Thank you for the question.
This is very important to me, because there are first nations that suffer the effects of pollution produced by oil companies or from other substances, among other things. I'm thinking of the Mikisew Cree, for example.
They are facing a devastating situation right now.
Their water and land are contaminated, and these people eat meat from the animals that live on their land.
It's very important, and the work I'm doing right now is in sync with the work that Environment Canada is doing on, for example, the first update of the Canada Water Act and the water commission. We have to work better to protect people from the effects of contaminants.
In southern Ontario, Minister Guilbeault, as you know, used his orders as the Minister of Environment to pause the production of pollutants from the petrochemical industry in Sarnia that were polluting the air with an invisible, scentless chemical that nonetheless is a carcinogen. He worked very closely with the first nation. The company, as you may have read, was not too thrilled about having to shut down business while they put on better filters and scrubs.
The chief from that community told me that they live in chemical valley. He said that we know this industry is important to the economy and that many of our members work in this industry, but it still doesn't mean that we're okay living with practices that are poisoning our members.