Debates of June 6th, 2013

Expansion and Conservation of Canada’s National Parks Act

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, like my colleague, I am very concerned about the lack of definition of low impact. At a departmental briefing, officials explained to me, and I quote, that there are no exact details and no discussion of when low impact becomes high impact. Low-impact activities must be defined for parliamentarians when they are reviewed at committee.

My other major concern is regarding precedent.

The officials have said that future parks are legislatively protected from exploration. Regardless, I would like the government's word that the integrity of Canada's national parks will not be undermined but instead protected, that creating a national park among oil and gas exploration is not a foot in the door, an opening or a setting of precedent to allow development in our treasured national parks.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, can I ask a point of clarification before I answer? I was unclear about the first part of the question that my colleague asked. I was unclear if it was a quote.

Would she mind repeating where the quote came from?

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a quote from an official: “There are no exact details, no discussion of when low impact becomes high impact”.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, thank you. Now I understand.

Absolutely, she is right. As I noted, there is no definition in the parks act, nor is there in the accord act.

I do not quite yet know where to go with this. I do not know if it means a definition. I do not know if it means looking at proposed paragraph 142.1(3)(b) and actually listing what is not acceptable. That might be a way through. We need to talk to Parks Canada and the CNSOPB to figure out the best way to do this, of course with consultation from environment groups.

I do not have an answer for her, but I agree with her 100% that it is a matter of concern, and we need to figure it out.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for my colleague from Halifax but directed to the parliamentary secretary as well.

Environmental groups in Halifax and across the country have a lot of distrust. I was there in 1995 as a private citizen when Sable Gas was starting up its lease explorations and explaining to the people of Nova Scotia about the lease process, about drilling for gas and everything offshore. The company had big maps in the Waverley fire hall. A map showed a blacked out Sable Island with a circle around it. Officials of Sable Gas said that under no circumstances would it touch this very precious piece of Canadian heritage. It was going to leave it alone. I thought that sounded great. But the problem was that five years later the company did seismic testing on the island. It completely broke its word.

My personal view is low impact, high impact. My advice is no impact, no seismic testing under any circumstances on that island. The island should be left alone.

I was really impressed by my colleague from Halifax who represents Sable Island. As I said, I have had the opportunity to go to Sable Island and it truly is one of the most beautiful areas on the planet. She herself says that she may not want to go there because of the effect that oil and gas exploration may have on the island.

I have two questions for my colleague. First, does my colleague believe in no impact in terms of oil and gas exploration on the island? Second, by turning Sable Island into a national park, one of our concerns is that many people may want to visit it, and human activity could have a serious effect on that island. I would like to have her comments on that please.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Sackville—Eastern Shore has been a wonderful mentor to me back home. He has really shown me around the community.

Visitors on the island are a huge concern. That is one of the reasons why there is talk of having an interpretive centre not on Sable. We can learn about Sable. We can enjoy Sable Island without actually going there. There could be pretty serious impact if the island turns into a big visitors' centre and people are out there on their Sea-Doos in their wetsuits.

I believe in no impact absolutely. No impact sounds great and would absolutely be my preference.

I am admittedly trying to be a bit of a pragmatist here because I did read the testimony at Senate committee. The Nova Scotia government did say ExxonMobil is giving up its rights to drill on this island. Everybody is saying a one nautical mile limit for drilling. There is give and take there. I am putting a lot of faith in the fact that there was a true and honest negotiation, but my preference would be no impact.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the concept of visits to the island came up. While ecological integrity is one of the key tenets of the Canada Parks Act, we want to see that maintained in this legislation. We discussed visitor access; obviously the ecological needs of Sable Island are quite different than, say, those of Banff National Park.

My colleague brought up a potential visitors' centre. Obviously Parks Canada would engage in consultation on this. Given that she is the local representative, I am wondering if she could provide some thoughts on how that could be accomplished, assuming that this legislation passes through the House of Commons. What would be an ideal visitors' centre? Could she tell us what she is hearing from the local community with regard to some of the best elements that should be incorporated in that?

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, this has captured the imagination of people at home not just in Halifax, but all around the province. Some people have come up with ideas that are crazy and some ideas that are really inspiring. I cannot recall them right now because I was not thinking about preparing them for my speech, but there are great ideas on the ground. People are talking about them. People are excited. Their imaginations are running wild.

Parks Canada needs to consult with folks on the ground, and I know it will do that. Parks Canada is going to be absolutely awed by what it hears from people.

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Joe Comartin]

Resuming debate. I understand we have a request for unanimous consent from the Minister of the Environment. Does the minister have unanimous consent to speak at this time?

[Some hon. members]

Yes.

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Joe Comartin]

The hon. Minister of the Environment.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak in support of Bill S-15, the expansion and conservation of Canada's national parks act.

This bill would bring legal protection to Nova Scotia's Sable Island as Canada's 43rd national park. It is a key action toward the Government of Canada's commitment in its 2011 Speech from the Throne to create significant new protected areas. The passing of this bill would mark the end of the steps to which the Government of Canada agreed, with the Province of Nova Scotia, to designate Sable Island as a national park reserve, and the start of a new iconic national park reserve for all Canadians.

In fact, in October 2011, the hon. member for Central Nova and I were honoured to join with the Premier of Nova Scotia, Darrell Dexter, in Halifax to sign the memorandum of agreement for a national park at Sable Island. I know that each of us shared, that day, a strong sense that not only were we concluding almost 50 years of work to conserve Sable Island, but that we were taking the necessary action to protect this iconic landscape for the benefit of future generations. The dream of protecting Sable Island is a long-standing one that we hope to realize very shortly with the passage of Bill S-15.

As the hon. member for South Shore—St. Margaret's noted earlier in this debate, it was the call of schoolchildren from across Canada to stop the proposed removal of the famous Sable Island horses that resulted in the first federal conservation action in 1961. And, as the Sable Island region became the focus for petroleum development in the late 1960s and early 1970s, organizations stepped forward to draw national attention to the future of the island. During this time, the level of development and human use of the island declined, allowing nature to once again reassert itself.

As someone who has had the honour and the distinct pleasure of visiting Sable Island, I can attest to this House what a special place we are bringing under the protection of our world-class national parks system. In size, Sable Island is tiny in comparison to the 30,000 square kilometres now protected in Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories, thanks to the actions of Parliament in 2009 when it significantly expanded Nahanni. However, from my first-hand experience, I can tell members that it is no less important. Nature indeed has reasserted itself, reclaiming Sable Island as a sanctuary for life on the edge.

As we fly into Sable Island, we cannot help but be impressed by the fact that this isolated sandbar island, located, as my colleagues have said, just under 300 kilometres from Halifax, has survived. It is amazing that it has survived, let alone sustained life. The island is a remarkable formation, not only for its geography as the only remaining exposed portion of the outer continental shelf in the northwest Atlantic, but for its wildlife. Some 190 plant species live there, including 20 that have restricted distribution elsewhere. It is a sanctuary for some 350 species of migratory birds, including the roseate tern that is listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act. In fact, Sable Island is the breeding ground for virtually the entire world population of the Ipswich sparrow.

Perhaps most famously, Sable Island is home to a band of feral horses. The numbers vary, from year to year and from decade to decade, from 300 to 500 animals. It is one of the few bands in the world that remains entirely unmanaged. These horses were introduced, it is believed, in the 1730s, and were declared protected by the Diefenbaker government in 1961. As a Canadian, as a member of this House and as a visitor to Sable Island, I am proud to stand in this chamber to help conclude the work started back in 1961. What a legacy for this Parliament to leave to future generations.

And, what a legacy passed on from previous generations. As we have heard, Sable Island has a very long human history, some of it tragic. About 350 shipwrecks are recorded there, earning the island the title often referred to of “graveyard of the Atlantic”.

Life-saving stations were established there over 200 years ago and in subsequent years lighthouses and shelters for shipwrecked sailors were built, much attributed to the resourcefulness and determination of Canadians. Thanks to the professional expertise of Parks Canada, we will continue to tell these stories and will continue to share them with Canadians and people around the world.

The bill before us amends schedule 2 of the Canada National Parks Act to add the legal boundary description of Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada. Using the national park reserve designation respects the ongoing discussions that the federal government is having with the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia under the Made-in-Nova Scotia Process. The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia support the national park reserve designation for Sable Island. The Government of Canada is committed to negotiating an agreement with the Mi'kmaq once the Made-in-Nova Scotia Process is completed in order to transition Sable Island to final full national park status.

Until that agreement is finalized, Sable Island would remain a national park reserve. I wish to stress that a national park reserve enjoys all the same protections that a national park does while respecting assertions of aboriginal or treaty rights. It is not a lesser category of national park. Some of our iconic parks, such as the Nahanni, in the Northwest Territories, and Gwaii Haanas and Pacific Rim on the west coast, are also still national park reserves. Nor is this time limited. We will not effect the transition to a full-fledged national park until we have concluded our work with the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia.

As we heard, Sable Island is located in one of the largest offshore hydrocarbon basins in North America. I know that during this debate I heard again this evening concern expressed about the future of Sable Island and the petroleum activities that may be permitted within this region. However, at the end of the day, given that Sable Island National Park Reserve is being created in a region that is the subject of active petroleum exploration and development, I believe that our government and the Government of Nova Scotia have negotiated an approach to Sable Island that balances conservation and development in creating Canada's 43rd national park.

Members should consider what we would be accomplishing with this bill as it pertains to Sable Island. We would be creating a new and exciting park reserve on Sable Island that would conserve one of the largest dune systems in eastern Canada, habitat for endangered species and of course for the wild horses of Sable.

We would be protecting the asserted aboriginal rights and title of the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia while launching a new collaboration between Parks Canada and the Mi'kmaq. For the first time we would be putting in place a legislative ban on exploratory and extractive drilling for petroleum resources from the surface of Sable Island. We would be creating a legislated buffer zone around the national park reserve that prohibits drilling from the park boundary, which would be considered the shoreline at low tide, out one nautical mile.

We would be legally limiting the number of current petroleum-related activities that can be undertaken from Sable Island while directing those activities, if authorized, have low impact. I would be glad to speak to that in questions after these remarks. We would be putting in place a legislative requirement for the Offshore Petroleum Board to consult Parks Canada before consideration of any permits for this low-impact activity on Sable Island.

Finally, we would be providing opportunities for Canadians to experience and learn about Sable Island, whether by visiting the island itself or learning through various media.

At this time, I would like to echo the remarks of previous speakers in thanking the holders of petroleum discovery licences on or near Sable Island who voluntarily agreed to amendments that now fully and in perpetuity prevent them from drilling on the island and within the buffer zone of one nautical mile.

I too want to express my sincere appreciation to the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans for their work in helping to create a national park reserve on Sable Island.

I want to again express my sincere appreciation to the Province of Nova Scotia for working with us from day one to realize this new national park reserve.

I would like to assure this House that for Parks Canada, Bill S-15 would be but a first step as it takes on administration of the island and begins to deepen the connection Canadians make with this remote place in the northwest Atlantic Ocean.

In the coming years, the agency would work with partners and shareholders to protect this land of wild horses and windswept dunes, of shipwrecks and sea birds. The wild character of this island would continue to be a defining feature for those who make the once-in-a-lifetime journey there.

I have heard questions of mild concern to this effect, but Parks Canada would carefully facilitate experience opportunities while protecting the special place in perpetuity for the benefit of present and future generations.

At the same time that Parks Canada maintained Sable Island's ecological integrity, it would consult with the public and it would work with partners and stakeholders to prepare a management plan to guide all aspects of the future management of this wonderful national park reserve.

Now I wish to briefly describe the other proposed amendments to the Canada National Parks Act made in the second part of the bill.

First, with regard to the other proposed amendments in the second part of this bill, the bill before us would address issues raised by the standing joint committee for the scrutiny of regulations, in particular to correct the discrepancies between the English and the French versions of subsection 4(1). These changes are minor in nature. They would not alter the meaning of the clause.

The bill would also add a new subsection 4(1.1), which clarifies the authority of the Minister of the Environment to use section 23 or section 24 of the Parks Canada Agency Act to set fees in national parks.

In fact, an amendment to this bill in the Senate brought greater clarity to these changes. The bill would make changes affecting two national parks in western Canada. It would make minor changes to commercial zoning in the community of Field, British Columbia, in Yoho National Park, to reflect the current reality in Field while at the same time respecting the commercial limits established for that community and the community plan.

Finally, the last set of amendments is that Bill S-15 would change the leasehold boundaries of the Marmot Basin ski area that is within Jasper National Park of Canada by removing an area that is an important wildlife habitat for woodland caribou, for mountain goat, for grizzly bear and for wolverine in exchange for a smaller area of less ecologically sensitive land. This would result in a significant gain for the ecological integrity of Jasper National Park.

The Government of Canada is proud to table this bill to formally establish a Sable Island national park reserve of Canada, and to give this national treasure the highest level of environmental protection in the country. Sable Island would join with other places that have become Canada's premier natural and cultural icons in a national parks system that covers more than 326,000 square kilometres, an area that is 4 times the size of Lake Superior and that celebrates the infinite beauty and the variety of our land.

Bill S-15 marks the third time our government has brought before Parliament a legislative proposal to increase the size of Canada's internationally acclaimed network of national parks and national marine conservation areas.

In fact, in May 2011, Parks Canada was awarded the prestigious Gift to the Earth award by World Wildlife Fund, its highest accolade to applaud conservation work of outstanding merit. In recognizing a conservation action as a gift to the earth, WWF highlights both environmental leadership and inspiring conservation achievement, which contribute to the protection of our shared living world.

The Gift to the Earth award recognizes Parks Canada's conservation leadership and its globally outstanding track record in creating new protected areas and in embracing precedent-setting aboriginal participation in the establishment and the management of our protected areas.

I would like to briefly speak to some of these new protected areas, which would soon see Sable Island among them.

In 2009, Parliament unanimously passed legislation resulting in a sixfold expansion of Nahanni National Park Reserve, bringing the park to 30,000 square kilometres in size.

It was remarked in the House that this was the conservation achievement of a generation, one that was accomplished with the close collaboration of the Dehcho First Nations. Designated one of the planet's first world heritage sites, this expanded park now protects in perpetuity significant habitat for grizzly bear, caribou and Dall sheep, as well as the famed South Nahanni River.

A year later, after a parliamentary review, the Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site became the first marine protected area to be scheduled under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act. In a global first, this new marine protected area, along with the existing Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, protects a contiguous area that extends from alpine mountaintops right down to the bottom of the ocean floor—a rich temperate rainforest and its adjoining marine ecosystem now protected for the benefit of future generations. All of this was accomplished as we worked hand in hand with the people of the Haida Nation.

It is important to note that our government has not only worked to protect large or remote natural areas such as Nahanni, Gwaii Haanas and Sable Island, but we are also working to protect endangered habitat and species and to conserve some of the last large remaining natural areas in more developed settings.

In 2011, the government announced the purchase of the historic Dixon family ranch lands of the Frenchman River Valley, in southwest Saskatchewan, in order to protect it for future generations as part of Grasslands National Park of Canada.

This land acquisition of approximately 111 square kilometres within the west block of Grasslands National Park's existing boundary is significant for its spectacular scenery and its native grasslands, which includes critical habitat for species at risk.

Allow me to quote the hon. member for Edmonton—Spruce Grove, when she observed:

This vast, windswept prairie was home to millions of free-roaming bison prior to European settlement. With the re-introduction of bison—an icon of the prairie—the park will restore grazing to this mixed-grass prairie ecosystem, enhance the long-term integrity of the park and once again give Canadians the opportunity to view these symbols of the prairie after over a century's absence in this area.

It is these kinds of actions that speak to the power of our national parks. Not only do they protect the natural areas that have been handed down from generations before us, but they also provide us with the opportunity to restore what might have been lost.

Again to Grasslands National Park, in 2009, Parks Canada reintroduced the black-footed ferret, a species that had disappeared from this region more than 70 years ago.

Finally, I am particularly proud of our government's initiative to bring the message of protected areas and conservation to the Rouge Valley of Toronto.

In the 2011 Speech from the Throne, our government announced that it would work to create a national urban park, the first national urban park in Canada, in the Rouge Valley. This is an important initiative that would help increase the profile and public investment in urban conservation. I am also proud of the fact that our government will invest over $143 million, over 10 years, for park development and interim operations, with an annual budget of $7.6 million to continue operations.

The overall size of a Sable Island national park reserve and Rouge Urban National Park are not as large as our great northern and Rocky Mountain national parks, but they are no less important. They complement the mandate of large protected areas by focusing on some of our most endangered ecosystems, and they provide yet another opportunity to inspire people to take action to conserve their local natural areas.

Passage of Bill S-15 would ensure that the natural and cultural features of a Sable Island national park reserve of Canada would be protected forever, for the enjoyment, the appreciation and the benefit of current and future generations of Canadians.

I hope that hon. members across both sides of this House will join me in supporting Bill S-15.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to pose a question to the minister. My question is about a very specific piece of the legislation. I am going to read from the bill as follows:

Existing leases, easements and licences of occupation in or on Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada are continued under this Act....

I am not quite sure I understand why existing leases are continuing. In the minister's speech he talked about the protection of Sable Island. He also talked about development, as my colleague from Sackville—Eastern Shore pointed out to me. That sends a red flag to me when he is talking about development in his speech about creating a national park. It brings me to this piece about the existing leases and easements being held. I do not have a problem with easements, but not so leases being held. I wonder if he can explain that section and what exactly it means for us.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is good to have concerns when one is uncertain of the implication of the language, either in the bill or in the offshore boards agreement. However I can assure my colleague that the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board can occasionally call an issue for bids a time to consider subsurface. The surface rights have been completely given up by those lease holders, but as you know, as has been remarked in debate, this is one of the largest offshore basins in North America. There are, at different levels, reserves under the island and near the island.

The last time a company undertook a seismic program on the island, as I said earlier today, it was observed by Zoe Lucas who is probably the foremost authority on the natural environment on the island and what is necessary to protect the habitat and the species there. A company undertook what is called a 3-D seismic program, where it temporarily installed listening devices and mild vibrating devices to provide a sound source. No explosives were used, no air guns were used, no drilling was permitted, nor will any drilling be permitted in the future. However this low impact activity provides for examination of the subsurface and, as you know, we have been discussing the rights of the oil companies.

When you stand on Sable Island today and look in two different directions, you can see the large, modern offshore rigs, which are operating outside this buffer zone, and their horizontal drilling is capable of accessing any new pools they may find under the island. They will not be allowed and have given up all rights to do any drilling on the island.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for coming and speaking tonight. One of our concerns is regarding the extent and oversight of natural resource development that Bill S-15 would authorize. These include petroleum exploration activities, which might include seismic, geologic or geophysical programs on Sable Island.

I am wondering if the minister could describe what is meant by seismic. People are concerned that only one study has been done to explore the impacts of seismic testing. Could he describe what seismic impacts are possible on the ocean and wildlife?

Second, I am going to ask very directly that this park created among oil and gas exploration will not be used as a foot in the door, an opening or a setting of precedent to allow development in our treasured national parks. Minister, do I have your word?

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Joe Comartin]

Before the hon. Minister of the Environment answers, this is the third time that comments have been directed to a member. The minister has done it. The member for Etobicoke North has now done it. All direct comments should come through the Chair.

The Minister of the Environment.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that is a thoughtful question. Just to follow on from my earlier answer, the seismic technology which may be contemplated today, and there is no certainty of when or at what time this might take place, is very different from the seismic technology of years past.

I look forward to watching and listening with the member when Ms. Lucas testifies at committee, I hope next week. She observed and, I suggest, may have guided those technicians who worked on the island in the past. She made very clear notes in a report, which stated in part, “in general, the seismic program had limited and short-term impact on Sable Island”. She said that the code of practice with the survey company indicated that any group operating on this island would be expected to comply with similar guidelines.

With regard to the reality of the continuing exploration and development, as I have said, there are big offshore rigs around the waters of Sable Island. Again, they are under the oversight of the National Energy Board and the offshore board. Their practices are very closely monitored and, in fact, from time to time, when weather presents a risk to those platforms, the workers on the platforms are allowed to take shelter on Sable Island temporarily.

The creation of this park, and the government of Nova Scotia recognizes this and the Mi'kmaq have expressed the same satisfaction, will protect now and forever the onshore development of unacceptable industrial or human presence. Any visits to the island will be very controlled by Parks Canada as they are in other sensitive areas.

[Joan Crockatt, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, as we know, this is very important legislation, watershed legislation, that I think all Canadians will celebrate. One of the things we love about our national parks is they give us places to go, where we can sort of transcend our daily lives and really enjoy nature and expand our own horizons.

I would like the minister to address this issue and give Canadians a sense of what they are getting. This government, I understand, has protected more natural parkland than any government in Canadian history. We should be celebrating that and I would like to hear about that from the minister.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in my previous assignment with Foreign Affairs, travelling the world and visiting a number of very exotic places, it was remarkable how often those entrusted with the protection and conservation of special places in those countries remarked that many of their practices had been modelled on the work of Parks Canada over the past century and a quarter. Banff National Park was created just over a century and a quarter ago. The National Parks Act dates back just over a century.

I thank my colleague for the opportunity to remark on the accomplishments of the past seven years. Nahanni, which I spoke to in my remarks, and Nááts'ihch'oh on the northern boundary of Nahanni have been created. However, more important, I am encouraged and delighted by the ambition of some of our environmental non-governmental organizations that want us to press on, perhaps faster than we have the capacity to achieve.

With regard to our national marine-protected areas, the major areas already protected by Parks Canada are the Haida reserve, Gwaii Haanas, Lake Superior, the largest freshwater protected space in the world, Saguenay-St. Lawrence in the St. Lawrence River and Tobermory's famous Fathom Five. We are working on three new marine-protected areas at the moment in the south Georgia Strait, the Îles de la Madeleine and Lancaster Sound in the High Arctic.

[Raymond Côté, NDP, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to say that I will be sharing my time with my very esteemed colleague, the member for Nanaimo—Cowichan.

How could I not begin by speaking out against the 42nd time allocation motion imposed by the Conservative government? It is truly shameful because we agree with the overall intention of this bill.

I will focus mainly on the case of Sable Island and on giving it national park status. That is basically a very good idea, but since the devil is in the details, with all due respect to our Conservative colleagues, we would like to work with them as equals to examine these details and find common ground.

Unfortunately, our time will be limited, which is truly a shame. Clearly, we will not use our parliamentary privilege to talk our colleagues' ears off. All we are asking is that the Conservatives listen to our legitimate concerns, our proposals and any other reasonable issue that deserves to be debated in the House. Unfortunately, we will have to make do with what we have.

The Conservatives have a majority in the House. Good for them. Although they may abuse their power, we will continue to work and, more importantly, we will get behind a bill that has a number of positive aspects.

As a proud Canadian who was born in Quebec and still lives there today, I will talk about Sable Island, which is a rather mythical place in the minds of all Canadians. Who has not heard of Sable Island, this thin and fragile strip of sand off the coast of Nova Scotia? The island is home to many animals, including the mythical herd of wild horses. It is an idyllic place. It is also a national treasure whose reputation extends far beyond our borders.

I repeat: it is a wonderful idea to make Sable Island a national park and to provide it with the protection that comes with that status.

However, the hon. member for Halifax, a strong advocate for this issue, has pointed out a serious problem. Unfortunately, major environmental protections at the federal level have been weakened and even gutted, which is a great cause for concern and which undermines national park status.

I will not talk about that because it has been debated. I am certain that some of my colleagues will want to expand on that.

I will talk instead about the national park status. With that status, Sable Island will become the responsibility of Parks Canada, which will supervise and operate it. I will also talk about the lack of funding. No matter the value that we place on this bill, the lack of funding ultimately makes it a hollow bill, unless we at least restore some means to ensure that the island is protected and studied in order to acquire the knowledge we need about this magnificent natural place.

To illustrate this point, I will talk about my riding, Beauport—Limoilou. It is home to an important element of our history that is the responsibility of Parks Canada. I am referring to Cartier-Brébeuf Park, which history and archeology have identified as the first spot where Jacques Cartier wintered back in the 16th century.

Cartier-Brébeuf Park, which is now located in downtown Quebec City, on the shore of the St. Charles River, is a place that I remember well. When I was in high school, I went there on a school trip. I also visited it with my son after settling in Limoilou. In the winter, I think we enjoyed drinking a cedar bark brew. I do not remember it well because it was about 20 years ago. My son was a young boy at the time. It was an aboriginal recipe that helped Jacques Cartier and his crew survive the terrible Canadian winters and the ravages of scurvy, among other things.

It is very important that we preserve such an asset because it is a source of pride, not to mention knowledge. When we know where we come from, we have a greater understanding of ourselves and we have certain basic tools to guide us. The historical perspective is key. It is very easy to lose track of the past, of artifacts and material aspects of our history, which are fragile and few. These objects are part of our heritage.

This year, there will be no more interpretive guides at Cartier-Brébeuf park. Everything will be done with interpretive signs or audio-guides. People will go around with their earphones. It is an appealing method, from a technical standpoint. It is a very interesting innovation, but ultimately, nothing can replace a human being or the interaction that can mean so much to both the visitors and the interpretive guides. I can say that based on my experience at a heritage site in Lotbinière.

Nothing can replace that interaction between the visitors and the interpretive guides, who can offer so much more to the visitors. They can answer questions, or if they are asked a question that they cannot answer, they can expand their knowledge and come back with even more information to share with visitors. It is really dismaying to see this place—one of the spots where the French presence was first felt in Canada—being abandoned like this.

At the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, I have often asked what the point is of passing a bill if we do not have the means to put it into effect and ensure that it will be fairly and thoroughly implemented.

It is true that Bill S-15 could be very promising. However, biodiversity in Canada is on the decline, particularly marine biodiversity, and in the case of Sable Island specifically, if we do not have the means to fulfill this bill's ambitions, it will all be for naught. It will be a disgrace for us because we are passing this legacy on to future generations, and it is a rich, fragile legacy.

I also wanted to talk about the drop in visitors to our national parks. I used to be the proud critic for small business and tourism, a position that is now held by my nearby colleague. We have both noticed a dramatic drop in the number of foreign tourists. We can draw the same conclusion, be it regarding Parks Canada or foreign tourists: unfortunately, we are not doing what it takes to spark people's interest, draw them in, welcome them and help them enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience.

At the same time, we agree with the purpose of Bill S-15 and we agree to support it at second reading, but will the means follow? Can the government reassure us that they will? I have serious doubts.

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Beauport—Limoilou for his speech. I hope he took some comfort from the parliamentary secretary's very detailed speech. We all agree that the heritage value of Sable Island is absolutely unique, especially for the French fact in North America and in Canada.

I would like to ask my colleague a simple question. How can he claim that the government is neglecting Sable Island when the government is giving it its full attention? This evening the minister also focused on it at length, through the bill. Moreover, his colleague from Halifax also appreciates what we are undertaking here. Perhaps we should set aside our partisan agendas in this case.

[Raymond Côté, NDP, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I must admit to a personal interest in the subject. Parks Canada represents not just our national parks, but also our archaeological and historical heritage. I trained as an archivist, and I worked as one for about two years in the 1990s, when the situation was quite terrible. I can see the devastation caused by the closure of centres and the job cuts to archaeologists, archivists and all kinds of specialists at Parks Canada in Quebec.

I am sorry to say I have no confidence in the government, especially after seeing the results of the indirect damage these measures have wreaked in Quebec. In Quebec City, where I live, the archives and private historical societies that benefited so much from the expertise of Parks Canada have all been affected. I do not feel confident. In addition, approximately 600 biologist and tour guide positions were eliminated nationwide at Parks Canada. I stand by what I said. Obviously, the money is not coming.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. My question is about Bill S-15. I am very worried about the fact that the bill, which would create a new national park on Nova Scotia's Sable Island, is a real threat.

The more I think about it, I think the perfect analogy is that this is a Trojan Horse. It is as though we are getting a new gift, a new national park, and we should all be very happy to see it. While I am happy to see a large wooden horse coming into the courtyard, I suspect that the regulatory authorities that will remain with the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board will amount to a surging army that undoes the protection of other national parks across Canada.

I would like my hon. colleague's comments.

[Raymond Côté, NDP, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Saanich—Gulf Islands for her question and comments. We have to wonder whether this is a rearguard fight. Are we taking a step backwards by making some seemingly limited concessions in the hopes of making progress in certain areas?

I will focus only on the issue of the low-impact development that would be authorized. One of the problems with the bill is that this expression has not been defined. What does “low impact” mean? There is no shortage of possibilities. The bill is far too vague.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Beauport—Limoilou for sharing his time with me and for ably outlining both his support for the bill and his concerns.

Others have mentioned it, but just to put it in context, New Democrats will support the bill at second reading. However, as the member for Halifax outlined, we have a number of concerns. What we are talking about is the fact that the bill, which proposes making Sable Island Canada's 43rd national park, has the support of national and local environmental groups. However, there are a number of concerns with respect to drafting. It requires study at committee.

The bill would ban drilling within one nautical mile of the island as well as drilling on the surface of the island. Unusually, exploration activities would be allowed on the island, a first for a national park. These exploration activities would be limited to those that are low impact. However, this term is currently undefined.

Parks Canada would also have to be consulted by the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board before permits for petroleum-related activities could be issued. The board would be given the discretion to include conditions for mitigation or remedial measures for the company to address with respect to the impact of the proposed project on the park.

It is not just New Democrats who are raising concerns that need to be considered at committee. CPAWS testified at the Senate committee, but it also issued a press release, which stated:

In our view, it is unacceptable to allow oil and gas exploration inside a national park.... Even low-impact activities can be detrimental to such a sensitive ecosystem, and we need to take all necessary precautions to ensure that the ecological integrity of the island is the management priority.

To ensure that conservation remains the top priority for the management of the island, CPAWS continues to advocate for developing off-site visitor experiences, limits to visitor numbers, continued scientific research on the island, and restrictions on oil and gas development.

I am going to turn to the west coast, because although we have very different ecosystems, there are some commonalities that are important to highlight in the context of talking about Sable Island. I want to start by pointing to a report by the Royal Society of Canada in 2009. CBC reported on this in 2012, with the headline “Canada failing its oceans, biodiversity panel finds”. It went on to say:

An expert panel investigating the state of Canadian marine biodiversity has accused the government of failing to protect the country's oceans, leaving marine life threatened and the nation's ocean species at risk.

It is talking about risk to Chinook salmon, which, of course, are iconic on the west coast. It is related to national parks, because these protected areas provide avenues for biodiversity to flourish, and when we do not do a good job of protecting them, and we talk about things like potential exploratory drilling for oil and gas, we start to wonder whether the priority is the protection of the environment. The story went on to say:

“It leaves huge discretionary powers to the minister of Fisheries and Oceans, who is given no science-based guidelines, targets or principles,” the report said. “The panel found not lack of knowledge or lack of sound policy, but a consistent, disheartening lack of action on well-established knowledge and best-practice and policies, some of which have been around for years”.

It goes on to say that among the species the panel listed at being at risk of extinction is the Chinook salmon.

When we are talking about protected areas and national parks, I want to give a couple of examples from my area of the country. They are instructive in terms of both the actions that have been taken to protect these areas and the continuing risks. These are in the context of what we need to consider with regard to Sable Island.

I want to start with the southern Strait of Georgia. This is from a report called “How Deep Did Canada Dare?” One of the interesting things they did was rate these protected areas. In the particular case of the Southern Strait of Georgia, the report says that progress has been significant but conservation measures remain uncertain.

That is part of the concern that has been raised with regard to Sable Island. What will those conservation measures look like? Will there be enough resources put in place? Will Parks Canada, Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans do their part to ensure the ongoing protection of this very special area? I think most Canadians have heard of Sable Island

With regard to the southern Strait of Georgia, I want to point out a couple of important facts. CPAWS says:

Although Parks Canada and the BC government have been working on the feasibility study for over 10 years, it is still not completed. In the meantime, the Southern Strait of Georgia is open to intensive shipping and heavy recreational fishing use. While the Canadian and BC governments have agreed to proceed with the NMCA [the National Marine Conservation Area], no specific protection measures have yet been outlined. We are also concerned that a vaguely defined and “phased approach“ to establishment may be used, which would leave much of the area unprotected for years to come.

I come back to some of the language around low impact on Sable Island. The same kind of concerns are being raised. Low impact has not been defined, and we have the same kinds of issues around a vaguely defined phased approach.

These are questions that need to be asked at committee about more definition, more targets and more timelines.

What is at stake when we are talking about the southern Strait of Georgia?

[T]his body of water between the southern BC mainland and Vancouver Island has long been revered for its role in nurturing both human and natural ecosystems. It includes critical habitat of the federally endangered southern resident killer whale and many fish species, including rock fish, lingcod and herring.

Approximately two million shorebirds and seabirds use the region's estuaries, tidal flats and coastal waters as summering, staging and wintering grounds. Harbour seals are year-round residents. Steller and California sea lions are present during the winter months. Many “world giants” make their home here, such as the world's largest octopus, sea urchin, nudibranch, anemone, intertidal clam, sea star, scallop and barnacle.

CPAWS goes on in the article to talk about the human threat to this very important ecosystem. One of them, aside from urbanization and increased shipping, is the threat of increased oil tanker traffic through the area.

The sad thing about this is that in 1971, the federal government reported that “the Gulf Islands and the Saanich Inlet area should become a National Marine Park. The area is in the process of rapid development, so prompt action is required if its natural charm is to be preserved”.

Then for 25 years, there was no progress. It was only because of organizations like CPAWS, which spearheaded the development of the southern Strait of Georgia marine conservation network, that it brought together a coalition to work on this special area. Of course, part of this is on the boundary of my riding of Nanaimo—Cowichan. The people where I live really care about the health of the waters around our area and are concerned about making sure that we all take seriously our responsibility for protection and preservation.

I want to touch on another special area outside of my riding called the Hecate Strait glass sponge reefs. These are special reefs. The goal of CPAWS and others is “full legal, long-term protection as an Oceans Act Marine Protected Area and designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for the Glass Sponge Reefs in Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound”.

The reason I raise this is because this is such a unique area. CPAWS talks about the uniqueness of it in this report. It says:

These unique marine animals were first discovered off the coast of BC in the 1980s and are the only known living glass sponge reefs of this size anywhere in the world.

We have something so special in British Columbia. The Hecate Strait glass sponge reefs are estimated to be 9,000 years old and reach 25 metres in height, the size of an eight-storey building.

The reason I bring this up in the context of Sable Island is because we know what is damaging these fragile ecosystems, the glass sponge reefs. Some steps have been taken. The bottom trawling that was seriously damaging these reefs was finally halted, but it has not stopped some of the sedimentation and some of the trawling that is impacting on this fragile area outside of the protected zone.

When people are looking at Sable Island and the protection zone around it of one nautical mile, they need to carefully think about whether activities just outside of that one-nautical-mile zone are going to impact on the health and well-being of Sable Island.

I am pleased to be able to bring these facts forward for consideration in the House. I hope that there is a fulsome debate at committee. I hope we will hear from witnesses at committee so as to consider some of these implications.