Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be able to return to the question I asked the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages last November 28. My question was simple and the importance of the government’s commitment should be clear. I asked whether the government would commit to investing the funds needed to restore the Grenville Canal in my riding.
First, I want to take some time to give you the background for this request. The Grenville Canal is a significant historic heritage site for my region, and for all of Quebec and Canada. Its importance comes from its potential for economic, recreational and tourism development in the Argenteuil area. The canal, which extends along the Ottawa River between Montreal and Ottawa, is one of the earliest examples of military canal-building in Canada. Construction began in 1819, in order to facilitate navigation to Kingston and the Great Lakes.
It was initially designed for military purposes in response to the Anglo-American War of 1812. It was built as part of a transportation network that included the Carillon Canal—still in operation in my constituency, being run by Parks Canada—as well as Chute-à-Blondeau, which is in my constituency as well.
Although they have no qualms about using the War of 1812 for publicity for their members and their government, the Conservatives do not seem to want to take a stand on protecting the heritage of that historical era. That is the case for the Grenville Canal. The walls of the canal have been deteriorating for years, and this has led to its closure because of the obvious lack of safety for local residents and the general population.
The municipality of Grenville and its 1,600 residents cannot absorb the entire cost of maintaining the canal. The federal government has owned and managed the canal for 161 years; it has a duty to protect Canadian heritage and should assume responsibility for preserving this navigable waterway along the Ottawa River.
For that reason, and as the NDP member for Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, I demand that the federal government take action to preserve the Grenville Canal.
I will therefore put my question to the government once more: will it undertake to invest the money required to save the Grenville Canal?