Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to begin by conveying my greetings to members of the Committee and wishing them a very warm welcome to Grande-Rivière.
In the next few hours, we will be hearing from several different witnesses. I also want to point out that, this afternoon, we will have an opportunity to visit the Sainte-Thérèse plant and meet with people who have been, or are still, grappling with this problem. We will begin the hearings, which will allow us to gain a better understanding of the impacts—even though, in actual fact, we are already quite aware of them—impacts which are very real.
In the communities, there are economic impacts, but there are also impacts on individuals. These people will tell us about their experience, what they are going through now and what they could be facing next year. After that, we will begin our work and present a report containing recommendations. This year, and especially next year, we are aiming to have these recommendations acted on in order to make life easier for these people and mitigate the impacts.
I want to thank you for being here today. We will turn it over to the witnesses to say what they have to say. I am sure it will be a worthwhile experience, for us and for you.
Thank you.