Mr. Speaker, every day in my riding people work, live and play on the ocean. For many people, they do it all year round. These folks go to very remote locations where a boat or a float plane is the only mode of transportation. To do this safely, my constituents rely on weather stations. If they do not have that information, they travel at a higher risk. Some weather stations in my region have not been working for months and in some cases years.
Both my constituents and I have reached out to the ministries of transportation, environment and climate change calling for action. One of my constituents told me he goes out in his boat during the winter, and all too often the weather stations are off-line. He uses whatever information he can, but once he is out there, there is no turning back. They deal with the weather as it arrives, and it can feel like they are taking their own lives in their hands.
This is an issue of safety, of protecting communities, of protecting workers and of protecting people. It needs urgent action.
I am calling on the government to make it right. Lives are at stake.
