Evidence of meeting #131 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was passengers.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
As part of this incident, we have looked at the issue of passenger rights. One of the outcomes of this is that Via Rail has very clearly put out expectations on its website in terms of what passengers should expect as regards refunds or credits, etc., in the event of delays like this.
As an operator, I think they're in the best position to determine and work with their customers and be responsive to their customers in terms of how they address these types of situations.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Thank you very much.
Next we'll go to Mr. Vis.
Mr. Vis, the floor is yours. You have five minutes, please.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Would the Department of Transport agree that the ports in Surrey and Vancouver are of vital national interest, yes or no?
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
In the Canada Marine Act, those ports—
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
Thank you.
I'm in the position, as the MP for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, where all of the rail lines intersect in Canada.... We had a big disaster in 2021. The Fraser Valley was flooded out. All of the rail lines were washed out. We did get some DMAF funding, but it's not nearly enough even to bring us back to where we were with respect to the critical infrastructure that protects our rail lines and the Trans-Canada Highway from future disasters. The DMAF doesn't actually allow for infrastructure upgrades.
The City of Abbotsford asked me specifically today—and I guess I'll direct this question to Mr. Hutton—what funding programs will be put forward to invest in supply chain resiliency for a city like Abbotsford, which has all of the major rail lines and, basically, all of the major goods that Canada exports running through it. Where should Abbotsford go?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Department of Transport
Thanks.
The resiliency of supply chains and the communities through which there are major transportation activities and export opportunities is extremely important to us. That's why we have the national trade corridors fund. One of the objectives of that fund is to support the resiliency of supply chain activities.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
That's right.
I did actually look, after Mr. Badawey brought up the $4.1 billion invested in the national trade corridors fund. There were multiple funding allotments to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and some private sector companies that did benefit my region, absolutely, the Ashcroft Terminal being a big one in my riding as well. However, there was no municipality in the country that received funding under the NTCF, as reported on online today.
Can you clarify? Can the City of Abbotsford apply, under the national trade corridors fund, to, for example, improve our pump stations, which are critical to ensuring that the rail lines and the highway don't flood again? Can you answer that for me?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Department of Transport
I would also say that there is other funding available to municipalities for things like you mentioned around sewer, waste water and water management. That's included as part of the suite of programs at Infrastructure Canada.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
If you can't answer that because you're not Infrastructure Canada—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Mr. Vis, I'm going to cut you off there for a point of order. You're at two minutes and 45 seconds.
Liberal
Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, I've let it go, but it's getting worse. We're getting way off the topic here.
Liberal
Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, we're talking about the incident with Via Rail. That's what we're talking about. I just want to—
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
Mr. Badawey, if you'd like, I could go over your previous testimony.
Liberal
Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
I have the floor right now. You can respond to it when the chair asks you to respond to it. However, right now I have the floor under a point of order.
Conservative
Liberal
Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, I have a point of order with regard to relevance.
Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Thank you, Mr. Badawey.
We've given some leeway in the second round, but I will ask everybody to try to bring it back to the subject matter at hand. If you could, it would be greatly appreciated.
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
On that point of order, Mr. Chair, it is the usual practice of committees.... I've had the fortune of sitting on many committees, and I'm sure Mr. Badawey has. With the minister, I can understand a little more strictness, but generally, with officials, there is a great deal of leniency. We would appreciate it if that courtesy would.... We'd be, I'm quite confident, agreeable to returning that courtesy.
Liberal
Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
That's why I waited so long to call a point of order; it was to give that leeway. However, now it's going way over.
Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Vis, let's be clear. This is a study that we're embarking on, and I'm valuing the time that we have with both the minister and the department. I really want to talk about the issues and ask questions to get answers on the incident. That way, we can get that quality information from the department with respect to the incident. That's what I'm looking forward to. I'm sure we can come up with some very productive dialogue with the department.
We have the department here with us today to try to discuss and deal with the situation with respect to the Via Rail incident that happened this past September.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.