Thank you, Minister, for being here. Thank you to all the officials as well.
Minister, as you know, about a week and a half ago, there was very serious flooding in southwestern Ontario, in the communities of Brantford and Chatham as well. Both declared a state of emergency. I represent part of London, Ontario, in Parliament. Brantford is just down the road, as is Chatham.
I notice in the estimates that there is funding for the Government Operations Centre. When most Canadians hear something like “Government Operations Centre”, I don't know what they think—perhaps bureaucracy. They think of something just out of their reach and perhaps not intelligible.
Can you tell the committee and Canadians in effect how critical the Government Operations Centre is in situations of national emergency? What exactly it does? How it works with the provinces and municipalities that have declared emergency situations?