Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to making the most of the surplus property and the associated potential economic benefits at Shearwater Canadian forces base. The transfer of the surplus property has begun.
Since reducing its activities on the airfield, the department has done its best to maintain the property's viability, pending an official transfer.
As a local development agency, Shearwater Development Corporation has had some successes, including the Fisherman's Cove project.
Shearwater Development Corporation is no longer in the picture, but the tenants, which are still operating commercially on the property, are being accommodated to the extent possible by the base commander.
The Province of Nova Scotia is interested in acquiring the surplus property.
The Province of Nova Scotia and Public Works and Government Services Canada, representing the Department of National Defence, are now negotiating the transfer of the surplus property.
At the request of the Nova Scotia government, negotiations are taking place behind closed doors. Information on the transaction will, however, be released when an agreement has been signed.
The economic impact of the Shearwater transfer has always been the prime concern of national defence. As the Minister of National Defence previously stated in the House, our main objective with these negotiations is to use lands that are no longer required by the department for the benefit of the people of that province and that community and to create economic development opportunities so that jobs can be created there.
It is important to remember that the Canadian forces still have a strong operational requirement for the land we are retaining. Moreover, there are some 1,000 military and civilian personnel who operate out of the site and the resulting economic benefits cannot be overlooked.