Bernadette Jordan

[Marine Transportation, November 15th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets is home to a beautiful coastline, where a number of my constituents make their living because of our proximity to the ocean. My constituents also recognize that a clean environment and a strong economy go hand in hand.

Would the Minister of Transport please update the House as to the work he has done, and will continue to do, to improve marine safety in Canada?

[Culinary Industry, November 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the culinary industry is an important and growing sector in Nova Scotia and in my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets.

Ironworks Distillery in Lunenburg won the award for Culinary Ambassador of the Year at the Taste of Nova Scotia awards. This recognition not only tips its hat to its innovative and high quality products, but also to the work and commitment of the business to helping other Nova Scotian businesses succeed.

Another Lunenburger, Amy Funk, won Server of the Year for her work at Lincoln Street Food. Hell Bay Brewing Company in Liverpool and Boxing Rock Brewing Company in Shelburne were both winners this month at the Atlantic Beer Awards.

On that note, I would like to invite any of my colleagues in the House to South Shore—St. Margarets any time to indulge in the great food and drink we have to offer.

Please join me in congratulating these businesses, and all small businesses, that work hard to show the world what Nova Scotia and Canada has to offer.

[Achievement in Marksmanship, October 24th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we recognized International Day of the Girl on October 11 as part of Women's History Month. This got me thinking about a young woman from South Shore—St. Margarets who has broken local ground in marksmanship, a historically male-dominated field.

MacKenzie Corkum, a grade 12 student, joined the Bridgewater Army Cadets a few years ago and has shown her skills in Nova Scotia and at the national level. She recently completed a camp at the Connaught National Army Cadet Summer Training Centre in Ottawa, where she was awarded the Bronze Cross for shooting the three highest possible scores. She is the first cadet in the history of the 2688 Bridgewater Kinsmen Army Cadets to make the national rifle team, which will be competing in summer 2017 in England.

Please join me in sending best wishes to this talented young woman and all team members from the Royal Canadian Army Cadets national rifle team, as they make their mark internationally in marksmanship.

[Abandoned Vessels, October 24th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleagues for the thoughtful points they have raised and for bringing their perspectives on this issue from different regions of the country.

Vessel abandonment is a serious and persistent problem in coastal communities all across Canada. Back in June, I made the case during the first hour of debate for taking action on abandoned and derelict vessels due to how these vessels can affect the livelihoods of Canadians, the opportunities for tourism, safety, environmental quality, and navigation, and how there are not many legislative, regulatory, or even practical ways that small coastal communities, or for that matter large coastal communities, can deal with them.

The Port of Shelburne in my riding is a perfect example where everything legally possible has been done to have the abandoned vessel the Farley Mowat removed. However, it is still taking up one-quarter of the port's workspace. I hope that this conversation, and subsequent actions by the government, will address this shortfall, and that parliamentarians, in two, five, or 20 years, will not still be having this same conversation.

People in coastal communities have waited long enough for action. This is not a new issue. I have heard about this problem my whole life, growing up in Nova Scotia, working in different communities on the south shore, raising kids in Bridgewater, during my time campaigning, and now as the member of Parliament for South Shore—St. Margarets. I am thrilled that I've had the ability to raise the profile of this issue and hopefully have a positive response from the House of Commons on Motion No. 40.

If supported by my colleagues in the House, I have confidence that the government, led in this case by the hon. Minister of Transport, will take many of the steps suggested in Motion No. 40 to prevent vessel abandonment in the future, and to find ways to support communities dealing with the burden of an abandoned vessel. I am sure many of us in the House, and many at home, would love to see this problem go away once this vote happens.

Unfortunately, there are not any quick solutions. There is no silver bullet. If the federal government spent hundreds of millions of dollars immediately removing the over 600 abandoned and derelict vessels from Canadian ports, beaches, and shores, it would send a signal to irresponsible vessel owners that abandonment is the most cost-effective disposal option. We cannot do that. We cannot give irresponsible vessel owners a “get out of jail free” card simply by making the taxpayers responsible for cleaning up someone else's mess.

I have proposed that the government develop a comprehensive long-term plan that will, first and foremost, try to prevent vessels from being abandoned in the future. We need solutions that give government and law enforcement more tools in their tool belts to take action on vessel owners who are not being responsible. Expanding the scope of the large vessel register to improve owner identification, ratifying the International Maritime Organisation's International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, and making the abandonment of a vessel an offence, are all steps that can help prevent abandonment from happening and encourage responsible vessel ownership.

We know that most Canadian vessel owners are already being safe and responsible. We know that a very small fraction of owners have not been responsible, for a variety of reasons, and that this has caused an immense burden and headache for communities across Canada. We need some way to address this as well. The only way the federal government can get involved is when the vessel is creating an immediate environmental hazard or is blocking a navigable waterway. Failing these, the onus dealing with the abandoned vessel falls to the unlucky province, community, port, or landowner where the vessel was abandoned. They bear that burden through the inability to sell the land, expenses related to monitoring and inspecting the vessel or the site, lost revenue from docking fees, lost revenue from the effect on tourism, as well as public outcry.

In cases where other avenues have been exhausted, where the presence of an abandoned vessel is creating an economic burden on community, Motion No. 40 asks that the government identify options to assist in its removal. This is an important last resort option. Our coastlines are a source of pride and economic opportunity, and our policies should safeguard them and the livelihoods of those who depend on them. Derelict and abandoned vessels are an economic burden and limit the potential of our waterways and harbours.

To that end, I ask my colleagues in the House to support Motion No. 40.

[Standing Orders and Procedure, October 6th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my hon. colleague about one point he raised in particular. He said that he has heard and has noticed that when a woman rises to answer a question in the House there is often more heckling and jeering that goes on. Therefore, does he feel that the conduct in the House is sometimes a barrier to women putting their names forward for public office?

[Volunteer Firefighters, September 29th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, southwest Nova Scotia is having the worst drought it has seen in many years. This summer a forest fire destroyed 400 hectares of woodland in South Shore—St. Margarets and West Nova, and it raged for days.

Not all of my hon. colleagues may know this, but in much of rural Nova Scotia, firefighters are all volunteers and put in countless hours of training in preparing to keep our forests, families, and communities safe.

Volunteers worked around the clock for days, not only battling the fire but also supporting the firefighters. Volunteers fundraised, collected donations, and made sure that our volunteer firefighters were fed and hydrated. Many local businesses continued to pay their employees while they were fighting these fires.

The fire was eventually contained, our beloved Kejimkujik National Park was saved, and nobody was injured. I would like to ask all members of the House to join me in thanking our volunteer fire services and the communities that support them.

[Regional Economic Development, September 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this summer, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the four Atlantic premiers, and the four cabinet ministers from Atlantic Canada launched the Atlantic growth strategy. Can the minister please explain how this strategy is different from the work that has previously been done to address the problems of economic growth in Atlantic Canada?

[Business of Supply, September 22nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, during the speech today by my hon. colleague from Central Nova, he mentioned the Atlantic growth strategy, the historic investment into infrastructure in Atlantic Canada, and the significant investment into small craft harbours.

Does he think that those would be possible if it were not for the 32 strong voices from Atlantic Canada?

[Transport, June 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, a thriving marine transportation sector is very important to my constituents, and there is a will in my riding to support local port ownership. Local port ownership opens up new commercial possibilities that allow port facilities to reach their full potential.

Can the Minister of Transport please update this House on recent developments on the Port of Liverpool in my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets?

[Liverpool International Theatre Festival, June 13th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary group of volunteers for their work to make the Liverpool International Theatre Festival a great success.

This festival was started 26 years ago. It is well known throughout the theatre world, and has hosted groups from Japan, Belgium, Peru, Nepal, Ireland, and Russia, to name a few. This year's festival was once again superb, proving that great theatre transcends language.

Hundreds of volunteers make this event a huge success, helping with everything from the box office to muffins and coffee, billeting, and transportation. It is truly a community effort.

However, this year's festival was bittersweet, because the long-time artistic director has had her final performance. Eva Moore is retiring after 26 years. Eva's tenacity, expertise, and abilities will be missed by everyone who has had the pleasure to work with her over the past 26 years.

We thank Eva and the volunteers. I cannot wait for 2018.