Debates of Sept. 15th, 2025

Question No.249—

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC]

With regard to federally-funded salmon hatcheries in British Columbia, the Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador culturing Pacific or Atlantic salmon for commercial aquaculture purposes: (a) how many federally­funded salmon hatcheries are currently in operation in (i) British Columbia, (ii) the Maritimes, (iii) Newfoundland and Labrador; (b) what has been the yearly amount of federal funding spent on hatcheries, broken down by each of the last five years, in (i) British Columbia, (ii) the Maritimes, (iii) Newfoundland and Labrador; (c) how many salmon smelts were produced in total by these hatcheries, broken down by each of the last five years, in (i) British Columbia, (ii) the Maritimes, (iii) Newfoundland and Labrador; (d) for each of the next five years, how many additional hatcheries are planned for (i) British Columbia, (ii) the Maritimes, (iii) Newfoundland and Labrador; (e) for each of the next five years, how many additional salmon smelts will be produced in (i) British Columbia, (ii) the Maritimes, (iii) Newfoundland and Labrador; and (f) for each of the next five years, how much additional spending will be required for the additional hatcheries, broken down by each region in (d)?

[Ernie Klassen, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, there are no federally funded salmon hatcheries in British Columbia, the Maritimes or Newfoundland and Labrador that culture Pacific or Atlantic salmon for commercial aquaculture purposes.

Question No.252—

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke, ON]

With regard to Sustainable Development Technology Canada, as of June 10, 2025: (a) what was the amount of Sustainable Development Technology Canada's funding held back from innovators due to the certifier's absence for each milestone; (b) what is the total amount still outstanding to all innovators combined, for each milestone; (c) what is the total amount outstanding to innovators due to the transfer of the program from Sustainable Development Technology Canada to the National Research Council of Canada; and (d) how many innovators' milestones could not be certified or have had their certification delayed, due to the certifier being on an extended paternity leave?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, as to part (a), in early October 2023, federal funding for Sustainable Development Technology Canada was paused following allegations against Sustainable Development Technology Canada and a subsequent fact-finding exercise by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton. Sustainable Development Technology Canada project funding resumed in October 2024, under enhanced practices and governance, to strengthen project eligibility reviews and manage conflict of interest deviations. Claims made against active agreements during this time totaled $39,344,498.29.

As to parts (b) and (c), 167 agreements were novated to National Research Council Canada, of which 97 were active agreements. All payments against milestones were up to date based on submitted reporting at the point of novation, so there were no outstanding amounts from submitted claims owed at the point of transfer to National Research Council Canada. The amounts still to be disbursed by National Research Council Canada against future milestones was $157.5 million.

As to part (d), project funding agreements with project proponents under Sustainable Development Technology Canada programs were managed directly by Sustainable Development Technology Canada, as an arm’s-length organization. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is unaware of any situations that fit the description in the question.

Question No.253—

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

With regard to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, since 2016 and broken down by year: (a) how many awards were provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to individuals and organizations located outside of Canada and what was their total value; (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by country; and (c) what are the details of each award in (a), including, for each, the (i) recipient, (ii) amount, (iii) location, (iv) project description?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, as to part (a), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council provides awards in the form of scholarships and fellowships to Canadian students and postdoctoral researchers. Scholarships and fellowships are awarded to individuals not organisations.

Doctoral and post-doctoral award holders can hold their awards abroad under certain conditions depending on the funding opportunity.

To be eligible to apply to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council postgraduate scholarships doctoral program or the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council postdoctoral fellowships program, candidates must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a protected person under subsection 95(2) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act as of the application deadline.

Award holders may take their doctoral postgraduate scholarships up at an eligible foreign institution, provided they have received a previous degree from a Canadian institution.

Award holders may hold a post-doctoral fellowship abroad only if they have received their doctorate from a Canadian institution.

Likewise, to take their award to an institution outside of Canada, Banting post-doctoral fellowship award holders must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and have obtained their Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Philosophy equivalent or health professional degree from a Canadian university.

As to parts (b) and (c), these awards are proactively disclosed and published at https://search.open.canada.ca/opendata/ and https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/c1b0f627-8c29-427c-ab73-33968ad9176e.

Details on these awards can also be found at https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/index_eng.asp.

Question No.263—

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

With regard to Correctional Service Canada: since January 1, 2021, what are the details of all documents, including electronic emails, sent or received by any Correctional Service Canada employee which contain the name Frank Caputo or any abbreviation, acronym or other code name referring to the name of the member of Parliament from Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) sender, (iii) recipient, (iv) type of document, (v) title, (vi) summary of the contents, (vii) file number?

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, CSC currently employs over 18,000 people, who work across the country and in a variety of different positions. The level of detail of the information requested is not systematically tracked in a centralized database. Similarly, it is not possible to complete a search of all CSC employees’ records within the time allotted. An access to information request for these types of inquiries can be submitted at https://atip-aiprp.tbs-sct.gc.ca/en/Home/Privacy.

Question No.268—

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Crowfoot, AB]

With regard to energy efficiency requirements in the National Building Code of Canada 2020, between January 1, 2024, and June 15, 2025: how much did compliance with each respective requirement add to the cost of construction for (i) detached houses, (ii) semi-detached houses, (iii) townhouses, (iv) apartment-style condominiums, (v) stacked condominiums, (vi) rental apartments, broken down by province or territory?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, the National Research Council’s construction research centre provided technical support for the development of the 2020 edition of the national model codes by the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes. In developing provisions to address core objectives of safety, health, accessibility, the fire and structural protection of buildings, and impact on the environment, the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes committees considered the costs and benefits of proposed changes. By considering cost implications, code development committees balance the needs of authorities having jurisdiction over regulation that addresses core code objectives with affordability of dwellings for Canadians. Given the variation of codes adopted by provinces or territories, the National Research Council is not able to accurately calculate additional costs of construction due to changes in the national model codes. Determination of costs are dependent on a given province or territory and which tiers of the building and energy codes the province or territory adopted. Therefore, this data is not available within the allotted time for responding. Going forward, the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes, a federal-provincial-territorial managing body that has led code development since 2022, is working on developing a cumulative impact analysis approach that will calculate the total costs of the edition of a code for different archetypes, by region, starting with the 2030 national model codes.

Question No.269—

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Crowfoot, AB]

With regard to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s collection of information on housing availability across Canada, between January 1 2024 and June 15 2025, broken down by province or territory: how many (i) detached homes were completed, (ii) semi-detached homes were completed, (iii) townhouses were completed, (iv) apartment-style condominiums were completed, (v) stacked condominiums were completed, (vi) rental apartments were completed?

[Jennifer McKelvie, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s collection of information on housing availability across Canada, between January 1, 2024, and June 15, 2025, please find the latest statistical housing information on starts and completions on the following web page: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-data/data-tables/housing-market-data/starts-completions-intended-market-canada-provinces. The data is organized by geography, both Canada and provinces, and is broken out by home ownership, rental units, condos and co-ops.

Question No.273—

[Alex Ruff, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

With regard to the conditions set in place after R. v. Jordan (2016) or the “Jordan Decision”: (a) is there a plan to address the sharp rise in cases exceeding the Jordan Limit since 2019‑20; (b) if the answer to (a) is affirmative, what is the government’s plan to address the sharp rise in cases exceeding the Jordan Limit since 2019-20; (c) if the answer to (a) is affirmative, what is the government’s target percentage of total cases exceeding the Jordan Limit; (d) is there a specific plan to prioritize cases resulting in (i) bodily harm, (ii) death, (iii) drug trafficking, (iv) drug production, (v) drug importation, (vi) drug exportation, (vii) domestic violence, (viii) sexual assault, and to prevent them from exceeding the Jordan Limit; and (e) how many plea bargains have been reached since the Jordan Limit was implemented, broken down by (i) year, (ii) province or territory, (iii) type of offence as listed in (d)(i) to (d)(viii)?

[Patricia Lattanzio, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as to parts (a), (b) and (e), criminal justice system delays have negative impacts on all persons affected by crime, including victims, families and the broader community in which the crime took place. Addressing delays requires concerted action by all levels of government.

Since 2019, the federal government has introduced, and Parliament has enacted, the following legislative measures to address delays in the criminal justice system.

Former Bill C-75, which received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019, introduced measures to reduce delays and modernize the criminal justice system. These reforms included restricting the availability of preliminary inquiries, expanding judicial case management powers and streamlining the classification of offences. More information is available on the Justice Canada website at https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/csj-sjc/jsp-sjp/c75/p3.html.

Former Bill S-4, which came into effect on January 14, 2023, introduced targeted amendments to the Criminal Code to help address the challenges faced by criminal courts caused or highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to give courts increased flexibility in how they hold criminal proceedings and issue orders. More information is available on the Justice Canada website at https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/pl/ocjs-asjp/index.html.

The federal government has also contributed significant funding to support operational improvements to combat criminal justice system delays. For example, budget 2024 committed $440 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to support access to legal aid in the criminal justice system, which can help reduce court delays. This funding involves $80 million in 2024-25, followed by $90 million for the four years that follow.

Federal officials continue to work closely with the provinces and territories to understand and address issues involving delays, given the shared jurisdiction over the criminal justice system and their responsibility over the administration of justice. This includes responsibility for investigating, charging and prosecuting most criminal offences in Canada.

Data on plea bargains are not collected by Justice Canada. However, data on guilty and not guilty pleas have been recently made available by Statistics Canada through the integrated criminal court survey, or ICCS. The ICCS collects data from adult criminal courts and youth courts across the provinces and territories. Please see below a summary of national data from the ICCS for the period of 2016-17 to 2022-23, which are the most recently available data.

From 2016-17 to 2022-23, after the Jordan decision was released, adult criminal courts across Canada completed 842,413 cases. The majority, or 81%, of accused persons in these cases submitted a guilty plea for their final plea, totalling 680,353 cases.

Between 2016-17 and 2022-23, the submission of a guilty plea by accused persons in adult criminal courts for the final plea was more common among administration of justice offences, at 88%, property offence, at 87%, and drug-related offences, at 85%, than for sexual assault, at 50%, and other violent crimes, including but not limited to homicide, attempted murder, assault and robbery, at 70%.

At 96%, Ontario had the highest proportion of guilty pleas submitted at the final plea of all jurisdictions between 2016-17 and 2022-23. The second highest was British Columbia, at 89%, followed by Prince Edward Island, at 88%. The jurisdiction with the lowest proportion of guilty pleas was New Brunswick, at 51%, followed by the Yukon, at 63%, the Northwest Territories, at 65%, and Nova Scotia, at 65%.

These issues are complex. In collaboration with our provincial and territorial partners, the government is committed to exploring ways to respond to delays to ensure the effective functioning of the criminal justice system.

As to parts (c) and (d), the Department of Justice is unable to respond concerning the target percentage of total cases exceeding the Jordan limit and the plan to prioritize cases involving various types of offenses, as the administration of justice falls within the purview of provinces and territories.

Question No.275—

[Grant Jackson, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

With regard to the Parks Canada Information Bulletin issued on May 16, 2025 on the "Watercraft management for Clear Lake 2025": (a) who did Parks Canada directly inform of the decision prior to the bulletin being posted, including the (i) name and organization of the individual, (ii) date each entity in (i) was informed by Parks Canada, (iii) name and title of the Parks Canada official who provided the notice to the entity in (i), (iv) method of communication used to inform the entity in (i); (b) who did Parks Canada directly consult with, from March 1, 2025 to May 15, 2025, on the decision to restrict watercraft access on Clear Lake, including, for each instance, the (i) name of the organization and individual, (ii) date each entity in (i) was consulted by Parks Canada, (iii) name and title of the Parks Canada official who hosted the consultation with the entity in (i), (iv) method of communication used to consult with the entity in (i); and (c) of the individuals in (a), were any of them a (i) Mayor, (ii) Reeve, (iii) Councillor, (iv) Member of the Legislative Assembly, (v) Member of Parliament, and, if so, what was their name and title?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, as to part (a), Parks Canada directly informed the following people of the decision.

Chief Dwayne Blackbird and others of the Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation were informed on May 9, 2025, by Leanne Cooper, field unit superintendent, at an in-person meeting.

James Plewak of the Coalition of First Nations with Interests in Riding Mountain National Park was informed on May 9, 2025, by Leanne Cooper, field unit superintendent, at an in-person meeting.

Julia Tetrault, director of strategic priorities at Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, was informed on May 13, 2025, by Jonah Mitchell, executive director, via phone call.

Jeff Long, director of the aquatic invasive species program at Manitoba Environment and Climate Change, was informed on May 15, 2025, by Jonah Mitchell, executive director, via phone call.

John Gunter, chairman of the board of the Tourism Industry Association of Manitoba, was informed on May 15, 2025, by Jonah Mitchell, executive director, via phone call.

Kelsey Connor, from the Clear Lake Marina, was informed on May 16, 2025, by Tom Sheldon, acting field unit superintendent, at an in-person meeting.

Lynne Tovell, from the Cottage Owners Association, was informed on May 16, 2025, by Jim Avram, acting townsite manager, via phone call.

Christian Robin, from the Cabin Owners’ Association, was informed on May 16, 2025, by Jim Avram, acting townsite manager, via phone call.

Ian Drul, from the Municipality of Harrison Park, was informed on May 16, 2025, by Borden Smid, resource conservation manager, via phone call.

Tamara Sellman, from the Municipality of Harrison Park, was informed on May 16, 2025, by Borden Smid, resource conservation manager, via phone call.

Karly McRae, from Clear Lake Country, was informed on May 16, 2025, by Tom Sheldon, acting field unit superintendent, via phone call.

George Hartlen, from the Friends of Riding Mountain and the Wasagaming Chamber of Commerce, was informed on May 16, 2025, by Tom Sheldon, acting field unit superintendent, in person.

Michael Kreshewski, from the office of member of Parliament for Riding Mountain Dan Mazier, was informed on May 16, 2025, by Tom Sheldon, acting field unit superintendent, via phone call.

Jeff Long, director of the aquatic invasive species program at Manitoba Environment and Climate Change, was informed on May 16, 2025, by Borden Smid, resource conservation manager, via phone call.

Brendan Spearin, aquatic invasive species regional coordinator at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Government of Canada, was informed on May 16, 2025, by Borden Smid, resource conservation manager, via phone call.

As to part (b), during the specified period from March 1, 2025, to May 15, 2025, Parks Canada directly consulted with representatives from Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation, including Larry Beaton, James Plewak and Chief Dwayne Blackbird, regarding the planned watercraft management measures for Clear Lake. This was done on April 15, May 2 and May 9, 2025, by Leanne Cooper, field unit superintendent; Borden Smid, resource conservation manager; and Mireille Kroeker, acting external relations manager, in person.

As to part (c), the answer is yes. Part (i) is not applicable. Part (ii) is Ian Drul, Reeve, Municipality of Harrison Park. Parts (iii) and (iv) are not applicable. Part (v) is the office of Member of Parliament for Riding Mountain Dan Mazier.

Question No.276—

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette—Manawan, QC]

With regard to housing programs and initiatives and federal housing transfers to Quebec and the provinces: (a) what is the breakdown of the amounts and data, for the provinces and Quebec, for the projects under the various programs managed or financed by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada since October 1, 2023; (b) what is the updated estimate of the housing supply necessary to reach an adequate level of affordability, as described in the September 2023 report of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and of the supply gaps under the various population growth scenarios, broken down by province and Quebec; (c) what is the breakdown of the main expenditure items in the budget of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, including all programs funded in 2024–25; (d) what is the breakdown of the main expenditure items for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in 2025–26; and (e) what priorities did the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada set in the wake of his mandate letter of May 21, 2025?

[Jennifer McKelvie, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, what follows is with regard to housing programs and initiatives and federal housing transfers to Quebec and the provinces.

With respect to part (e), the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada is developing a path forward to deliver on the priorities outlined in the Prime Minister’s mandate letter and the Speech from the Throne, including “[m]aking housing more affordable by unleashing the power of public-private cooperation, catalyzing a modern housing industry, and creating new careers in the skilled trades.” Activities currently under way include launching build Canada homes to allow the Government of Canada to scale up the construction of new affordable homes by leveraging public lands, by providing predictable, low-cost financing to affordable home builders and by catalyzing a modern, innovative housing industry powered by Canadian technology, materials and skilled labour; and engaging with provinces, territories, municipalities and stakeholders on moving forward to reduce the burden of development charges for multi-unit housing.

With respect to parts (a) and (c), information on the breakdown of the amounts and data and on the breakdown of the main expenditure items in the budget is available on the following website: https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/housing-logement/ptch-csd/reports-rapports/prog-nhs-march-2025-mars-snl-eng.html.

With respect to part (b), the updated estimate of the housing supply necessary to reach an adequate level of affordability, as described in the September 2023 report of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and of the supply gaps under the various population growth scenarios, broken down by province and Quebec, can be found on the following website: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/research-reports/accelerate-supply/canadas-housing-supply-shortages-a-new-framework. Please note that the information is tracked by city.

With respect to part (d), the breakdown of the main expenditure items for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in 2025–26 can be found at the following website: https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/planned-government-spending/government-expenditure-plan-main-estimates/2025-26-estimates.html#ToC7.

Questions Passed as Orders for Return

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, if the government's responses to Questions Nos. 1, 2, 4, 6 to 9, 11 to 14, 17 to 25, 27, 28, 30 to 33, 35 to 38, 40, 45 to 49, 52 to 56, 60 to 65, 68 to 74, 78 to 80, 82 to 96, 98, 99, 101, 104 to 109, 112 to 117, 119, 121, 123 to 125, 127, 128, 131, 134 to 137, 139 to 147, 150, 152, 154 to 157, 159, 160, 162, 164, 165, 168, 169, 171, 172, 174 to 176, 178, 180, 183, 185 to 189, 191, 192, 194 to 196, 198 to 200, 202 to 206, 209, 211, 212, 214, 217, 218, 220 to 223, 226, 227, 230 to 233, 235, 237, 239, 245, 247, 248, 250, 251, 254 to 262, 264 to 267, 270 to 272, 274, and 277 to 283 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled in electronic format immediately.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Question No.1—

[Dan Muys, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North, ON]

With regard to government information on stolen motor vehicles illegally exported from Canada: (a) how many stolen motor vehicles has the Canada Border Services Agency retrieved at (i) the Port of Montreal, (ii) the Port of Halifax, (iii) the Port of Vancouver, (iv) multi-modal hubs in Toronto, before they were illegally exported from Canada, broken down by year from 2021 to 2025; (b) how many vehicles does the Canada Border Services Agency estimate have been illegally exported from Canada via (i) the Port of Montreal, (ii) the Port of Halifax, (iii) the Port of Vancouver, (iv) multi-modal hubs in Toronto, broken down by year from 2021 to 2025; and (c) what percentage of outgoing containers from (i) the Port of Montreal, (ii) the Port of Halifax, (iii) the Port of Vancouver, (iv) multi-modal hubs in Toronto, have been scanned for goods being illegally exported from Canada, broken down by year from 2021 to 2025?

(Return tabled)

Question No.2—

[Dan Muys, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North, ON]

With regard to high-speed internet access and the Universal Broadband Fund: (a) what percentage of Canadians have access to download speeds of at least 50 Mbps, as of May 2025, broken down by census metropolitan area; (b) what percentage of Canadians have access to download speeds of at least 50 Mbps, as of May 2025, broken down by census agglomeration; (c) what percentage of Canadians living outside any census metropolitan area or census agglomeration have access to download speeds of at least 50 Mbps, as of May 2025; (d) what is the number of applications submitted to the Universal Broadband Fund that have not been selected for funding, broken down by census metropolitan area; and (e) what are the details of the applications in (d), including (i) how many were denied funding in total and broken down by targeted geographic area, (ii) how many targeted communities have fewer than 1,000 residents, (iii) the breakdown of denials by reason for denial, including what criteria were not met, if applicable, (iv) the breakdown of denied applications by the proposed internet speed upgrade associated with the application?

(Return tabled)