity staffing initiative where we created an innovative hiring process to target specific under-represented groups in the Agency workforce. Our goal was to reduce the gap of the identified under-represented groups. I also participate in the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which focuses on making the Agency a better place to work at with an eye to the various accessibility requirements.

What is the best part of your work and what do you like the most about working at the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada?
The best part of my work is that I get to be creative in approaching the different business questions faced across the Corporate Services sector while leveraging my data analytics skills. IAAC is a great place to work at colleagues strive to bring the best out of each other and we all aim to provide the best possible service to Canadians!

Location: Toronto, Ontario

What is your job? What are your main job functions?
I manage relationships with the project proponent, Indigenous groups and the various federal departments that provide expert advice on the information about the positive and negative environment, economic, social and health effects of the project that the proponent gives to the Agency. I also coordinate Crown consultation activities and organize consultation meetings at key junctions during the impact assessment.

What makes you proud to work at the Agency?
I’m proud to be able to help minimize negative environment, economic, social and health effects of large development projects and ensure that Indigenous peoples can provide meaningful input throughout the process.

How does your work contribute to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada’s mandate and vision?
I help to promote reconciliation and fulfill the Crown’s duty to consult Indigenous groups through my work as the Crown consultation coordinator. I also help to provide advice to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the positive and negative environment, economic, social and health effects of projects, through the production of an impact assessment report.

Location: Toronto, Ontario

What is your job? What are your main job functions?
I conduct impact assessment processes, mainly for metal mining project proposals. My position involves interacting with industry, different government agencies, Indigenous groups and the public.

What brought you to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada?
I came to the Agency because I believe that the federal impact assessment process can foster ways to balance economic development with environmental protection. Working here gives me the opportunity to work with impact assessment participants to try to establish that balance, which may be unique for each project and environmental setting.

How does your work contribute to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada’s mandate and vision?
My hope of finding that balance is in harmony with the Agency’s mandate. I believe with hard work and dedication to delivering high quality impact assessments, we can contribute meaningfully to finding balance and sustainability.