House of Commons Hansard #363 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was north.

Topics

Public TransportationAdjournment Proceedings

7:30 p.m.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.

Marco Mendicino

Mr. Speaker, to pick up on my colleague's final remarks, of course, the Government of Canada has an important and significant role to play when it comes to infrastructure. Our commitment to infrastructure is reflected in the historic investments I referred to when it comes to public transit and, indeed, that includes existing transit fleets, such as the $29 million for Saskatchewan when it comes to repairing and rehabilitating its local public transit systems.

I want to conclude by emphasizing to the member that this is a government that respects local decision-makers. We listen carefully to cities and municipalities, and we have also set aside additional funds for rural and northern communities, including her riding. We will continue to work with her and all parties to get infrastructure done.

InfrastructureAdjournment Proceedings

7:30 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Mr. Speaker, the south Okanagan Valley is one of the richest agricultural regions in Canada. It grows the best apricots, the best peaches, the best cherries, the best grapes in the country and makes the best wine in the country. However, all those orchards and vineyards would wither and die without water.

The south Okanagan receives only 30 centimetres of rain per year, 12 inches, and that is in a good year. Summers are long and hot and they are getting longer and hotter.

Irrigation is the lifeblood of the Okanagan economy. Not only does it keep the agricultural sector alive, but increasingly supports a thriving agri-tourism industry centred on the many wineries in the valley, an economy worth billions of dollars annually, dollars and jobs that would literally dry up if we did not add water to the mix.

That harsh reality was recognized when the valley was first developed for agriculture in the early 1900s. After the First World War, a soldier settlement was developed in the area around Oliver. An irrigation canal was constructed in 1918 that took water from the Okanagan River south of Vaseux Lake and carried it south for 20 kilometres on both sides of the river. For those good at math, they will realize that canal is 100 years old this year.

The Oliver irrigation system now delivers water to over 600 connections and irrigates 5,200 acres of farmland. While the canal is owned and operated by the Town of Oliver, it serves rural areas in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and vineyards on the Osoyoos Indian reserve.

The canal was operated by the province of B.C. until 1989, when ownership and responsibility for its operation was transferred to the Town of Oliver.

In the 1990s, a significant upgrade on the canal was carried out, the $5-million price tag paid for through joint funding from the municipal, federal and provincial governments. For many years, the canal provided water for both irrigation and domestic drinking water supply, but health concerns spurred a recent twinning of the supply that put domestic supplies underground and separate from the irrigations. That was finished in 2014.

All was well until 2016, when a significant rockfall occurred where the canal skirts the east side of Gallagher Lake below an enormous rock bluff. This bluff is hundreds of metres high, making it completely impractical to secure its face and stop future rockfalls. The rockfall destroyed a section of the canal. Luckily, it occurred in mid-winter when crops were not being irrigated, giving local governments the opportunity to make a quick fix before the irrigation season began in April. That quick fix is still in place, a temporary fix that could be destroyed in an instant if a new rockfall occurs.

Oliver conducted an engineering study that recommended a new route for the canal, sending it around the west side of Gallagher Lake underground. That would take away any future disruptions from rockfall.

The estimated cost of this project is $10 million. The Liberal provincial government of the day promised to provide half of that amount, and the commitment has been affirmed by the present NDP provincial government. The Town of Oliver has asked the federal government to match that amount, but has yet to receive a positive message of support. It has been two and a half years. It seems this project falls through many cracks in the government's infrastructure spending processes.

If the canal carried drinking water, it would have received funding long ago. Too bad Oliver spent all that money in 2014 to separate the systems. It is too small for support under the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund, which has a minimum $20-million project cost. It is too big for the western development fund that has a $5-million maximum. The big agriculture funding is for innovation, not for infrastructure.

Could I get assurances here and now that the government will find funding to help fix this critical infrastructure?

InfrastructureAdjournment Proceedings

7:35 p.m.

Marco Mendicino Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.

Mr. Speaker, I will begin by complimenting my hon. colleague for the part of the country he represents. I have had occasion to visit the Okanagan and it is not only well known and cherished for its landscapes, but also its wineries and in vino veritas.

With regard to his question, this government is providing historic investments when it comes to infrastructure. We are demonstrating this commitment by investing in our plan which in return will create jobs for the middle class and build strong communities for the 21st century.

Our plan was developed in collaboration with our partners, namely the provinces, the territories, municipalities and indigenous peoples.

I am proud of the progress we have made together on the plan, which is helping to grow the economy. We are indeed building inclusive communities. That progress includes areas like the member opposite's Okanagan region of British Columbia, where we have been working hard with all orders of government and our partners to ensure that infrastructure investments have a positive impact on the quality of life where his residents live.

In Willowbrook, for example, we have implemented the water system improvement project under the clean water and waste water fund. This project will ensure that residents benefit from safe and reliable access to drinking water and improved environmental protections, which will assist local governments in meeting provincial and federal regulations. The clean water fund is also providing funding for residents in Penticton as they rehabilitate and upgrade the aging Naramata water system to prevent leakage and improve the life expectancy of the infrastructure.

We know that local leaders are the experts. They know what their communities need to be healthy and sustainable.

That is why our programs are designed so that partners select their priority projects and identify them to provincial and territorial governments. The province or territory then identifies its priorities and brings them to us for federal support. Hopefully, that sheds some light on the process for my hon. colleague.

Projects are not assessed based on where they are located or according to who holds the riding. It is not a partisan exercise. We assess them on the basis of merit and whether or not they conform to the parameters that are set out in the integrated bilateral agreements that we have struck with British Columbia and all of the provinces across the country.

In the case of repairing the South Okanagan irrigation canal, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities met with the project owners and the Town of Oliver. The Town of Oliver submitted an expression of interest under the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund and has been invited to submit a full application to Infrastructure Canada. The $2-billion disaster mitigation and adaptation fund supports large-scale infrastructure projects to help communities better manage the risks of disasters triggered by climate change.

As I have said before in this House and will reiterate again right now, the Government of Canada stands ready to work with our provincial partners as well as our municipal partners. That includes obviously the member opposite.

InfrastructureAdjournment Proceedings

December 3rd, 2018 / 7:35 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the parliamentary secretary for his words of assurance.

I appreciate the funding for drinking water. However, my point is that this very important issue is falling through the cracks.

I have to say that the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities has been trying to help here. I invited the mayor of Oliver to come to Ottawa to meet him. We met and had a very substantive meeting. Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos band was on the phone. Top policy and program staff were present and they promised to look for plans A, B, C, D. I followed up with them recently and they have been unsuccessful at finding funding for this project. Therefore, I have been gradually learning about bureaucracy in this job and about silos full of money that can only be accessed if one's project checks all the right boxes to open the magic door.

Here we have a disastrous situation waiting to happen with a common-sense fix waiting to be implemented. Surely, we can find a way to fund this project without putting the people of Oliver in debt for years to come, with funding that would secure and promote the growth of a vibrant—

InfrastructureAdjournment Proceedings

7:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The parliamentary secretary.

InfrastructureAdjournment Proceedings

7:40 p.m.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.

Marco Mendicino

Mr. Speaker, I would simply point out that I am very assured to hear that the Minister of Infrastructure has been receptive to my hon. colleague's local priorities.

We stand ready, willing and able to work with my hon. colleague across the way, as well as with the Town of Oliver on this application. We know it is important to his residents.

We also know it is important to meet the challenges of climate change. That is why we are providing historic investments when it comes to infrastructure as well as the DMAF, the fund that I already referred to.

We look forward to continuing to collaborate with them.

InfrastructureAdjournment Proceedings

7:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

A motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:40 p.m.)