Thank you, Mrs. Desbiens.
It's very kind of you. I wasn't expecting that.
I'll continue where I left off, Mr. Lanteigne.
Harvesters want the season to open sooner. Mr. Perkins mentioned this. The Canadian Coast Guard has had a presence since 2017. Huge efforts were made on the icebreaking front, and that makes me proud. Some problems still arose, though. At the last minute, the requests for proposals weren't put out. Some Coast Guard vessels are too big to fit into our channels. Quebec's Ocean Group also did a lot to help. Unfortunately, either because of the season or because of the cold, the ice is thicker in certain spots, and you never know when the air cushion vehicle will be available.
Everyone is doing everything they can, but don't you think it's time for the region to have its own equipment, its own small icebreaker—something I've been advocating for years? We could use it to free up channels, particularly in New Brunswick. The ice tends to melt faster in Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and even Newfoundland and Labrador.
Do you think having that additional tool could make it possible to open the season sooner? Everyone could start harvesting, while protecting right whales. We would have the tools we needed.