Evidence of meeting #134 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 wake.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Thank you. I must interrupt you because I'm running out of time.
Ms. Daoust, I would like to know what you think.
General Manager, Organisme de bassin versant de la Yamaska
I think that working together will lead to better use of the water and more peace. The goal is for everyone to have fun and to avoid disturbing the environment as a result of these activities.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Thank you, Mr. Barsalou‑Duval.
Finally today we have Mr. Bachrach.
The floor is yours for two and a half minutes, please.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I have a final question for Ms. Daoust.
We heard earlier the suggestion that non-regulatory, consensus-building approaches are the best way to approach some of the impacts like the ones you're experiencing in your watershed. I'm interested in your opinion on this and whether non-regulatory approaches are going to be sufficient to address the magnitude of the impacts that you've seen and whether you've seen other jurisdictions around North America that have succeeded with non-regulatory approaches in similar contexts.
General Manager, Organisme de bassin versant de la Yamaska
I haven't seen it in other places in Canada because I'm here in Quebec, but you're speaking to a lawyer, so of course I'm going to tell you that it's both. You need the regulation; then you need to apply the regulation, but you first need people to understand the impact of what they're doing. If they understand the impact of what they're doing, maybe they will do it less, and maybe they're going to use other ways to do things.
You have to make people understand. People are educated and they want to know. You also need a regulation because, otherwise, you have to go on every lake, as has been said, or in every river and then adjust each and every time. Then you have great principles, a few principles, and you need people to understand them and especially understand why you need to apply that.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I guess my last question would be this idea of who decides and how we value different voices depending on their connection to the place that we're talking about.
In my view, if you empower municipalities, then you're giving the people who live closest to the waterway the strongest voice in regulating its use. Is that an appropriate approach in your view, or should people who travel from four hours away be given an equal voice in determining what regulations are put in place?
General Manager, Organisme de bassin versant de la Yamaska
I'm going to tell you that I need the environment to have a voice. I need "hurt" to have a voice. I need the birds to have a voice; so, of course, it's going to be as large as possible, but we need to know what we're talking about. We need to know the impact.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Thank you, Mr. Bachrach.
Madame Daoust, Ms. MacKinnon and Mr. Bankes, I want to thank you on behalf of all the members for your time and for sharing your expertise today on this very important study.
With that, colleagues, this meeting is adjourned.