The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I am sure you will wish to join me in thanking Minister Hutchings for joining us today. Thank you, minister. We look forward to seeing you again.

The Hon. the Speaker: Is it agreed, honourable senators?

Senator Kutcher: Certainly, Your Honour, if that would please the chamber.

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I have the honour to inform the Senate that the Clerk of the Senate has received a certificate from the Registrar General of Canada showing that Margo Greenwood has been summoned to the Senate.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the second time?

(On motion of Senator Gagné, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading two days hence.)

(1550)

The Hon. the Speaker informed the Senate that the honourable senator named above had made and subscribed the Declaration of Qualification required by the Constitution Act, 1867, in the presence of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, the Commissioner appointed to receive and witness the said declaration.

[English]

The Hon. the Speaker having informed the Senate that there was a senator without waiting to be introduced:

The following honourable senator was introduced; presented His Majesty’s writ of summons; took the oath prescribed by law, which was administered by the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel; and was seated:

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this report be taken into consideration?

(On motion of Senator Moncion, report placed on the Orders of the Day for consideration at the next sitting of the Senate.)

The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

The Hon. the Speaker: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, on behalf of the opposition and the Senate Conservative caucus, I am pleased to rise in this chamber to welcome our newest colleague, the Honourable Margo Greenwood. Senator Greenwood, I wish to extend to you a very warm welcome to the Senate of Canada.

As a fellow senator from our beautiful province of British Columbia, I look forward to working with you to support and advocate for British Columbians. As former educators, we also share a love of teaching and mentoring bright, young minds who may one day themselves become senators or whatever they so choose.

Senator Greenwood is certainly a role model for many, as a respected Indigenous scholar of Cree ancestry with notable achievements and a stellar record of leadership and community service. There is much written about her professional achievements, including the following on the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health site:

While her work crosses disciplines and sectors, Dr. Greenwood is particularly recognized — regionally, provincially, nationally and internationally — for her work in early childhood care and education, and in Indigenous public health.

Senator Greenwood, I am certain that your knowledge, expertise and passion for helping others will be useful and relevant in your work as a senator. As you embark on this new journey in the Senate of Canada, you will soon realize that you are not only making friends but that you have joined a new family — the Senate family. It is a family that has various opinions, perspectives and experiences but that together will serve a common purpose, which is to work for Canadians. We are here for them. We serve here, in the heart of Canadian democracy, in order to promote their best interests.

I speak not only for myself when I say we look forward to collaboratively working with you not only in this chamber but also at committee. Canadians are increasingly looking at the Senate to not only bring sober second thought and due diligence, but they are looking at the Senate for hope — hope that their voices are heard, that their concerns become ours and that together this chamber ensures the best path forward for everyone — especially minority groups — across our vast country. I trust that you will do just that.

On behalf of the opposition and the Conservative caucus, I welcome you once again to the Senate of Canada.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Senator Greenwood’s three sons, Jacob Hanley, Reid Church and Aaron Neilson, as well as her granddaughter, Everly Church. They are accompanied by family and friends, including the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Her Excellency Anahit Harutyunyan, Ambassador of Armenia to Canada; Ms. Jamila Afghani; Mr. Fazal Ghani Kakar; and Honorary Consul Levon Afeyan. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Housakos.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of His Excellency Ambassador Ariunbold, MP Saranchimeg, MP Ganbold and MP Naranbaatar from the Parliament of Mongolia. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Clement.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I regret I have to interrupt proceedings, but it is time is for Question Period. We will suspend for a minute while Minister Hutchings takes her seat, and then we will continue with Question Period.

(The sitting of the Senate was suspended.)

(The sitting of the Senate was resumed.)

(Pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on December 7, 2021, to receive a Minister of the Crown, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P., Minister of Rural Economic Development, appeared before honourable senators during Question Period.)

Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, I have risen on a number of occasions in this chamber and in the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry to speak on the importance of soil health.

Today, I would like to highlight the United Nations World Soil Day, which takes place every year on December 5. This year’s theme — Soils: where food begins — aims to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, increasing soil awareness and encouraging societies to improve soil health.

I am proud to share that the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry is currently undertaking a soil study to review the health of Canada’s soils and its impacts on our country. In fact, just this morning, members of the committee travelled to the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum to get our hands dirty and to learn more about Canada’s soils, as well as conservation and protection practices. While this study is still in its early days, I am sure that we will have the opportunity to investigate how food begins with our soils.

As a long-standing member of Ontario’s agricultural community, I know just how important healthy, arable soil is to our farmland and our food system. However, it is concerning to think that Ontario is losing 319 acres of farmland every day.

At this time, I would like to acknowledge the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s Home Grown campaign in that regard. It is high time that we work together to protect local farms from being lost to urban sprawl.

Honourable colleagues, when we lose farmland, we lose the food that would have been cultivated there as well. That loss directly contributes to our ability to maintain strong and stable food supply chains. While it is clear that food security is an issue around the world, it is also an issue here at home.

I’m sad to share that a poll conducted by Food Banks Canada found that one in five Canadians reported going hungry at least once between March 2020 and March 2022, and almost a quarter of Canadians reported eating less than they should have due to rising prices. As a leader in agriculture on a global scale, we must prioritize ending food insecurity in Canada and around the world. To achieve that, we will also need to prioritize our agricultural industry and ensure that our soils are healthy enough to feed the world for generations to come.

This World Soil Day, I encourage you to take the time to learn more about the ways in which Canada can conserve and protect its soils and reflect on the ways in which healthy soils in Canada are linked to a strong food supply system. We must acknowledge that protecting our healthy soils also means protecting all the benefits that come with it, like healthy ecosystems, improved water quality and reduced greenhouse gases.

I am certain that this is something we can all “dig” into on this upcoming World Soil Day and beyond. Thank you. Meegwetch.

[Translation]