Thank you, Madam Chair. Given the shortness of time, I'm going to share my time with Mr. Amos.
Thank you, Minister, for being here with your team.
As you know—we've talked about this before—Dartmouth, my hometown, is known as the city of lakes. I assume you've seen it from space. Protecting these lakes in the city of lakes is incredibly important to my community and to me.
The historic Shubenacadie Canal Waterway flows through my riding, through the lakes, and into the Shubenacadie River. This is a historic waterway that was first used 4,000 years ago by the Mi'kmaq. The entire waterway is used by first nations, paddlers, boaters, anglers, and others.
I've read many positive comments on this legislation. This is a great quote from someone who actually sat around this table, NDP MP Wayne Stetski. He says:
It is a reversal from the actions taken by the former Conservative government and it helps protect our lakes and rivers from damaging development or dumping.
I've also read concerns about this legislation by the WWF and other environmental organizations:
Give all lakes and rivers the same heightened level of oversight that is currently reserved for a few designated or “scheduled” rivers.
Minister, can you tell us a little more about why this distinction was made and why we wouldn't add all lakes and rivers to this list?
I'm also interested in how individuals will apply to have a waterway added to this schedule. I'm curious as to whether the average person with concerns is going to be able to navigate this process.
Thank you.