Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen, shown in this 2003 file photo, said his government is ending the controversial eco fee program. (Tobin Grimshaw/Canadian Press)

Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen confirms the province is scrapping its eco fee program, saying the government did a poor job of telling the public about the new fees.

CBC NEWS: July 20, 2010: Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen has confirmed that the province is dropping its eco fee program, saying he takes "full responsibility" for not doing a better job of communicating the introduction of the new charges.

The fees, which went into effect on July 1, applied to a wide variety of items, including batteries, soap, fire extinguishers and paint.

The fees were collected by manufacturers and retailers to help fund a recycling program that diverts those potentially hazardous items from landfills.

But there was no public warning that the eco fee would be slapped on thousands of new items this month.

"These new eco fees are gone," Gerretsen told reporters at a news conference Tuesday.

"That means all products added on July the 1st will not have any fee on them."

Stewardship Ontario, an industry-led organization appointed by the government to oversee the program, collected the fees from retailers and manufacturers.

Manufactures and retailers, in turn, determined which fees they would pass on to consumers.

"The bottom line is Stewardship Ontario could have done a better job for rolling out the changes, and we, the Ministry of the Environment, the government, and I as minister, could have done a better job of helping them communicate their changes, and I take full responsibility for that," said Gerretsen.

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Program being re-evaluated

People who have already had to pay eco fees since July 1 will not be refunded, Gerretsen said. All that money will go to Stewardship Ontario, he said.

Gerretsen couldn't say how much money has been collected by the agency since the start of the month, but stressed that "not one penny of this comes to the government."

The government will take 90 days to re-evaluate the program, he said. It will fork over up to $5 million during that time to keep the program going.

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The government signalled its reversal shortly after Canadian Tire announced Monday it would stop charging the fee because the program was too confusing.

The fees are part of a larger program called Orange Drop, which aims to make it easier for people to dispose of hazardous materials in a way that ensures they don't end up on the landfill.

The Orange Drop program in turn builds on the Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste Program, first introduced in July 2008, aimed at increasing diversion of hazardous materials. The program provides drop zones throughout the province where consumers can dispose of the products on the overall list.

In 2008, the government outlined nine categories of products that it said were designated for recycling and disposal. On July 1, 13 more categories of products were added to that list.

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David Johnston, Canada's governor general-designate, is shown meeting the Queen alongside Prime Minister Stephen Harper during a dinner held in her honour in Toronto on Monday. (Prime Minister's Office)

CBC NEWS: July 8, 2010: David Johnston, announced as Canada's next governor general on Thursday, is pledging to be a "stalwart defender" of Canada's heritage, institutions and people.

After weeks of speculation, the Prime Minister's Office said the Canadian legal scholar and president of the University of Waterloo, Ont., has been approved by the Queen and will take over on Oct. 1 after Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean's term ends.

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University of Waterloo president David Johnston has been chosen to be the next governor general of Canada. Johnston, known as a legal scholar, will take over from Michaëlle Jean, whose term is ending in September.

In a statement to reporters from the Senate foyer in Ottawa, Johnston called the appointment a "mark of confidence that touches me profoundly." He also noted his predecessors, from Samuel de Champlain to Jean, have set a "fine example" for him to follow.

"I've had the good fortune to witness Canadians' creativity and our ties to the world, as well as our diversity and our vitality," he said. "The opportunity to see these values at work across the country means a great deal to me."

In a statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper hailed Johnston's selection, saying the 69-year-old Ontario scholar "represents the best of Canada.

"He represents hard work, dedication, public service and humility," Harper said. "I am confident he will continue to embody these traits in his new role as the Crown's representative in Canada."

Johnston also said he looked forward to meeting with members of the Canadian Forces.

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Johnston, born in Sudbury, Ont., is perhaps best known for advising the federal Conservative government on what shape a public inquiry into the dealings between former prime minister Brian Mulroney and businessman Karlheinz Schreiber should take.

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Johnston has served on numerous provincial and federal task forces and committees. He is widely considered as an expert in constitutional law, which observers have said could serve him well in an age of fragile minority governments and potential constitutional crises.

Jean, appointed in 2005, generated considerable national attention and triggered a fierce debate over the governor general's role when she twice granted Harper's requests to prorogue Parliament.

The first time came in December 2008 when Harper's Conservative government was under threat of defeat in the House of Commons at the hands of a proposed coalition between the Liberals and NDP with the signed support of the Bloc Québécois.

The governor general is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the prime minister and acts as the Queen's representative in Canada and Canada's de facto head of state. The term is five years and can be extended to seven.

Johnston taught law at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., and the University of Toronto after earning degrees at Queen's, Harvard University and Cambridge University.

He was also the principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University in Montreal, and dean of the faculty of law at the University of Western Ontario in London.

An author of several books, Johnston is also a companion of the Order of Canada.

Johnston shook hands with Queen Elizabeth on Monday in Toronto, but it was not a formal meeting. He is expected to travel to England to officially meet with the Queen this summer.

He and his wife, Sharon Johnston, have five daughters.

Jean, Governor General since Sept. 27, 2005, will serve as UNESCO's special envoy in Haiti after her term ends.

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America and Europe