Business of Supply   and warm. Those homesteads have been there a long time. The river has been populated for over 9,000 years. It was called Kaniatarowanenneh by the St. Lawrence Iroquis people who settled it 9,000 years ago. It was known as the Champlain Sea then and over time, it has seen many

House debate   and Conservatives—who have neglected our infrastructure network. We hope to at least see an improvement in the government's planning and strategy. However, the facts do not inspire confidence. Take the Champlain Bridge for example. Yesterday in the Standing Committee on Transport

Transport committee   in that network of infrastructure is the Champlain Bridge. My colleague stated that the Island of Montreal, through traffic bottle-ups, loses $2.1 billion in productivity every year. I think everyone in this room wants to promote a good, healthy economy, wants to increase Canada's

House debate  Madam Speaker, I would like to speak more about the Champlain Bridge and public transit on the bridge. As we know, the Champlain Bridge is federally owned but, clearly, the provincial and municipal governments involved want to see public transit on the bridge, particularly

Champlain Bridge  Mr. Speaker, the government still refuses to say whether a viable public transit plan will be part of the new Champlain Bridge. First it is making Montreal and the south shore families foot the bill, and now it is ignoring 18,000 public transit passengers who cross that bridge

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, let us talk about families. Yesterday, the minister accused me of using scare tactics, but the fact is that Montreal families are worried that the Champlain Bridge might collapse. Reports tell of crumbling concrete and eroding steel. Yesterday, I asked

House debate  ¢ it would give municipalities the other 5¢. I was addressing the strategy and planning behind the Champlain Bridge. It is my hope that the federal government will work closely with the provinces and the municipalities surrounding the Champlain Bridge in order to do proper planning so

Champlain Bridge  Mr. Speaker, the NDP is calling on the government to stop hiding behind cabinet confidences and to respond to our access to information request by immediately making reports on the safety of the Champlain Bridge available to the public, instead of hiding them from the bridge's

Champlain Bridge  Mr. Speaker, that is not exactly the answer I was looking for. I was talking about public transit. Why has the government not made any plans for public transit on the new Champlain Bridge? Every day, 400 buses carry 18,000 passengers across the bridge. There is a great demand

Champlain Bridge  Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport is saying that there will be a toll on the Champlain Bridge but that the bridge will not cost taxpayers a penny. Let us be clear, it is families that will pay. The municipalities of Montreal's south shore are wondering why their residents

Champlain Bridge  Mr. Speaker, this government is finally responding to NDP pressure to build a new Champlain Bridge. We barely had time to celebrate—

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, we know that closing the Champlain Bridge would result in annual losses of $740 million. We know that the bridge must be replaced immediately to ensure the safety of Quebeckers and the health of the Canadian economy. Yesterday, we moved a motion proposing

Champlain Bridge  Mr. Speaker, the Champlain Bridge, the busiest bridge in Canada, has reached the end of its life. If it were to close, Montreal's economy would lose some $740 million a year. That would mean $740 million less for the Quebec and Canadian economies. That figure is from a Federal

Champlain Bridge  Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities told the House, and I quote, “...we have invested...in Montreal bridges, mainly in the Champlain Bridge, to ensure the smooth flow of traffic...” Clearly, the minister should revise his strategy

Transport committee   for my motion. The Government of Quebec has formally asked the federal government for financial support for the western train. It's clear that renovations to the Turcot interchange, the Champlain bridge and the Bonaventure highway will cause significant traffic problems, which