Sheila Copps

[Question No. 166, March 19th, 2003]

National Capital Commission:

(a) The NCC commercial tenants are not considered “service providers” on behalf of the NCC, but rather are private commercial businesses that lease space in NCC owned property. NCC leases dated as early as 1974 include a clause relating to official languages.

(b) NCC leases stipulate that tenants shall maintain on the leased premises an adequate staff of employees to provide service to the public in both official languages of Canada. Leases also stipulate that all signs, menus, and promotional material shall be in both official languages of Canada, and that signage of the lessee affixed to the exterior of the leased premises and any window signage visible to the passing public, must be in both official languages of Canada. These requirements are typically associated with commercial establishments on NCC owned property.

(c) Some of the leases were assumed by the NCC as the result of property acquisition or by the transfer of ownership and do not include the requirement regarding the provision of services in both official languages. However, such provisions will be added to the rental terms as these leases are renewed. Such properties include: 96-100 Sparks, Tim Horton’s restaurant, office space and retail; 30 Metcalfe, Hong Kong Bank and offices; 123 Queen Street, Oscar’s restaurant; 134 Sparks, Shawarma restaurant, all in Ottawa; and 101 rue Montcalm, Lotus Thai restaurant, in Gatineau, Quebec.

(d) The NCC has taken a collaborative approach to obtain compliance by appealing to the lessees' business sense to obtain their co-operation when a deficiency is reported through a complaint or otherwise. In order to enforce the conditions regarding the provision of services in both official languages, the NCC or its agents inspect leased premises to monitor progress, contact tenants by telephone and send letters requesting compliance to the terms of the lease.

[Question No. 151, March 19th, 2003]

Department of Canadian Heritage:

Nil.

Canada Council for the Arts:

The Canada Council for the Arts has made no payments to the Capital Hill Group for the period indicated.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC:

The CBC indicates that agreements with service suppliers are confidential.

Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board:

N/A. Capital Hill Group has not billed the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board between 1993 to 2002.

Canadian Film Development Corporation, (Telefilm):

Total amount billed by Capital Hill Group:

1993-94, $0.00;

1994-95, $0.00;

1995-96, $0.00;

1996-97, $0.00;

1997-98, $0.00;

1998-99, $0.00;

1999-2000, $0.00;

2000-01, $403.20;

2001-02, $900.48

Canadian Museum of Civilization:

The Canadian Museum of Civilization has had no billings from the Capital Hill Group for the period indicated.

Canadian Museum of Nature:

During fiscal years 1993-94 to 2001-02, the Canadian Museum of Nature, CMN, has had no dealings with the Capital Hill Group. Therefore, no amount was billed to us.

Canadian Radio-Television & Telecommunications Commission (CRTC):

For the period 1995-96 to 2001-02, the CRTC did not make any payment to the Capital Hill Group. Information for prior fiscal years is not available as financial records are kept for only seven years, in accordance with the “Retention Guidelines for Common Administrative Records of the Government of Canada”.

National Archives of Canada:

A review of our contracts and accounts payable files reveals that no payments were made by the National Archives of Canada to Capital Hill Group for the period 1993 to 2002, fiscal years 1993-94 to 2001-02. Additionally, financial data is only available going back to 1996-97, all previous records having been disposed in accordance with records disposition schedules.

National Arts Centre Corporation:

The National Arts Centre did not make any payment to the Capital Hill Group for any of the years requested.

National Battlefields Commission:

During fiscal years 1993-94 to 2001-02, the National Battlefields Commission, NBC, has had no dealings with the Capital Hill Group. Therefore, no amount was billed to us.

National Capital Commission:

Our records show that the NCC has not had any amounts billed from the company mentioned in the question.

National Film Board:

There were no transactions between the National Film Board and the Capital Hill Group for any of the years requested.

National Gallery of Canada:

The National Gallery of Canada has had no dealings with the Capital Hill Group.

National Library:

A review of our contracts and accounts payable files reveals that no payments were made by the National Library of Canada to Capital Hill Group for the period 1993 to 2002, fiscal years 1993-94 to 2001-02. Additionally, financial data is only available going back to 1996-97, all previous records having been disposed in accordance with records disposition schedules.

National Museum of Science and Technology Corporation:

The Canada Museum of Science and Technology Corporation has not been invoiced from the Capital Hill Group from 1993-94 to 2001-02.

Parks Canada Agency:

From April 1, 1993 to December 31, 2002, the Capital Hill Group billed the following amount to the Parks Canada Agency: Nil.

Public Service Commission:

The Public Service Commission has not been invoiced from the Capital Hill Group from 1994-95 to 2001-02. The Public Service Commission cannot extract the information for the year 1993-94, as it is no longer in our archives.

[Question No. 141, March 17th, 2003]

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation informs me as follows:

(a) Questions included in polls conducted by EKOS Research under contract with CBC/Radio-Canada (usually in partnership with other media organizations) and published via CBC/Radio-Canada’s services are posted on its websites or through links to the EKOS websites and are therefore readily available for scrutiny by the public.

(b) CBC/Radio-Canada is unable to release this information as prescribed by the confidentiality clauses contained in the contracts with the supplier, EKOS Research, and by confidentiality agreements with other media partners.

(c) The written analysis available to the public under the terms of contract with EKOS Research is posted on the websites of CBC/Radio-Canada and/or EKOS Research as per answer (a) above. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the supplier, EKOS Research, directly.

(d) Samples sizes for polls conducted by EKOS Research under contract to CBC/Radio-Canada vary in accordance with the parameters of each poll, but are never lower than 1000 people for national samples.

[Question No. 124, March 17th, 2003]

The National Capital Commission informs me as follows:

Under the conditions of the original lease to Roderick Sparks dated 1971, and the renewals thereof, and the conditions of the lease to Robert Sparks dated April 1989, and the renewals thereof, the tenant was responsible for all maintenance and repairs.

At the request of Robert Sparks, the lease was terminated at the end of November 2000. The property remained unoccupied after November 30, 2000. Mr. Sparks remained responsible until April 15, 2001, to thoroughly clean and remove all chattels and personal property of every kind and description from the lands and premises, including all accumulated refuse, garbage or other waste material.

The property remained unoccupied after November 30, 2000, since the structures had deteriorated beyond economical repair. Given the condition of the buildings, the NCC intended to demolish these buildings and renaturalize the site. In January 2001, Minto Properties Ltd., as agent for the NCC, applied for federal land use approval, FLUA, for the demolition of all structures and renaturalization of the site. This property was reviewed by FHBRO (1989) and classified as non-heritage.

Unfortunately, the buildings were destroyed by fire on July 15, 2001. The NCC then proceeded with the necessary site clean up, restored the site to a natural setting and integrated the lands with the conservation lands of the Gatineau Park portfolio.

In cases where derelict buildings are destroyed by fire, especially when the fire is an isolated event, the NCC does not pursue investigations as to the cause of the fire. The NCC understands that both the fire and police services of the local municipality filed a report on the incident. The NCC has given permission to the municipality, upon receiving an official request, to release the police report to the requestor.

[Question No. 123, March 17th, 2003]

The National Capital Commission informs me as follows:

The terms and conditions for the development of the facility are as follows:

The agreement provides for an emphyteutic deed (whereby 3133591 Manitoba Ltd, o/a Ski Fortune, owns the facility for a fixed period and returns it the NCC upon expiry) for a term of 25 years commencing July 1, 1994 to June 30, 2019. An audit will be conducted by both Ski Fortune and the NCC in year 20 of the deed, and Ski Fortune must return all improvements to the NCC in the same condition as evidenced by the audit

Ski Fortune is to assume all risk and expense related to its project to construct a new chalet, an addition to the Skyline Lodge, renovations to the Alexander Lodge, maintenance of Fortune Lodge for user groups, demolition for various structures on the lands, site clean-up of old equipment and machinery, trail improvements to the Skyline, Fortune, Alexander and Meech areas, uphill lift capacity improvements as well as snowmaking system improvements, and any other improvements to the lands.

Ski Fortune shall submit an annual business plan each June 30th over the agreement period, detailing any proposed additional improvements and operation of the project for the next following deed year. Any improvements will be subject to an environmental assessment and federal land use approval, and must be in conformance to the Gatineau Park master plan, all applicable municipal, provincial and federal laws, by-laws and regulations and applicable municipal zoning. As well, any existing and additional improvements must not diminish the value of the lands. The NCC will have 45 days from receipt of the annual business plan to complete its review.

All and any improvements done to the Camp Fortune ski facility must be submitted to the NCC for approval before any work can commence and must abide by the schedule as detailed in the annual business plan.

These improvements will become the property of the NCC upon expiration of the agreement and Ski Fortune will not be entitled to any compensation as such.

Ski Fortune must obtain and pay for all of the permits required for the construction, reconstruction, modification and operation of any existing and additional improvements to the lands.

Ski Fortune must also post a performance security of $250,000 to secure the construction of the new chalet. This security will remain in place until substantial completion of the chalet. A performance security, in the amount of 25% of the value of the work, must also be posted for any construction, replacement, reconstruction, installation or modification of other additional or existing improvements to the lands approved by the NCC. The NCC may waive any performance security at its discretion.

[Question No. 121, March 17th, 2003]

The National Capital Commission informs me as follows:

(a) The 1990 Gatineau Park master plan identified the need for the NCC to rationalize the legal boundary of the park to make it compatible with the various natural or geographic realities and to simplify daily management and park administration. As a result, several land parcels were severed from the park that no longer had a role in achieving the NCC’s mandate and were not essential within the context of the federal land use plan.

Following the 1993 construction of the Wakefield by-pass portion of autoroute 5, three (3) parcels of vacant land, totalling an area of approximately 50.35ha and also an improved parcel of approximately 62.5ha, which was being leased to Vorlage Ski and Recreation Area Limited, were severed from Gatineau Park. Vorlage Ski and Recreation Area Limited purchased the lands for the purposes of continuing the ski centre’s operations and activities.

The proposed disposals were consistent with the environmental impact assessment performed for the transaction and approval was given under the federal land use process.

The NCC has legislative authority for the disposal pursuant to subsection 15(2) of the National Capital Act and subsection 99(2) of the Financial Administration Act .

(b) On November 17, 1994, the NCC sold approximately 112.85 ha of land to the Vorlage Ski and Recreation Area Limited at a price of $296,616. This land sale comprised three parcels of vacant land, totaling approximately 50.35 ha, and of an improved parcel of leased land to the club totaling approximately 62.5 ha.

During the original transfer in 1994, an inadvertent omission of a part of the Vorlage Ski Club property occurred in the legal description. As a result, on November 8, 1995, the NCC completed the sale by transferring a parcel of vacant land having an area of approximately 0.3876 ha. It was sold for a nominal consideration to the Vorlage Ski and Recreation Area Limited since it was part and parcel of the original land description and the NCC had already been paid for the land.

(c) and (d) The NCC did not submit this sale to public consultation and did not inform the public about the sale since Vorlage Ski and Recreation Area Limited was the adjacent owner, it was already leasing over 55 % of the Vorlage Ski Club property and it owned the improvements situated on the leased parcel. These improvements were built by different tenants for purposes of operating the ski club, as early as 1963 and with NCC approval. However, the 1990 Gatineau Park master plan, which recommended a review of the park legal boundary in the context of a rationalization of park properties, was submitted to public consultations

[Canadian Heritage, February 27th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to use the very important question of the member to clarify once and for all in the House that when the supplementary estimates are presented in September, the amount of money available to the CBC will be at an all time historic high. In fact the amount of money made available will be $1.57 billion. I think that is a significant contribution and a significant increase in the amount of investment we have made in this very important arm of public broadcasting.

[Canadian Heritage, February 27th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to tell the House how pleased I am that the Secretary of State responsible for Multiculturalism and the Status Women and I will co-host a summit on culture on April 22 and 23 which intends to ensure that the heritage of Canada is the heritage of all her peoples and not simply the heritage of the English and the French.

To that end we will be inviting aboriginal people, minority communities and the cultural sector to get together to see how we can create a true synergy of cultures which should be the real nature of Canada.

[Production Assistance, February 25th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank the Premier of Quebec, Bernard Landry, who this week finally recognized the accountability and importance of artists.

His action complements what we are currently doing in Quebec, which is investing $1 billion in Radio-Canada, the Canadian Television Fund, the National Film Board, Téléfilm, and so on.

We can guarantee an investment of $200 million a year, the amount that we have invested in the Canadian Television Fund. We are so pleased that the Bloc is on board, because—

[Société Radio-Canada, February 24th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I believe the hon. member has a good point, one he needs to raise directly with the SRC.