Evidence of meeting #135 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 lake.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Denise Cloutier  Vice-President, Coalition Navigation
Constance Ramacieri  President, Fédération québécoise de défense des lacs et cours d’eau
Raynald Collard  Public Relations, Media and Press Officer, Association des riverains et amis du Richelieu
Claude Sicard  Administrator, Fédération québécoise de défense des lacs et cours d’eau
André Philippe Hébert  Director and Engineering Advisor, Coalition Navigation
Laurence Renaud-Langevin  General Manager, Massawippi Blue
Sarrah Storey  Mayor, Village of Fraser Lake

Leila Dance NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Thank you very much.

I'm going to ask Mayor Storey something.

You talked about a resort they're looking to build to try to increase tourism in the community, and how important that is. We've heard some of the concerns that some of the busier lakes and areas have. Although the government talked about all of this funding, I know there isn't something available for all of the lakes across our country.

I'd like you to talk a bit about some of the environmental impacts you're scared of, ones that will come with this extra tourism, as well as some of the enforcement issues you might have. Although it's supposed to be the federal government's responsibility, it largely falls on local municipalities.

What impact will that have on the resort and such?

5:55 p.m.

Mayor, Village of Fraser Lake

Sarrah Storey

That is a really good question, because there is a lake foreshore study that has been done saying there is an issue with the shore. That just came out. University students were doing that. We haven't gotten into the details of that whole study.

There are issues like enforcement and protecting the lake, as well as speed regulations. Who is going to manage these things? These are constant questions, and capacity is always an issue. There are so many lakes in Canada. How do we manage all of these things? How do we work together for the common good and for strategies that are actually going to work?

I think it's great to create jobs. Let's just say that means there's another RCMP officer that needs to be hired and trained. There's a boat that needs to come with that. All of these things cost money. Sometimes we just don't have the people, and we're already short RCMP officers in our area.

It does come down to long-term planning. You can't just turn around and say that this is what we're doing, and it's all going to work out. As a municipality, especially in our shoes, we're going to have to plan this out and make sure we're doing it the right way, and that it's not going to impact the lake in a negative way.

That's why it's also so important that we work with the local first nations communities that live on either side of the lake. We live in the middle; they're on either side. We need to make sure they're happy and everyone is happy with it. We're not building a marina for a city. We're building a marina that is small and, hopefully, we'll push for more local flavour in a way, too. We'll see how that goes.

Leila Dance NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

That's great. I wish you all the best. I hope it works out. I hope that the Canadian government is able to support some of those things. If you could ask for one pie in the sky, that one thing that could happen—

5:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Vice-Chair Conservative Philip Lawrence

There are 10 seconds left here.

Leila Dance NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Thank you very much.

Good luck.

5:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Vice-Chair Conservative Philip Lawrence

That will bring us to an end.

Thank you very much to the witnesses and members. It was an excellent job by all.

The meeting is adjourned.