Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
My comment is addressed to you, Mr. Van Iterson, and concerns your first recommendation. I introduced a motion in the House of Commons in 2006, if memory serves, to create a climate change adaptation fund, and I find your first recommendation restrictive.
I will explain what I mean. Climate change implies large scale adaptation of the economy, especially where agriculture is concerned, as well as fisheries, two sectors that are already very affected by climate change and will continue to be.
There's another element, involving all of the transportation infrastructure, in particular roads and bridges. In my region in particular, we are already seeing the effects of climate change. This means that from now on, we are going to have to take climate change into account when we build roads and bridges, and focus on not building them in potentially flood-prone sectors.
I will give you an example. For about 10 years, because of increased precipitation, the road that links Quebec to Sept-Îles, Port-Cartier, etc., has been been made impassable every year. In fact, every summer, a part of the road is destroyed because there is more abundant rainfall, and for two or three days— and sometimes even longer— people are cut off from the rest of Quebec. And yet Sept-Îles is quite a large centre.
We will also have to focus on adapting all of the range of services offered to the population...
I find your recommendation quite restrictive as compared to what I had proposed. Basically, we want all levels of government to carry out sufficient research and create an adaptation fund for all of the infrastructures and economic sectors that will be particularly affected. Considering effects on ecosystems is good, this is not a bad thing, but I find this too restrictive.