Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thanks to all of the witnesses here today. We won't be able to ask all of them questions.
I commend Ms. Gomez. In passing, I'd like to point out that the municipality of L'Assomption is a member of the Réseau Environnement. Greetings also to Mr. Brandes. I believe we met in Toronto at a symposium held in the fall.
But my questions will be for Mr. Shapiro.
Mr. Shapiro, in your speaking notes—although you didn't mention it in your address—you described Canada's brand as a global water leader. I was wondering what's involved in this reputation as a global leader. I would imagine that it's not hard to see Canada as having a wealth of water. That's the case because of its enormous freshwater reserves. Nevertheless, I wouldn't consider Canada a global leader in water protection, either in terms of sustainability or accessibility. I'll give you some examples.
In Alberta, there was a toxic waste leak at the Kearl mine. Leaks into watercourses from the oil and mining sectors are having disastrous impacts on the environment and health.
Canada has also given the green light to a radioactive waste facility in Chalk River. It's on the banks of a river that flows to near where I live, which draws water from the St. Lawrence River. Approval came in spite of recommendations stemming from consultations and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Water is not given consideration and I believe that examples like these are only the tip of the iceberg.
From this standpoint, I don't see how Canada can be considered a global leader.
Not only that, but our country is incapable of providing drinking water to thousands of first nations members. Canada has all kinds of opportunities to take action to protect our water reserves, the health of ecosystems, and services being provided. And yet nothing currently shows that there has been any change in direction in terms of dealing with the problems I've just raised.
Several witnesses have told us that there is a dearth of knowledge and access to crucial data that would make it possible to do a better job of planning the work that needs to be done. Last week, for example, a witness told us that the other G20 countries already had detailed databases on the various ways water is being used, but that this is not the case in Canada. According to this witness, there are few watercourses being monitored for water quality and even fewer for toxic waste in farming communities.
What could be done to allow for enhanced planning of what's needed to preserve and protect this resource?
Would you be in favour of the federal government prioritizing resource preservation investments?