House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2021, with 47% of the vote.
Questions on the Order Paper June 20th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, with regard to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, or WDBA, and the Hydro One conduit project, this question is related to a dispute that has not yet been resolved and is scheduled for mediation in May 2022. It is also subject to ongoing contractual confidentiality obligations.
The WDBA is not able to prepare a response to this question without violating the confidentiality requirements. Doing so could also potentially impact the economic interests of Canada.
Questions on the Order Paper June 15th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, with regard to the green and inclusive community buildings program, of the $1.5 billion in funding to be delivered, since the program’s announcement on April 14, 2021, members should please note that Infrastructure Canada provides funding for public infrastructure projects through various programs to provinces, territories, municipalities and other recipients. This response is based on federal funding commitments and does not necessarily reflect when project spending occurred.
Members may refer to the attached annex for information with regard to projects approved to date.
With respect to part (b), all applications are reviewed for eligibility against the following criteria: The applicant must be an eligible applicant type; the applicant must be an eligible applicant type; the building/asset must be an eligible asset type; he building/asset must be a non-commercial community-oriented structure or space that provides open, available and accessible community services to the public; the applicant must have authority over the asset either as the asset owner or by having secured an agreement with the asset owner to carry out the project; the project must be implemented no earlier than April 1, 2021, and no later than March 31, 2026; for retrofits only, the applicant must submit their building’s structural information, energy profile and greenhouse gas, GHG, emissions using the RETScreen Expert software; for retrofits only, the project must not lead to an increase in GHG emissions in the building’s operation; impacts of climate change have been assessed and considered for the project; the applicant must commit to securing the necessary capital to proceed if approved for federal funding; the applicant must provide all necessary data and supporting documents; the applicant must attest to the manner in which the project will meet relevant building and construction laws and regulations, including completion or planned completion of such environmental assessment and consultation as may be required by federal and provincial/territorial governments; and the applicant must attest to the manner in which the project will align to the building standards and codes that apply to the jurisdiction of the existing building, as applicable.
With respect to part (c), these are the criteria used to assess and evaluate applications. For retrofits, the following criteria apply:
Construction start date: Projects that begin sooner will receive a higher score. Located in and demonstrates the ability to serve one or more communities with high needs: Projects that provide greater benefits to high need communities will receive a higher score. Increased accessibility: Where applicable, projects that demonstrate an intention to exceed (rather than meet) the highest standards for accessibility will receive a higher score. GHG reductions: Projects that demonstrate the ability to achieve greater GHG emission reductions relative to the building’s baseline will receive a higher score. Energy savings: Projects that will achieve at least 25% in energy efficiency improvements compared to the building’s baseline energy consumption, as calculated with the RETScreen Expert software, will receive a higher score and are more likely to be selected for funding; in select cases, projects with lower energy efficiency improvements could be considered and selected for funding. Climate resiliency and best practices adoption: Projects that demonstrate strong climate resiliency considerations and measures will receive a higher score; projects that provide reasonable and accurate detail for why climate resiliency is not relevant to their project will not be subject to this criterion and will be assessed relative to other project merits. Confidence in delivery/risk: Projects that demonstrate strong risk assessment and mitigation measures will receive a higher score.
Continuous intake retrofit projects with total eligible project costs between $100,000 and $2,999,999 are evaluated on a continuous basis, with projects needing to meet or exceed a minimum point threshold in order to be granted funding. Retrofit projects with total eligible project costs between $3,000,000 and $25,000,000 are evaluated on a competitive basis, with projects being scored and ranked against one another.
For new builds, the following criteria apply: Construction start date: Projects that begin sooner will receive a higher score. Located in and demonstrates the ability to serve one or more communities with high needs: Projects that provide greater benefits to high needs communities will receive a higher score. Increased accessibility. Projects that demonstrate an intention to exceed (rather than meet) the highest standards for accessibility will receive a higher score. Zero-carbon design standard: Projects that are designed to meet net-zero carbon performance without the need for a transition plan will be scored higher; projects that are exempted from this standard will not be subject to this criterion and will be assessed relative to other project design merits. Climate resiliency and best practices adoption: Projects that demonstrate strong climate resiliency considerations and measures will be scored higher; projects that provide reasonable and accurate detail for why climate resiliency is not relevant to their project will not be subject to this criterion and will be assessed relative to other project merits. Confidence in delivery/risk: Projects that demonstrate a strong risk assessment and mitigation measures will be scored higher.
All new build projects are evaluated on a competitive basis, with projects being scored and ranked against one another.
All of the above information can be found in the green and inclusive community buildings applicant guide at https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/alt-format/pdf/gicb-bcvi/GICB-Applicant-Guide-BCVI-Guide-du-demandeur-EN.pdf
Infrastructure June 3rd, 2022
Madam Speaker, as a former city councillor, I understand the importance of investing in community infrastructure like recreation and community centres. We are committed to working with all levels of government and all orders of government to ensure that for the priorities they set forward, there are infrastructure dollars there. However, we must also be clear that the need for clean, reliable and efficient transit across this country is incredibly important.
I endeavour to work with the member and his local councillors to determine the best way to move forward on these projects, but we are committed to building—
Infrastructure June 3rd, 2022
Madam Speaker, there has not been any money stolen from the Province of Quebec. On the contrary, all of the money that is allocated for Quebec will go to Quebec as soon as those priority projects are identified by the province.
We want to ensure that for all transit and infrastructure projects, all of the money allocated is rolled out to the provinces and territories, but we need our counterparts from Quebec to identify those priority projects. We look forward to rolling out those funds as soon as they do.
Infrastructure June 3rd, 2022
Madam Speaker, Quebec has not lost a single cent of the money allocated for its transit and infrastructure projects. However, the Bloc would have us believe that there are no infrastructure projects that are ready in Quebec or needed. We believe the contrary. We want to see infrastructure money roll into the Province of Quebec as quickly as possible to ensure these funds are building the things Quebeckers need, such as reliable transit and infrastructure, as quickly as possible. That is what we are committed to doing as soon as the province provides us with its priority list.
Infrastructure June 2nd, 2022
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we have not cut a single cent for transit or infrastructure in Quebec. These projects need to be identified. The Quebec government should tell us what its priorities are. Then we will happily move forward on these agreements.
This is about Canadian taxpayers' investments in transit and infrastructure right across this country. We want to ensure that those projects are identified and this money can roll out across Quebec to ensure that it has the transit and infrastructure it needs.
Infrastructure June 2nd, 2022
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, our government and our minister are committed to getting funds out for transit and infrastructure right across this country, including in Quebec. However, the minister has been clear that Quebec needs to put forward the project, which we can then support.
We are committed to our agreements and ensuring that Quebec has the amounts that have been promised, but they need to step up and identify those projects. We will ensure that transit and infrastructure continue to be built right across this country.
Uxbridge Storm Damage June 2nd, 2022
Mr. Speaker, on May 21, a storm ripped across Ontario and Quebec, which left people in Pickering—Uxbridge without power. We saw trees go down and property be damaged throughout our community.
During the storm, a tornado touched down in Uxbridge and caused a devastating impact. We saw cars and trucks completely flipped over, several homes and businesses destroyed or damaged, and countless tress ripped out of the ground, which destroyed power lines. The roof of Trinity United Church collapsed, and The Second Wedge Brewing Company, which is a beloved local hub for craft beer, arts, culture and food, and is even the location of our farmers' market, was destroyed.
Despite the heartbreaking destruction, we saw the community step up in a very big way. I would like to highlight and thank the incredible local first responders, the various crews responsible for cleanup, repairs, and restoring our electricity, and the mayor and council as well as town staff who worked around the clock to assist their neighbours in a time of need. This combined effort of everyone involved is the purest embodiment of the Canadian spirt and the bonds that hold us together.
Instruction to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs Regarding Bill C-14 June 2nd, 2022
Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague would be happy to know that there were a lot of cheers from this side of the House, in terms of seeing him again.
My colleague spoke a lot about democracy and the importance of it. Once again, we are seeing the Conservatives act as though they are champions of democracy, but then what we have here is a move to dictate and direct a committee in how it must proceed, after the House has already taken a position.
How does he feel Conservative members from Alberta might feel about this particular motion moving forward, triggering the 7/50 rule, when that would have significant consequences for proportional representation? How might Alberta members, who have not had a chance to consult with their communities, feel about the House dictating to a committee how to move forward?
Business of Supply May 19th, 2022
Madam Speaker, I do agree with my hon. colleague that we need practical solutions. We need to ensure that Canadians understand the rationale for the layers of protection I spoke about. With recruiting and hiring more employees, we absolutely need to work with partners. As the member knows, some of this work is done through Crown corporations or airline industries that are independent, but we absolutely need to be at the table. We need to ensure that the workforce is hired so that Canadians can move in a safe way as this pandemic continues.