Evidence of meeting #22 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was lighthouses.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:30 a.m.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate your indulgence.
I'm very interested in following the same line of questioning as Mr. Kamp. Just to build on it, I know, Mr. Noreau, that during your testimony you indicated there were a certain number of lighthouses in your area of the St. Lawrence. Could you repeat the number for me?
10:35 a.m.
Vice-President, Corporation des gestionnaires de phares de l'estuaire et du golfe du Saint-Laurent
It was 43.
10:35 a.m.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
I would imagine you're well connected with the various organizations or groups in that particular area who would be interested in petitioning lighthouses. How many of the 43 do you imagine the government would receive petitions on, should this bill pass?
10:35 a.m.
Vice-President, Corporation des gestionnaires de phares de l'estuaire et du golfe du Saint-Laurent
I'd say right now, at least 15 of them.
10:35 a.m.
Vice-President, Corporation des gestionnaires de phares de l'estuaire et du golfe du Saint-Laurent
In the case of the rest of them, the people are not aware, not everybody. I'd say from the tourist point of view, just from my own little survey--maybe it's different in the Maritimes--in my area, 95% of the people have never seen a lighthouse, so they're really impressed.
As Mrs. Bull was saying, the ownership—dah, dah, dah.... We can talk about it day in and day out, but if our lighthouses are saved and in good shape—
10:35 a.m.
Conservative
10:35 a.m.
Vice-President, Corporation des gestionnaires de phares de l'estuaire et du golfe du Saint-Laurent
Just about all are operational, because they're automated. From what I know, DFO strictly maintains that if the safety of their employees is involved to maintain the site and structure, like the helipad for helicopter safety, the little boardwalk, the stairs to get up to the lighthouse, that's the end of it. All the rest is bingo.
10:35 a.m.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
Mr. MacDonald, could you give the committee any indication as to how many lighthouses you expect the government would receive petitions on? Is that something you would know, based on the connections you have with the organizations you know?
10:35 a.m.
President, Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society
It's very difficult to come up with a number across the country right now, although I hope we'll have that soon.
As an example, we have always had the greatest number of lights in Canada in Nova Scotia. At one time we had 350 lighthouses within the province of Nova Scotia. Right now there are 160, but that's not lighthouses as we would think of them as they apply to this legislation. Right now, with all the work we've done over the past number of years, we have approximately 14 to 16 lighthouses that either have been transferred or are in the process of being transferred to community groups. There are probably that many again that community groups haven't attached themselves to yet. The province of Nova Scotia has the biggest number of lighthouses, if you want to use that as a ratio.
It's not fair to compare. In Prince Edward Island, for instance, there's been a real pioneering effort for quite some time, going right back to 1984. There are 22 lighthouses in various stages of tourism-ready, with groups attached to them. You have to realize, unlike Mr. Noreau's area, accessibility in P.E.I. is not a problem. It's nice flat country and lighthouses are in very accessible and scenic areas.
10:35 a.m.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
It's a nice drive to get to them. I was there last summer.
10:35 a.m.
President, Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society
They take very good care of their lighthouses in P.E.I.
10:35 a.m.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
From an architectural perspective--and you touched on architecture--I took a look at the stamps that were issued. These lighthouses have very different architectures, whether they're east or west coast. It's based, I guess, on access to local supplies, whether they're inland or beside some of the freshwater lakes. We've got ones that appear to be built in circles; they may be built out of stone.
Out of all the different architectural styles, how many different varieties are there across Canada? Can anybody comment on that?
10:35 a.m.
Vice-President, Corporation des gestionnaires de phares de l'estuaire et du golfe du Saint-Laurent
There are 249 or 250 if you want to look at it really closely, but I'm aware of nine different basic styles.
10:35 a.m.
President, Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society
That's pretty close. We have the really old lighthouses like the Imperial Towers on the Great Lakes, on both coasts, and in Cap des Rosiers in Quebec, for instance. They're built from stone and they're very old lighthouses from the mid-1800s.
Newfoundland and Labrador has the greatest selection of architectural styles owing to the fact that Newfoundland didn't come into Confederation until 1949. Lighthouses were designed and a lot of them were built in the U.K. and shipped over here. They're cast iron construction and bolted or riveted together. You have concrete.
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
10:40 a.m.
President, Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society
There are all kinds of wooden lighthouses.
10:40 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Bill Matthews
We'll have to finish up now, because we'll be back wanting to get out of Canada again if you keep going.
10:40 a.m.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
When it comes to the preservation of our natural history, our heritage, Parks Canada is charged with the preservation of our natural history. The national parks are there to capture a certain percentage. The World Wildlife Fund usually sets targets of 10% to 12% preservation of representative samples of the natural history of Canada. For example, you get the mountain parks, grasslands, the Arctic, and maritime areas.
Ms. Bull, what do you see as a reasonable percentage of lighthouses of various architectural styles in various regions that should be protected to get the salient amount of historical preservation?
10:40 a.m.
Executive Director, Heritage Canada Foundation
We try to get away from the Noah's ark approach to conservation, where you have two of each. It is a specialty. The act provides for our process to be put in place to evaluate the lighthouses using a number of criteria, and often it's weighted criteria with a scoring system. That's how the railway stations were reviewed as part of that legislation.
There are a number of factors. I don't think it's really fair to try to arrive at a particular number. Again, as we've talked about throughout the course of this hearing, one of the factors is ultimately ownership, who these places end up being owned by.
The goal of this legislation is to recognize and protect heritage character, and also to engage communities in the process of deciding what's important to them and being part of protecting it.
10:40 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Bill Matthews
Thank you very much.
We have to move along quickly here.
Mr. MacAulay. No?
Mr. Byrne, do I understand that you have a quick question, or do we go to Mr. Blais?
10:40 a.m.
Liberal
Gerry Byrne Liberal Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL
We'll go to Mr. Blais, because I think my question is in the process of being answered.
