Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Hastings—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington this evening.
I am pleased to speak today to praise the fine work of the Canadian armed forces in the recent ice storm.
As Minister of National Defence, this is a proud moment because the men and women of the Canadian forces have been simply outstanding.
The forces do so much day in and day out. They protect Canada's sovereignty, secure our global interests and co-operate with friends and allies in helping to maintain a stable and peaceful international environment. However, as was evidenced by this storm, they also do much here at home. They mounted an operation in recent weeks which attracted the attention of Canadians and I am sure it warmed their hearts.
The ice storm in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick showed Canadians at their very best banding together in times of trouble to assist their friends and neighbours. People worked together to overcome adversity. I think we can all be proud of their efforts.
As government leaders I think we can also be proud of the high level of co-operation between the federal government, the provinces, local authorities, community groups and of course the scores of individual Canadians.
While the provincial authorities were in the lead, the federal government was there for support where and when it was needed, just like we were able to do previously with the floods in Manitoba and the Saguenay.
I also want to mention one of the unsung heroes of the ice storm and of the disasters in the Saguenay and Manitoba. That is Emergency Preparedness Canada, an agency I have responsibility for. In these emergencies EPC co-ordinated assistance from the federal government departments and agencies beyond the Canadian forces and worked closely with the provinces.
Federal emergency operations and co-ordination groups worked basically around the clock to locate, buy and transport emergency materials such as generators in response to provincial requests for assistance. Situation reports were issued twice daily by EPC for the duration of the crisis. It also co-ordinated public information across all federal departments and agencies participating in the relief effort.
Even as I speak, EPC continues to co-ordinate federal efforts to aid the recovery process. One of its key roles at this point will be in the provision of financial assistance. The cheques may be written by the province to many individuals, businesses and farms, but let me tell all those people that most of the money, as much as 90%, in backing up those cheques will come from the federal government under the disaster financial assistance arrangements, DFAA, co-ordinated by Emergency Preparedness Canada.
But without the Canadian forces these natural disasters would have had even more serious consequences. Let us remember that some 8,700 forces personnel participated in relief efforts in Manitoba and about 450 in the Saguenay floods. Almost 16,000 forces personnel participated in the ice storm crisis. This storm highlighted one of the Canadian forces' most essential roles, protecting the lives and the property of Canadians in times of crisis.
Thousands of uniformed men and women are a sight not very often seen in Canada's urban areas, but there they were during the storm, military personnel from across Canada, from Newfoundland to Quebec to British Columbia. I particularly was pleased to see so many troops coming from western Canada, coming from Edmonton, coming from Winnipeg and helping people in some of the most devastated areas in the South Shore in Montreal in the province of Quebec. That really brought a great many Canadians together from coast to coast.
Operation recuperation, as it was termed by the military, was the largest peace time deployment of the Canadian forces for a natural disaster in our country. At its height, as I said a few moments ago, we had approximately 16,000 men and women deployed from bases across Canada including 4,000 reservists who took time off school or off work to become a part of helping their fellow Canadians. The number of forces personnel reached a high of almost 11,000 in Quebec, almost 5,000 in Ontario and approximately 400 in New Brunswick. Over 200 units of the Canadian forces contributed.
These are soldiers, sailors, air men and women who directly helped their fellow Canadians deal with this crisis. In addition, there were another 6,000 civilian and military personnel across Canada providing essential support to this extraordinary relief effort. They were packing the airplanes with the equipment. They were helping the forces personnel in their transportation needs. To them we also owe our thanks.
The devastating ice storm left terrible damage in its wake and brought with it unprecedented hardship for millions of Canadians. It destroyed forests and crippled dairy farms and of course we know it downed a great many power lines. The loss of electric power to so many would be difficult to cope with at the best of times, but when it occurs in the middle of winter, that hardship is magnified tenfold.
The emergency was extremely costly in terms of human suffering, property damage and disruption to commerce and industry, and it is not over yet for some. As of this morning just over 300 Canadian forces personnel are still deployed in Quebec. Their priorities remain to help Hydro Quebec in the restoration of power, to support people that are in shelters and assist in local patrols.
As of this morning there are still 7,000 Hydro Quebec customers without power. In Ontario and New Brunswick of course full restoration of power has now occurred.
Canadian forces personnel, I want to add again as I have said on many occasions, will remain in the affected area until the power has been restored. In addition, they remain on alert to respond rapidly to new emergencies.
The ability of the Canadian forces to mobilize such large numbers in a relatively short space of time and sustain this very high level of effort is testimony to their preparedness and their leadership. Our troops helped restore hydroelectric power. They helped local authorities clear roads of fallen trees. They helped set up emergency shelters. They distributed food and equipment, including generators. They cooked meals for those in need. They brought peace of mind and a desperately needed link to the outside world when they carried out their door to door checks on residents.
Their very presence brought comfort to hundreds of thousands of Canadians. They helped people cope with a disaster with added confidence and resolve.
Canada's military has a proud history of responding to those in need anywhere in the world. Now once again Canadians saw for themselves how crucial the forces are to the welfare of the country. They demonstrated for all to see that they are truly a vital national institution. We owe these fine men and women our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude.