Debates of March 8th, 2016

Opposition Motion—Air Transportation

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I want to remind the hon. members to speak through the Speaker, not to the members.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport.

[Kate Young, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate that the decision was in the best interests of the people of Toronto and the people of Canada, and the environment along the waterfront is so important, as well as commercial interests in Toronto. Under the circumstances, there was no reason to open that tripartite agreement, and we have decided that we will not be reopening it.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary referenced the fact that the City of Toronto wrote to the then Minister of Transport, which was me by the way, and asked for the opinion of the government of the day. Can the parliamentary secretary tell the House the opinion that was given by the government of the day regarding the Billy Bishop airport and City of Toronto discussions on the jet expansion?

[Kate Young, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that a number of times governments at all levels had an opportunity to react to this. We have decided not to reopen the current tripartite agreement after the City of Toronto and the federal government were asked years ago to do the same.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the opposition's motion. However, I would like to begin by wishing everyone a happy International Women's Day. I would like to recognize all of the women in the House, all of the women members of Parliament from all parties, the women who work in our offices, the women who support the House, and the women who work in security. They all are empowerment.

This motion mixes and confuses two important issues: support for our aerospace industry, in this motion specifically Bombardier; and city building, in this motion the impact of the proposed expansion of the Billy Bishop island airport on the waterfront and the City of Toronto. The motion confuses the two issues by linking them, and this lessens the debate. We can debate how best to support the aerospace industry. That is a worthwhile endeavour. However, why tie it to the island airport? It oversimplifies the problem and it does not offer long-term solutions. Let us be clear: expanding one airport would not guarantee a future for our aerospace industry or for Bombardier.

The form of this motion is divisive. It creates a notion that supporting aerospace must be done at the cost of city building. It does not. People in the aerospace industry can be city builders. City builders can champion the aerospace industry. We will all be stronger if we work together. I cannot support this motion because of the way it is set up. It is divisive and it would not get us closer to solutions. It would be detrimental to the city building happening in Toronto and at our waterfront in the city. We can work together to find solutions.

It is simplistic to say that the answer to the problems facing our aerospace industry in general, or Bombardier specifically, is to be found by building larger, more-extensive airports long into the future, even if the expansion proposed is contrary to the community's interests. We can and should do better at addressing this issue. This motion, though, would fail to provide any solutions.

My riding of Toronto—Danforth contains both large residential areas and nearly 300 acres of industrial and commercial lands that make up the port lands. We overlook the island airport and sit adjacent to it, and in some cases under the flight path for the Billy Bishop island airport. Although I am proud that Bombardier is a strong Canadian company and am a supporter of the current configuration of the island airport, I am opposed to this motion today.

I support Bombardier.

Bombardier is a Canadian icon. From the 1930s until the late 1960s, its was a pioneer of the modern snowmobile.

This Canadian giant and its many divisions produce a remarkable range of products. Bombardier's rail and aerospace divisions and their respective administrative offices employ tens of thousands of people from Burnaby, British Columbia, to Saint-Bruno, Quebec.

Bombardier manufactures snowmobiles, monorail systems, amphibious firefighting aircraft, and rolling stock. The work done by Bombardier employees can be seen all over the world and in our own subway tunnels and garages. Bombardier is important to Canada.

Over the last decade, one of Bombardier's crucial breakthroughs in terms of products has been the C Series aircraft. This category of aircraft is an absolutely marvellous piece of technology. Everyone agrees that it is one of the quietest planes in the world. What is more, it is in demand: just last month, Air Canada signed a letter of intent to purchase 45 of these jets, with an option for 30 more.

There is a market solution available that could help Bombardier with its financial troubles, and we know that the government is looking at the company's request for financial assistance, so that its C Series production can proceed.

The issue is not the quality of Bombardier's jets, nor even the noise from these planes. It is the disruption from the air traffic, the impact on wildlife, the impact on small watercraft on the lake, and the impact on the people of Toronto.

Furthermore, I agree that the island airport in its existing configuration should remain. It brings travellers, tourists, and business people to the centre of the city that I call home. It is an important part of our city.

I would like to underline that the City of Toronto is not just an economic engine. It is home to millions of people. The expansion of the island airport would harm a recently revitalized waterfront. It is a place where there has been significant investment over the past years, and one in which we are continuing to invest. Therefore, I do not support expanding the island airport.

My riding would be directly impacted by an expanded island airport. The southernmost portion of my riding is a park called Tommy Thompson Park. It is in fact one of the environmental consequences of Toronto's expansion over the last 50 years.

The park is a long spit of land that juts into Lake Ontario. It was originally designed as a breakwall to protect the inner harbour from erosion. This five-kilometre long, 1,200-acre structure is physical proof of the changes Toronto has gone through. It is built from the soil that was removed to build subway lines and office towers over the last five decades. Nature has reclaimed it, and we have turned it into a park.

It is not just the people from across the GTA who appreciate this strip of land. This park is one of the few places on the Toronto waterfront where natural habitats exist for birds and other species. It is home to some 316 species of birds and a wide variety of mammals. Beavers, mink, and muskrat call this part of Toronto home. The area has been designated an important bird area by BirdLife International, and it is an important breeding area and migratory stopover for many of these birds.

Running an expanded airport's flight path adjacent to this area of national significance would be significant for the bird life and would be incompatible with the use these animals are making of the land. An expanded flight schedule that includes jets would also be incompatible with the uses residents in my riding and the GTA are finding for this park.

The impact on the residents of the GTA, were the island airport to be expanded, would also be significant. The motion before us speaks only to the purported economic benefits that the member opposite imagines would flow from adding football fields of tarmac into the Toronto waterfront. There is no mention of the millions of people who visit the Toronto Islands each year to picnic, swim, and skate on the frozen ponds.

We are a city built on a lake. Our waterfront and islands are vital parts of our identity and our communal space. Tourists visit our waterfront, and we have invested in its revitalization. After all of this effort, all of this city building, why would we damage it by increasing the length of runways and landing jets over our heads?

The motion fails to realize what the waterfront means to my riding and the greater Toronto area as a whole. The motion envisages the harbour as a place where only work is accomplished, and where dollars and cents flow into Toronto. It fails to see the harbour and the waterfront more broadly as crucial public space. The waterfront is a place where people live, work, and relax. The island airport exists and is an important part of the downtown core of Toronto, but it does not need to define that space.

I am opposed to the motion, because it does not accord with the vision my community has for Toronto's future. The expansion of the island airport is not compatible with a waterfront that is a livable and accessible place. It detracts from what we have worked to build, for people to study, work, and visit. An expanded island airport does not include space for sailboats, dragon boats, and canoes. This is Toronto's space to relax. It does not allow for migratory bird colonies on a spit of land that was once just construction material. It does not allow for quiet secluded beaches with endless lake views, and it is a version of Toronto that is fundamentally contrary to the type of development the city needs and wants in spaces surrounding its harbour.

Our efforts should be directed toward expanding cultural spaces, building green infrastructure, and investing in housing in the spaces left in the downtown core. Smart and careful investment in the urban environment that enhances people's quality of life will bring benefits to Canada and the GTA.

The economic benefits of a livable waterfront are just as important and would bring greater benefit than a bigger airport. We should support city building and not assume that a few hundred metres of asphalt would somehow cure the problems of the world's leading aerospace and train manufacturer.

To conclude, I am happy to take the hon. member for Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek on a tour of my riding, so that she can see first-hand what I am talking about. It is, after all, almost migratory bird season for Tommy Thompson Park.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Toronto—Danforth for that wonderful speech. I am a bird biologist myself. I never thought it would come so soon in my rookie term as an MP to hear the words “important bird area”. I was going to bring up this fact myself in my question for the member, but then she brought it up herself. Therefore, I will switch the question and perhaps ask the member to speak about the environmental assessment process for this situation and the fact that it seems to be governed by the port authority, which gets most of its funding from the airport itself.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what is important to take into account when we are looking at this is that there is an important natural habitat for wildlife in the vicinity of this airport, and that is part of what we include as a city. A city is not just buildings. Therefore, it is very important that we consider the impacts to the natural habitats, as we consider our future plans for development in the city and when we consider ideas such as what has been proposed in this opposition motion of expanding the island airport. As I have mentioned, 316 migratory bird species are in Tommy Thompson Park. We need to protect them.

International Women's Day

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today we are celebrating International Women's Day. I want to take this opportunity to remind hon. members that voters elected a record 88 women to the House.

Unfortunately, there is little hiccup. This is only a quarter of the members of the House, and that proportion has remained unchanged. We have yet to achieve equality here and elsewhere. Feminism has been a hot topic in Quebec recently. Many people claim to be feminists, while others choose to avoid the word, thinking it has a negative connotation. In fact, the definition of feminism is quite simple: it is the belief that women should have the same rights as men. The quest for equality among humans is not about being against anyone, it is about being against ignorance.

Whether we are staunch feminists or not-so-staunch feminists, if this day makes us wonder how far we have come in achieving gender equality, then we can all roll up our sleeves and get to work.

[Eva Nassif, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on International Women's Day we pay tribute to women around the world.

Women are our mothers, our sisters, and our daughters. They formed the foundation of our society in the darkest periods of history. Today, we celebrate all their past and ongoing contributions.

On this day I would like to highlight my own mother not for one special accomplishment but for a lifetime of compassion, hard work, and perseverance. She was solely responsible for raising a family during troubling times and imbued her children with the values that would guide them through their ambitions. She exemplified the unshakable characteristics that strong women can have, characteristics that woman in Vimy and all of Canada exhibit daily as they help empower our children and all women.

2015 Nobel Prize in Physics

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Queen's University professor Arthur McDonald, who now shares the Nobel Prize in Physics with Takaaki Kajita from Japan, for their discovery of neutrino oscillations, which changes our understanding of the innermost workings of matter. The discovery concluded that neutrinos, which for a long time were considered massless, must have some mass, however small.

Experiments continue worldwide to capture neutrinos and examine their properties. These new discoveries are expected to change our understanding of the history, the structure, and the future of the universe.

Dr. McDonald's research yielded a historic discovery in particle physics at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. His innovative vision has made Canada a world leader in the field of particle astrophysics and has paved the way for international collaborations.

Congratulations to Dr. McDonald.

Granby International Song Festival

[Pierre Breton, Liberal, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Granby international song festival is held in my riding and is in its 48th year. This festival can be proud of the fact that it is the largest French-language song competition in Canada, if not the world. Today, it is a non-profit organization that attracts 45,000 spectators every year.

In light of the fact that every dollar invested in culture returns seven dollars in economic spinoffs, I am proud that the Government of Canada has supported this festival for many years. The Granby song festival is directed by Pierre Fortier, a man who has spent many years promoting French-language songs.

He received a wonderful tribute for his work and dedication last fall, when he was decorated with the Ordre des francophones d'Amérique. He joined a very select group of people, including Luc Plamondon and Gilles Vigneault, who have made major contributions to our culture and heritage. We congratulate him and hope that he has a super festival.

International Women's Day

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate International Women's Day, a global day recognizing the economic, political, and social achievements of all women.

Since the first International Women's Day in 1911, women have fought to achieve greater equality. However, there is still much work to be done as Canada has fallen to number 30 in the global gender parity rankings.

Women are still not paid equally compared to their male counterparts and are still under-represented in business and politics. Globally, women's education, health, and the violence women face is still worse than that of men.

I am humbled to stand in this place following in the footsteps of all the women parliamentarians who have served our country. They have fought to ensure that the 88 women who serve in this Parliament can accurately reflect women's diverse interests, voices, and experiences.

Women and girls are deeply impacted by poverty, climate change, food insecurity, economic crises, and the lack of affordable child care.

The achievement of full human potential and of sustainable development is not possible if one half of humanity continues to be denied its full human rights and opportunities.

John Munn

[Ken McDonald, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Mr. Speaker, on February 15, Newfoundlander John Munn was named as one of 38 Canadians to receive the national historic designation.

In 1825, Mr. Munn arrived in Newfoundland at the age of 18. He lived in Harbour Grace, where he established one of the largest and most important businesses in Newfoundland at the time. Munn was an outport merchant and the face of John Munn and Co., a firm that gave great opportunity for growth to the seal, commercial, and inshore fishermen. He was truly a pioneer in the expansion of the Newfoundland fisheries of the 19th century.

He grew his business and became one of the most prominent political and social figures in Newfoundland. John Munn was a leader in the Confederation movement, and one of only nine elected representatives to the legislature in 1869 to support the union of Newfoundland and the Dominion of Canada.

John Munn made his mark on Newfoundland two centuries ago, and I am honoured to see his legacy live on in Canada today. I rise to thank Parks Canada for this recognition.

Swimming Canada Champion

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today is International Women's Day. Each and every day, women in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex establish new standards of excellence, in business, at home, in sports, and in many other fields.

Today I want to recognize the outstanding achievements of 15-year-old Madison Broad from Wallaceburg, Ontario. When I first met Maddy in 2014, she had won two gold and two silver medals at the Swimming Canada Canadian Age Group Championships. Since then, she has won many more gold and various medals in various competitions. Just last week, Madison finished first in the Orlando grand prix 100-metre backstroke.

Maddy is now focused on the Olympic trials, and they happen in April of this year. Let us join my constituents of Lambton—Kent—Middlesex and give her the support she deserves to reach Olympic gold.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Grand River Hospital Volunteer

[Raj Saini, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to wish a very happy birthday to Ms. Elizabeth South.

Betty, as she is known to friends and family, will be turning 90 years young on March 14. If this were not impressive enough on its own, I also want to highlight Betty's nearly 40 years of volunteerism at the Grand River Hospital, Freeport Campus, where you can still find her every Monday helping to make the community a better place.

Betty is a role model for us all, and we should all strive to be the example that she sets. I hope that I am able to do even half of what she does, if I am lucky enough to get to her age.

I would ask members from all sides of the House to join me in wishing Betty a very happy 90th birthday.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

International Women's Day

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on this International Women's Day, I want to pay tribute to all of those courageous women around the world and in Canada who have inspired me: the women I knew in Congo, who were beaten by police and undressed in the street for peacefully demonstrating for their right to fair elections; Flora Terah, in Kenya, whose only son was murdered because she had the audacity to run for parliament; the indigenous women in Mexico, who fought successfully for the right to stand for municipal council; Saadia, in my riding, who worked for 17 years in a family shelter, giving hope to victims of domestic violence; and the families of the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

On International Women's Day, we in the House stand with them for a life free of violence and a world where our daughters and sons can grow up with full gender parity.

Canadian Chiropractic Association

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, members of the Canadian Chiropractic Association are on Parliament Hill today to raise awareness of the impact of back pain and musculoskeletal, or MSK, conditions on our workforce and Canada's overall competitiveness.

More than 11 million Canadians are affected by MSK conditions every year. These conditions rival cardiovascular disease as an overall health burden and are the second leading cause of reasons for doctors visits. These conditions impact Canada's productivity, as up to 85% of workers will suffer from back pain at least once in their lifetimes. MSK conditions make it more difficult to stay physically active, which can help to prevent and manage many chronic conditions.

I invite my colleagues in the House to join me in welcoming CCA members who have come from across the country to meet with government decision-makers.

Canadian chiropractors, as spine, muscle, and nervous system experts, help relieve MSK conditions by providing evidence-informed, conservative care options, and play an essential role in the continued health of Canadians every year.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

2015 Nobel Prize in Physics

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute the fantastic achievements of Dr. Arthur McDonald, the co-winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in physics. Dr. McDonald, a professor at Queen's University, led a global team of over 270 researchers from 13 international institutions to the discovery that neutrinos can change identities, thereby confirming that particles have mass. This discovery upset the standard model of physics and changed our understanding of how the universe works.

The team conducted these experiments at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, or SNOLAB, in the Creighton mine, located two kilometres underground in my riding of Sudbury. The lab is the deepest clean room facility in the world, allowing scientists to study the particles free from cosmic radiation constantly bombarding the earth's surface.

Residents of Sudbury and all Canadians have reason to be proud of Dr. McDonald's scientific achievements.

I invite all members to join me in conveying our deepest congratulations to the 2015 Nobel Prize in physics winner, Dr. McDonald, and his team of collaborators.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Former Mayor of Mississauga

[Peter Fonseca, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as this is International Women's Day, I have the privilege to stand today in the House to recognize an extraordinary woman and civic leader, Hazel McCallion, who is in Ottawa today. As an outstanding advocate for her community and her constituents, a public servant, and my friend, Ms. McCallion has been a driving force for real change in my riding. As the longest-serving mayor of Mississauga, her determination, vision, and spirit helped guide the city of Mississauga on its path toward becoming the sixth-largest city in Canada.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[Peter Fonseca, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Despite an early prediction that she would only see one term, she successfully won 11 straight re-election bids, proof not only of her tenacity but her many talents. Hurricane Hazel is revered locally, and highly respected both nationally and abroad. A passionate ambassador for her city, her wealth of experience—