Sheila Copps

[The Olympics, May 15th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the evaluation commission reported that Toronto has an excellent bid and it is ready to welcome the world for 2008. It particularly underlined the strong personal support from the Prime Minister of Canada, the premier of Ontario and the mayor of Toronto. It shows that governments can work together.

I am quite confident that when the Prime Minister is there for the final decision on July 13 in Moscow the IOC will announce that Toronto, Canada, will host the games in 2008.

[Questions On The Order Paper, May 14th, 2001]

(a) The potential cumulative impact of development and increased visitor use at Lake Louise is to discharge more wastewater effluent into the Bow River. If this caused an increase in nutrients to this nutrient poor river, it could stimulate the growth of algae and a shift in the diversity and abundance of aquatic insects, with pollution tolerant species displacing more common species, such as mayflies. Fish are not likely to be affected.

(b) Water quality monitoring and aquatic studies of the Bow River, at Lake Louise and elsewhere on the river, have been ongoing since at least 1973. Flow records exist for many decades earlier. Some of the studies, such as thesis research, are of comparatively short duration but very useful in understanding the ecology of the river, possible reaction to effluent and ways to avoid adverse effects. The findings of the recent environmental assessment for the proposed upgrade to the Banff wastewater treatment plant are especially relevant to the Lake Louise situation, as many of the issues are similar.

(c) The studies conducted on the Banff wastewater treatment plant dealt with the issue of cumulative effect for communities downstream from Lake Louise. The environmental screening for the Lake Louise wastewater treatment plant will also address the possible downstream effects of effluent produced at Lake Louise.

(d) The Lake Louise wastewater treatment plant is being designed to meet both federal and provincial criteria for waste treatment plants. In most cases, it will exceed these criteria.

(e) Potential aesthetic concerns are odour and visual impacts. Currently they are not significant. Achieving the effluent standards will address aesthetic concerns.

(f) The parameters for describing naturally occurring waters are standard measurements of the presence and amounts of chemicals, organisms and solids contained in the water column, for example phosphorous, coliform bacteria and suspended solids. These are measured at one location above Lake Louise and three locations downstream from Lake Louise.

(g) There is no benchmark for the quantity of effluent discharged by the Lake Louise wastewater treatment plant and it is not conventional practice to set one. Instead, the performance of a wastewater treatment plant is assessed on the quality of the effluent, the goal being to avoid having a significant adverse effect on the receiving waters. To that end, Parks Canada has established and is working toward leadership targets that exceed all conventional limits of performance for wastewater treatment plants in Alberta.

(h) Key strategies for the area include water conservation, limiting commercial growth and managing human use.

(i) See (a) above. The changes being contemplated for the existing Lake Louise wastewater treatment plant are to improve its capacity and effectiveness to ensure the potential cumulative effect described in (a) does not occur, even if the quantity of effluent discharge does increase as a result of more visitors to Lake Louise.

Question No. 29—

[Point Of Order, May 14th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I was not aware of this directive, but I would like to offer my deep apologies. Obviously, what I did went against the standing orders. I would also like to apologize because I know my Mum does not want to get me into trouble.

[National Parks, May 14th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I think Parks Canada looked at the issue of enforcement and the chief operating officer of Parks Canada understood that if we want to have police enforcement in the national parks it should be done by police.

[National Parks, May 14th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question. I would also like to wish my mother a happy mother's day because she is in the gallery today.

I hope I answer this one well. In fact, we are following the recommendations of the chief operating officer of Parks Canada.

[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, May 10th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank the hon. member for his question. I also want to thank the hon. member and the other members of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage for the excellent review they undertook today in Canadian broadcasting.

It is a good example to all Canadians of how parliamentary committees can make a difference. I fully expect that this and many other issues will be deeply reviewed by that committee.

[Heritage Canada, May 7th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, one of the things I have to say is that the reaction across the country to the announcement made last week by the Prime Minister was absolutely fantastic.

I know that Alliance Party members have been busy with other things, but in case they have not had a chance I would like to recall the statement made by the Edmonton Arts Council executive director that the government was able to support groups that were doing good art and the statement made by Bob McPhee, general director of the Calgary Opera Association, that its number one mandate was to give culture the resources so that it could—

[Heritage Canada, May 7th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I am frankly extremely disappointed that the hon. member, who last Tuesday or Wednesday was standing in the House looking for almost a half a billion dollars in assistance for a particular project in her constituency, has the gall to state only two days later that there should be no money for culture in Canada. If she continues to pursue that agenda I do not think there will be any seats left standing in her party.

[Official Languages, April 27th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, if I understand him correctly, the hon. member is saying that the jurisdiction of Quebec is not being respected. The Government of Quebec was invited to take part at all levels. It was invited to the regional summit, and refused. It was invited to work on the action plan, and refused. Only this week did it agree to participate.

We are pleased. We want to have recommendations and we want to work together.

[Official Languages, April 27th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, just for once I would like to see the Bloc Quebecois capable of setting petty politics aside in order to work along with all of Canada's athletes who have come to establish a consensus for sports on behalf of all the athletes of Canada.