Evidence of meeting #86 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was community.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
1:10 p.m.
Mohawk Council of Kanesatake
Yes, I've been to many meetings with Mayor Pascal Quevillon of Oka and also with the surrounding municipality mayors, who have all been in agreement. We have BCRs or resolutions from those municipalities in the MRC. They are all in agreement to work together, moving forward, for a resolution to rectify this issue and to push the federal and provincial governments to act on this—
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
Sophie Chatel Liberal Pontiac, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I don't want to interrupt the testimony, but I still want to mention that this is a study on water.
Grand Chief Bonspille, I understand that you have very specific problems. There are two indigenous communities in my riding. When there are problems, we work with the government to resolve them, rather than with the committees.
That said, I would be pleased to help you in your efforts with our government.
1:10 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
Mr. Chair, I want to respond to Mrs. Chatel's point of order.
The Grand Chief is telling us about the circumstances that are preventing the decontamination of a piece of land that is polluting the water in the entire Lower Laurentians region—
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
1:10 p.m.
Bloc
1:10 p.m.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
On the same point of order, Mr. Chair.
I'm completely distressed to see that the member for Pontiac feels that the testimony isn't related to the subject we are currently discussing. We're talking about water pollution and access to water.
We're talking about a population that is being held hostage by people and that is at risk of having health problems related to the consumption of polluted water. We are completely within our mandate, Mr. Chair.
1:10 p.m.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
There are a lot of points of order that aren't points of order during my round of questioning.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
1:10 p.m.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I know, but it comes off the end of the meeting, which is—
1:10 p.m.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I can use points of order to ask questions and make comments too.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
I haven't ruled anything out of order, so these points of order are moot.
Go ahead, Mr. Bachrach.
1:10 p.m.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Perhaps I can bring this to the point that Ms. Chatel was trying to get to, which is the aspect of this that relates specifically to water.
Grand Chief, I appreciate that your concern is regarding the contamination of the water supply and the impact not only on your community members but also on neighbouring community members.
I wonder if either you or Mr. Nicholas, the director of environment, could describe in more detail the nature of the contamination.
1:15 p.m.
Eugene Nicholas Director of Environment, Mohawk Council of Kanesatake
Yes, and we have a problem answering that. Right now, we're currently launched in the third phase of a contamination study that does not touch anything outside of the contamination standards of Canada, but we're looking to alter standards.
However, we have conducted other studies in the community with Environment Quebec. In such areas, it was found that they had a lot of hydrocarbons and cancerous carcinogens in chemicals found inside the soil. This is impacting not only the water but the wildlife and the plant life, and it's impacting everything, all the surrounding areas. We have a very big species at risk area which we are—how would we say it—identifying and managing right now. Not only does it impact inside the forest, but it's impacting the health of our community, because our community is not far from the site. You can smell it in the morning. You can almost taste it in the air when you go through there.
I've been on the site several times, and it's unbearable. We've had some people from ISC, from the Quebec regional office, come down, and they couldn't even stand it themselves. This site is just sitting there. It's fermenting. It's rotting. We're not sure how far this has gone down underneath the surface. We have very important water aquifers that feed our water supply, not only through artesian wells, but that also spill into the Ottawa River.
My concerns are that water is life, and our policies have to reflect that of life and make your policies stronger, in a sense. Where things are giving you life—animals, waters, plants—you should also put a heavier and substantial penalty on those who contaminate and those who don't follow environmental policies, because what we're dealing with here, gentlemen, is life and life surrounding. We've got to take care of that. We have to manage that. To me, there's no other priority than that.
On top of that, to add to that, our community since 1960 has been used as a dumping ground not only for the Columbium site, the mine site that is close by, but for other construction projects such as the 720 and the Champlain Bridge. Mayor Plante speaks so much about her green strategies, yet she's dumping all her infrastructure in our backyard. I'm not too pleased about that.
Our cancer rates are now at 1.77 cases per household, on average. That is highly unacceptable. Our people are dropping like flies left and right. It's beyond G&R. There's a lot more to this place. It's been going on for too long. Everyone knew about this—provincial governments and federal governments—but now it's coming to the surface.
Your policies are weak. Your policies need to be strengthened. Your policies need to reflect the human aspect of life and not just give fines, because money is nothing to some corporations. What we need to consider is all the constituents along the Ottawa Valley downstream going into the St. Lawrence as well.
I share with Mr. Clark here his concerns about his salmon population in B.C. First nation lives are taken for granted: “once we kill them all off, we can take the land”. I sympathize with Mr. Clark where first nations are concerned. They have to be listened to, because we have the key in first nation knowledge and can help you in your policies and to manage in the future.
However, we have to manage the sources of the contamination, which is and has to be including the city of Montreal and all surrounding municipalities and governments that actually enable these companies to come here and dump this on us, because I consider this nothing but environmental racism.
Thank you very much.
1:15 p.m.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Thank you, Mr. Nicholas. That's a helpful overview.
I think you were referring to Mr. Charlie, who testified earlier about the situation in the Cowichan watershed.
Mr. Charlie, I wanted to give you a moment to speak about your observations there. I know that in the Cowichan watershed there have been numerous and ongoing efforts over the years, both at the grassroots level and at the government level, to try to address some of these water issues.
Do you feel that the efforts to date haven't gone far enough? Do you feel that until this issue of the diversion of water by the mill in Crofton is addressed in a substantive way, we won't see the kind of progress that we need to?
1:20 p.m.
Liberal
1:20 p.m.
Co-Organizer, Victoria Orange Shirt Day, As an Individual
I spoke to Laurel Collins, our member of Parliament for Victoria, and told her my concern about the Crofton mill overusing the resources, the resources being water. I had just heard that they were dumping some of the waste, or it was leaking into the water. That is causing a lot of damage, not just to the ocean but to the river too.
I feel that the government needs to come down and listen to the elders. These elders have a way of connecting to the land. They know what we need.