SoVote

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

Mr. Rick Perkins (South Shore—St. Margarets, CPC)

Sep/26/22 10:07:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the member for Miramichi—Grand Lake this. He has been asked a lot about climate change and its effects. We also know that a great deal of what we see happening with climate change is driven by the energy needs of China and India, but I would like to bring it back to why we are having this debate tonight. It is about the response we have to do today to help our communities that are in dire straits right now. They lack the ability to even have power to cook a meal, let alone go on the ocean or on their farms to earn a living. I wonder if the member could speak to what he expects from the government on delivering on those issues today.

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Mr. Jake Stewart

Sep/26/22 10:08:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, obviously, we have first responders on the ground. We have utility companies from within the provinces and outside from New England and maybe further. Obviously, we need as much help on the electrical side of it as possible. In some of the storms we have had in New Brunswick in recent years, we found that when the armed forces showed up it really made a difference. Although it may not be their mandate, they made a huge difference when they came in. Any extra help we can get from the armed forces would be great. I think the current government has to really look at that very closely and very quickly.

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Mr. Richard Bragdon (Tobique—Mactaquac, CPC)

Sep/26/22 10:09:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House this evening on behalf of our fellow Atlantic Canadians, who are under tremendous duress in many parts of our region, facing unprecedented circumstances. Some families and individuals are feeling the devastating consequences of hurricane Fiona. I would like to just begin my remarks by, obviously, taking the time to express, on behalf of all members of the House and Canadians from coast to coast to coast, that all of our fellow Atlantic Canadians and fellow Canadians are in our thoughts and prayers at this time as they deal with the devastating effects of hurricane Fiona. I would also like to take this opportunity to express our true thanks and gratitude to the many faithful, dedicated volunteers, who so often are right there in the times of crisis. Maritimers and Atlantic Canadians are known to be truly some of the best at stepping up when their neighbours are in need. When they see someone struggling, they will run to be there at their side to help their fellow Atlantic Canadian. We have seen this in the firefighters, who are responding even as we speak at this late hour, being there for their people, volunteering many dedicated hours to help remove debris, help get the power back on and be there for people who are in duress and have been without power for many hours, and it is now going into days. We have seen it in the members of the Canadian Armed Forces who are on the ground now and helping in areas throughout our region. We say thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to the brave men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, who are there doing a tremendous job in support of the efforts of the local first responders and firefighters. It is so true, that expression, that our volunteer firefighters and first responders and members of the Canadian Armed Forces are those who rush in when everyone else is rushing out. We say thank you to them, on behalf of every member of the House, for their dedicated and faithful service, to fellow Canadians, including those who are dealing with the aftermath of this storm. I want to take a moment, as well, and just speak to the fact that Atlantic Canadians are a resilient people. As my colleague from Miramichi—Grand Lake referenced so eloquently, we are not strangers to storms and hardships, hurricanes and disasters. I remember, even a few short years ago, when our region in the province was much more affected by hurricane Arthur and how we came together. Neighbour moved in with neighbour, or sometimes went somewhere close by where they actually had power. There were several communities that were without power for weeks, yet we rallied together. We worked together, and we came through. Atlantic Canadians live up to that old expression, that when the tough times come, the tough get going. I will tell us what, they say, “Guess what, we are tough enough. We will get going ourselves”, and they rise to the occasion and help one another out, saying, “Know what? If it takes a chainsaw, we will get a chainsaw. If it takes just good, old sweat equity and getting out there and moving debris, we will do that.” Atlantic Canadians are just that kind of people, and we are a friendly bunch. They will probably throw the kettle on while someone is out there working and say, “Oh, do not worry. We will put some soups and sandwiches on.” They will do what they can to help each other up. That is what makes Atlantic Canada so special. I am proud to be an Atlantic Canadian and absolutely honoured and proud to represent the good people of Atlantic Canada. I have been reflecting over this time and looking at it, and one thing that has become very important is that, in any time of crisis, it is absolutely clear that collaboration, coordination and rapidity of response is essential in a time of crisis. I would encourage our federal government to do all that it can to make sure it collaborates with the provincial governments in Atlantic Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and, of course, eastern Quebec, and make sure that all of the necessary resources are there and there rapidly, so the response can get to where it needs to go as quickly as it needs to get there. Too often, the delays, hindrances and barriers that are in place hamper the relief efforts. What we need to do is everything we can to expedite the relief that needs to be in the hands of those closest to the ground, which are our provincial governments, to make sure they have all the tools and resources they need to get the job done and bring relief to our people. While reflecting on this time, an old story came back to me. Perhaps it is my roots that are showing, but I had an old story come back to me that kind of crystallized this moment. Perhaps it will relate to those who are listening at home. I remembered an old story recorded in The Gospel of Mark about some fishermen who were caught in a very bad storm. The storm was so terrifying for them they were overwhelmed. They were experienced fishermen. It was not their first time facing stormy waters, but here they were in the midst of a storm, their boat being overrun and the waves splashing in against it. They were terrified, afraid and they cried out for help. Thankfully, help came. The storm subsided and a great calm came afterward. One remark was made that came back to me today and just stuck with me. These experienced fishermen, speaking of the Master, said, “Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey him?” The part that stuck out to me was the wind and the waves. Being from Atlantic Canada, I cannot help myself; it just kind of comes. The wind can be looked at as the cause. The hurricane winds are the cause of a great disaster in our region right now, but the cause is only one part of the story. The waves are the effects. Long after the wind has blown through, the waves will keep coming, and it will keep rocking the vessels, keep hitting the shoreline and keep causing damage. I recognize in people's lives what is true literally in this old story is also true figuratively. For many people, after disaster has swept through their lives, such as a personal crisis or a time of trauma, long after the cause has ceased and the wind has blown over, the side effects and lasting consequences of that storm in their lives keep washing over their vessel for sometimes weeks, months and years to come. They are defined for a long time by an event that happened some time ago in their lives because, yes, people rushed in at the time of the storm and were quick to answer when the winds were blowing or in the immediate aftermath, but who was there when the waves kept coming weeks out, months out or even years out? It is easy in a time of crisis for governments to be quick to respond in the moment, but what Atlantic Canadians want to know is whether the government will still hold their hand long after the wind has passed over and the waves are rocking their vessel. Will it be there not only to deal with the cause but to deal with the lasting side effects and consequences of this storm that has blown over their region? Will it invest strategically in necessary and critical infrastructure like the member for South Shore—St. Margarets mentions often: our Trans-Canada Highway, wharves and infrastructure along the coast? Will the government be there to make sure their farms have relief, not just now but in the weeks and months ahead? Will it be there for families who have lost their businesses, which have been in their lives for generations, to help them rebuild, recover and get back on their feet? The question many Atlantic Canadians have for the government tonight is this: Will you not only be there in the wind but will you be there with us to deal with the waves of the aftermath? I conclude with this old hymn. I will wrap it up with that. I cannot help myself, but it came to me. It is storms, winds and waves, but the hymn is simply called 'Til the Storm Passes By: In the dark of the midnight,Have I oft hid my face;While the storm howls above me,And there's no hiding place;'Mid the crash of the thunder,Precious Lord, hear my cry;“Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by.” 'Til the storm passes over,'Til the thunder sounds no more;'Til the clouds roll forever from the sky,Hold me fast, let me stand,In the hollow of Thy hand;Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by. ...'Til the storm passes over,'Til the thunder sounds no more;'Til the clouds roll forever from the sky,Hold me fast, let me stand,In the hollow of Thy hand;Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by. My hope and my prayer for all my fellow Atlantic Canadians is that He would be with us not just through the wind but also through the waves. May we, as government representatives, do the same: be with them through the wind and the waves.

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All Topics

The Deputy Speaker

Sep/26/22 10:19:14 p.m.
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I did not get to church on Sunday, so I need to thank the member for that. Questions and comments, the hon. member for South Okanagan—West Kootenay.

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Mr. Richard Cannings (South Okanagan—West Kootenay, NDP)

Sep/26/22 10:19:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to follow on that theme of the long term. Will the government be there to help the people of Atlantic Canada in the long term? We have seen data that, right now, we spend about $5 billion a year in Canada fixing the problems of climate and weather events across this country. Every year, that is $5 billion. The federal government puts up about a tenth of that. Yes, Atlantic Canada gets storms every year, but they are becoming harder, faster and more devastating. It is predicted that, by 2050, we will be spending $50 billion a year. We could get ahead of that if we invested in the long term in some of these things that would make our shorelines more impervious to storms. Where I come from in British Columbia, we can make our rivers less likely to flood urban areas and make our forests less likely to burn cities down. Could the member comment on this need for investing in the future to save us money in the future, save lives, save infrastructure and save homes by making those investments ahead of these disasters, instead of always reacting?

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Mr. Richard Bragdon

Sep/26/22 10:21:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his thoughtful question and reflection. Absolutely, I think it is pertinent that the government invest strategically in our region. Part of that is key infrastructure investments into our wharves to make sure that they are sustainable. For years, they have been in need of investment, and our wharves are going to need extreme investment over the next few weeks and months to make sure that the critical infrastructure is put back in place for our fish harvesters, their families and the communities that rely upon on them, so that they are prepared with better infrastructure in place to respond to any kind of storm that may come in the future.

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Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)

Sep/26/22 10:21:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I did not miss church on Sunday, but I am still glad I heard that. If we think about the kinds of investments we will need for the storms of the future, my friend from South Okanagan—West Kootenay pointed out where we are headed. We are at 1.2°C global average temperature increase right now, versus what it was before the beginning of the industrial revolution. With every fraction of a degree of warming, we face worse storms. We are really looking at trying to save lives because, at every fraction of a degree, millions more people are going to be at risk. There is going to be a level of climate change that we can adapt to, but we are getting really close to a level of climate change to which we cannot adapt anymore. Does my hon. colleague think we can step back and have a hard look at this? What can we adapt to? What kinds of wharves, bridges and infrastructure can withstand what we can see coming at 1.2°C and 1.4°C, but not 1.5°C and certainly not 2°C? How do we hang on to a livable climate, the one God made for us?

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Mr. Richard Bragdon

Sep/26/22 10:23:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague and friend from across the way for her comments, and I appreciate her thoughts. I would like to assure my hon. colleague that I think all of us in this House want to be responsible and good stewards of the land, the earth and the planet that we have been entrusted with. I also believe there will be two different ways in which we approach this. Right now, what we are seeing from the current federal government is that it feels it can tackle climate change through taxation. We understand, on this side of the House, that taxation will do absolutely nothing to tackle climate change. Rather, technology and investment in technology and investing in good, clean Canadian energy is the way forward. I believe Canada has some of the best alternatives, but also some of the best and cleanest energy in the world. It will help the rest of the world get off much dirtier sources of energy. That would help the planet and help us all become better stewards of the planet we have been entrusted with.

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

Sep/26/22 10:24:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me start off by saying I will be sharing my time with the member for Charlottetown. Let me begin by acknowledging how difficult the past few days have been for the people of Halifax West, for Nova Scotians, for Atlantic Canadians and for eastern Quebec. My thanks go out to all my colleagues for sharing their messages of support this last weekend and this evening. I wish we did not have to stand here to have this debate this evening. However here we are. What we know as of now is that two families in my region are mourning today. On Prince Edward Island, Fiona claimed the life of one Islander. In Newfoundland, we learned of the tragedy in Port aux Basques that claimed a 73-year-old woman's life. In my home province, we are worried for 81-year-old Larry Smith of Lower Prospect, who has not been seen since Friday evening and it appears he may have been swept out to sea. My heart breaks for these families. It is hard to find a comforting word in this moment, but I want them to know they are in my prayers, and I did attend mass yesterday. Before I share my own experiences with the storm, many thanks are in order. First, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our Prime Minister and the ministers of Emergency Preparedness and National Defence. We had a number of calls throughout the whole weekend. They have reassured us, and we were in turn able to reassure our constituents. Our federal government and armed forces were prepared in advance and acted quickly. For that, I wish to say on behalf of my own community that we are deeply grateful. In Nova Scotia at the moment, crews from across the country and New England, and even Hydro Ottawa's team, are helping to get us reconnected and get debris and trees off our streets. I am told there are more than 1,000 people in the field working on our recovery effort, and I am grateful to each and every one of them. In Halifax West, I surveyed a great deal of the damage over the weekend and today before I took a flight this evening and came here. What I can tell my colleagues is that most, if not all, side streets in my area have multiple trees down and sidewalks ripped up. Countless streets were impassable, with trees blocking the way. In many instances, residents took it upon themselves to help in the cleanup. One in particular I want to mention today, because I saw it on Facebook but I also know the people, was a whole crew of families who live on Kelvin Grove who came with saws, axes, shears and chainsaws in hand, making short work of the downed trees blocking their street together. They all came out to help a young woman who lives in a house where trees were blocking her driveway and access right beside her car. What I am thankful for is that Nova Scotians largely heeded the call to stay home, allowing our paramedics, first responders and power crews to continue doing their jobs without additional impediments or delays. If anyone has seen any photos of the grocery store shelves in my riding, it is not hard to imagine that most people were home with their families and their storm chips. As I walked through my community, checking in with folks who needed checking in on, and probably some who did not, asking them what they needed in the moment, I was relieved to hear that most were okay, even though most had no power. However, not everyone was able to withstand the storm so easily. This was a serious storm. On Sunday morning I stopped by the Canada Games Centre, which was turned into an evacuation centre for folks who had lost their homes in the storm. What was previously a busy recreation centre is now being run by the Salvation Army and Red Cross to shelter dozens of people from two apartment buildings that had sustained extensive damage. One building had its roof torn off, and on another building the chimney fell off and punched a hole right through every floor of the building. Miraculously, thankfully, no one was hurt, but all of these people are now looking for housing. At the Canada Games Centre, I met members of the Disaster Animal Response Team of Nova Scotia. They told me they are the first and only one in the country that does animal response. They were sheltering 13 pets that had been displaced in the storm by people who were evacuated and had no homes. Later on, I visited the LeBrun Recreation Centre in Bedford, where volunteers from Halifax's joint emergency management team were providing tea, coffee, snacks and a place to charge phones to anyone who did not have power. Volunteers Dave Aalders, Karen Saulnier and Amani Saleh were incredibly welcoming to anyone who needed help. In fact, I remembered meeting Karen back in 2018 when she was taking the first steps to set up a JEM team for mainland south. I am thankful to all those who in normal times, when events like these are generally far from our minds, take the time and put in the work to prepare for the “what ifs”, although especially with climate change, these are more like “when ifs”. While I was there, I called into CBC to talk about the resources available in our community. Within five minutes, a woman walked in and said to me, “Oh, you're Lena.” I said yes and she said, “I just heard you on CBC Radio and learned that there is a comfort centre here. I just came in to get some Wi-Fi, because we have no power.” It all works. This shows me the value of all of us, public personalities and community leaders, doing what we can to amplify existing resources in our networks. On the other side of my riding, the Fairview Resource Centre team was doing much the same work. I stopped by to thank Hayley Nelson this morning, a volunteer with the provincial EMO, and the centre's staff and volunteers for providing a safe place for those who did not have power. I saw Nova Scotians of all ages and many across Atlantic Canada all mobilizing to help their neighbours. From the Haliburton Hills subdivision to Lucasville to Bedford to Fairview and everywhere in between, people were asking themselves what they could do to be of assistance. That is very much what we do in our part of the country, which we have heard quite a bit tonight. Facebook groups are full of neighbours reaching out to help those who do not have power. People are offering their help, their showers, their freezer space, their generators and cups of tea. In one truly inspiring example, Square Roots, a group that delivers produce packs to residents in need every week, made sure that a hurricane did not get in the way of their deliveries. As soon as they were able to get volunteers, they did it. I give a special thanks to Mount Saint Vincent University and its president in my riding for making sure that students on campus were safe, warm, fed and well cared for. The storm was terrible. Many people in our communities experienced and are still experiencing pain and hardship, but when people needed support, families, friends and neighbours were there to help. I was able to assure them, after a phone call with the Prime Minister, my cabinet colleagues and MPs, that the government is there to help. I am proud to say that support from the military is on the ground, with significant financial support as well. There is an appeal to match Red Cross donations, which is also being offered. I especially want to say that my heart and mind are with Cape Breton, P.E.I. and Newfoundland. Anybody who is able to donate, please do so. Again, we look forward to all the work we have to continue to do, and I want to thank everybody who is working hard in our communities to bring them back to safety and normality. Please stay safe, everyone.

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Ms. Laurel Collins (Victoria, NDP)

Sep/26/22 10:33:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her words about community members coming together to help one another and neighbours helping neighbours. That is really the spirit of Atlantic Canada. It reminded me of when I was in Halifax during hurricane Juan. My neighbours had a tree go through their house, and we went over to help them. Our other neighbours came over with a barbeque so we could use the rest of the food that was in our freezer, which had thawed. This is so critical, and I am so glad that members of very party in the House are committed to giving support immediately. As mentioned a number of times, we also need to look forward. It has been shown again and again that investing upfront in resilience costs way less than having to clean up in the aftermath of natural disasters. Can the member speak about the importance of proactively investing in climate resilience to ensure that communities are prepared for natural disasters in the future?

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Ms. Lena Metlege Diab

Sep/26/22 10:35:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Victoria very much. I really love her part of our country. It has lots of similarities, I find, to Halifax. First, I am going to thank her for acknowledging us. I feel that as Atlantic Canadians, we are a special part of the country, and we really, truly deeply care for each other. We are welcoming and generally generous and good people. Second, to her question, the Prime Minister has made a clear commitment to Atlantic Canada and to continuing to ensure that the government is there to do whatever is needed right now on the ground to assist not only in the short term but in the longer term, because these hurricanes are going to happen. They are going to happen more frequently and they are going to be more severe. I have witnessed a number of them so far that have hit our province over the last two decades, and they are getting worse, more frequent and, quite frankly, more scary. Even as I stand here now, none of my children, in their respective homes in Halifax, have power. I just saw a picture right now of one of my children, who has three little ones, with candles all over the place. They are all sitting and having fun. It is wonderful for me to see that, and it is nice to say that our government is there to assist and collaborate with the province and with the municipalities, which are really working hard on the ground to get everybody back to where they were.

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Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport, Lib.)

Sep/26/22 10:37:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for flying in today and for sticking around at the community level to ensure that everybody had what they needed before she came to the House of Commons. I was fortunate enough this summer to visit my friend and colleague in Halifax and visit throughout the riding. I got to see first-hand her commitment and dedication to the constituents in her riding. That was evident today with her speech as well. As I mentioned earlier, a lot of Miltonians feel a tremendous amount of sympathy. My neighbours want to know what they can do. How can my neighbours in Milton and throughout Ontario help remediate this disaster?

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Ms. Lena Metlege Diab

Sep/26/22 10:38:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I really want to thank the parliamentary secretary for health and sport. Yes, he was in Halifax West this summer and he did visit the Canada Games Centre, which now, unfortunately, is the home of the shelter. People can donate to the Canadian Red Cross. I say that truly, honestly and without a doubt. If anybody wants to help across the country or internationally, right now I would say the best thing for citizens to do is donate through the Canadian Red Cross.

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Mr. Sean Casey (Charlottetown, Lib.)

Sep/26/22 10:38:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking from the traditional territory of the Mi'kmaq people, Abegweit. They are the past, present and future caretakers of these lands, and we honour them. I am in downtown Charlottetown, one of the only places in the riding of Charlottetown that has power. I would try to speak from my home office, but the generator would probably drown me out. I want to, first of all, thank the member for South Okanagan—West Kootenay for bringing forward the motion for this emergency debate tonight. It is timely, and I do think it is important for Canadians to hear from parliamentarians about the impact of this storm and the government's response to it. The storm was not a surprise. All of the forecasts and warnings that came in advance turned out to be remarkably accurate. Prince Edward Islanders are quite accustomed to storms, more commonly winter storms, and all of the preparations were made. Generators were in place. The fuel for the generators had been purchased. There was a run on the grocery stores for storm chips and any other number of groceries. The shelves were quite bare in advance of the storm, without a doubt. Arrangements were made for emergency shelters. The level of preparation and information, all of these things, were accurate and well done. What we did not anticipate, I would say, in Prince Edward Island and certainly in the Charlottetown riding, was that this would be pretty much exclusively a wind event. Rain was not a factor. Water has been a factor in coastal communities, and I say that not based on personal observation because the only personal observation I have been able to make is in my riding, but from relying on information received from other people. I say that because one of the major challenges in the last three days, since the storm hit, has been connectivity. Internet and cell service is spotty at best, which really affects absolutely everything. If one does not have information, it is difficult to know how to access the supports that are available. We have heard from many other speakers this evening on the impacts of the storm in their communities, so much of what I am about to say will sound quite familiar. Because of the tremendous winds, the city of Charlottetown and much of Prince Edward Island are littered with fallen trees. These trees have fallen on power lines, which knocked out power to virtually the entire riding and the entire island. Bit by bit it is being restored, but not so much in Charlottetown, other than downtown, as of yet. Those trees have damaged roofs. In some cases, the winds have actually decimated roofs not that far from my home. Pieces of the roof of Queen Charlotte Intermediate School have flown for city blocks, and it is a very significant question as to when those junior high school students are going to be back in the classroom. We have seen some substantial erosion, including a decimation of the dunes at Cavendish Beach. A famous and popular rock formation in Darnley is gone. Cars have been damaged, including one in my driveway. Wharves have sustained substantial damage in coastal communities, and there have been impacts in the agricultural sector, particularly with corn, and the storage facilities for potatoes and dairy. All of these sectors have been particularly hard hit. As the storm has gone on, it has proven difficult to be able to recharge generators with propane or gas. Because of the lack of power, these things are not available. In my search for propane yesterday, I was absolutely heartened when the Confederation Bridge opened, and I know it is a bad word, but a convoy of electrical trucks came from out of province. I met them on the bypass. I was never so happy to see a convoy of people coming to do good. This is also the case today with the arrival of the Canadian military. Two days ago, the Government of Prince Edward Island asked for federal help. One day ago, they got a yes, and today, the army arrived. That will be a major help in cleaning up the roads and getting the trees off of the power lines. I want to talk for a minute about the mindset of the people in this city and this province. The picture of devastation that I just presented might lead people to believe there is despair here. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is a lot of shock and awe about the magnitude of the winds and about the magnitude of the devastation. We knew it was coming, but many people have never seen what we see in our streets even now. The mindset is one very much of determination and of resolve. The mindset is that we are going to roll up our sleeves. We have trust and faith in one another, and I have to say that we have trust and faith in Maritime Electric. Time and time again when we have been battered by winter storms, we receive on Prince Edward Island timely and reliable information from Maritime Electric with regard to the progress that is being made by the hard-working crews at Maritime Electric and the status of their work. That has already begun. Kim Griffin, the spokesperson for Maritime Electric, has become a well-known face to Prince Edward Islanders for the updates in these critical situations. That is the case now. When we have gone around Charlottetown over the last couple of days, the sound of generators and chainsaws is predominant essentially everywhere. I have been heartened by the involvement of the cabinet. The Minister of Emergency Preparedness and the Prime Minister have listened to us. They have been in contact with us. It is evident that they care. It is evident that the information they are receiving from us is factored into the actions that they are taking. It is also important to focus on the other measures that have been taken by the government, specifically the decision to match donations made to the Red Cross. I want to offer a big thanks to the workers at the Jack Blanchard Family Centre, the Malcolm J. Darrach Community Centre, the Community Outreach Centre, the Confederation Centre of the Arts and the Hillsborough Park Community Centre for the work they are doing in helping those who need emergency shelter. I want to finish with a final word of advice to the people in the insurance industry. During my time practising law, I was on both sides of the insurance industry. To the case managers and adjusters within the insurance industry, I would ask them in the coming days to please act with urgency and act with compassion and to put their policyholders ahead of their shareholders.

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Mr. Stephen Ellis (Cumberland—Colchester, CPC)

Sep/26/22 10:49:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to serve with the member for Charlottetown on the Standing Committee on Health, and I appreciate his actions there. One of the things that certainly holds true, as we have heard from most of the Atlantic provinces today, and it is always interesting to hear, is how similar we are and how the great resilience of the people from Atlantic Canada certainly stands out in all of our minds. As I said previously, hopefully it is not just us patting ourselves on the back. That being said, I think it is important to underscore, and I think we are all at the point that we need to realize, that cellphone service is part of critical infrastructure. We also know, and we have heard in this House previously, that former minister Ralph Goodale promised during Dorian that the CRTC would fix this. We know that has not happened. I wonder how the member opposite is going to prod his government to ensure that this piece of critical infrastructure is better suited to serving the needs of all of our constituents.

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Mr. Sean Casey

Sep/26/22 10:50:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Cumberland—Colchester for affording another opportunity to drive home the message on this, that cellphones and connectivity in this day and age absolutely are essential and that it is important for government to create the environment that brings in the investment from the telcos to make that happen. There has been substantial progress made, but a catastrophic event such as this indicates there is still more to do. That message is absolutely evident. I know the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry is acutely aware and has spoken to it in the past. I am absolutely certain there will be more conversations on this topic in the near future, as well as investments. There must be.

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Mr. Richard Cannings (South Okanagan—West Kootenay, NDP)

Sep/26/22 10:51:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Charlottetown for sharing the experiences he has had on the ground there. I visited Charlottetown in June, and my heart goes out to the people there who are facing all these difficulties. He mentioned that we knew this storm was coming. Maybe there was some uncertainty around how strong the winds would be and how much rain would fall, but I remember debating in the House about something else last Wednesday, and talking about the oncoming Fiona and the high winds that would accompany it. I am wondering if he could comment on what we might have done differently, in terms of being ready beforehand. He talked about two days ago the province asking for the army and a day later, it came. What if the armed forces had been there before the storm hit? Would that have made a difference? Would they be already helping to clear streets? Would they be helping do all the things that are going on now? We would have been ahead of the game. Is there anything we could have done to prepare beforehand? We knew this was coming.

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Mr. Sean Casey

Sep/26/22 10:52:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this may actually be a question of process. The process right now is that the federal government responds to requests from the provinces for the deployment of federal assets. In this case, virtually immediately after that request was made, the assets were made available. I am not aware whether there is a process or a mechanism for a province to pre-emptively make that request. Perhaps, given the clarity of the forecasts, this would be a situation where that might be explored. The other thing I would say, in terms of climate change and resilience, is that Prince Edward Island is and will be on the cutting edge of climate change adaptation as a result of substantial investments by our government in the Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation in St. Peter's Bay, which is now churning out experts in the field.

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Hon. Rob Moore (Fundy Royal, CPC)

Sep/26/22 10:54:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to speak tonight to this very important topic. I want to mention at the outset that I will be splitting my time with the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan. Last week, people from across Atlantic Canada did what they could do to prepare for a storm that was being described as a severe threat and potentially historic. As we all know by now, those descriptions were accurate. Hurricane Fiona was indeed severe and historic. Sadly, it was also tragic. I want to echo the sentiments that have been expressed in this House today. Those who have lost a loved one are in our thoughts at this terrible time. Our thoughts are also with those who have lost homes or businesses or experienced extensive damage to their property, and with anyone who feels as though the road to recovery right now looks too long to bear. I want to thank the firefighters, police and paramedics who answered calls for help, putting themselves oftentimes in harm's way. I also want to thank the mayors leading their local recovery responses, and the premiers of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick, who responded swiftly following hurricane Fiona's impact. Of course, I want to recognize every individual working on reconnecting families to power right across Atlantic Canada. These hard workers will be spending days away from their own families to help reconnect the thousands of homes that are still without power in the region. This includes the energy workers from Maine, who overcame the obstacles on their way to deliver much-needed aid to Nova Scotia. As emergency crews work day and night to restore power to communities across the regions hit by the hurricane, we are learning more about the extensive damage and the personal stories of Maritimers and Newfoundlanders of how they rode out the storm and are trying to recover. I want to give thanks as well to everyone who lends a hand to their neighbour and helps out. That is one of the things we have seen over and over again when we are met with challenging times. In Atlantic Canada, people look out for their neighbours and give them a hand. We have heard story after story of that taking place in the days that have followed. Many of these stories follow along a theme that has become very familiar to Atlantic Canadians, and that is our strong sense of community. People have been coming together to help each other however they can. Anyone with a chainsaw quickly got to work to help clear fallen trees. Community centres opened their doors to welcome families needing to charge their phones, get warmed up or just have a hot cup of coffee. Our strong sense of community is just one of the reasons I am proud to be from Atlantic Canada. That sense of community is also absolutely essential at times like these. Provinces like Nova Scotia are no stranger to this type of strengthened sense of community after experiencing a tragedy. In 1917, another historic event happened in the province when a cargo ship carrying explosives collided with a steamship in Halifax Harbour. At the time, the world had never known a man-made explosion of that magnitude, and the devastation was immense. However, it only took a couple of hours after the Halifax explosion before trains started making their way toward the city to deliver supplies and people willing to lend a hand at the city's darkest moment. The speed at which neighbouring communities and provinces mobilized to provide relief all those many years ago is a testament to the strength of Atlantic Canadians, and it is the same strength we are seeing today. Another tradition we are still seeing today is the willingness of our neighbours to the south to lend a hand when things get tough. Even 106 years after the Halifax explosion, the Province of Nova Scotia still sends a Christmas tree to the City of Boston every year to express its gratitude for Boston's contributions to the relief efforts in 1917. In 2022, our American neighbours once again answered the call for help, but this time around, those efforts were stalled by red tape and bureaucratic hoops to jump through just to enter Canada to lend a hand. The ArriveCAN app has been a disaster since it was first launched. Border crossings with little or no cell service rendered the app useless, and there was no consideration for seniors or individuals who simply did not have a smart phone. Travellers were mistakenly told to quarantine when they were not required to. With all the confusion created by ArriveCAN, there has been an untold amount of fraud, as innocent Canadians fell victim to scams in their attempts to accommodate the complex and inconsistent rules imposed by the federal government. Entire industries, including the tourism industries in my own riding of Fundy Royal, have been negatively impacted by the ArriveCAN app, but even as this bad border policy hurt communities and businesses that depend on cross-border travel, the Liberal government doubled down on its policies. On Sunday, we saw the most egregious example of just how bad the ArriveCAN app was when the Liberal border policy led to Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston indicating that U.S. power crews had been delayed at the border while trying to enter Canada to join recovery efforts. The hurricane recovery is time-sensitive. When families are disconnected from one another or cannot call for help or cannot heat up food for their children, every minute matters. Any delay in support to help Atlantic Canadians trying to recover after the storm is completely unacceptable. The Minister of Emergency Preparedness said yesterday that any delay that may have taken place at the border was inconsequential. It was a pretty bold statement to make from his home, which has power, to families who do not yet know when they will have power. I use this one impediment that could stand in the way of this recovery as an example of a policy that does not make sense, because we know that the ArriveCAN app will no longer be required starting this weekend. I would urge the government to drop it immediately. We can see the damage that a policy that is not well thought out can do. That leads me to other issues around recovery. There are agreements between the federal government and the provinces for compensation for those who need it for rebuilding homes, farms and businesses. We have to make sure we do not allow red tape, bureaucratic excuses or delays to impede Atlantic Canadians from getting the help they so desperately will need after this storm. Members of the government continue to say they are standing with everyone affected by this storm, but they also must be careful not to stand in the way. The federal government's disaster financial assistance arrangements have been put in place to provide financial assistance to provincial and territorial governments in the event of a large-scale natural disaster. However, this assistance does not flow immediately for Canadians who are suffering now, so I ask that we all work together to reduce bureaucracy that stands between Canadians and the help they need as quickly as possible. While the intention of many of these programs is good, we need to make sure that accessibility remains paramount. We have seen over and over in the last few years that the government can turn on a dime if it wants to, and there is no excuse not to put that same focus and energy into supporting Atlantic Canadians in their time of need. This hurricane has caused extensive damage throughout the Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador, but together we stand committed to doing everything we can to once again get Atlantic Canadians through this. I want to thank everyone who has pulled together, in big ways or small, to help their neighbour and to help their community. Together, we are going to build once again for a brighter future. We need everyone pulling together to make that happen, at the municipal level and the provincial level and, indeed, at the federal level. I would urge the federal government to make sure we break down every barrier that would prevent Atlantic Canadians and the provinces of Atlantic Canada from receiving the help they need in this time that is so crucial.

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Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport, Lib.)

Sep/26/22 11:03:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is so important that we are here tonight to talk about what we can do to help people who are affected by this in Atlantic Canada and throughout Quebec. It is also really important that we stick to the facts. Earlier today, in question period and throughout the afternoon, we have been hearing some misinformation about some occurrences. I just want to read into the record something provided to me by the member for Halifax West. It is a news article that states: Nova Scotia Power says there were no issues delaying American power crews from crossing the border to help repair the electrical grid from the devastation of hurricane Fiona. On Sunday, the utility company and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston had both said an issue related to the controversial ArriveCAN app [which will be optional as of Sunday] was delaying power crews from crossing into Canada. In a new statement Monday afternoon, Nova Scotia Power spokeswoman Jacqueline Foster says there was some confusion about the app but it is now confirmed there were no problems. I hope that sets the record straight for everybody in the House tonight.

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