moved for leave to introduce Bill C-469, An Act to amend the Parks Canada Agency Act (Canada’s tentative list for world heritage protection).
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to introduce a bill to amend the Parks Canada Agency Act.
In 2017, the government opened Canada's tentative list for UNESCO world heritage sites to applications. Arvida, a company town, enthusiastically applied but, unfortunately, was not selected.
As an ambassador for Arvida and as a member of the House, I am proposing today that the Parks Canada Agency Act be amended so as to meet three main objectives, which are that the tentative list be reviewed every four years, that the list always include 15 sites following a review, and that the Minister of Canadian Heritage be included in the process so that the sites reflect a balance between cultural and natural sites.
I hope that these amendments will make the process more predictable and frequent, thereby enabling the volunteers and stakeholders championing their causes, such as Arvida's, to participate more easily and effectively. I would like to give a shout-out to the Committee for the Recognition of Arvida’s Heritage Value, or CORPA, and its members for their great perseverance. We will not give up.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)