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Feb/4/22 11:00:51 a.m.
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The member will have two minutes or so of questions and comments remaining when we come back to this.

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Mr. Irek Kusmierczyk (Windsor—Tecumseh, Lib.)

Feb/4/22 11:01:03 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago, I participated in a conference on integrating Ukraine into Europe's economic and security structures. I was studying overseas in Poland and invited the Ukrainian delegation of young people and professionals to my apartment. We talked about the yearning of Ukrainian people for true independence and for building stronger relationships with Europe. A year later, those same young people texted me from the streets of Kyiv during the Orange Revolution that reasserted Ukraine's independence. Today, I join the Ukrainian community in Windsor—Tecumseh anxiously watching the aggressive Russian military buildup on Ukraine's border. As Polish Canadians, we have seen this movie play out many times. A revanchist and imperialistic Russia is a danger, not only to Ukraine and bordering countries like Poland and the Baltic states. It poses a danger to democracy around the world. My message to our Ukrainian friends and to all Canadians is that Canada stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine. Slava Kanadi. Slava Ukraini.

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Mrs. Anna Roberts (King—Vaughan, CPC)

Feb/4/22 11:02:07 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge all those celebrating the lunar new year, wishing them much success, peace and happiness in the Year of the Tiger. I would also like to acknowledge that today is World Cancer Day. I would like to recognize and give thanks to an avid volunteer and constituent of King—Vaughan. Mrs. Meni Pitoscia is a two-time cancer survivor who lives with the positive attitude that a cure can be found. I also want to recognize a dear friend, Mr. Tony Gallo, who is currently undergoing treatments so that he too can count himself a survivor. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, Dona, Joseph and Mario, and his family and friends. We recognize that every one of us has the ability to make a difference, no matter how little. By working together we can make meaningful progress in reducing cancer globally.

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Ms. Lena Metlege Diab (Halifax West, Lib.)

Feb/4/22 11:03:14 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Black History Month. It is an occasion to celebrate, show appreciation and recognize the accomplishments of Black Canadians throughout our history to building a better Canada. They include trailblazers of yesterday, among them boxer, activist and Nova Scotia sergeant-at-arms Buddy Daye, and civil rights pioneer and Nova Scotia businesswoman Viola Desmond; and the change-makers of today, including the inspiring women who joined me at the minister's Black women's round table in Halifax in November. I especially want to acknowledge the diverse Black communities in my riding of Halifax West, such as the historic community of Lucasville as well as the newer generation of Black immigrants. Many of these new immigrants are francophones who are making important contributions. Let us keep moving forward to support Black Canadians. I wish everyone a happy Black History Month.

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Mr. Blake Desjarlais (Edmonton Griesbach, NDP)

Feb/4/22 11:04:26 a.m.
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Re: Bill C-216

Mr. Speaker, on average, Canada sees a staggering 19 deaths per day due to opioid-related drug poisoning, but the opioid crisis is not affecting people equally. Youth, racialized folks and indigenous people have been hit the hardest, and federal policies that treat addiction with arrests and incarceration are only making things worse. We see the human toll of this failed approach every single day in my riding of Edmonton Griesbach. Over the past few months, I have met with groups like Moms Stop the Harm and the Bear Clan Patrol who are doing the truly heroic work to save lives and promote healing on our streets and in our neighbourhoods. Their message is clear: It is time for the federal government to act by decriminalizing drug use and making sure there is safe supply. It will save lives. That is why I am calling on members of the House to pass Bill C-216. Harm reduction will save lives.

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Mrs. Marie-France Lalonde (Orléans, Lib.)

Feb/4/22 11:05:24 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of visiting the Pharmasave Avalon Compounding Pharmacy last October, along with my counterpart, MPP Stephen Blais. The owner and pharmacist, Andrew Hanna, specializes in bringing customized medication with a doctor's prescription to his clients. It was truly impressive to see the technology on site. Today, I want to thank Mr. Hanna for his involvement and leadership in the Orléans community. On January 7 in Orléans, I had the pleasure of attending the first and largest pharmacy COVID-19 vaccination walk-in clinic in eastern Ontario. This overnight clinic was held from 8 p.m. and ran until it administered all 1,000 doses it had to give out. It was truly a team effort and, thanks to initiatives like this one, more individuals in my community were able to be vaccinated. Some members may recall that January 7 was one of the coldest evenings, and it was a pleasure to serve coffee to those who were waiting patiently outside. I thank everyone who participated to help fight COVID-19.

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Ms. Lianne Rood (Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, CPC)

Feb/4/22 11:06:41 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent the riding of Lambton—Kent—Middlesex and I want to share my appreciation for the good deeds being done across our communities. I thank the public libraries for organizing winter clothing drives. I thank the many churches, large and small, for the hard work they do preparing meals and sharing food. I thank the volunteers at our local shelters and food banks. I thank the individuals who do random acts of kindness without expecting to receive any praise. While the winter continues, we see families struggling and I am proud of all of my constituents for stepping up, supporting our communities and taking care of our neighbours. On February 26, the Coldest Night of the Year walk for the homeless will be happening throughout Lambton—Kent—Middlesex and across Canada. I encourage all who can to come out and continue to show that community spirit by creating a team and walking to raise money for organizations that support people who are homeless and hungry. Together, we can continue to make a difference for those in need and I hope to see everyone there.

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Ms. Joanne Thompson (St. John's East, Lib.)

Feb/4/22 11:07:51 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the 2022 Olympic games are here and we are all looking forward to cheering for the 215 athletes representing Team Canada. Sport brings communities together and I will be joining Canadians across the country to watch our very best compete as they inspire people of all ages. From this House to theirs, I send a special best wishes to Newfoundland and Labrador’s own curlers Brett Gallant, Brad Gushue and Mark Nichols, and all our amazing athletes. Go, Canada, go.

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Mr. Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre, Lib.)

Feb/4/22 11:08:40 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to speak about what has been going on in my community of Ottawa Centre. Residents are feeling terrorized by the protests, which have been going on for seven days now. Members of my community are being harassed, being subjected to hurtful and racist symbols, and the incessant honking is unbearable. Our parking lots are being used as urinals. Fireworks are being hurled down streets at night. The air is thick with diesel fuel. Residents are not sleeping. Businesses are shuddered. Parliament Hill is regularly used for peaceful protests as they are a hallmark of every democracy. This is not a peaceful protest. It is an occupation. Enough is enough. This needs to end now, so my community can live in peace again.

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Mr. Alex Ruff (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, CPC)

Feb/4/22 11:09:49 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I struggled in deciding what to focus my statement on today. I could easily spend a minute talking about the loss of my uncle Morley Kaufman; the loss of retired Colonel John Fife, a great friend, mentor and leader from Oromocto, New Brunswick; or the loss of World War II veteran Charles Fisher from Owen Sound, among the many others whom we have lost over the last couple months. I could do a full statement in recognition of Dr. Kelly Barratt, a local veterinarian who was the first woman bovine practitioner of the year, as awarded by the American Association of Bovine Practitioners this past October. She is one of only three Canadians to win the award this century. I could do a full statement thanking the member for Durham for his service, leadership and dedication as the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. However, in the end, I will end my statement by simply asking all members of the House and all Canadians watching to please respect each other. The pandemic has been hard on everyone. We should treat each other as we want to be treated ourselves. Also, Wiarton Willie predicts it is going to be an early spring.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.)

Feb/4/22 11:10:58 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister, the Manitoba caucus and I met with some teachers virtually. I wanted to highlight that discussion. It included teachers from Children of the Earth, Garden Grove, Meadows West, Sisler High School, and other areas of the city of Winnipeg. Teachers are mentors to our students. They are coaches and advocates. Their wisdom and guidance bring out the best in students and inspire them to aim high and persevere. Every day, teachers play an important role in our communities and society. However, since the pandemic started almost two years ago, teachers have had to drastically adjust to many challenges. They had to adapt to increased workloads, pressures and virtual classes. The love and care shown for our young people every day by teachers is inspiring. Our teachers have risen to the challenge and have gone above and beyond in engaging every student. On behalf of the Prime Minister and the caucus, we want to thank and applaud the efforts of all teachers across Canada.

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Hon. Michelle Rempel Garner (Calgary Nose Hill, CPC)

Feb/4/22 11:12:12 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, COVID has painfully proven that Canada's health care system is not capable of handling a high volume of emergent patients, particularly over a sustained period of time. Today, in year three of COVID, provincial governments are still closing businesses and imposing restrictions because of this. Even with these restrictions, doctors and nurses tell us that this approach does not reduce their burden. Business closures and restrictions on gathering and movement will not fix our health care system. As of today, there is still no coordinated, funded plan to do so. On behalf of my constituents and health care workers, I call on the federal government to immediately act as a convener and establish a framework to support provinces and ensure that this problem is permanently rectified, because shutting down our way of life to reduce the burden on hospitals without a plan to fix the problems that have been persistent for decades must end.

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Mr. Eric Duncan (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, CPC)

Feb/4/22 11:13:08 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Myles Lynch, a vibrant young man from St. Andrew's West, who used his lived experience to advocate organ donation. Myles battled cystic fibrosis and made history when he became the first Canadian to receive three double lung transplants in his lifetime. However, I am sad to say Myles passed away at the young age of 24 on December 31. Myles was what I would define as a happy warrior: positive, passionate, even humorous, as seen in his documentary 8 Thousand Myles. I had the pleasure of chatting with Myles several times about ways more organ donors could save lives for generations to come. In 2019, 260 Canadians died while waiting for an organ donation. We need to change that. Therefore, I ask Canadians to think of Myles Lynch and his family and friends today, and to take a moment to sign up and be an organ donor in this great Canadian's memory.

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Mr. Fayçal El-Khoury (Laval—Les Îles, Lib.)

Feb/4/22 11:14:16 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark Sri Lanka's 74th Independence Day, a day filled with enormous pain and anguish for Tamil people on the island. Victims of history, the Tamil people hailing from the north and east of the island have lived as second-class citizens. They have been denied education, employment and even the freedom to practise their faith. Although Sri Lanka is currently experiencing an economic crisis and is on the verge of bankruptcy, it continues to fund its military sector, which represents up to 15% of the government's total annual spending. On this difficult day, I want to express my solidarity with the Tamil constituents in Laval and Tamils around the world and wish them justice and 10 minutes of peace on the island.

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Mr. Taylor Bachrach (Skeena—Bulkley Valley, NDP)

Feb/4/22 11:15:16 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I wish to speak once again to the very serious situation facing wild salmon and steelhead on British Columbia's north and central coasts. A recent study shows Alaska's fisheries are catching hundreds of thousands of fish bound for our rivers. Alaskans have become the biggest harvesters of many B.C. wild salmon populations, even while we see our stocks decline. Last year, B.C.'s commercial fleet was tied up at the dock, sport fisheries were closed and many first nations could not catch their food fish. That same year, southeast Alaska caught 650,000 Canadian sockeye salmon, and 470,000 of those were headed for the Skeena River alone. That is just sockeye. The same story holds true for chum, pink, coho, chinook and steelhead. The Pacific Salmon Treaty was negotiated during times of relative abundance, but now it is failing to deliver on its key mandates of equity and conservation, and it is not up for renewal until 2028. We need the fisheries minister to act now. We must use mechanisms to open the treaty and begin emergency negotiations with the Americans. Our wild salmon cannot wait until 2028.

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Mr. Sébastien Lemire (Abitibi—Témiscamingue, BQ)

Feb/4/22 11:16:30 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the opening ceremony for the 24th Winter Olympic Games took place this morning in Beijing. We have a duty to remember that these Olympics never should have been held in China, whose government is guilty of committing genocide against its own people, the Uighurs. However, we also need to remember that this is not our athletes' decision and it is not their fault. Quebec's athletes are as brave as the Government of Canada is cowardly when it come to China. These Quebeckers have dedicated their entire lives to their sport and, today, they have the opportunity to show the whole world just how talented they are. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to wish the best of luck to all athletes from every region of Quebec. I hope that they will perform as well as they hope, that all their hard work will pay off and that their Olympic dreams will come true. All of Quebec is rooting for our Olympians.

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Mr. Warren Steinley (Regina—Lewvan, CPC)

Feb/4/22 11:17:29 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will take a quick second to say hi to Nickson, Clare, Jameson and my wife Larissa in the gallery today. This past week, Regina lost one of its best-known and respected community leaders. John Hopkins, CEO of the Regina Chamber of Commerce, passed away on Wednesday after a courageous battle with cancer. John was a staple in the Regina business and political community, lending his organizing skills to many Regina initiatives over the 21 years that he was the CEO. I will particularly miss John's judgment and thoughtful advice about Saskatchewan's political discourse. We enjoyed many coffees and lunches together. His opinions were always respected, and his kindness and generosity made him a joy to chat with whenever one ran into him at local events. When John was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, he took the challenge head-on. He continued to be visible in the community, taking advantage of each day to educate others about his illness and to raise money with his garage band buddies. John's passion for Regina's business community was infectious, and he undoubtedly made Regina better when he became the CEO in 2001. I ask the House to join me in honouring John Hopkins for his years of service to Regina and in sending condolences to his family, friends and colleagues at the Regina Chamber of Commerce for their significant loss.

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Mr. Tony Van Bynen (Newmarket—Aurora, Lib.)

Feb/4/22 11:18:58 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, February 6, Canada celebrates the platinum jubilee. It marks the 70-year reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. There is no doubt that she has seen many heartbreaking moments and heartfelt joys during her reign as our sovereign. Throughout all these years, she has been a hallmark of prudence, stability and insightful leadership, articulating values that we have seen stand the test of time. The majority of events for the jubilee will actually take place in June. On June 2, Coronation Day, there will be the lighting of a giant beacon in Ottawa, one of 1,500 beacons being lit around the Commonwealth and the United Kingdom. In honour of Her Majesty's steadfast service to Canada, our government is funding community-based projects to pay tribute to Canada's long-standing relationship with the Crown. I encourage all Canadians to plant a commemorative tree or plan a cultural event to celebrate 70 years of leadership from Her Majesty the Queen.

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Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

Feb/4/22 11:20:07 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it has been a week, and it is time to put an end to the protest at Parliament Hill in Ottawa. It is also time to put an end to the restrictions that sparked the protest. The expressions of hatred and racism we have seen at the protest are unacceptable. What we are witnessing is an appalling lack of leadership. The mayor of Ottawa, the police and everyone else are asking someone, somewhere to step up and put an end to this. So far, the Prime Minister has opted to add fuel to the fire and maintain the restrictions rather than listen to the protesters. It is time to act like a leader. What specific actions will the Prime Minister take to end this situation peacefully?

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Hon. Marco Mendicino (Minister of Public Safety, Lib.)

Feb/4/22 11:20:52 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I had a productive conversation last night with the mayor of Ottawa, Mr. Watson. Then I checked with the RCMP, which confirmed it is adding resources on the ground. It is important to follow the law, recognize how destructive the convoy has been, and continue to support residents. The RCMP will be ready to assist the Ottawa Police Service, who are the police of jurisdiction.

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