Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'd like to thank the officials for being with us this afternoon, for your brief outline and the consultation you provided to us prior to our travel to Washington, where we met with several members of Congress and representatives.
As you probably know, I come from an area that straddles the Niagara River and borders on Lake Erie. There are a lot of summer properties that are owned by Americans in that area.
If you stay, you'll have an opportunity to listen to some of the residents who are appearing later on this afternoon. Some of the properties have been owned since 1905.
In fact, in Crystal Beach, there's a facility called the Buffalo Canoe Club, which was established in 1882 and moved to Fort Erie in 1891. The facility still exists and operates, with not only American residents but Canadian residents as well.
We've had American visitors for over a century, people who have owned properties for over a century. Those American residents are part of our social fabric. To those who live in our community, it's not considered an international border; it's a river that separates two friends.
I was first contacted by a gentleman who will be making one of the presentations later on today. He wrote to me in February 2022. I wrote to the minister in March 2022 seeking clarification and some guidance with regard to the changes and how this would operate with seasonal property owners, and we're still looking for that kind of clarification, because there are anomalies. Some people will be exempt. You'll find out later on this afternoon that I have one resident who has a home that is taxed, while 450 metres away, they're exempt, so the situation doesn't make sense.
I think there's a solution to the problem that exists, and we can find a common ground with regard to the regulations and how we can word those regulations. We can find a common ground that will solve this issue.
Going back, you talked about consultation and the consultation document of 41 submissions. Were any of those from people in our community?