House of Commons Hansard #279 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pipeline.

Topics

Intergovernmental RelationsOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount Québec

Liberal

Marc Garneau LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that the relationship between our federal government and the Province of Quebec has always been one of utmost respect. We know it is important to respect provincial areas of jurisdiction. That is what we have been doing since day one.

However, I want to make it clear that the decision to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline was a matter of federal jurisdiction. It is important to know who is responsible for which file. By the way, I would like to compliment my colleague on the very nice shirt he is wearing today.

Intergovernmental RelationsOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Québec debout

Rhéal Fortin Québec debout Rivière-du-Nord, QC

Mr. Speaker, respect, respect.

If Quebec passes legislation on environmental protection or land development, Ottawa can then ignore those laws passed by our elected officials, all in the name of national interest. No, thank you. In Quebec, imposing a pipeline in the name of national interest is out of the question. That is why we support British Columbia.

Since when does acting in the national interest mean going against the interests of First Nations, the interests of Quebec, and the interests of the provinces?

Respect, respect.

Intergovernmental RelationsOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount Québec

Liberal

Marc Garneau LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, to quote Premier Couillard, “Our friends in Alberta are very aware of the ways in which their resources can be developed to benefit the entire country. It would be like telling me that I cannot export my hydroelectricity. I would not be very happy. That is what people need to understand.”

We here in the government understand where Alberta is coming from.

Intergovernmental RelationsOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Conservative

Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, during question period, the Minister of Natural Resources misled the House by indicating that the previous Conservative government was not able to compete any pipelines.

I would like to seek unanimous consent to table the list of the four major pipelines that were built under the previous Conservative government, including the approval of northern gateway, a pipeline to tidewater—

Intergovernmental RelationsOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Some hon members

Oh, oh!

Intergovernmental RelationsOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order. I have to hear the answer and I have to ask the question. Can the members come to order?

Does the hon. leader of the opposition have unanimous consent?

Intergovernmental RelationsOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

A message from Her Excellency the Governor General transmitting estimates for the financial year ending March 31, 2019 was presented by the President of the Treasury Board and read by the Speaker to the House.

Main Estimates, 2018-19Routine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Kings—Hants Nova Scotia

Liberal

Scott Brison LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, on behalf of 87 departments and agencies, the departmental plans for 2018-19.

Federal Tax ExpendituresRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Kings—Hants Nova Scotia

Liberal

Scott Brison LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board

Mr. Speaker, I rise to table a document on behalf of the Minister of Finance, in both official languages, entitled “Report on Federal Tax Expenditures”.

Citizenship and ImmigrationCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Acadie—Bathurst New Brunswick

Liberal

Serge Cormier LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration

Mr. Speaker, Pursuant to Standing Order 109 of the House of Commons, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the government's response to the 15th report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration entitled “Building an Inclusive Canada: Bringing the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in Step with Modern Values”.

Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Brampton West Ontario

Liberal

Kamal Khera LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 24 petitions.

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Regina—Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, ever since about five o'clock in the afternoon a week ago last Friday, hearts have been aching in Saskatchewan. Tears have been flowing. Shock and trauma have gripped an entire province. Prayers have been uttered by the faithful of every possible creed, as the cruel reality settled in that a terrible highway crash had devastated the Humboldt Broncos hockey team.

Twenty-nine souls were on the Broncos bus on that drive northeast to Nipawin to meet the Hawks in the SJHL playoff game on April 6. Twenty-three of them were great young hockey players aged 16 to 21. Two were coaches, plus the trainer, the statistician, the play-by-play broadcaster, and the bus driver. Sixteen lives were lost, including 10 players. For the other 13, their lives have been profoundly changed. They were young people, for the most part. They were fit, strong, smart, and talented, working hard to pursue their passion for hockey, living the dream. They were the pride of their families and their hometowns, the pride of the families with which they were billeted away from home, their teachers and mentors, and the Broncos organization, who tried so hard to look after them.

The pain hit hard in Humboldt and in nearby Saskatoon, in eight other Saskatchewan towns, in Winnipeg, and in eight communities across Alberta. However, the anguish knew no bounds. It swept the entire province and the country. After all, this is Canada. Despite the calendar, it is still mostly winter. Hockey playoffs are in full swing virtually everywhere, and hockey, in large measure, shapes our lives. There is hardly a family anywhere in Canada that would be unfamiliar with those buses, which take thousands of our kids somewhere almost every day to play hockey or some other sport they love.

Humboldt's pain is being felt by communities across Canada, where buses full of young people going to play hockey or practice another sport they love are a part of everyday life. This tragedy has hit all our communities hard.

This was a tragedy that really struck home. For most of us it was personal, hitting right where we live. It extended into the United States and Europe and rippled around the world from Uganda to Australia and back to the high Arctic. It engaged people like Drake, golf champion Brooke Henderson, Her Majesty the Queen, and thousands and maybe millions more.

Everyone wanted to connect and help with prayers and gestures of solidarity. We left our sticks out on the doorstep. We wore jerseys; we still are. There were editorials and heart-wrenching cartoons. Tons of people raised money and gave money. They played road hockey, pond hockey, floor hockey, and regular hockey. They started marathons. They sold stickers and badges. Some wrote songs and poems. Others sent flowers to vigils, memorials, and funerals, which are still ongoing. Thousands of people are attending to be together, to share and support. There are cards, letters, posters, banners, videos, and miles of green and yellow ribbons on virtually everyone's lapel. There are messages on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. From the smallest novice, atom, or peewee team to the top brass of the NHL, the entire hockey community worldwide brought awareness, compassion, and understanding about how big and how painful this situation was, and is.

The outpouring of interest and concern is likely unparalleled. It is a way to show that we care. It is basic human kindness. That, too, is what defines us. Everyone affected is thankful for that.

Together, we thank the first responders, RCMP officers, firefighters, and paramedics from Nipawin, Tisdale, Melfort, Zenon Park, and other places who were on the scene of that horrific crash, doing probably the hardest work of all. We thank the emergency medical teams in the local hospitals, the STARS air ambulance crews who flew the victims there, and the medical staff at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon. We thank the trauma teams, the grief counsellors, and the victim services people, who continue to provide aid and comfort, and will for a long time. We thank the teachers, the school boards, and the community volunteers who work with young people especially to help them come to terms with what has happened.

We hold in our hearts all the bereaved and troubled families and friends of the victims, the city of Humboldt, and the entire Broncos organization.

To the injured and the suffering, Brayden, Bryce, Derek, Graysen, Jacob, Kaleb, Layne, Matthieu, Morgan, Nick, Ryan, Tyler, and Xavier, we pray for their healing and recovery, and for hope to replace despair.

For those we cannot see again, gone far too soon, we pledge always to remember their zest for life, their skill and talent, the joy they brought into the lives of so many others, and the potential they represented of the very best of Canada.

Rest in peace and abiding love, Tyler Bieber, from Humboldt; Logan Boulet, from Lethbridge; Dayna Brons, from Lake Lenore; Mark Cross, from Strasbourg; Glen Doerksen, from Carrot River; Darcy Haugan, from Humboldt; Adam Herold, from Montmartre; Brody Hinz, from Humboldt; Logan Hunter, from St. Albert; Jaxon Joseph, from Edmonton; Jacob Leicht, from Humboldt; Conner Lukan, from Slave Lake; Logan Schatz, from Allan; Evan Thomas, from Saskatoon; Parker Tobin, from Stony Plain; and Stephen Wack, from St. Albert. They will forever be heroes in our eyes and in our hearts. The goodness of their lives, and the kindness of so many people now sharing their loss, will help the grieving country find strength and rekindle hope.

I extend deep condolences from the government, the Parliament, and the people of Canada.

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, last week, a group of people gathered to mark a loss of life of near-unprecedented magnitude in Canada. These people gathered in the cold just before the start of the NHL playoffs, an event that most Canadian families usually do not want to miss.

They brought hockey sticks, not to play with this time, but to hold quietly and say a prayer. This did not happen in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, or even in the town next door. It was more than 5,000 kilometres away, in the community of Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador. From the heart of our beautiful Canadian prairies to the outermost limits of our nation at the edge of the continent, the tragedy that took 16 lives and shattered hundreds more has connected us all in a way we never expected.

Anyone who drives Canada's highways knows the vastness of our country. The feverish pitch of activity in many countries contrasts with Canada's highways and rural roads, the farm fields, small villages, and remote communities.

I am proud to live in the great province of Saskatchewan. We have hundreds of small communities, all spread out. It has always struck me how, despite the hundreds and hundreds of small towns over a space larger than most European countries, people always seem to know someone from one of those towns, no matter where they live. A friend could mention that he is from Hanley, and everyone will know where that is. I once asked a friend of mine how he always seemed to know where so many of these small towns are. They surely could not have taught every town and village in geography class in Saskatchewan. “It's simple,” he said. “I played hockey. I've probably been to more than half of them.”

It is always a tragedy to lose a loved one. Far too many Canadians lose their lives on our roads and highways every year, but to have lost so many young people, all taken at once, has sent shockwaves through our entire province and our country.

We may be spread out all over to the four corners of our province, but there are many things that connect us together. There are so many reasons why we always seem to know somebody from every corner of Saskatchewan. There are not too many degrees of separation. It is almost like the whole province is one big small town. Everybody feels connected. People support each other, whether they are from Meadow Lake, Nipawin, Estevan, Fort Qu'Appelle, or Humboldt. We care about the people from our province. We cheer them on. We rally together, and we do it with pride.

Hockey has been one of those great unifiers that pull communities together. With that community spirit, sport is one of the greatest unifiers of all. On game night, everyone heads down to the arena for the match. Getting a rink burger is even considered a romantic date. It is where one hears all the town news, gets all the good gossip, and finds out the big events for the weekend. There are friendly rivalries, memories of legendary games and players, and the fall fundraiser to pay for new boards or new stands.

For the kids who play on these teams, these will be some of the best days of their lives. They develop friendships on the ice and on the bus that become lifelong bonds. Laughing in hotel rooms and holding up championship trophies, they learn to depend on each other and to trust each other. They tap their goalie on the helmet and say something nice, even after he lets in a goal. They learn the valuable lessons of sportsmanship: how to win, how to lose, how to communicate, and how to listen. They learn that hard work pays off. Best of all, they learn what it means to be a teammate.

So many young boys and girls have ridden the bus down those long stretches of highways, in good weather and bad. So many parents have followed along. So many families have opened their doors to billet young kids playing out their dreams. That is why this tragedy has shaken us all so much.

However, in times of crisis, in times of tragedy, a Canadian in Humboldt, Saskatchewan becomes the neighbour of a Canadian in Newfoundland, British Columbia, or the territories. For days, Canadians have been leaving hockey sticks outside their front doors in a show of mourning for the lives lost in the Humboldt Broncos family. In our hockey-obsessed country, a stick left against a garage door or on a front porch is as normal a sight as the school bus pulling up to the curb in the morning, as comforting as mom calling the kids in for dinner. Last week, those sticks became a symbol of a nation coming together to grieve and to support the families and friends of the Humboldt Broncos.

We simply cannot imagine what the family and friends of the 16 people who lost their lives in this terrible accident are going through. It is a tragedy that defies understanding. It is a moment in time that brought our country to a standstill and from which we are just now starting to recover.

From a small town in Saskatchewan has flowed a river of grief, one that has washed over thousands of families across the country. Everybody back home knew somebody touched by this tragedy: their doctor's cousin, their sister's co-worker, their son's neighbour.

To the community of Humboldt and to the towns across Canada from which the victims came just to play the game they love, we say we grieve with them and we will remember them. No matter where they live, no matter how quiet the nights seem, no matter how small the town feels, we are all their neighbours now.

To those still recovering in hospital, we are thinking of you and sending our prayers for strength for the challenges that lay ahead. That powerful photo of Derek, Graysen, and Nick holding hands in the hospital has become a powerful image. As Premier Scott Moe said, “Saskatchewan, these are our boys.”

The entire country will be there to help support the victims and their families and to keep the game going and win the next one for the Broncos. For those we lost, Dayna, Parker, Darcy, Brodie, Logan, Jaxon, Adam, Mark, Tyler, Stephen, Logan, Conner, Glen, Evan, Jacob, and Logan, may God rest their souls. For them, we will keep the stands full, we will keep the rink lights on, and we will keep the sticks by the door.

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, today with heavy hearts we rise to mourn the lives of those we lost in the tragedy that struck the Humboldt Broncos last week. We wrestle with tears and our voices tremble as we remember the names of those who were taken from their families and communities: Tyler Bieber, Logan Boulet, Dayna Brons, Mark Cross, Glen Doerksen, Darcy Haugan, Adam Herold, Brody Hinz, Logan Hunter, Jaxon Joseph, Jacob Leicht, Conner Lukan, Logan Schatz, Parker Tobin, Evan Thomas, and Stephen Wack.

Hockey is a powerful force that binds Canadians together. For anyone who has travelled with players on their way to a game, be it for hockey, basketball, soccer, or baseball, there is a palpable sense of excitement on board the bus, a buzz around the possibilities presented by the upcoming 60 minutes of hockey.

However, on April 6, that sense of excitement ended in tragedy. Now, the puck will never drop to open the Bronco's playoff game, but their commitment to their teammates and their love of hockey will never be forgotten.

This event has profoundly shaken our country. Canadians responded as only they know how, with empathy and solidarity, by wearing hockey jerseys, leaving hockey sticks on their front porches, and expressing their love for all those affected by this devastating accident. This reminds us of how tight-knit the hockey community is in Canada and our need to feel connected in moments like this to help make sense of what happened and find a way to eventually move forward together.

On behalf of New Democrats, I want to thank the first responders who arrived on the scene and cared and continue to care for all those affected by this tragedy. Their work is a terrible burden that most of us will never know.

I also want to wish the survivors of the crash and their family and friends the strength to overcome the challenges that lie ahead. Know that they are in our thoughts and prayers.

To the parents, friends, and family who have lost 16 remarkable Canadians, as well as those still recovering from their injuries, I want to extend my most sincere condolences for their loss. Their town, their province, and their country are here for them. I encourage them and I encourage us all to, in Jacob Leicht's mother's words, to be a part of something bigger. From hurt can come good.

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Is there unanimous consent for the member for Rivière-du-Nord to add his remarks?

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

Québec debout

Rhéal Fortin Québec debout Rivière-du-Nord, QC

Mr. Speaker, I too rise to talk about the Humboldt tragedy. I am rising to speak when, like millions of our fellow Canadians, I am speechless and at a loss for words.

Humboldt, Alma, Truro, Yellowknife, Val-d'Or, Sudbury. All of these communities are home to young hockey players. Young hockey players and the men and women who support them, train them, and care for them, that is the story of all of our towns, cities, and regions. That is what living in the north is all about. Hockey is what makes winter fun and what brings our communities together come winter.

It is a dream come true for many young people to travel from town to town to play the sport they love. It is a source of great joy and pleasure. It is supposed to be fun, not tragic.

The tragedy that struck Humboldt has affected us all. We all know young people who play on teams like the Broncos. This tragedy could have befallen any of us, any community, but it happened to Humboldt. The Broncos are the ones who were taken from us, and our thoughts are with them.

They were taken too soon, and it is not fair. It is never fair. On behalf of myself, the members of the Groupe parlementaire québécois, and, I would venture to say, on behalf of all Quebeckers, I offer my sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of the Humboldt Broncos, to the community, and to the people of Saskatchewan. I wish the survivors a speedy recovery. Our hearts go out to you.

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Does the hon. member for Manicouagan have the unanimous consent of the House to speak?

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Bloc

Marilène Gill Bloc Manicouagan, QC

Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak in response to the statement by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

On behalf of the Bloc Québécois; the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, whose jersey I am wearing today; the city of Baie-Comeau and its mayor, Yves Montigny; and myself, as member of Parliament for Manicouagan, I would like to offer our support as well as our deepest sympathies to the families affected by the Humboldt Broncos tragedy, and to all the communities in mourning.

In rural and remote communities like ours, young hockey players and the team's support staff inevitably spend long hours on winding, and sometimes dangerous, roads as they live out their passion. We are proud and happy when our children and our team set out to achieve their dreams, but we are all aware that there is a risk involved. We all want to take them in our arms, both to comfort them and to congratulate them upon their return home. As a government and as elected officials, we must ensure that our children are safe, so that parents can welcome their children home safe and sound.

We are still reeling from this unspeakable tragedy, one that did, however, give rise to a tremendous feeling of solidarity among young people. As an example, primary school children from the village of Ragueneau on the north shore made cards and sent hockey sticks this morning to the primary school in Humboldt, which is located 3,387 kilometres away.

Flags in Baie-Comeau have been flying at half-mast for the past week. In my region and across Quebec, people are doing whatever they can to support those directly or indirectly affected by the immeasurable loss suffered by the Broncos team, because the fact is, we are all affected. Our children are our heros.

On behalf of everyone on the north shore, the Bloc Québécois, and all Quebeckers, I want to offer our deepest sympathies to all communities affected, and I wish a speedy recovery to everyone who was injured. Our hearts go out to them. We will never forget them.

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Is there unanimous consent of the House for the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands to add her comments?

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to rise today to join my colleagues in offering our condolences to the families, loved ones, and communities in Saskatchewan, as well as across Canada.

I stand here today in a minor hockey jersey from one of our local teams, the Peninsula Eagles, because we know that right across this country, as my other colleagues have said, there is not a community that is not touched, saddened, grieved, in tears over the terrible tragedy that occurred at that Saskatchewan crossroads.

I want to thank the hon. Minister of Public Safety, a son of Saskatchewan, who spoke so beautifully and encompassed a lot of what I thought I might want to say. He said it better. As well, the hon. Leader of the Opposition, also from Saskatchewan, brought beautiful imagery that brings to mind what it is like to watch one's kids grow up playing hockey with their friends, and the lessons they learn. I watch my grandkids now. As my grandkids in Toronto take to the ice on weekend mornings, grandkids in Vancouver do the same. Right across this country, it is something that brings us together. I think that is why the senseless, horrific loss of 16 bright young lives and the serious injuries to their teammates have hit us so hard.

All we can say once again as Canadians is that we are with the Humboldt Broncos, those they play with, those they love, and those they billet with. As the young men in hospital go through their recovery, God be with them. I commend the bravery and the words of Ryan Straschnitzki, who now is facing life paralyzed and is saying he is going to keep playing hockey. We can bet our bottom dollar he is going to win the Paralympics.

God bless Humboldt. God bless all of Canada, which rose in one voice with one heart to say that this is a tragedy that touches us all. We grieve as one community, one Canada.

Humboldt Broncos Bus CrashRoutine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

I thank all hon. members who have spoken for expressing so eloquently and touchingly the sentiments we all share.

Heaven's hockey team just got stronger.