Evidence of meeting #27 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was community.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:15 a.m.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Thank you.
Regarding the Alberta Cancer Board, I take it you've seen their February 2009 report. Is that correct?
10:15 a.m.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Are you familiar with the methodology that they employed in their study?
10:15 a.m.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Do you find the results of their study to be generally reliable?
10:15 a.m.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
At one point you said that, to your knowledge, there were no further studies ongoing. I'd like to know what investigations you've undertaken since the February 2009 release of the Alberta Cancer Board report that lead you to make such a statement.
10:15 a.m.
Physician, As an Individual
My colleague and successor in Fort Chip, Dr. Liam Griffin, keeps me updated almost on a daily basis about what's happening in the community. I'm also back in Fort McMurray and Fort McKay every six weeks for about two weeks. I'm looking after the community as an on-call physician at a distance in Nova Scotia every second week. I'm very familiar with what's going on, on the ground, in Alberta and in Fort Chip.
10:15 a.m.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Apart from the meeting you were mentioning earlier, have you had any other communication with the Alberta Cancer Board or Health Canada regarding what ongoing investigations they may be pursuing at this time?
10:20 a.m.
Physician, As an Individual
I have had no direct communication with the Cancer Board or Health Canada but rather through the health director in Fort Chip. She has told me repeatedly there are no plans for any further investigation--
10:20 a.m.
Conservative
10:20 a.m.
Conservative
10:20 a.m.
Physician, As an Individual
By the Nunee Health Board Society, which is the administrative body for health in Fort Chip.
10:20 a.m.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Would you agree with me that quite a bit of what you've told us this morning is repeating what other people have told you rather than anything from your own direct observations?
10:20 a.m.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
For example, the last statement you made to me as to whether there are ongoing investigations, you're relying on what someone else has told you. Right?
10:20 a.m.
Physician, As an Individual
In other words, there are no further investigations that I've been informed of.
10:20 a.m.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
All right. That's an important qualification, isn't it?
I'd also like to understand your comments about Greenpeace and your trip to Scandinavia. It appears to me you were saying this was part of an effort to attract media attention. Did I understand you correctly?
10:20 a.m.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
You were asked why you were in Scandinavia, and you began to talk about the need for media attention. I think you referred to Brian Jean's mother.
So you weren't trying to make any comment about your trip to Scandinavia as it relates to media attention?
10:20 a.m.
Physician, As an Individual
Mr. Chairman, if I can get back to what I already said, there's been no reaction from any government agency, other than when media were involved. And that's the government's choice.
10:20 a.m.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
My question to you was whether your trip to Scandinavia was an effort to attract media attention.
10:20 a.m.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Regarding the issue of further studies, I think your evidence to us today was that on short notice it's difficult to do it justice. Did I hear that correctly?