Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House to officially table petition e‑4845, which was certified pursuant to Standing Order 36.
The petition has been signed by 1,315 people and was initiated by Alexandre Bélisle, the mayor of Verchères, as well as all the municipal councillors, who are here today on Parliament Hill.
The petition calls on the House of Commons to bring this matter to the attention of the Government of Canada and the ministers concerned so that the necessary funds to rehabilitate the Verchères harbour are provided. The Municipality of Verchères has been expressing its interest in acquiring this harbour from Fisheries and Oceans Canada for 25 years. However, nothing has changed, and residents are getting impatient.
As a result of Ottawa's negligence, the Verchères harbour fell into such disrepair that it actually had to be closed for safety reasons. I therefore expect a swift response from the government on this issue, which is of the utmost importance to the people of Verchères.