Evidence of meeting #50 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was concept.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Jinny Sims NDP Newton—North Delta, BC
Thank you.
As you know, there has been a significant reduction of environmental protection in both our recent monster budget bills; “monster” fits in with Halloween today. In the context of protection for urban waterways, are you concerned about the recent changes to the environmental assessment process and the Fisheries Act, for example?
5:15 p.m.
Former Environmental Manager, Environmental Planning and Protection, City of Surrey, As an Individual
Yes, I am, particularly with the Fisheries Act. Historically, the Fisheries Act was the main piece of legislation that allowed us to protect the riparian area. When I say the riparian area, I'm talking about the immediate creek area and the vegetation that supports the ecological functions of the creek. Historically, that has been protected through the Fisheries Act.
Now the amendment only applies to streams with fish of commercial value. By the way, the fish that are coming to Bear Creek Park are supported because of a hatchery. I suspect that if we didn't have the hatchery influence, those chum and coho I referred to would eventually fade away, in which case we would no longer have fish of commercial value, and indeed, most of the urban streams in Canada and in Surrey probably wouldn't be afforded that protection any longer.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Jinny Sims NDP Newton—North Delta, BC
With the shift over recent years from federal and provincial to local governments when it comes to protection of rivers and streams, I can imagine that this could be a recipe for disaster, because there is a lot of fragmentation as rivers and streams flow through different municipalities. Do you see major challenges in coordinating?
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
5:15 p.m.
NDP
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB
Thank you very much.
Mr. Bennett, I want to set your mind at ease regarding the Fisheries Act. I am on the fisheries committee and was very engaged in the changes to the Fisheries Act. Just to correct something in your brief, the act applies to fisheries of recreational, commercial, and aboriginal significance. To just say that it is of commercial importance is not quite inclusive enough; it is much more than that.
It could easily be argued that because the Fisheries Act has a strong emphasis on fish populations themselves, there will be a strengthening of protection of fish populations and fish habitat. I would urge you to have a look at the amended Fisheries Act to understand what it says. Quite frankly, this act will allow for expanded protection of fish and fish habitat. I would be happy to have a lengthy discussion about that with you offline at some point.
Ms. Baron, I was very interested in your presentation. I think it's neat that the city of Surrey has a drainage and environmental manager. This tells me that the waterways are very important to the community of Surrey. I was especially interested in your salmon habitat restoration program and all the students that you have working there.
What exactly are you doing in those streams in riparian areas that is providing better habitat for salmon and trout?
5:20 p.m.
Manager, Drainage and Environment, Engineering Department, City of Surrey
Some of the things we are doing in the creeks involve building better riffle pool areas where they may have been disturbed in the past, doing minor erosion repairs, and doing additional planting. Sometimes we will do wetland planting on aquatic benches and do some more in the riparian areas where they have been disturbed.
We have rules about what they can do with their hand tools, whether it's complexing a stream with woody debris or complexing it with boulder clusters to enhance the salmon, whether it's through migratory or they're spawning. One of the things we have also been doing is stone augmentation in spawning areas.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB
Are the fish responding to those habitat improvement measures of yours?
5:20 p.m.
Manager, Drainage and Environment, Engineering Department, City of Surrey
One of the prime examples where we have been putting in a lo is down in the Campbell system in the Campbell Heights industrial area. It was an old gravel pit. We've been revegetating it, building riffle pools, and doing the wetlands, and we now have the salmon returning up the system into the gravel pit again.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB
That sounds like a wonderful good news success story. I congratulate you for that. As a salmon and trout person myself, what you are doing is very near and dear to my heart.
In terms of rivers, creeks, and waterways in cities, how important are they vis-à-vis the other natural areas? Do these areas become focal points in cities?
5:20 p.m.
Manager, Drainage and Environment, Engineering Department, City of Surrey
For us, a lot of our walkways, our nature paths, and our greenways are around these things. They're not in the riparian area, but they're just outside of it. Also, they're one of the most important wildlife corridors connecting different aspects of the city, whether it's through the agricultural lands or out to the ocean, to the rivers, etc.
They do become a hub. A lot of people go. We have a blueways plan also. People like to canoe up some of the rivers. It's integral to the whole network.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB
Given that siltation can be so problematic for spawning fish, what are you doing to keep silt out of the rivers?
5:20 p.m.
Manager, Drainage and Environment, Engineering Department, City of Surrey
Well, with the new land development practices, we're applying low impact development. Any time a road widens, say, they have to address water quality before the discharge goes into creeks. Any new development has to address water quality before it goes into the creeks. On our debris-flow creeks, we have defined sediment basins so that we can clean it, so it doesn't disturb other parts. We also have a robust erosion and sediment control bylaw that limits construction practices, and you have to do sediment control during your construction activities.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
5:20 p.m.
NDP
Dan Harris NDP Scarborough Southwest, ON
It's going to be quick.
First, Mr. Campbell and Mr. Robb, about the Toronto Zoo, for instance, I think it should be certainly part of the consideration. One aspect is that if you look at the creeks in the zoo, you see that the zoo has actually constructed fish ladders or fishways in order to help with the repopulation of Atlantic salmon and others, which will be integral to the wildlife and habitat in the eventual park. I think it should certainly be included in the considerations.
Now, with only three minutes, I'm glad my colleague spoke about transit access, because for the rest of Scarborough that's the only way to get there.
I'm going to ask two questions.
Mr. Campbell, was the Scarborough Bluffs area put into consideration at some point for inclusion into the park? That's a question that constituents in my riding have asked time and time again.
5:20 p.m.
Vice-President, External Relations and Visitor Experience, Parks Canada
In this particular case, the Scarborough Bluffs were not.
5:20 p.m.
Vice-President, External Relations and Visitor Experience, Parks Canada
When we were looking at areas, we were trying to look at contiguous areas from a ecological perspective, so that you have contiguous areas between where the park would be and where other areas would be. The bluffs would be further away than a contiguous area.
5:20 p.m.
NDP
Dan Harris NDP Scarborough Southwest, ON
Okay.
Mr. Robb, you mentioned that the zoo should be in. Do you have an opinion about whether the bluffs should be included or not?
5:20 p.m.
General Manager, Friends of the Rouge Watershed
I certainly love the waterfront. I lived in the Guildwood community at one point and loved the bluffs. They are this nationally beautiful area. I think gradually over time expanding it.... Right now, the Rouge Beach,I believe, is in it. There's a trail that comes along the waterfront that hooks up with Rouge Park, and eventually that trail can go up Rouge Park, and up to the moraine and the Trans Canada Trail. I'm definitely supportive of these kinds of long-term linkages and opportunities.
5:25 p.m.
NDP
Dan Harris NDP Scarborough Southwest, ON
We certainly hope that the City of Toronto and Waterfront Toronto eventually build that along the way.
My last question is about the Line 9 pipeline, because there are some serious environmental concerns regarding that pipeline and its integrity. I just want to ask Mr. Campbell about it and then perhaps go across....
Has that been taken into consideration? Are there plans to work with Enbridge to ensure that the pipeline eventually doesn't rupture and destroy this wonderful park that we're building?
5:25 p.m.
Vice-President, External Relations and Visitor Experience, Parks Canada
It is one of the reasons that we started to look at three different and distinct areas within the park that we would need, one of those areas being an infrastructure area. With infrastructure, obviously, when we're transferring lands or looking at not transferring lands because of current infrastructure or future infrastructure going through, one of the considerations is what our control and regulatory framework is about.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Mark Warawa
Your time has expired.
Ms. Rempel, you have the last three minutes.