Evidence of meeting #14 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was project.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Angelo Iacono
That's almost an extra minute you're giving us. Wow. That's nice.
Mr. Bonin, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.
Bloc
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to address the representatives of the Montreal Port Authority.
You mention first nations support for the compensation project. Do you have any information about the consultations you conducted with them on this subject and the dates on which they took place?
Do you have a document attesting to the first nations’ formal support for this compensation project?
Chief of Staff and Vice-President, Communications and External Affairs, Montreal Port Authority
We will be happy to provide you with a detailed list of what has been sent to us, including the minutes of all the working sessions.
As my colleague said, the compensation project was the subject of dozens of working sessions with first nations. We will therefore be happy to send you these documents attesting to their support.
Chief of Staff and Vice-President, Communications and External Affairs, Montreal Port Authority
They were conducted over the last few months, before we received authorization, of course.
Senior Manager, Contrecoeur Environment, Montreal Port Authority
I would add that consultations on copper redhorse seagrass beds began in 2021, when we received the statement of decision. Condition 3.21 required us to develop a compensation plan. We can provide you with this information as well.
Bloc
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
To my knowledge, a document from Aecon concerning the compensation project was completed in October.
Is that correct?
Senior Manager, Contrecoeur Environment, Montreal Port Authority
Are you talking about the preliminary draft for the design of the facilities?
Senior Manager, Contrecoeur Environment, Montreal Port Authority
Are you talking about October 2024 or October 2025?
Bloc
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
It was in 2025.
Is there an Aecon document on the compensation project?
Senior Manager, Contrecoeur Environment, Montreal Port Authority
Do you have the title of the document? That would help me a little.
Bloc
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
I’ll check, but don’t you have a document from Aecon on the compensation project that was produced in October?
Senior Manager, Contrecoeur Environment, Montreal Port Authority
You said it was in October 2025, but could you tell me which document you are referring to?
Senior Manager, Contrecoeur Environment, Montreal Port Authority
Right now, Aecon is responsible for monitoring the developments, but could you tell me which document you are referring to?
Bloc
Senior Manager, Contrecoeur Environment, Montreal Port Authority
Are you talking about the follow-ups that are done every day?
Bloc
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
I am referring to the document you obtained before the permit was issued. There is a document from Aecon that was produced in October, but you are telling me that the consultations took place before this document was available.
Chief of Staff and Vice-President, Communications and External Affairs, Montreal Port Authority
Several documents were produced by Aecon, and some of them were subject to consultation. Of course, some documents were updated beforehand so that we could obtain the necessary authorization from Fisheries and Oceans.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Angelo Iacono
Thank you, Mr. Baudry and Mr. Bonin.
We go now to Mr. Leslie for five minutes.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd just like to start with Ms. Farrell again.
Given that we understand today that the Port of Montreal was not expecting this referral—they were told 24 hours in advance—I'm curious, in an effort to be transparent in this new office, as to whether you would be willing to share the communications between the transport department and/or the minister's office and the MPO in the lead-up to that referral, as well as between Fisheries and Oceans Canada and/or ECCC, if they had any involvement prior to this decision to refer this project.
Chief Executive Officer, Major Projects Office
Actually, Jeff, I was just starting at that time, so do you want to take that question?
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
I'm just looking for you to share some documents, if they're available.
Jeff Labonté Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Natural Resources
The assessments of all the projects were done throughout the summer period, and that summer period had a significant number of projects that were being looked at. As the office had reached the point at which the first projects were announced, for obvious reasons there was a lot of attention on a number of projects that were being looked at, and the number of projects greatly exceeded—