SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 102 - Sep/26/22

Sep/26/22 7:11:21 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, let me first of all extend my gratitude to the member opposite. I know his community has been directly hit and he has been actively trying to help his constituents. I have offered my assistance to him. I am available if he needs any information. I know that just this morning, the Prime Minister and I, along with the member for Ottawa South, visited Hydro Ottawa crews that were going to Truro, Nova Scotia, to his community, to help. I hope that will have an impact. The Canadian Red Cross is a national organization. It has a very strong partnership with the Government of Canada. It has demonstrated a capacity to deal with large-scale events, like the one we are facing right now, and help a large number of people. That is why it is important that we work with it so that support can be provided right away to those who are impacted. Of course, local community organizations play a very important role and are part of the recovery effort, but at this moment we need to make sure that people are safe as quickly as possible and that power is restored. They have comfort centres available, and food and shelter also.

206 words

All Topics

Mr. Yves Perron (Berthier—Maskinongé, BQ)

Sep/26/22 7:12:34 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, first, I want to say that the Bloc Québécois and I stand with all those affected. We need to assist them by providing the funding they need. We will be there to work with the government as needed. I would like to know what my colleague plans to do about shoreline erosion. For a long time now, we have been calling on the government to invest and to give the provinces and territories money to improve shoreline protection, since events like this will happen again. I even tabled a petition on this topic during this session. I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on that.

113 words

Mr. Yasir Naqvi

Sep/26/22 7:13:26 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. As I was saying earlier, we need to continue to invest in adaptation strategies. We know that weather-related events impacted by climate change are becoming more frequent because climate change is real. We need to make sure we are not only fighting pollution by not making pollution free and not only curbing pollution to fight climate change, but investing in building resilient infrastructure, whether shorelines, dams or bridges. That is the important work the Ministry of Emergency Preparedness is focused on, and it will continue to do that work in an effective way so that all Canadians are safe at all times.

112 words

Hon. Anita Anand (Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

Sep/26/22 7:14:21 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be here this evening to take part in this emergency debate. I will start by saying that our thoughts are with all those affected by hurricane Fiona. I was born in Kentville, Nova Scotia, in the heart of the Annapolis Valley, and I am devastated to see the damage that is being wrought on the Atlantic provinces and eastern Quebec. I would also like to echo the words of many colleagues today in extending the deepest thanks to the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as first responders, search-and-rescue volunteers and emergency managers, all of whom are working so hard to keep people safe and to help with the recovery during this exceptional time. I have been in touch with Premier Houston and Premier Furey and reiterated that the Canadian government is here to help. We will work closely with all regions to support the recovery, and I want Canadians who are watching this at home to know that our government and the Canadian Armed Forces remain vigilant and ready to respond and rise to the challenge, as they always do. Over the past few days, we have seen images of devastating damage wrought by hurricane Fiona in Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec. As a Nova Scotian myself, my thoughts are with everyone suffering and affected in Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec. We stand with them. We are here for them. We continue to help the provinces that need us. Let me take things province by province. I will say that all three branches of the Canadian Armed Forces are activated and ready to assist, as required. What are they? They are the Joint Task Force Atlantic, the 5th Canadian Division, the Canadian Rangers, local reserve units, the Royal Canadian Air Force's aircraft and crew and the Royal Canadian Navy's ships, small vessels and crew. They are all on standby and helping where they are needed. In terms of the province-by-province work the Canadian Armed Forces are involved with in Nova Scotia and, in fact, in Cape Breton, yesterday morning, a Canadian army reconnaissance team was on the ground evaluating the damage of the hurricane and identifying which military capabilities would be best deployed and where. Yesterday, we confirmed that our Canadian Armed Forces would provide equipment and personnel to help with re-establishing electricity, roads and bridges, if required by the Province of Nova Scotia, with approximately 100 Canadian Armed Forces personnel. Our personnel are there for the province. They are available to assist the province if required. In fact, what we have is up to 100 personnel for each of the affected provinces. We are making sure that the Canadian Armed Forces are there for Atlantic Canada. The lead Canadian Armed Forces elements were ready to begin tasks this morning, and the CAF was present in communities in Nova Scotia as of this morning also. Moving now to P.E.I., the next province to submit an RFA with the federal government, the Canadian Armed Forces deployed immediately last night to help with removing vegetation and debris from roadways to help restore the power grid, and with repairing roadways as required. As of right now, over 100 CAF personnel are in the province, and lead CAF elements are in P.E.I. They got straight to work today to help provincial authorities, in conjunction with local authorities, of course. As for Newfoundland and Labrador, Newfoundland provided a request for assistance yesterday, and our Canadian Armed Forces have been activating resources and personnel to provide physical impact assessments and immediate on-the-ground support to local authorities to ensure the well-being and safety of residents in the province. Let me talk about HMCS Margaret Brooke. HMCS Margaret Brooke sailed from St. John's this morning to conduct wellness checks in four communities on the south coast. That will begin tomorrow, as requested by the province. The decision to send HMCS Margaret Brooke will be based on ongoing assessments by regional and provincial authorities and military leadership. Although it has just completed a long deployment in the Arctic as part of Operation Nanook, it stands ready to support Canadians in need. In Quebec, the Canadian Rangers continue to provide us with up-to-date information, so that we remain ready to assist the province, if asked. As the situation evolves, we remain ready to respond in provinces that may need our help. We will continue to collaborate closely with provinces and other partners. I promise all Canadians that we will always do whatever we can to help. We thank the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and everyone involved in these efforts for their hard work and dedication to their fellow Canadians. This is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and I know that our Canadian Armed Forces will rise to the challenge, as they always do.

820 words

All Topics

Mrs. Julie Vignola (Beauport—Limoilou, BQ)

Sep/26/22 7:20:27 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I join the minister in thanking all those on the ground for helping everyone through this disaster as quickly as possible. The recovery may not be quick, but the help is important nonetheless. Three billion dollars over 10 years are being invested in the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund. I should point out that Canada has 243,042 kilometres of coastline, which means that the fund works out to $12,343 per kilometre over 10 years, or $1,234 per year per kilometre. For disasters like the one this past weekend, $1,234 a year is not enough, and these kinds of disasters are becoming increasingly common. The figure of $3 billion is huge, but we need other more responsible measures than investing in big polluters or carbon capture plants that produce more carbon than they capture. Could the minister talk about some more responsible and sustainable measures to support the environment and combat climate change?

159 words

Hon. Anita Anand

Sep/26/22 7:21:48 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for that question. It is very important to remember that, in order to help the provinces and territories with these kinds of environmental disasters, we need to act on many fronts. On our end, we have sent the Canadian Armed Forces to assist the provinces and territories. Three units are now ready to provide equipment and personnel. Residents in the affected areas where forces are deployed have seen our members on the ground since this morning. For example, the following teams are operational and assisting as needed: Joint Task Force Atlantic, 5th Canadian Division, the Canadian Rangers, local reserve units, Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft and crews, Royal Canadian Navy ships, and small ships and crews. These are very important measures for our country and for our provinces and territories when environmental disasters hit.

140 words

Mr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, CPC)

Sep/26/22 7:23:19 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the minister has just provided some information on the troops in the Atlantic, but I asked the Prime Minister today about the 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group based in Valcartier. Are the troops of 5 Canadian Brigade Group on standby right now, ready to be deployed, or is there another brigade in Canada that is on standby to be able to act very quickly?

66 words

Hon. Anita Anand

Sep/26/22 7:23:49 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. We do not have a request for assistance from the province of Quebec at this time, but the Canadian Armed Forces are ready to deploy if we receive such a request. Right now, as I said yesterday, in total we have about 100 Canadian Forces members per province available to assist in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. If we receive a request for assistance from the province of Quebec, we will of course assist Quebec and the Magdalen Islands.

92 words

Mr. Peter Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby, NDP)

Sep/26/22 7:24:45 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, our hearts and thoughts are with the people of Atlantic Canada. Naturally, we thank everyone who responded so quickly to this devastating event. It needs to be said that more resources are needed to help Atlantic Canadians. Of course, something must be done to mitigate the impacts of the next disaster. Most importantly, we need to end all subsidies to the oil industry and invest to fight climate change. Is the minister willing to say right now that we will put an end to these subsidies and invest to help Atlantic Canadians and everyone across the country?

99 words

Hon. Anita Anand

Sep/26/22 7:25:31 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. As Canada's Minister of National Defence, I am certain that the Canadian Armed Forces will be there during environmental crises. That is what is happening right now in the Atlantic provinces. We are on the ground right now with military personnel, equipment, materials and frigates. HMCS Margaret Brooke, for instance, will bring relief to the west coast of Newfoundland. We promised to help the Atlantic provinces and all of Canada in times of crisis and we will follow through.

89 words

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Sep/26/22 7:26:34 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the official opposition Conservatives and, I think, all Canadians, we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in eastern Canada, the Atlantic provinces and eastern Quebec, and especially in the Magdalen Islands. We are here today to show our support, but also to make plans for getting everything back to normal. It will be a long and difficult road, but we will work as a team, as Canadians always do. To those particularly hard hit in Newfoundland, Labrador, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, eastern Quebec and New Brunswick, we are with them. Conservatives will do everything we can. To the emergency workers, police, paramedics, fire services, power workers, military personnel and all those who have gotten out as volunteers to help clean up the mess, pick up the debris, remove the downed trees, restore powerlines and take the initial steps toward normalcy, I thank them on behalf of all Canadians. I would specifically like to acknowledge the devastation that Fiona has brought to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, the stories and images of fishing boats and infrastructure demolished, homes and apartments being engulfed by waves and swept out to sea. These images are gut-wrenching for every single Canadian. As one local resident put it, “This is hands down the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” Worse still, in Port aux Basques, as many across the country have now heard, one of two lives was lost to the storm so far. It was a 73-year-old woman trying to leave her home as it was swept to sea by the waves. Loss of life leaves families, loved ones and an entire community feeling helpless. P.E.I. potato farmers, who were already suffering under the government's self-imposed export ban and missed an entire season as a result of decisions by the government to shut down their industry, and many are still unable to sell their seeding potatoes, which are still subject to that same ban, now face the prospect of losing an entire year's crop. Dairy farmers are without electricity, risking the threat of losing valuable livestock, and fishers have lost boats, wharves and other critical infrastructure. Too many down east are going through extraordinarily challenging times, and there are no two ways about it. That means we need to stand with the people on the ground. Slow bureaucratic programs with big headlines and no delivery simply will not do. The government will need to act quickly to restore order, to bring back the communities that have been devastated and to get the businesses, farms and fishing communities back on their feet. Speaking of feet, we here in the Conservative caucus will hold the government's feet to the fire to make sure that happens. The devastation of Fiona is not just the hurricane wreaking havoc on our eastern family. Memories of Juan, Dorian and many other storms have brought hardship and devastation. In the presence of destruction and loss, however, Atlantic Canadians have proven their iron resolve to rise again and rebuild their lives, and they will rebuild again. We stand ready to work and help them along the way. We will do what is necessary to build upon their resilience and to provide them with the infrastructure and the funding that is necessary. On this journey, we would be remiss if we did not thank our American allies who have stepped up to fulfill their side of the agreement. We know of power workers from Maine coming across the border. It reminds us of the Halifax explosion back in 1917, which killed thousands of Haligonians. A train departed from Boston loaded with medical supplies, surgeons and other medical professionals. This assistance has always been bilateral, of course. Canadians came to the rescue of Americans fighting to retaliate against the terrorist attacks of 9/11. We, as North American neighbours, have always been dedicated to the continuation of this friendship, so I would like to take a moment to thank the Americans who have come across the border. In particular, Central Maine Power sent 16 line crews to help. We thank them for their work and we promise to reciprocate if, God forbid, ever a need should be so required. I know that my colleague from Cumberland—Colchester, with whom I am splitting my time, will build on that solidarity. Reports are surfacing, however, of government getting in the way again. We heard that American crews working to get up into Canada and help with the rescue were held up because of the infamous ArriveCAN app, which unfortunately is with us, but mercifully only until Saturday. We call on the government to eliminate this app today so that it does not cause any more disruptions. We do note that the public safety minister has denied these reports, but then his cabinet colleague, the emergency preparedness minister, contradicted him and said that there was indeed an incident and a delay at the border, although he described it as “inconsequential”. I would remind him that minutes are consequential in an emergency. There is no time for gatekeepers, glitchy apps or boondoggles when Canadians are in desperate need. I would like to thank my Atlantic caucus, who have kept me apprised. We met on Saturday to discuss our response. They have been in contact with their local representatives, with their populations, with their fishing villages to find the needs and bring them to our attention. I would like to thank the premiers, the local officials and residents first-hand, many of whom I have had a chance to speak with over the last several days. I would like to thank the member for South Shore—St. Margarets, who reached out to local organizations, including the Maritime Fishermen's Union, the Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association, and Fish, Food & Allied Workers in Newfoundland. On behalf of the official opposition, we will continue to pray for everyone's safety. As the east coast rebuilds following the damage and devastation of hurricane Fiona, we as Canadians must continue to work together. In the words of the legendary Stompin' Tom Connors, soon the birds will once again be singing on every tree, and all nature will seem inclined to rest.

1056 words

All Topics

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Sep/26/22 7:34:07 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, Canadians have come together. It was encouraging to see the Leader of the Opposition earlier today talking about the importance of members on all sides of the House working in order to support Atlantic Canada during this time. There are a number of initiatives that the government has undertaken. We have talked about the military and matching Red Cross donations. I believe all Canadians could get involved. I wonder what the member would say to Canadians from coast to coast to coast about ways in which they could contribute to what is taking place in Atlantic Canada, using the example of giving a contribution to the Red Cross, or maybe prayers, or maybe going to the east coast, for those who feel they could contribute. Does the member have any thoughts in that regard?

136 words

Hon. Pierre Poilievre

Sep/26/22 7:35:15 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I would encourage all Canadians to give generously and help in any way they can. We congratulate the government for the announced response it made. However, we will follow up to make sure there is delivery. We do not want this to be “A” for announcement but then “F” for follow-through, which we have seen before. We want the government to deliver, and we will be watching carefully, like hawks, to make sure that the people of Atlantic Canada are not let down again. I note the work of the great member for Foothills, who is a southern Albertan but who has become the greatest champion in Canada for the P.E.I. potato farmer. I think we should give him a round of applause. The member has been championing the P.E.I. potato farmers, and all across P.E.I. they sing his praises every day. I know he will not let up until the P.E.I. potato farmers are back up and all of their crops are able to be exported to markets all around the world.

188 words

Mr. Yves Perron (Berthier—Maskinongé, BQ)

Sep/26/22 7:36:35 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I am very happy to see some degree of unanimity in our solidarity with the people of the Atlantic coast. It is very important that we all agree to help with the rebuilding as soon as possible. The leader of the official opposition said that the government must act quickly and that his party would make sure the government takes action to achieve concrete results. Once that is done, is it also not important to start getting serious about the energy transition to counter climate change, to slow it down and ensure we can adapt to it? I spoke earlier with the Liberal critic responsible for waterfront development. Adaptation is necessary, but we also have to begin the transition in regions that produce fossil fuels, for example, while showing respect for local populations and investing in the transition. Is it not time to stop building pipelines and start supporting the transition?

153 words

Hon. Pierre Poilievre

Sep/26/22 7:37:36 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, we have to recognize the difference between fighting climate change and promoting the import of oil from overseas. The strategy of the other parties, the Liberals, the Bloc and the NPD, is not against oil. It is in favour of foreign oil, which comes from overseas. We import 130,000 barrels a day. Roughly 40% of the oil consumed in Quebec comes from the United States. The Conservatives believe that as long as oil is being used in Canada, that oil should be Canadian. We are the most responsible party, the most environmentally sound, and we will continue to support our energy industry from coast to coast to coast in Canada.

113 words

Mr. Peter Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby, NDP)

Sep/26/22 7:38:38 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I was surprised that the leader of the official opposition is the first speaker tonight who has not mentioned climate change. As we know, last year in British Columbia, 600 British Columbians died as a result of the heat dome. The atmospheric river last fall cut British Columbia off from the rest of the country. We now see Atlantic Canada experiencing a record amount of destruction as a result of the hurricane. We also know that this, tragically, will be the first of many. In the Caribbean, the hurricanes are increasing in intensity and in loss of life. My question for the leader of the official opposition is very simple. The Liberal government, as did the Conservative government before it, is spending billions of dollars in massive subsidies to oil and gas CEOs. Would it not be better for the people of Atlantic Canada that the money be invested in climate mitigation, fighting back against climate change and actually eliminate the problem?

164 words

Hon. Pierre Poilievre

Sep/26/22 7:39:44 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, again there is no question that the Liberal climate policy has failed. The Liberals have missed every single target they have set. In fact, they said that if they brought in this carbon tax, they would hit the targets. They did not hit a single target. Now they say they have to triple the carbon tax and cost Canadians thousands of dollars. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has reported that Canadians are paying far more in carbon tax costs than they are getting back in these so-called rebates. In many provinces, including the member's, there is no rebate at all, even though there is a federally imposed carbon tax that will triple in his province whether the provincial government likes it or not, unless, of course, there is a new government that fights climate change with technology and not taxes.

143 words

Mr. Stephen Ellis (Cumberland—Colchester, CPC)

Sep/26/22 7:40:48 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I thank the leader of the official opposition for his kind words and support in holding the government to account. This evening, as we come together here as parties to have this emergency debate, it is important a few things happen. One is that we understand the timeline. I had the opportunity to be at home this weekend and experience this first-hand. I also think it important that the emergency debate this evening be related to the support for Atlantic Canadians and not to push some other agenda, which we have seen. Unfortunately, the government has continued to miss its targets with respect to climate change, which is, as we might say in Atlantic Canada, a darn shame. That being said, because not everybody has experienced a hurricane, I want people to understand very clearly that the forecasting, as some of the other members have said, has been absolutely fantastic. My children would say that I said I did not think it would be as bad as it was. Maybe I am just an optimist, and that is probably a good thing. At about 10 minutes to midnight on Friday night, the power went off. That was it. As I left home this morning, my family still did not have power. I spoke to my wife earlier this evening and we still do not have power. What does that mean? It means we need to be cognizant of those things that need to be refrigerated. We need to rely on others, people who, thankfully, have had their power restored, such as friends and neighbours. We need to rely on them. My wife is a pharmacist and had perishables in her pharmacy. We had to understand how best to deal with those so that valuable stock was not lost. Some of us are very fortunate to have a generator. I was quite thankful for a 15-year-old generator we purchased, sadly, after hurricane Juan. Then there was White Juan. The generator sat around a lot. Perhaps I am not that great at maintenance, but to get that generator going and be able to have some lights and power the fridge in my house is a great and wonderful thing during an event such as this. I do want people to know that I live in the town of Truro. I am very fortunate that I have water. The folks who work in my constituency office live in a small place called Londonderry. If they do not have a generator that powers their pump, they are doing it the way we did when I was a kid when nasty storms came along. We filled up our bathtub with water so we could wash our hands and flush the toilet. Those things are still going on, and our hearts, prayers and thoughts are with people who are suffering in that way. It is important to highlight those industries that are specifically negatively impacted. We talk about fisheries, farming and forestry. We know those industries are part of the backbone of Atlantic Canada. As my good friend from South Shore—St. Margarets has said multiple times, the wharves are the trans-Canada highway of the fishing industry. We know the fishing industry is a huge economic driver for Atlantic Canada. We also know the infrastructure for small craft harbours has been long neglected and those wharves are now even more seriously damaged. They are going to need significant and rapid federal help to get them fixed so the fish can be brought to market appropriately. As for the farming industry, we do understand there is a significant amount of flooding, especially on Prince Edward Island. We have seen that. There are untold effects on how that is going to affect a sector that has been nearly decimated by mismanagement by the Liberal government. Again, it is a significant shame for those of us who live in Atlantic Canada. Of course, there is the forest industry, with trees that are now piled on each other like a game of pick-up sticks. It makes it much more difficult and certainly significantly more dangerous for those who work in the forestry industry to work in that environment to hopefully get that wood harvested quickly, because with the price of wood, it is almost as valuable as gold. One of the other things that is important to focus on is the lack of cell service. In this House, we have all become significantly reliant upon our cellphones. In the town of Truro, which is not big perhaps by downtown Toronto standards, to have 15,000 people with one bar of service makes it very difficult. It was difficult to communicate with the leader because I could not use video and things like that. It significantly impacted search and rescue. Sadly, there was a young boy, four years old, who was lost in Pictou County, just adjacent to Colchester County. The search and rescue teams pointed out very clearly the need to have good cellphone service to coordinate a search and rescue operation. It just was not there and that made their work much more difficult. Again, we know that the Liberal government promised after hurricane Dorian that cellphone service to rural and remote areas would be significantly improved upon. Here we are, three years later, and this is still a significant issue. It disproportionately affects those in Canada who choose to live in rural and remote areas. We believe that is something that needs to be fixed expeditiously. Another thing I would like to expand upon is about our neighbours from Central Maine Power. My father was a proud employee of New Brunswick Power for many years when I was growing up. During these storms, I remember very clearly him helping out in the storms. He was mainly a ground crew guy because he was an office worker, but he was certainly happy to help out. We know there are many reciprocal agreements that exist between New Brunswick and Maine and Nova Scotia and P.E.I. All of those power crews work together to help support each other, often as far away as New York State. Sometimes when there are major hurricanes in Florida, crews from our area will go all the way to Florida to help out. Volunteers who are coming to Canada to help are being stopped at the border, and then ministers of the House and, indeed, as we heard today, the Prime Minister were misleading the House and contradicting what Premier Tim Houston was very clearly heard saying. He actually requested federal help to get these workers from Central Maine Power across the border. This is an intolerable consequence of the ArriveCAN app, which serves no purpose. I understand that those across the aisle really want to say, “Hey, do not worry about it. It is going to be over Saturday.” That is too late. This ArriveCAN app needs to end now because it serves absolutely no purpose. One of the final things we need to talk about is the ongoing need for a clean-up. As I left my house this morning, mounds of brush needed to be picked up. Limbs of trees that were cut down are still going to be there. We need to have folks locally understand that this brush is going to be picked up before another event happens. When I left this morning, it was pouring rain, with thunder and lightning. There was the threat of a waterspout coming up the Bay of Fundy up into the Cobequid Bay. One could imagine if a waterspout then made landfall with all of this brush piled up. We need to get it removed. We need to have it moved quickly and effectively and not at the cost of Atlantic Canadians. There are two more things that I would like to touch on. We need to thank those volunteer fire brigades who have been essential in creating centres for people to go and be able to charge their devices, to have a coffee, to have a sandwich, to have a place that is clean and warm and dry, that they know that they can be a part of. Certainly, volunteer fire brigades are an ongoing tie that binds small communities together, so I give a big shout-out to them. First responders continue to do their work through the difficult times. We know that in other hurricanes, sadly, the lives of first responders have been taken during the storm, so we are grateful that they were safe through this. Finally, I want to speak to the resilience of those of us who live in Atlantic Canada. It might seem like I am patting myself on the back, but it certainly is an absolute pleasure to be part of a community that binds itself together by volunteerism and by the ability to say, “Hey, I know how to handle a chainsaw and I am going to help my neighbour.” We know that this can-do attitude is really what helps propel Canada forward here at home and on the world stage as well. We know that Canadians garner tremendous respect for the work that we have been able to do in past world wars. I feel that this type of effort is coincident with that as well. Those who have electricity should invite their neighbour in for a coffee, give them a warm meal. People should volunteer as they can, and make sure they check in on their neighbours, those who are vulnerable, those who they know perhaps are struggling and will continue to do so. We have been through this type of thing before. I am very confident that we are going to come back better than ever. I want to thank everybody here in the House for their confidence in Atlantic Canada and their ability to support us.

1659 words

All Topics

Mr. Kody Blois (Kings—Hants, Lib.)

Sep/26/22 7:51:05 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I share my hon. colleague's sentiment about the way in which we work together in Atlantic Canada. Our communities step up for one another. The member spoke about the importance of making sure that brush piles and debris-cleaning efforts are undertaken right away. I was certainly relieved to see that there were Canadian Armed Forces members on the ground in Nova Scotia, working with local authorities. My question is around agriculture. In Kings—Hants, we are what I would call the breadbasket or the agriculture heartland of Atlantic Canada, but I will certainly share and recognize that Cumberland—Colchester has an important agricultural community as well. One of the things we worked hard on over the weekend as members of Parliament was to share about the impacts with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness and the group that is working on the ground. Would the hon. member share with the House the impacts on the agriculture sector in Cumberland—Colchester, such that we can make sure that we have a really important response in the days ahead?

186 words

Mr. Stephen Ellis

Sep/26/22 7:52:05 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I appreciate that important question from the member for Kings—Hants. As time goes on, we are going to have a better idea in Cumberland—Colchester of exactly what has happened. We are quite thankful that the blueberry harvest is already finished, as that is a major economic driver. However, there are folks there who are dairy farmers and who continue to struggle at the current time. As long as power is restored more quickly, the likelihood of devastating effects with respect to that industry are lessened, of course. Regarding some of the other things, we are in between seasons. Thankfully, with strawberries, we are between seasons there as well, so that is somewhat of a help. However, we also have to consider how many trees are down on top of other crops, and that is going to be difficult as we move forward. We need to be dynamic in our support here to understand that as we get more information, those folks need to be supported quickly and we need to be able to get funds out that will enable those people to resume operations as quickly as possible, with money in their own pocket.

200 words