Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you to each of the witnesses. You're coming forward on a very important issue, so we're very happy to have you here, particularly Ms. Fisher and Mr. Allen from British Columbia. We appreciate your participation in the committee hearing today.
I'd like to start with Mr. Allen. You provided very detailed information to the committee on what has happened in the New Westminster area, and we appreciate that.
I would like you to speak for a few moments on the impact on the lives of people in the Westminster Quay area of New Westminster. What does the existing situation create in terms of living conditions in the quay? Second, I'd like you to come back to the issue of mediation, having actively talked to the railway companies. We actually have four, as you detailed in your brief. CP, CN, Burlington Northern, and the Southern Railway of British Columbia run through that area. How effective or ineffective would voluntary compliance remediation be if we don't amend Bill C-11 as you've recommended?
Could you talk to those two points--the impact, and how mediation or voluntary compliance would not be adequate?