Evidence of meeting #68 for Public Safety and National Security in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was waters.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Bob Runciman  Senator
Sébastien Aubertin-Giguère  Director General, Traveller Programs Directorate, Canada Border Services Agency
Madona Radi  Director, Program and Policy Management Division, Canada Border Services Agency

4 p.m.

Conservative

Gord Brown Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON

Yes.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Tony Clement Conservative Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON

Then you have to report?

4 p.m.

Bob Runciman

Yes.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Tony Clement Conservative Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON

Okay, so that's the dividing line. Gotcha.

Okay. That's it for me.

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant

That's it? You have five minutes left.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Tony Clement Conservative Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON

No, I don't want to share my time.

4 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

4 p.m.

Conservative

Tony Clement Conservative Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON

Of course I do.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Dianne Lynn Watts Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC

On the British Columbia coast we run into a problem, and I hear about it from constituents all the time, because we border with the United States. They'll leave B.C. from the marina, and will go out to an island that is Canadian, but because we're so close to the U.S., the boat crosses U.S. water. They're not stopping. They're not doing anything. They're merely crossing through to get to the island, and they have to check in now with CBSA.

4 p.m.

Bob Runciman

If it's a direct route, they do not have to check in.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Dianne Lynn Watts Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC

But they're going through U.S. waters.

4 p.m.

Bob Runciman

It's my understanding that if it's a direct route rather than a loop route, they do not have to. If it's the shortest distance, then you can pass through international waters without being required to check in, but if you're doing a loop route, which is what we're talking about as a major concern in the Thousand Islands, a loop route—

4 p.m.

Conservative

Dianne Lynn Watts Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC

They may be doing that.

4 p.m.

Bob Runciman

If they're doing that, then they would be required to check in.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Dianne Lynn Watts Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC

Okay, so this legislation will fix that, As I said, I get many complaints in which they're saying, “We're just going from one place to another place, but going through U.S. waters, and then we're forced to stop and check in with CBSA, and then we have to wait, if there is nobody there”, and all of this other stuff.

4 p.m.

Bob Runciman

They won't have to do that anymore.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Dianne Lynn Watts Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC

Perfect. Thank you. I will have many happy constituents.

That's it.

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant

Monsieur Dubé.

June 7th, 2017 / 4 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Dubé NDP Beloeil—Chambly, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

When we all agree, the last one to ask questions has even fewer of them.

My question is about raising awareness among the individuals affected by the regulations. It's a big problem, both in terms of the current act for Canadians who go to the United States and in the case of the proposed bill.

Could you tell me if you have received information or assurances from the minister's office or elsewhere about how the information will be shared so that it is properly understood, in order to maximize the benefits of the bill?

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Gord Brown Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON

Thank you, Mr. Dubé.

We got a lot of really negative media in the United States when this incident happened, and there has been ongoing media interest about this bill moving through Parliament.

New York State Senator Patty Ritchie attended the Senate committee meeting when Senator Runciman and I appeared. There is a lot of interest in this bill right now. That's why the hope is that it could be resolved prior to the boating season's getting into full swing in the next number of weeks.

In fact, we have high water levels which I think have slowed down the boating, at least in the Thousand Islands region. There is a lot of debris in the river.

I know you're going to be hearing from some departmental officials after Senator Runciman and me. You might ask them how they might promote this fix being done when, hopefully, the bill passes third reading in the House. I can assure you there will be significant media interest in upstate New York, and quite possibly in the other border regions across Canada, when this legislation passes through the House.

4:05 p.m.

Bob Runciman

I think there is a role to play here with CBSA and perhaps the government—I'm not sure what that role would be—to make people more aware of what the law is.

I know that all of us were surprised when this individual was detained and fined. I think, if we were to talk to Canadian boaters in our region, very few of them knew that this law could apply to them as well, that they could very easily have been charged and fined. There has not been a lot of information out there for folks boating.

Certainly, in terms of west and east coast whale-watching, I would think the private sector would have a role to play here in making sure that the operators of those tours would do their job to make people aware. Marina operators and all sorts of folks in the private sector and in the tourism sector have a role to play in making sure folks are aware of what's happening here, and what is happening is very positive.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Dubé NDP Beloeil—Chambly, QC

That's fine, thank you.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant

Thank you.

Go ahead, Mr. Di Iorio.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Nicola Di Iorio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have a number of questions.

Let's talk about the situation in Quebec, with Lake Champlain and Lake Memphrémagog. Think about a Canadian who leaves Canada, goes to the United States and returns to Canada. He hasn't disembarked, hasn't touched anyone or anything. He doesn't need to report to the United States. Right?

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Gord Brown Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON

at's correct. That boater would not have to report to the U.S. officials, but would have to report to the Canadian officials upon return.