Transport Committee on Feb. 23rd, 2026

[Will Greaves, Liberal, Victoria, BC]

Thank you for that, Minister.

One of the things that we hear about from the leaders of different ports, but also others who work in this field, is the importance of the somewhat less glamorous behind-the-scenes infrastructure, which is critical to maintaining functioning port operations: things like graving docks, mechanical facilities and vessel repair hubs, which are really essential for a functioning marine economy.

Would you please expand on how budget 2025 and the work of your department might support the expansion of that behind-the-scenes infrastructure, so to speak, going forward?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Thank you very much.

Building on my previous answer, some of these projects—Contrecœur in Montreal and Roberts Bank—are headline-grabbing, major and visible investments that will make life better for Canadians and make our country more prosperous. Alongside those, as you mentioned, there are graving docks, inland terminals, bottlenecks, rail bridges and spur lines. These are all smaller and perhaps more obscure. They are not as visible, but they are no less important as investments.

We have a lot of single points of failure in logistics and supply chains in Canada. We're looking to be able to—per my previous answer—better measure those so that we can address them more quickly. We'll make those investments in local communities to help move goods more fluidly through our country, expand east-west trade and, obviously, give greater and better access to port facilities on our coasts. That, in turn, makes life better for the people who live near those ports.

[Will Greaves, Liberal, Victoria, BC]

Thank you, Minister.

Mr. Chair, if I may, I'd like to share the remainder of my time with my honourable colleague from Cape Breton, who would like to ask a question as well.

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Sydney—Glace Bay, NS]

Thank you, MP Greaves.

Minister, I'm interested in your take on how ports can collaborate rather than compete as we pursue these international opportunities. You mentioned large-scale investment in ports as a necessity. I'm wondering, from your perspective, how we focus and work with the private sector and the ports to encourage more collaboration regionally and nationally.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Canada is an ocean-going nation. If we are to expand the trade not destined for the United States, we'll largely do that by transiting goods through ports. The fact is that our port capacity is insufficient today to meet that objective. We don't have enough capacity to be able to afford to duplicate capacity. We want to discourage ports from competing with each other in areas where, perhaps, we have too much capacity, and focus on areas of great potential.

I would also say that, in Cape Breton—your region—it's not just export activity at ports that is a major economic generator. It's things like ship repair and the life-cycle maintenance of some of our major ships, whether these are private ships, cruise ships—I know that is an important business sector in Esquimalt—or Coast Guard ships. These are important economic generators too, and we want to make sure ports are empowered and enabled to take up that work as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you, Minister.

Mr. Barsalou‑Duval, over to you for six minutes.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Welcome to the committee, Minister.

I hope the chair will indulge me, so that I may ask you a question about an issue I raised in a press conference an hour ago. There is no way I could not ask you this, since you're right here in front of me.

Passenger rights groups are complaining that the government still hasn't fulfilled its 2023 promise to implement passenger rights reforms—reforms passed by Parliament, I might add. The system to recover costs from airlines hasn't been implemented either. Is implementation coming, and are you committed to moving that forward?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

We are in the process of examining the entire system. Obviously, I want to reassure people that passengers have, and will have, rights. We know that the current system is pretty complicated and doesn't work, given how many people are looking to have their air travel complaints resolved. We are working on it. We are studying the options, and you, this committee and Parliament, will be the first to know when we are ready to announce our approach.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

I gather that you are still studying the situation but that you are not making a firm commitment at this time. I don't want to take advantage of the chair's indulgence, so I will switch to today's topic.

You highlighted earlier, and rightfully so, the Contrecœur expansion project at the Port of Montreal, which will increase the port's container handling capacity by about 60%, which is really something. That's a lot. It's a big project, but when I look at the federal government's track record in my riding, it's clear that we've had a lot of problems caused by the Contrecœur project that are either directly or indirectly connected to the federal government. These are unresolved issues, including shoreline erosion. In fact, the committee did a report in which it called on the government to reinstate the shoreline protection program it had abandoned.

You also received a report on rail lines, which called on the government to fund studies on relocating or, at least, reconfiguring lines, as well as feasibility studies. In response to both committee reports, the government said it had taken note of the issues raised.

The federal wharf in Verchères has been abandoned for more than 30 years, and Ottawa appears to be totally unconcerned. Last week, I found out that land on the site where the Contrecœur terminal is being built is contaminated, and the port authority is not seeking a permit to carry out work on that land. We don't know what's going to happen.

When it comes to problems in my riding, do you think the federal government has a good track record?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

I will check on that. I'll get back to you regarding the wharf in Verchères.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

It's a Fisheries and Oceans Canada wharf.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

It's a Fisheries and Oceans Canada wharf, so we'll get back to you with an answer later.

With respect to Contrecœur, the project has been under review for many years. The project is necessary so that the Port of Montreal can expand. It will bring jobs, economic growth, and import and export opportunities. Given that we need to undertake great projects to achieve our great ambitions, we have to move. The project has received all the necessary permits, except one for construction, if I'm not mistaken. What's more, the project was debated and studied at length. At a certain point, a decision has to be made, and that decision is to move forward with the Contrecœur project.

As for the environmental risks, if I can sum up your comments, I think—

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

That wasn't my question. My question was about the many requests the federal government has received from people in my riding, requests that have gone completely ignored. Some of those requests were in committee reports that went to the government.

People in my riding have questions about the project, especially the rail component and the 60% increase in the Port of Montreal's capacity. That's going to be a lot of containers. People want to know how much longer their morning commute is going to be if there's a train. Will it cause cracks in the foundations of their homes? Will there be so much noise that they won't be able to hear themselves think in their own homes? Will emergency response vehicles be able to cross the tracks? These are very real questions from the people in my riding, and they still haven't received answers, at least none that are satisfactory.

Considering all the problems I've raised in the past and the federal government's rejection of those requests, why would we expect Ottawa to deal with those issues going forward? That's my question to you.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

They weren't rejected. We always want to be very sensitive to the needs of communities where major projects like the Contrecœur expansion are being carried out. I can't respond individually, but I can tell you that the modernization project is using modern methods of construction.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

If people are looking for commitments, do you think—

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Out of fairness, Mr. Barsalou‑Duval, I can't give you any more time unfortunately, but you will have another chance to ask questions.

Next, we'll go to Mr. Lawrence.

Mr. Lawrence, you have five minutes.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Clarke, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for being here, Mr. MacKinnon.

I'm going to take a little bit of liberty here, because this is an issue that.... Honestly, on Friday alone, I got two or three calls from people in tears. That's with respect to the high-speed rail and the concern that it's causing in eastern Ontario and, I assume, in some of the rural areas of Quebec as well. They are really concerned out there, and I'm hoping we get some concrete answers as much as possible from you, Minister. I'm just going to ask you some pretty concrete questions, and hopefully I'll get those answers.

When will the final route be determined?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

It will be this year.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Clarke, ON]

Thank you.

When will expropriation begin, and when will property owners get notice of that?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Should the expropriation provisions be adopted by Parliament, the land acquisition phase would begin almost immediately.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Clarke, ON]

What notice would they receive of expropriation, right of first refusal or other limitations on their properties being registered?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

What notice...?

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Clarke, ON]

How much time will they get from when they're told their property will potentially be expropriated to when they have their property taken from them?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

I'll get back to you on the exact time frame, but there will be lots of contact. We will have extensive maps published of the exact alignment, and people will be on the ground to meet with property owners.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Minister, excuse me. There is a point of order.