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.