Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in support of one of my colleagues on what I believe is a bold initiative that could actually make a difference. I can tell the House that, coming from the Prairies, I understand and can appreciate what the member is talking about and just how important it is that we think of water management in general.
We can talk about things like droughts and floods. Winnipeg has been the victim of many floods over the years. From my time in the Manitoba legislature, I can tell members that whenever there are floods in Manitoba, a lot of praise goes to Duff's ditch. Duff Roblin was a Progressive Conservative premier of Manitoba. He had the vision and saw the merit in protecting the city of Winnipeg by building a ditch, going from the south of Winnipeg all the way east and into the north, so that the mighty Red River would have a diversion that would ultimately take water back into the Red River. It has saved, just in economic terms, billions upon billions of dollars, because of that forethought. At the time, I am sure, it was a difficult decision to have made.
My colleague's resolution to have a flood and drought strategy, and the role that the federal government could play, is, I think, a responsible piece of legislation. I understand there is a great deal of support for the private members' bill, and I hope to see it go through the system.
It reminds me of the freshwater strategy that is currently in place and how important that strategy is. They are out consulting today with stakeholders, understanding the impact, and not only to our environment. It is very important. That is why we look to indigenous communities and the many other stakeholders, including provincial and territorial stakeholders, all the leaders within the community, as much as possible to solicit and seek advice where we can, and hopefully to get direct input, as they know about the strategy that is taking place.
Our fresh water is one of our commodities that are undervalued. We are very grateful. We are one of the leading nations in the world in the amount of fresh water that we have. We should never take advantage of that. That is why it is important to see that strategy not only be put in place but ultimately come up with some tangible ways to protect our fresh water.
Thinking of floods and droughts, again, I will bring this back to my home province. A few years ago I was on a cattle farm, and the farmer was telling me how a drought had impacted his herd and the farm. That farmer went to the government to try to get additional support. That was part of the reason I went to visit that particular cattle farmer, to get a better appreciation of some of the costs of droughts.
When we see floods, we see the vast amount of water covering a lot of land and causing a lot of problems and damage. That is just physical damage. It does not show the consequences of a drought in a community. Often, we will see people come together in very real ways, whether to toss sandbags, build dikes or just move earth to prevent water from going into areas that could cause even more damage to personal properties, and so much more. Communities will often come together.
When it comes to droughts, it is not quite as visible, but the impact is significant. I make reference to the cattle farmer. I can talk about different commodities, whether it is the wheat farmer, the canola farmer or even restrictions for people living in cities when using water for personal use. We see these types of actions taking place more and more frequently.
On advancing through legislation the need for the national government to play a larger role, I do not see who would oppose it. Why would someone oppose working and supporting the science and the level of expertise across the nation looking for better practices? We are not saying that it is the national government that has to do it all. In fact, we cannot underestimate the critical, frontline leadership role that our provinces, territories, municipal communities and indigenous communities play. However, I would suggest that from a national perspective, there is something we can do that would make a difference. That is why when I look across the way, I am very much interested in hearing other thoughts in regard to the whole issue of collaboration.
I talk a great deal about collaboration, because I genuinely believe that we can achieve so much more when governments work together in collaboration. We can achieve so much more when they do not worry about turf protection but put people first instead, and this is what I see within what the member is putting forward today in her private member's bill. I would like to think that individuals looking to the future and the need for drought and flood proofing realizing that doing this study and looking at ways in which the federal government can complement that is a very positive thing.
Just before the last election, Winnipeg got the Canada Water Agency. The federal government has recognized how valuable it is for us to spend more attention on water management in general. Take a look at these vast, massive catchment areas and the flow of water. Those are all interprovincial. In the Red River case, it is international. It all has an impact.
I believe having a Canada Water Agency makes a big difference. It provides us the opportunity once again to make sure our waterways and supplies are that much more protected, while at the same time recognizing things such as invasive species and their impacts. For example, there are algae blooms that make water unsafe. There are all sorts of things that affect water conditions. I think of the zebra mussels control mechanisms that were put into Manitoba. There are parks that are affected. There are so many aspects to this, and that is why it is good to have things like the fresh water strategy. That is why it is good for the House to be debating how we can contribute collectively to flood proofing and looking at ways to minimize the impact of droughts.
Therefore, it is a pleasure for me to rise and speak in favour of Bill C-241. I hope to ultimately see more discussion and the ultimate passage of my friend's legislation.
I appreciate being given the opportunity to say a few words.