Nathalie Provost Named Secretary of State (Nature)

Summary#

This is the Order Assigning the Minister of State (Nature) to Assist the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Natural Resources: SI/2025-72. It names Honourable Nathalie Provost as Secretary of State (Nature) to help four ministers with their responsibilities. The order was made by Privy Council on May 13, 2025 and published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on June 4, 2025.

What it does#

• Assigns Honourable Nathalie Provost, currently Minister of State (Nature), to be styled Secretary of State (Nature).
• Directs her to assist the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, the Minister of the Environment, and the Minister of Natural Resources in carrying out their responsibilities.
• The assignment is made under the Ministries and Ministers of State Act by Privy Council order P.C. 2025-478 (dated May 13, 2025) and recorded in the Canada Gazette on June 4, 2025.

Who's affected#

• The office and staff of Honourable Nathalie Provost.
• The departments led by the named ministers (for example, Canadian Heritage, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada).
• People and groups who deal with those departments on nature-related issues — for example, conservation organizations, fishing communities, Indigenous groups, and resource-sector stakeholders — may notice administrative or coordination changes.
• If it is unclear who will be directly affected in a specific program or decision, that detail is not stated in the order.

Why it matters#

• This is mainly an administrative move that gives one minister a formal role across several portfolios related to nature.
• It can make cross-department work on nature issues easier to coordinate, or provide an additional named official who can represent or support those ministers on related files.
• The order itself does not set new policy or funding; it changes who helps the ministers carry out their existing responsibilities.