Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Trois-Rivières for bringing this subject up and staying here at this late hour.
Obviously, this is an important issue in the member's riding. I agree with him that it is a significant issue. A lot of families are affected, and it is a very serious problem. However, where we disagree is over jurisdiction, and I will explain my reasons behind that.
It is not the first time the member has brought this up, but let me indulge the House for a moment to specifically outline why this is a provincial issue.
The provinces and territories regulate the design and construction of new houses and buildings and the maintenance, operation, and fire safety systems that exist in buildings. The national model construction codes, which include the national building code, are prepared essentially under the direction of the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes made up of industry stakeholders with broad technical and geographical representation. They promote technical consistency of provincial-territorial regulations and market uniformity.
The Canadian Standards Association has developed the standard for concrete materials and methods of concrete construction. The 1994 edition of the CSA standard A23-1, which is referenced in the 1995 national building code, specifically prohibited the use of expansive aggregates such as pyrrhotite in concrete. In other words, construction standards were available governing the quality of aggregate to be used in concrete prior to the emergence of the pyrrhotite problem.
The adoption and the regulatory enforcement of the codes are the responsibility of the appropriate provincial and territorial authorities that publish provincial or territorial building codes. In this case, it was Quebec's choice on whether to adopt the national construction codes as is or to adapt them to better reflect its needs. In the case of pyrrhotite, construction standards have long been available governing the quality of aggregate to be used in concrete.
The Government of Quebec has launched a program to offer financial assistance to help homeowners struggling with damage caused by pyrrhotite. This program has been in place since August 2011. It is administered by the Société d'habitation du Québec. It provides financial assistance to affected homeowners to enable them to undertake the repairs needed to ensure the integrity of their foundations.
I want to ensure the hon. member that the Government of Canada appreciates the difficulties, the very real and serious difficulties, faced by the families whose homes have been damaged by this problem. However, as I have already noted, this issue falls under provincial jurisdiction. I would encourage affected homeowners to contact the Société d'habitation du Québec if they have not already done so.
Should homeowners who are impacted by pyrrhotite have CMHC-insured mortgages and experience some financial hardship as they repair or rebuild their homes, CMHC encourages them to contact their financial institutions at the first sign of financial difficulty to discuss their specific situation. CMHC provides approved lenders with a series of default management tools that they can use to assist borrowers with CMHC-insured mortgages who are experiencing financial difficulties.
In closing, this is a serious problem. It is not a matter of passing the buck. The rules are very clear. This is a problem for the Government of Quebec. It is not a problem that is under federal jurisdiction.