These plants are often the sole source in these communities, anyone would say, contributing hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in revenue and in tax revenue through the work that they do. What you will see is a diminishment of not only the community the plant is in, but also the surrounding area as well. It's a deterioration in all infrastructure and in tourism, and I agree that tourism is so important.
We went up to the demonstration. I've been on the south shore of the Gaspé Peninsula before, but we went around the northern tip. I was told by my colleagues how beautiful it was, but I have to say it's right up there with parts of Newfoundland, for example. If you take Rivière-au-Renard or Port au Choix out of the picture, and many others, are you going to have a vibrant tourist economy? I would say you won't. It'll be a diminishment.
It's all part of a package. It's all part of a way of life. Without being too philosophical, I think our cities are great, and I love to visit them, and I know there's going to be some transition, but we're a better country because of our rural communities. Some of them fish. Some of them mine. Some of them do forestry. We're a much better country in that way, and we cannot lose that. This decision points to something different here, and I'm not sure that some people see it.
Thank you.