House of Commons Hansard #35 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was devco.
Deepak Obhrai Reform Calgary East, AB
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak on the final reading of Bill C-7, the Saguenay-St. Lawrence marine park.
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park ActGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker
Excuse me. The hon. chief government whip on a point of order.
Bob Kilger Liberal Stormont—Dundas, ON
Very respectfully to my colleague opposite from the Reform Party who wishes to speak to I believe the third reading of Bill C-7, I wonder if he is not a little premature and if we might be able to conclude the report stage portion of Bill C-7 and then follow that with the third reading, if we are able to get the consent of the House, which we trust we have.
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park ActGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker
Does the House wish to dispose of the report stage before the hon. member's speech?
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park ActGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker
Is the House ready for the question?
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park ActGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the amendment?
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park ActGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Agreed.
(Amendment agreed to)
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park ActGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker
The hon. chief government whip on a point of order.
Bob Kilger Liberal Stormont—Dundas, ON
Mr. Speaker, again there have been negotiations and discussions with representatives of all parties.
In the spirit of co-operation, I would again request unanimous consent of the House to resume consideration at third reading of Bill C-7, an act to establish the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park and to make a consequential amendment to another Act.
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park ActGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker
Yes, I will put that question shortly, but we have another matter to settle before that.
The question is on the motion for concurrence in Bill C-7. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park ActGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Agreed.
(Motion agreed to)
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park ActGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker
The House heard the proposal of the chief government whip. When shall the bill be read the third time? By leave, now?
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park ActGovernment Orders
November 21st, 1997 / 12:15 p.m.
Parry Sound—Muskoka Ontario
Liberal
Andy Mitchell Liberalfor Minister of Canadian Heritage
moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have an opportunity to once again address the House on this important piece of legislation.
First, let me thank all the members of the House for their support of this bill on second reading, as well as their support today in expediting the processing of this important piece of legislation.
I would also be remiss if I did not take a moment to thank the members of the standing committee on heritage. They have examined Bill C-7 and gone through an examination clause by clause. I wish to thank the members of the committee who have undertaken that and brought this bill back to the House.
I am thoroughly convinced and I know that members as they have examined this bill understand that it is a critical step, a very important step in protecting a very critical ecosystem that is in existence at the confluence of the Saguenay and St. Lawrence rivers.
As we have seen through the process both in the development of this piece of legislation in terms of the co-operation of the various partners, the various levels of government, today we are demonstrating with the passage of this bill a good level of co-operation between the federal and provincial governments where we see a bill where we have an important common objective of respecting and protecting an important ecosystem.
We see a good example of our ability to work together for the good of all Canadians.
However, it is also important to remember that the government cannot, in and of itself, take total credit for this. The members of the local community have come forward. It was their original initiative to make this marine conservation area become a reality. All the various stakeholders and interests in that area have worked hard with government to structure this marine park in a way that works not only to protect the ecosystem in that area but works to enhance the communities there and the economy is there.
This is a good example of a grassroots, community based initiative and one that can and should be replicated as we move forward on other initiatives.
All Canadians can be proud as stewards of their marine environment. This legislation will give us the opportunity, the tools and the structure we need in this particular area to make sure that the protection of the ecosystem takes place. In this case particularly in terms of the beluga whale.
Marine ecosystems are dynamic, three dimensional and ever changing and their stewardship requires the collective action and goodwill of all stakeholders. As I mentioned earlier, we are seeing this with this legislation.
As members know, a big part of the mandate of Parks Canada is stewardship. We are required, as an organization on behalf of all Canadians from coast to coast, to not only ensure that our special places, be they marine conservation areas, national parks or historic sites, are available for Canadians today but we have a very important responsibility to make sure that those special places remain unimpaired for the enjoyment and use of future generations.
We have that responsibility to our children and to our grandchildren, as we have the responsibility to take what was passed to us by the previous generation, our parents and grandparents, to ensure that their wise decisions in protecting national parks from the previous century as we have moved through the 20th century, are continued and that we continue with that legacy and that stewardship.
The concept of marine conservation areas which is a relatively new one is going to be part of that process. We are developing a system of marine conservation areas across Canada. We have identified 29 specific ecosystems in all our oceans as well as in our Great Lakes and we are in the process, as we are with this piece of legislation, of protecting those areas.
I think it is important to note at this time that we are the first country in the world proceeding in this manner. We are the first country that understands and recognizes in a tangible way our obligations to protect our marine ecosystems. Together we will all strive to ensure the sustainability of these critical marine ecosystems.
This legislation and the structure in the park that it is putting in place will provide many opportunities for local residents, community and business interests to derive economic benefits from the establishment of this marine conservation area. Just as we saw co-operation between the various levels of governments, the business community and the community at large to establish this park, so too will we see those types of partnerships come together to make sure that this park has both the protection of the ecosystem as well as the generation of new economic development primarily through tourism in this important area in the province of Quebec.
We welcome the opportunity, as a federal government, to work with those partners and to explore the opportunities as they come forward.
The unprecedented support for this bill in this House demonstrates clearly the common concern that we all share in the protection of our natural and cultural heritage. I am pleased to see that type of support. It represents clearly how deeply Canadians feel about our special places in this country and what type of responsibility and expectations they have towards us, as Parliamentarians, to ensure that we carry out that stewardship in an appropriate way.
We all feel our own places are special. Today we are able to protect a particular area, the Saguenay—St. Lawrence. I am pleased to speak at third reading to see the establishment of the Saguenay—St. Lawrence marine park.
I urge my colleagues to continue to support this legislation and to provide support for this bill at third reading.
Deepak Obhrai Reform Calgary East, AB
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak on the final reading of Bill C-7, the Saguenay—St. Lawrence marine park.
When the Reform Party critic from Kootenay—Columbia spoke on November 4 on this bill, he raised certain issues of concern. I quote from the Reform member for Kootenay—Columbia:
The legislative process that we entered into in this House is very important. All steps in the process are very important. In this case the committee work will be a very valuable part of putting this important legislation in place.
It is important for people on both sides of this issue to have an opportunity to express themselves so that we as members have a clear understanding as to where their concerns are.
What we suggested is that the committee must take a look at the flexibility of the legislation and the impact on potential tenants.
What happened at the committee was there was a briefing from Parks Canada officials. The member for Kootenay—Columbia asked that we address concerns and call witnesses. The member requested recorded votes. The committee members unanimously defeated the call for witnesses. The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage effectively gave it the old rubber stamp.
The committee did not do its job. It did not do due diligence. The rubber stamp was unanimous by all other parties.
As far as the member for Kootenay—Columbia stated on November 4, 1997, once again the Liberal government is using the House as a rubber stamp. Today we now have the committee acting like a rubber stamp.
Some of the concerns raised by the Reform critic are, for example, the implication for commercial and sports fisheries on the St. Lawrence. What are the implications for other users of the river? It is absolutely essential that the people who are using the area for its marine life be consulted. What are the implications because of the overlay of the park regulations? If we consult generally speaking we can avoid any confrontations and avoid taking unnecessary steps.
Most important is what precedent has this bill established for future parks. Parks cannot be established in isolation or in a vacuum. Consultation is required in order to ensure that they work well.
At second reading the member for Kootenay—Columbia said that it is imperative the committee ask all the questions and ensure those questions are debated at committee and answered before coming to a final conclusion. This was not realized.
I reject the rubber stamp process and therefore have some concerns about the balance of this legislation. It would appear that all the other parties at the committee are unwilling to do their jobs. All the same, this would not stop Reform from voting in favour of the establishment of the park.
Parks are an important issue to the Reform Party. Reluctantly and in spite of the flawed process I am recommending to my colleagues that we vote in favour of the park.
In conclusion, on a personal note as a Canadian I am proud to see that Canada will have the first marine national park in the world.
Suzanne Tremblay Bloc Rimouski—Mitis, QC
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C-7 at third reading.
First of all, I would like to thank my colleagues on the heritage committee for their quick and efficient consideration of this bill. I would like to thank the Parks Canada and justice department officials who worked on the drafting and presentation of the bill.
Members will recall that this bill implements an agreement signed in april 1990 by the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada. The marine park project was launched in 1985, and on June 3, 1988, the governments of Canada and Quebec agreed to meet to discuss the establishment of a marine park in the Saguenay region and they finally agreed on the objectives in 1990.
Both governments conducted public consultations to set the park boundaries definitively. An advisory committee was then set up, bringing together representatives from the following organizations: the affected RCMs, the scientific community, the Union québécoise pour la conservation de la nature and the Coalition pour le parc marin du Saguenay—Saint-Laurent.
This committee was to advise planners about how the project was perceived in the region as well as about the contents of a park development proposal. This committee and the officials representing the ministers concerned by the project were able to bring to light what was involved and the interest of the local people in creating a marine park.
In April 1993, the governments announced what the boundaries of the marine park would be and, at the same time, launched the public consultation process on the development proposal. Within two months, by the end of this second round of consultations, the governments had received 63 briefs, which, following a thorough review, were reported on in December 1993. They had all they needed to draft the marine park management plan, which was published early in 1996.
The establishment of this park is a first for Canada, to the extent that it will be jointly managed by the federal and the provincial governments. The Quebec government will maintain ownership of the seabed and the subsoil resources, while the federal government will continue to exercise its jurisdiction, in particular over navigation and fisheries.
The two governments have agreed to harmonize their involvement and that of their various departments and organizations. They have agreed to share current and future infrastructures, installations and equipment for the marine park.
The two governments have established a harmonization committee made up of four members, that is two for each government. The committee must harmonize Canada and Quebec's initiatives, primarily as regards the following: planning; research; management and programming of activities; consultations with interested individuals and groups; integration of planning and development efforts; terms for the sharing of existing or future infrastructures, installations and equipment; implementation schedule and exchange of personnel; communications and the organization of seminars, symposiums and fairs; protection of aquatic fauna and flora; and, finally, public safety.
On December 12, 1996, the two governments announced the introduction of their respective pieces of legislation on the Saguenay—St. Lawrence marine park, in the Quebec National Assembly and in the House of Commons. On June 5, 1997, Quebec's National Assembly passed Bill 86.
However, since the park will be jointly managed by the federal and provincial governments, the Quebec legislation can only come into effect once the federal bill has been given royal assent. This is why I ask hon. members to pass the bill at third reading today, so as to establish a marine park that will increase the level of protection afforded to ecosystems in part of the Saguenay fjord and in the northern estuary of the St. Lawrence River, for conservation purposes, while also promoting its use for educational, recreational and scientific purposes by current and future generations.
The bill will also help promote local tourism, attract infrastructure spending and result in the creation of permanent jobs in the park.
I am delighted to see that the process is about to be completed.
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park ActGovernment Orders
The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)
Is the House ready for the question?
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park ActGovernment Orders
The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)
The hon. member for Burin—St. George's would like to speak on the bill. Is there unanimous consent?
Bill Matthews Progressive Conservative Burin—St. George's, NL
Mr. Speaker, I thank members for their consent. It must be Friday.
It is a great pleasure for me to stand and speak in support of Bill C-7, an act to establish the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park. I would like to add my congratulations and gratitude to all those who have worked tirelessly to bring this project to fruition.
On behalf of my colleague from Chicoutimi, I would especially like to congratulate all the stakeholders in the vast region affected by the establishment of this marine park, including the municipalities that have promoted the idea of the marine park. Congratulations on making the park a success.
This process involved in the establishment of the Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park will be a model for the development of other marine conservation areas for years to come. This marks the first time two governments acting within their respective jurisdictions jointly established a park.
It is probably the park that underwent the largest consultation process ever held in this country. The process led to increasing the proposed boundaries of the park by approximately 40%. This consultative process also allowed the people who will be affected by the park to share their views, concerns and ideas.
Throughout the debate we have heard about maintaining the ecological integrity of our ecosystems. This party believes that the project goes a long in doing just that. The Progressive Conservative Party has always played a leading role in the protection of our environment and the development of both terrestrial and marine parks. I am happy to state that we will continue to do that.
This marine park is an excellent illustration of Canadians becoming stewards of their marine heritage and working together toward the common goal of maintaining the area's ecological integrity and ensuring its long term sustainability.
When we were in government, we recognized the importance of conserving our national marine areas. Many members will know that there are four natural regions for national marine conservation, the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes.
This is also the first marine conservation area on the east coast and I look forward to the development of the remaining nine marine parks in the Atlantic region.
Too often people think that conservation means no development, or in the case of fisheries, no fishing. Conservation and development should not be seen as being working at cross purposes, but working together hand in hand. National marine conservation areas are meant to, and I quote: “represent the diversity of our nation's marine ecosystems, facilitate and encourage marine research and ecological monitoring, protect depleted of endangered species and populations and preserve habitats considered critical to the survival of these species, protect and maintain areas critical to the life cycles of the economically important species and provide interpretation of marine areas for the purposes of conservation, education and tourism”.
In closing, I once again want to thank members for their unanimous consent to allow me to speak and I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the efforts of our colleague from Chicoutimi who has worked tirelessly over the last 12 years to make this park a reality.
Jocelyne Girard-Bujold Bloc Jonquière, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to speak again on Bill C-7, an act to establish the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park and to make a consequential amendment to another Act.
This bill is of particular interest to me, because I come from the Saguenay and I grew up in this very special environment, which is the envy of many tourists who come to our beautiful area.
I look forward to welcoming an increasing number of tourists who will come visit us once the Saguenay—St. Lawrence marine park is established. The establishment of this new park confirms the significance of this resort area, where people can admire one of the most magnificent features of Quebec's landscape, the Saguenay fjord, where a mighty river flows.
We have waited a long time for this bill. The idea of a marine park was first introduced twelve years ago. In 1988, Canada and Quebec agreed to join forces to discuss the establishment of a marine park.
Better late than ever, we could all say. Nevertheless, without all these overlapping areas of federal and provincial jurisdiction, Quebec, as a sovereign nation, would surely have launched this project in a more timely manner. Anyway, as good citizens, we must act within the rigid federal system and make the most of it.
Therefore, I must recognize again, as I did in the speech I gave on this bill on November 4, that under the agreement concerning the required legislative or regulatory measures to be passed, both levels of government, which signed the deal on April 6, 1990, agreed for once to act within their jurisdiction.
Several members of this House have pointed out the exemplary character of this co-operation between the Governments of Canada and of Quebec. I can well understand why the members opposite would stress this, given the fact that the Liberal government is constantly trying to control every attempt by the Quebec to assert itself as a nation.
We all remember that this unique project came from the grassroots and finally made it to our legislative institutions. For once, useless duplication and overlap are being avoided by sharing existing and future facilities, infrastructure and equipment in the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park.
Local and regional communities that have actively cooperated in creating this marine park are being called upon to become closely involved in its management. As members of the coordinating committee, representatives of local and regional communities will be able to closely follow the implementation of the master plan for the marine park.
Again, my concern is that this coordinating committee will only be an advisory committee and as such will not have the impact it should have on the management of the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park. I have already expressed this concern, and I call on each of these representatives to be very careful in ensuring that protection of marine resources will be in keeping with the spirit of Bill C-7 that we will be adopting shortly.
In addition, as the member for that beautiful region, I am especially concerned about the employment situation. I believe that job creation and environmental protection are not incompatible. There has to be a balance.
In this respect, I would like to point out that the federal government has up to now concentrated all its investments in this area on the sites which it owns, namely wharfs and the shoreline. I believe that as an extension of this legislation, the federal government should demonstrate its good faith and provide the necessary funds for the construction of the highway between Baie-Sainte-Catherine and Petit-Saguenay, a highway that the population has been demanding for 25 years.
This new highway will be a big help in attracting more visitors to the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park. Today, a great number of tourists follow the river and take the ferry between Baie-Sainte-Catherine and Tadoussac without going inland along the Saguenay fjord.
I therefore call on the Liberal government to take immediate action to meet this important need for infrastructure so that the park can become an engine for the development of the tourism industry in our region.
I do not have to remind you of the record high unemployment rates in our area over the last several years. This initiative is a way of returning to the region the taxes paid by the local people and of alleviating the cuts in employment insurance that have hurt so many of them.
I would like to add that the situation is the same in the case of the wharfs at Anse-Saint-Jean and Petit-Saguenay; these belong to the federal government and are in urgent need of investments. You will remember that there was a fire a few years ago at the wharf in Anse-Saint-Jean. It is in a terrible state.
So the time has come for the government to invest in all this infrastructure in support of the goodwill expressed with the passing of Bill C-7.
Before I finish, I would like to take a few minutes to give you an overview of the Saguenay—St. Lawrence marine park and a sense of the excitement all tourists share when they come to look at this exceptional site and all its wealth.
The park is part of two major geological formations. The Saguenay fjord and the north shore of the St. Lawrence belong to the old basement of the Canadian Shield made up of crystalline rocks from 600 million to 4 billion years old. Four billion years; it gives one pause for reflection. Mankind is pretty insignificant, when all is said and done.
The Logan fault, which more or less follows the St. Lawrence valley, is a major nonconformity separating the rock formations of the Canadian Shield and the Appalachians. The Saguenay fjord is a deep gash in the Canadian Shield, a series of fault lines in the earth's crust. All these faults and breaks in the earth's crust led to the breakdown of part of the continental shelf.
A series of glaciations carved out the entire St. Lawrence River system as we now know it. The Saguenay River has the peculiarity of being a freshwater river, fed by Lac Saint-Jean, and a saltwater river, fed by the tide waters of the St. Lawrence. The uniqueness of this ecosystem has led to the presence, in the Saguenay River, of species of flora and fauna that may be found nowhere else. So it is easy to understand why this region is of such interest to the scientific community.
In fact, the marine park is in an extremely diversified and rich environment. The aquatic wildlife found in this park includes several species of plankton, some of which are plants while others are animals. This underwater vegetation provide a habitat for many kinds of fish.
And to make things more interesting, we also find two species of aquatic mammals, the beluga and the common seal. This explains why so many visitors are overhelmed by the exceptional beauty of the region and its many assets.
Furthermore, I would be remiss if I did not point out that this is an extremely significant region in the history of North America, because it is here that Aboriginal and European civilizations converged. For thousands of years, the confluence of the Saguenay and St. Lawrence rivers has been a centre of human activity seeking to benefit from this exceptional marine environment.
Today, the mouth of the Saguenay is once again becoming a centre for encountering and discovering marine life. Like the explorers and hunters of past civilizations, present-day visitors can experience the great sensations that contact with marine mammals can provide. In returning to its roots, our society is rediscovering its love of the sea and retracing its history. This is the great challenge the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park has in store for us.
To conclude, I wish to thank the numerous local organizations, local and regional communities, environmental groups and native peoples involved and the scientific community for supporting the establishment of this marine park.
I especially wish to thank Gérard-Raymond Morin, the MNA for Dubuc, and his predecessor, Hubert Desbien, who have always promoted with courage and determination this huge tourist project, which will be a driving force for the economy of our region.
I invite each of you who are about to adopt Bill C-7 to come and enjoy the beauty of the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park and to discover its rich fauna.
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise on behalf of the constituents of Sackville—Eastern Shore to declare the New Democratic Party's continuing support in principle for Bill C-7, an act to establish the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park.
I am proud to speak in support of this initiative and to recommend that the final report be accepted by the House. All Canadians will benefit from the preservation of this unique marine ecosystem.
I trust the spirit of co-operation demonstrated by all parties toward establishing the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park will continue through further efforts to protect Canada's role in this area throughout the 36th Parliament as we strive to protect our natural heritage for future generations.
I wish to acknowledge the work undertaken by the House Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to expedite the passage of Bill C-7. The wisdom and guidance shown by the committee chair, my distinguished colleague from Lac St. Louis, deserves recognition from all members of the House. I congratulate all committee members and associates for their invaluable insights, comments and level of co-operation.
As I stated at second reading and as mentioned by my colleagues at that time, this notable effort has involved the participation of many Canadians. The communities were consulted. Aboriginal participation was ensured and input from all stakeholders was accepted.
The public participation process incorporated throughout the conception of Bill C-7 and in the evolution to the final report before us today is a fine example of what can be accomplished when Canadians agree on a challenge and together strive toward a common purpose and achieve a just conclusion.
As I sated at second reading and shall mention again, the degree of intergovernmental co-operation serves as a hallmark which I hope can be applied to future endeavours between federal and provincial governments.
I would be remiss if I did not draw attention to several matters raised in a previous debate regarding Bill C-7, by participants during the years of marine park development, and through recent consultations and correspondence received by the New Democratic Party.
I acknowledge and accept, as mentioned earlier in my speech, the wisdom and guidance demonstrated by my distinguished colleague from Lac St. Louis. His ability to expedite the progress of Bill C-7 and to ensure implementation without further delay is a credit to the House and a fine reference to Parliament's ability to serve Canadians in a positive manner.
I call upon my colleagues, the hon. Minister of Canadian Heritage and the Secretary of State for Parks, to acknowledge and commit to the following requests submitted by concerned Canadians.
I agree the establishment of the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park has involved an admirable public participation process over many years. To have asked for further consultations, to have called for numerous amendments and to have requested various forms of additional review would have resulted in unnecessary and detrimental delays.
I call upon members of the House to acknowledge and include in the consideration of further marine park projects the following language in the preamble and purpose of future bills:
That the preamble shall include such language as to reflect a desire “to conserve and to maintain the integrity of the natural ecosystems within the park's boundaries”.
I do not intend to portray Bill C-7 as ignoring this principle. Nor do I call for an amendment. I wish to convey to my colleagues an opportunity to strengthen the underlying purpose for establishing marine parks, which is to conserve and preserve our natural heritage for this and future generations.
The following addition to the purpose of future marine park bills will assist in a successful marine parks program and increase the level of protection of marine ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations:
This will be done by preserving and maintaining the integrity of natural ecosystems within the park boundaries, and in particular by protecting and aiding the recovery of species and populations designated at risk.
I ask my colleagues to acknowledge these requests so that they may be included for consideration in future noble park efforts.
I thank the House for the opportunity to speak on these matters. I will voice again the support of the New Democratic Party for the acceptance of the final report, Bill C-7.
On a personal note, I hope that the same co-operation exists when it comes time to debate park status for Lawler and McNabb Island in the beautiful harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia.