Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise virtually in the House this morning to present a petition from constituents. Because I am presenting the petition electronically, it is petition 441-02719.
The petition relates to the construction by the Department of National Defence of a training facility at Hartlen Point, Nova Scotia. Petitioners are concerned that there will be significant damage to important habitat for migratory birds, a number of which are protected species. The area is described in the petition as one of the most important areas for bird observation, among Canada's top 10 bird observation sites.
The petitioners are calling on the government to pause all construction and further development of the land-based testing facility at Hartlen Point, Nova Scotia, unless and until an independent impact assessment can take place that specifically focuses on the impacts on wildlife, migratory bird populations and their traffic, and full and transparent community consultation and outreach. Public access to all documents related to developing Hartlen Point is also requested by the petitioners.