moved for leave to introduce Bill C-530, An Act to establish the Trent-Severn Water Authority.
Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I rise this morning to say something of substance for the first time in more than five years.
The Trent-Severn Waterway is a vast network of water management and recreational boating infrastructure in central Ontario that stretches from Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay. The TSW region is home to more than a million people, including more than 120,000 properties, homes and cottages that front directly on the system.
The Trent-Severn Waterway is many things to many people, but, in my view, one thing it is not is a park. That is why I am introducing this private member's bill that would create an independent entity called the Trent-Severn water authority. It would help to realize the unbelievable potential that many of us believe the Trent-Severn has. Over the years the Trent-Severn Waterway has reported to Transport Canada as well as Canadian Heritage, and currently to the minister responsible for Parks Canada. This independent entity ought to report directly to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.
I look forward to ongoing discussions with my colleagues about this idea of realizing the potential of the Trent-Severn Waterway.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)