Carole-Marie Allard

[Jutra Awards, February 24th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate all the artists and artisans of the Quebec film industry who were honoured last evening at the Jutra awards gala.

The feature films nominated this year once again confirmed the talent, energy and vitality of the Quebec film industry. 2002 was a banner year for French language Canadian cinema, which appeals to a growing number of Canadians.

I would like to mention last night's two big winners: Québec-Montréal , with four Jutras, including best picture of the year, and Séraphin, un homme et son péché , with six Jutras, including those for best actor and best actress, in addition to the golden ticket award for breaking the record of entries.

Yesterday evening, special tribute was paid to Roch Demers, who left us many works that are now part of the great classics of our audiovisual heritage.

The Government of Canada is proud to support the production and the expansion of Canadian cinema.

[Heritage Canada, February 21st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I will take note of the question and get a response for my hon. colleague as soon as possible, by the next oral question period.

[International Mother Language Day, February 21st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, today is International Mother Language Day. UNESCO proclaimed this special day in November 1999.

The purpose of this day is to celebrate linguistic diversity and to raise our awareness of the wealth of languages. There are over 6,000 languages spoken in the world. Languages are a means of communication, but they also express our culture and identity. As the Director-General of UNESCO said, “They are the mirror of the souls of the societies in which they are born and they reflect the history of their contacts”.

To mark this important day, I invite Canadians to reflect on the importance, history and wealth of their own mother tongue and on the meaning it has in our life.

[Canadian Television Fund, February 20th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, I think that the Minister of Finance's commitment to give $75 million to the Fund over two years will guarantee a secure future and a bright future for Canadian programming production.

[Canadian Television Fund, February 20th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian television fund was implemented in 1996 under an initiative by the Minister of Canadian Heritage. The Government of Canada is not the only contributor to this fund. The cable television and satellite broadcasting industries also contribute to it.

We are confident that the commitment by the Minister of Finance to renew the funding for two years will allow the fund to stay afloat, which is very good.

[Heritage Day, February 17th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, today, February 17, we are celebrating Heritage Day. Organized by the Heritage Canada Foundation, this is an opportunity to celebrate the rich architectural heritage and historic places of Canada.

This year's theme is “The Heritage of Our Town”. City halls, libraries, court houses and other meeting places are being honoured. The history of each building and each street lets us discover our origins.

I invite all hon. members of the House and Canadians everywhere to spend Heritage Day reflecting on their surroundings.

[Supply, February 13th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I am a little disappointed to see the Bloc Quebecois take such a strong position against this proposal by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, which I think deserves to be debated thoroughly.

We know that, ever since the terrorist attacks of September 11, security concerns have prompted governments to put a lot of emphasis on formal proof of identity throughout the world, including in Canada.

In the near future, the ability of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to cross international borders will increasingly depend on the integrity of their identity papers and their travel documents.

Would it not be realistic to think that we could make greater use of our advanced technologies, such as biometrics, to guarantee the integrity of these documents while enhancing privacy?

I want to ask this to the member for Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques. Does he not think that the strong position that he and his party are taking today against this proposal could hurt the ability of Canadians to travel freely, given the fears that exist across the border?

[Canada Health Act, February 11th, 2003]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to add that the measures we are taking are documented in the implementation plan for the Bovine TB Management Program. This information is available on the website of Manitoba's Ministry of Conservation.

A technical interagency committee is responsible publicizing the testing protocol, results, strategies and activities to local and provincial stakeholder groups. These groups are the Riding Mountain Liaison Committee, the Manitoba Wildlife Federation and the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association.

Parks Canada is continuing to take part in developing these strategies and has launched scientific projects. The first is a four-year study on elk migration. The second is an elk habitat study. The third involves staff from Riding Mountain National Park helping local livestock farmers build barrier fencing. The fourth project has Parks Canada sharing scientific information with Manitoba's Ministry of Conservation.

[Canada Health Act, February 11th, 2003]

Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Selkirk—Interlake for his question, which provides me with the opportunity to further elaborate on the role of Parks Canada in dealing with tuberculosis in the elk population.

Parks Canada acknowledges the gravity of the situation involving TB in wild species and cattle in and around the Riding Mountain National Park. Parks Canada will continue to address the threat this disease represents for the ecological integrity and socio-economic situation of the area.

Bovine tuberculosis is a non-native disease in wildlife in Canada. It was introduced into the Riding Mountain area by infected cattle in the early 1900s. There has been sporadic control of the disease since then on a case by case basis. By 1986, it was considered eradicated from Manitoba's cattle. In 1991, however, bovine tuberculosis was again detected in cattle, in a herd near the Riding Mountain National Park. In 1992, it was found for the first time in wild elk. Over the past 11 years, five cattle herds in the area have tested positive for bovine tuberculosis, leading to the destruction of twelve herds in all. Ten wild elk have tested positive since 1997, as has one white-tailed deer.

Parks Canada has been actively working to resolve this problem since the disease was detected in wild animals in 1992. Staff at Parks Canada are collaborating with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Departments of Conservation and Agriculture and Food of Manitoba to provide on-site laboratory services at the park to detect the disease in wild animals. Technicians have tested more than 2,500 elk, moose and deer carcasses. Only 11 specimens tested positive for bovine tuberculosis. Given the results, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has concluded that the disease is still a threat, but a very low level one, to the elk population in the Mont Riding ecosystem.

Parks Canada is well aware of the impact that this disease is having and can have on Manitoba's livestock industry. Although elk populations are not under immediate threat from bovine tuberculosis, it could have a negative impact on the well-being of animals in that area, including elk.

Given the potential impact, Parks Canada has taken various measures to manage the situation.

For instance, it has taken an active role in the implementation of a bovine tuberculosis management program in Manitoba. This five-year program was developed by a inter-agency technical committee on wildlife, including representatives from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Manitoba Agriculture and Food, Manitoba Conservation, and Parks Canada.

Lastly, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has also become an active member of the committee. The Manitoba Cattle Producers Association and the Manitoba Wildlife Federation have also joined the committee and benefit government agencies with their valuable knowledge on the subject.

The main elements of the plan—

[National Parks, February 11th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, Parks Canada, together with other stakeholders, has played an active role in the concrete measures that have been implemented to manage this complex problem.