On behalf of Olivia Chow, I'll read the motion:
That the government begin, without further delay, plans for the design and construction of a new Champlain Bridge in Montreal, Quebec; and that this motion be reported back to the House.
As you know, the Champlain Bridge is the busiest in Canada. There are two reports that have come out, one regarding the status of the bridge and one regarding the future of the bridge.
Regarding the future of the Champlain Bridge, the report says that the bridge has to be replaced as soon as possible. I think we all agree that the bridge, in terms of cost...yes, there are repairs, and yes, it's urgent that work be done so that the bridge can be used in a safe manner, but we are now talking about several years before we can actually have a new Champlain Bridge.
Reports that have come out say that in terms of traffic right now we're losing close to $2.1 billion a year for the whole region of Montreal. Another report that just came out says that Montreal would be losing $741 million per year if the Champlain Bridge were to close. Also, the impact is huge in terms of people being stuck in traffic for hours and hours.
My riding is Brossard—La Prairie. The Champlain Bridge comes into my riding and this is something that people have asked me about. They've sent me letters. I've received hundreds of letters, and the main issue is replacing the Champlain Bridge. It has become a national issue and a question of the economy. We're talking about productivity and the loss of productivity if we continue the way we are going forward now.
So the idea right now is to table a motion
to ensure that the government will quickly announce that the Champlain Bridge will be replaced.
Once the government has made that announcement, all the options will have to be exercised. The latest report, published this summer, mentioned some of the available options.
We also mustn't forget about public transit. I have met with members of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, who are also calling for the replacement of the Champlain Bridge. Whether we are talking about chambers of commerce, municipal or provincial elected representatives, or the public, everyone is calling for the Champlain Bridge to be replaced.
This motion has been moved because we want to work as a committee on advancing this matter, which is very important for the replacement to take place as soon as possible.