SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 234

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 18, 2023 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 234 - Oct/18/23
Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Lib.)
  • Oct/18/23 7:44:02 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I sincerely look forward to the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands' return to the House. I hope that my friend is doing well. I hope that she is recovering and feeling good. I look forward to having this discussion, hopefully, in person when she returns to the House of Commons. I would like to focus the first half of my answer on the greenbelt. It is a moment to celebrate. It is a moment to rejoice. Indeed, victory on the greenbelt is a big win for Ontario. There are lots of groups that we have to thank for this. I have the opportunity now to do something that I have never done before, which is to read directly from my householder that is going out to my constituents in Milton. The question resembled a question that I asked myself and my constituents were asking me, so I answered it in a monthly community newsletter. It is titled, “Victory on the Greenbelt: A big win for Ontario”, and it states: Back in March, Canada's Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, [the member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie] announced that our government would be investigating the real and potential environmental, economic, social and health impacts related to developing parts of the Greenbelt. Due to the Premier’s recent cancelling of his provincial government’s plan to develop parcels of the Greenbelt – we subsequently announced that we are suspending the urban park study indefinitely as it’s no longer necessary. This is great news. This reversal reflects the collective efforts of citizen advocates, independent journalism, researchers, environmentalists, conservation authorities, and municipalities who tirelessly voiced their objections. Their commitment has reaffirmed the significance of maintaining the Greenbelt’s integrity – this is a big win for our province, and I want to express my personal gratitude to these stakeholders and everyone who used their voice to safeguard this most vital natural resource. I would add the leader of the Green Party, the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, to that list. The plan to develop luxury homes and create brand new neighborhoods in Ontario’s hinterland, as proposed by Premier Ford’s government, was never a sustainable approach for addressing our housing affordability concerns. The federal government will remain steadfast in our mission to protect the natural environment, including Ontario’s Greenbelt, toward a greener, more sustainable future for all Canadians. I will continue to call for responsible urban planning, sustainable development, and the preservation of green spaces to ensure the well-being of current and future generations, and I look forward to more details of how Premier Ford will strengthen the protections of all Greenbelt and ecologically vulnerable land in our region. I would like now to turn to our work on water. I was very pleased that in budget 2023, we saw a historic $650 million go toward the maintenance and restoration of much of our Great Lakes. That is so important, not just because I love the Great Lakes and I spent a lot of time paddling on the Great Lakes, but it is important because Canada is really the water keeper of the world, particularly with respect to fresh water. These 24 new projects that we just announced on September 28 will restore water quality and ecosystem health in areas of concern. They will prevent toxic and nuisance algae. They will engage with indigenous peoples in Great Lakes restoration and protection. That $650 million over 10 years that I referenced includes an investment of $420 million for the Great Lakes, which was announced by the Prime Minister, with a focus on accelerating Canada's implementation of the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. It also includes $22.6 million over three years starting this year to support better coordination efforts to protect fresh water right across Canada. Last, but certainly not least, is the new Canada water agency. It is the federal focal point for all fresh water. We will be working in partnership with indigenous peoples, provinces, territories and stakeholders to strengthen collaboration efforts on fresh water. It will deliver on key elements of the strengthened freshwater action plan.
707 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border