Evidence of meeting #75 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was funding.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:05 a.m.
Liberal
Bernadette Jordan Liberal South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
I see there was a $5-million investment in small craft harbours. Although I'm happy to see any money invested in small craft harbours, would you say that is enough?
9:05 a.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Talk to our people who manage small craft harbours, and they'll say they always welcome more funds.
In the small craft harbour core budget, the $75 million, we've had significant B-base or short-term injections. We had $149 million voted last year for last year and this year, which has made a difference, but there is no question that, with 53% being either fair or poor, we are challenged to keep up. We are very grateful for $5 million and pleased to see it, but small craft harbours are constantly a challenge and we do hear from harbour authorities who work really hard as volunteers and are looking for assistance.
9:05 a.m.
Liberal
Bernadette Jordan Liberal South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Since coming into office, one of the things I've seen is that a lot of the time it's that this one needs something and that one needs something. Please don't take this as a criticism. It's not. It's just that the process, I think, is that a lot of the time we put band-aids on things as opposed to fixing them, and then we deal with the same problem two or three years down the road.
Is there any move toward a long-term plan to address the issue of small craft harbours, something like 10 years down the road, so that we can say that this year this one can get fixed, and next year that one is going to get completely fixed? I've seen two-thirds of a wharf fixed and now the other third is washing away and the first two-thirds that were fixed are now in jeopardy because the other third is a mess that they couldn't afford to fix.
9:05 a.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
The answer is that long-term planning is required. We do as much as we can. We try to fix things so that we're not just doing a band-aid solution, knowing that we will have to kick it down the road. But with the amount of funds, with the criteria we have, it is sometimes the case that we do a short-term fix, knowing that we will have to do a longer-term fix in a few years.
Sylvie.
9:05 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
It is a challenge to do the long-term planning. As Kevin has indicated, we've been reliant on B-base funding since about 2007. Our core budget is $75 million. Over the last 10 years, we've benefited from about $760 million of B-base funding, and that's coming to an end this fiscal. So it is a challenge to do the long-term planning that's required.
9:05 a.m.
Liberal
Bernadette Jordan Liberal South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Of the 85 projects you have going on now, how many are on track or are going to be finished? Are you going to have money left over? If there is money that is not used, what happens to it?
9:05 a.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
The small craft harbours group is extraordinarily good at landing on a dime and spending every penny they have. They do that every year.
This year they have their plans in place. There's a grand total of $2.8 million in contingency that they've set aside, and that is assessed based on criteria, deciding what needs to be done.
If there's something that was more expensive than what we thought, if there's extra money that's left over.... It's pretty rare that we don't land on a dime.
Sylvie, is there anything else on that?
9:05 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I'll just add that while we have the core budget we've been focusing on projects in terms of renovation and safety. We have increasing costs that are related to dredging that are quite unpredictable from year to year, depending on the kinds of storms we're experiencing. That is an additional challenge. But, as Kevin said, we do manage the budget down to the last penny.
Some of the projects you've identified this year could be ones that started this year or ones that were begun and that are finishing this year. They're in various stages of progress.
9:05 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Scott Simms
Thank you, Ms. Jordan. I'm afraid I have to end it there.
You mentioned employees at small craft harbours. I would agree that they're very good employees. Also, they liaise quite a bit with Public Services and Procurement Canada, just to point that out.
Mr. Doherty, you have seven minutes, please.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My questions are going to be short and direct, so I'll ask our guests to be as to the point as they can with their answers.
Given the ships to be delivered, Mr. Stringer, to the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy by Seaspan, can you table with the clerk within the next seven days an integrated delivery schedule for seven ships that have been assigned to Seaspan, five for the Canadian Coast Guard and two for the Royal Canadian Navy?
9:10 a.m.
Andy Smith Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Shipbuilding, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Chair, the program has evolved over time. Vancouver Shipyards has produced a number of schedules.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
All I'm asking is, can the schedule be tabled with the clerk within the next seven days?
9:10 a.m.
Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Shipbuilding, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
There is a schedule that certainly can be tabled, although I will say there are a number of probabilities based with that schedule. But the answer is yes.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Thank you, sir.
Can you table with the clerk of the committee within the next seven days an updated outline of vessel life expectancy for all Coast Guard vessels, similar to the information released by access to information in December 2016?
9:10 a.m.
Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Shipbuilding, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Yes.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Thank you.
Given that you have all visited the Seaspan facility, do you think the dates for delivering the three offshore fisheries vessels, one offshore oceanographic science vessel, and the Diefenbaker will be met, and can you provide us with these dates?
9:10 a.m.
Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Shipbuilding, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
The dates certainly can be provided. I will say that the very first OFSV, offshore fisheries science vessel, will be delivered in 2018, the second one in 2019, and the third one in the 2020-21 time frame. That's in accordance with the latest schedule that VSY, Vancouver Shipyards, has produced. The OOSV, offshore oceanographic science vessel, will follow that. We're still in the design phase for the OOSV. That will take some time.
Between the delivery of the OOSV and the delivery of the Polar, there are the two naval resupply ships in there. The Polar-class icebreaker will follow the delivery of the second joint support ship.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Thank you, sir.
Do you think additional capacity is needed in the national shipbuilding program to meet the new ships needs of the Canadian Coast Guard, or will Seaspan be able to meet all of your large ship needs?
9:10 a.m.
Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Shipbuilding, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
The national shipbuilding strategy was predicated on regenerating and sustaining a viable shipbuilding industry in this country.
The Franklin, which is the first OFSV—
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Sorry, sir. With all due respect, my time is very limited. I just asked for a simple yes or no.
Do you think additional capacity is needed in the national shipbuilding program to meet the Canadian Coast Guard's new ships needs? Will Seaspan be able to meet all your large ship needs?
9:10 a.m.
Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Shipbuilding, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Chair, given that the first vessel is yet to be delivered and accepted by the Coast Guard, I believe it would be premature at this point to render a decision on whether the national shipbuilding strategy is going to meet all the needs or not. I think that will evolve over time.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Thank you.
The 2016 Emerson report suggested that the Canadian Coast Guard was underfunded and unable to meet its obligation in relation to icebreaking, pollution controls, tanker disasters, and search and rescue. The government needed to act urgently outside the current national shipbuilding procurement strategy to address these capability gaps.
Do you agree with this assessment, and are you considering leasing icebreakers to meet these gaps in the coming season of 2017-18? When will a decision be taken, given that the solicitation with industry commenced last November?
9:10 a.m.
Jeffery Hutchinson Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
The assessment in the Emerson report speaks to several of the capabilities of the Coast Guard. In our view, the investments that have been put into the Coast Guard through the oceans protection plan and the recent economic update of about 10 days ago are significant in terms of helping to restore core strength in the Coast Guard when it comes to environmental response in particular.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Sir, are you considering leasing icebreakers to meet these gaps in the coming season of 2017-18?