Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition on behalf of the people of Keswick in my riding of York—Durham, specifically in the community around Young's Harbour, about a new invasive species that was discovered in Cook's Bay in Lake Simcoe last year called water soldier.
This petition identifies that water soldier is a threat to human health because of its serrated leaves. It is a threat to our native plant and fish species, and it is possibly a threat to our agriculture given its proximity to the Holland River.
The petition draws attention to the good work of the water soldier working group, which is chaired and led by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. This week, it will be hosting an information session in my riding.
The petitioners call upon the government to do three things: one, list or identify water soldier as an invasive species; two, nominate a single federal department to take responsibility for this issue; and three, allocate sufficient funding to the water soldier working group so that it can undertake remediation efforts.