Hon. Karen Sorensen: Honourable senators, I rise today to honour and welcome a dear friend and long-time colleague to the chamber, Mayor Richard Ireland of Jasper.

Richard is the first and only mayor of Jasper. He was first elected as chair of the Jasper Town Committee in 1989 before Jasper was even considered a municipality. He served in that capacity until 2001 — Jasper’s first year as a municipality. Richard won that first mayoral election, and has either been acclaimed or re-elected every election since.

Acclamation tends to be the best way to get there.

Few can say they’ve done as much as Richard has to lift up his community over the last 30-plus years. As the only two municipalities in North America located within a national park, Jasper and my hometown of Banff have walked a unique path together. Banff became a municipality in 1990, and has seen six mayors in her 32-year history. Mayor Ireland has made it very clear, publicly, that his favourite Banff mayor was the fifth.

As internationally renowned tourist destinations, Jasper and Banff have much in common and share many of the same challenges: In particular, both balance the desires of valued visitors with the needs of the permanent residents and temporary workers who call our communities home.

Having worked with Richard for over 17 years, I’ve seen first‑hand how Jasper has flourished during his tenure — to name a few, building infrastructure with modern amenities and recreation facilities for residents and tourists, as well as investment in below-market value housing opportunities; passing municipal legislation to help protect the natural environment that makes Jasper so special; welcoming and, more importantly, providing programs to integrate many new immigrants, including providing free support for refugees, permanent residents and other newcomers through Jasper Settlement Services; and taking an active role in advancing truth and reconciliation with Indigenous people.

In the words of my colleague Senator Paula Simons:

Municipal governments are on the front lines of so many of the major issues, problems and crises facing our country.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jasper faced the same dilemmas as destination towns across the country: how to support local businesses who are reliant on tourists, while safeguarding the health of community members. Fortunately, Richard was at the helm to walk that balance.

Just this past summer, he once again made the difficult decision to ask visitors to stay away as fire threatened the town. While the town suffered another huge economic hit, Mayor Ireland led with grace, assuring that the community was not at risk and that the limited power that was available was used to keep residents safe.

Richard’s decades of experience and his commitment to collaboration, listening and leadership are the attributes that I observed while working with him — and the attributes that I admire. I am delighted that he continues in this role, helping the municipality of Jasper meet challenges and opportunities in the coming years. It’s a pleasure to welcome him to the gallery today.

Hon. Fabian Manning: Honourable senators, today I am pleased to present chapter 67 of “Telling Our Story.”

Newfoundland and Labrador is no stranger to maritime disaster with pervasive threats of ocean ice, raging storms and jagged reefs jeopardizing sailors who brave the seas when conditions are poor. From these come some stories of fantastic heroism and others of terrible tragedy.

One such tragedy occurred on a windy February night in 1918 on a luxury steamer bound for Halifax and New York. The SS Florizel, under Captain William Martin, was a vessel of some history. Commissioned in 1909, the Florizel was among the first ships specifically designed to navigate the icy waters around Newfoundland and Labrador. She had participated in the rescue of sealers stranded on the ice during the great Sealing Disaster of 1914 and was the vessel to carry to Europe the first 500 volunteers of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment in World War I — the Blue Puttees. But on that fateful winter’s night, she would not be celebrated.

The Florizel left port at St. John’s around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 23, with orders from Captain Martin to proceed at full speed. Unbeknownst to Martin, however, the ship’s chief engineer, J.V. Reader, had only put her at partial speed in order to delay her arrival in Halifax and force an overnight stay at the port so that Reader could visit his family. This action, however intended, had fatal consequences, as Captain Martin judged the ship as having travelled much farther than she actually had, turning her westward long before she’d passed the Avalon Peninsula.

Just after 4:30 a.m., the Florizel crashed head-on into a reef off Cappahayden, going full speed. Dozens of crew and passengers died in the initial impact, with many more drowning or freezing as the ship was torn to pieces by the perilous waves. An SOS signal was sent out, but due to the previous navigation error, the rescuers were directed to the wrong area. Thankfully, the people of Cappahayden could see the wreck from the beach and corrected this error. They attempted to launch a small boat to rescue survivors, but it was immediately overturned by the storm.

Meanwhile, on the Florizel, power had been lost, and most remaining survivors were weathering the storm in the small radio room. As it was wartime in the dead of winter, it was particularly difficult to mount a rescue. The day after the crash, a handful of rescue vessels incorrectly reported that there were no survivors on the wreck, halting rescue progress until the reports were rectified. To make matters worse, the large rescue ships couldn’t go near the wreck due to the reef, and the small rescue ships couldn’t launch due to the storm.

Twenty-seven hours after the crash, a rescue successfully took place, saving 44 passengers and crew. However, an even greater number were lost — 93 people lost their lives, including three-year-old Betty Munn, who was sailing with her father. She was torn from his arms in the disaster. In memory of her death, there is a statue of Peter Pan, the fairy tale she loved, in Bowring Park in St. John’s.

The task of preaching and bringing comfort to the families of those who had suffered the loss of loved ones fell to Archbishop Edward Patrick Roche of St. John’s, who in a sermon at the memorial for the victims said:

With the exception perhaps of the great Sealing Disaster of a few years ago [the SS Newfoundland, 1914] never has there been in our history — strewn as that history is with marine tragedies great and small — an ocean horror that has come home to us with such appalling force as the great disaster of the ‘Florizel’ which now throws its shadow over our city and our Island.

Thank you.

Hon. Mary Coyle: Honourable senators, I rise today with my head spinning, my spirits elevated and with a strengthened resolve to encourage everyone to urgently come to the climate action table. I was honoured to join fellow Senators Bovey and Galvez as part of the Canadian delegation at the COP27 climate conference in Egypt, which attracted 30,000 registrants from 197 countries, including the largest Indigenous contingent ever. This was touted as the “COP of implementation.”

Canada had an impressive delegation, representing all sectors and regions, and our pavilion hosted a high-quality series of substantive events. We discussed mitigation, reducing and eliminating emissions, adaptation to climate impacts, stepping up and greatly expanding climate finance from billions to trillions, reforming the Bretton Woods Institutions and creating a “loss and damage” fund for the countries hardest hit by climate impacts.

We discussed Indigenous-led climate action and rights, the disproportionate impacts on women, women as leaders on solutions and not just victims, energy transitions and energy security, whole-of-economy transitions, just transitions, culture, oceans, more focus on methane, the cryosphere, cities, nature, biodiversity, agriculture and forests. We discussed drought in Africa and that continent’s vast potential for solar energy, protecting the Congo basin, glaciers melting in Nepal, small island states at risk, Ukraine and the absolute imperative of upping ambition internationally and in Canada to ensure we keep the shared goal of 1.5 °C alive.

At COP27, Sara Olsvig, Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, said:

The Inuit reality has become the global reality. It is important to recognize the interconnectedness of our human rights and climate.

Dr. Courtney Howard of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment described the need for an adaptation sprint given the realities of the irreversible extreme heat, heat domes, wildfires and summers of smoke and floods.

John Kerry, U.S. climate envoy, said:

Adaptation is critical even though there is a point where, if we do not reduce emissions sufficiently, we’re not capable of adapting our way out of the climate catastrophe.

Brazil’s president-elect, the inspiring Lula da Silva, said:

Today I am here to say that Brazil is back and ready to build a healthier planet — with the survival of the Amazon rainforest we can help ensure the survival of the world. We need each other to survive, we need more confidence and determination, we need more leadership.

Honourable colleagues, Lula is right. We need leadership more than ever. Honourable colleagues, let’s step up. Thank you.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. The short answer is “as soon as possible” on both counts.

Both of these commissions are part of the government’s ongoing effort to modernize and improve Canada’s laws and legal institutions, and that includes Bill C-5 — an important step that we in the Senate took last week.

As we know, before it was abolished in 2006, the law commission helped advance critically important policy ideas, including in the areas of family law, the legalization of same-sex marriage, to name but two. We’re hopeful that it will help address some of today’s most pressing needs, such as systemic discrimination in the justice system.

The government has already allocated funds for the law commission’s re-establishment through Budget 2021, with $18 million over five years and $4 million ongoing. The process of finding commission members is under way.

The new criminal case review commission will strengthen our justice system by providing for the expeditious review of potential wrongful convictions by an independent body. The structure of the new review commission will be informed by the consultations led by former judges Harry LaForme and Juanita Westmoreland-Traoré, who published their final report earlier this year.

Senator Gold: Thank you for your questions. The government deliberately selected these two individuals, both for their legal expertise and for their familiarity with the issues and realities that are facing marginalized people in our justice system.

As we know, Justice LaForme was the first Indigenous appellate court judge in Canada, and Justice Westmoreland-Traoré was the first Black judge in Quebec and the first Black dean of a Canadian law school.

During their consultations, they met with and received written briefs from hundreds of people, including victims of miscarriages of justice, victims of crime, criminal justice professionals and representatives of commissions that do similar work in other countries. Their final report makes numerous recommendations about the commission’s mandate and design, and the government is relying upon its report as it works to establish the criminal cases review commission as soon as possible.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. I don’t have the answer. I’ll certainly make inquiries and will be happy to report back as soon as I can.

Hon. Patricia Bovey: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

As you know, I, along with Senators Coyle and Galvez, attended COP 27 over the last two weeks. For my part, I spent a great deal of time in the discussions around oceans protection, which is coming to the forefront again with COP 15 being held in Montreal in a few weeks.

Canada has accomplished much in this sphere, including the creation of 14 Marine Protected Areas along our coasts. Has the Government of Canada begun consultations regarding the expansion of these protected areas, and is there a proposed timeline as to the introduction of the legislation that has been promised?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, and thank you for underlining the important relationship between the federal government and provincial and territorial governments in the shared challenge of both addressing climate change and also maintaining and securing a prosperous economic future for all Canadians.

I don’t know the specific answer to your question, and I will make efforts to find out. I do know that the Government of Canada is in regular discussions on a variety of issues surrounding climate change initiatives, resource development, environmental assessments and the like. Some provinces are more keen to engage than others, but it’s an ongoing process. I’ll certainly make inquiries with regard to more formal consultations that may be taking place.

Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Honourable senators, usually, when we do tributes here, it is to recognize the achievements of our fellow citizens. However, today, I want to express my amused admiration for a remarkably determined herd of cows.

This is a story about some 20 cows in the region of Saint‑Sévère, Quebec. They escaped their enclosure last summer and, to quote a great article written by journalist Sébastien Houle, they have been “getting back in touch with their wild side” ever since. Witnesses say that they can jump fences like deer. Since their escape four months ago, the herd has even grown because some cows calved.

The Village of Saint-Sévère’s general manager, Marie-Andrée Cadorette, took the situation in hand. She contacted MAPAQ, Quebec’s Department of agriculture, fisheries and food, but it said that there was nothing it could do and suggested that she call the provincial Department of environment, climate change, wildlife and parks. That department said that it could not do anything because cows are not wild animals and suggested that she call the humane society.

The humane society said that it could not do anything because cows are not pets and suggested that she contact MAPAQ, so Ms. Cadorette called MAPAQ again. This time, the department suggested that the municipality destroy the runaways.

Ms. Cadorette responded, “The Municipality is me in a dress and high heels . . . I’m not going to go running after cows!” Fair enough.

Ms. Cadorette then contacted the Sûreté du Québec, the police, to ask them to kill the cows, but they refused because, in their view, this was not an emergency situation.

Finally, Ms. Cadorette got in touch with some cowboys through the Saint-Tite western festival, which is a wonderful local tradition. For the first time, someone agreed to help.

On October 30, the night before Halloween, nine cowboys arrived in Saint-Sévère: eight on horseback and one armed with a drone. The cowboys located the cows and almost managed to round them up, but the cows escaped through a corn field at the last minute. They are still on the run, hiding in the woods by day and grazing by night.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the dogged determination of Marie-Andrée Cadorette and wish her the best of luck. Don’t give up. I would also like to commend the cowboys who stepped up when every government department and police force in Quebec said there was nothing they could do. There is a political lesson in there somewhere.

Finally, I would like to confess my unbridled admiration for these cows that have found freedom and are still out there, frolicking about. While we overcomplicate things, these cows are learning to jump fences.

Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the Senate, I will move:

That, when the Senate next adjourns after the adoption of this motion, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at 2 p.m.

Hon. Rosa Galvez: Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the report of the ParlAmericas concerning the Sixth Gathering of ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network, held as virtual sessions on March 9, 15 and 22, 2022.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, yesterday the National Cattle Feeders’ Association was in Ottawa to speak with parliamentarians. One of their priority issues is the fact that, while this government is demanding that the industry make changes to help meet carbon emissions targets, they are doing little to help facilitate these changes.

One example of this is the feed additive referred to as 3-NOP. This additive is already approved for use in several countries, including the EU, Australia, Chile and Brazil, and has proven to consistently reduce emissions of methane from cattle by up to 90%, Senator Gold. This is very significant, yet the product has not been approved in Canada because of lengthy and burdensome approval processes.

Senator Gold, can you tell me if your government will commit to prioritizing the approval process of this product as requested by the National Cattle Feeders’ Association?

Senator Plett: Senator Gold, your government is very good at demanding things from our agricultural industry and then standing in the way of getting those things done. A perfect example is the imposition of the carbon tax on the industry when alternative energy sources are not yet available to them.

There is no such thing, Senator Gold, as a solar-powered tractor or a solar-powered grain dryer. The fact is that Canada produces the most environmentally friendly beef in the world, using less land, water and emitting less greenhouse gas emissions.

Will your government, Senator Gold, acknowledge that the industry is already working hard to reduce carbon emissions and remove the federal carbon tax from agricultural production?

Hon. Scott Tannas: My question is for Senator Housakos in his capacity as the Chair of the Transport and Communications Committee.

We all know the internet is critical for building businesses and engaging in the digital economy. In this age, the internet is vital to our everyday lives in key areas like health, education and justice. That has actually led to the UN recognizing internet connectivity as a fundamental human right.

I met yesterday with the Rural Municipalities of Alberta. Everybody knows that rural Canadians receive slower internet speeds at much higher prices than folks in urban areas. This year, they ran some tests in their member municipalities and found median speeds were about one third of what would be considered acceptable in an urban environment — less than one third of what would be a minimum standard.

It’s a complex issue. We know that. Wireless access and spectrum access are critical. There are a number of companies that have purchased wireless spectrum in rural markets and have not used it; they are hanging onto it, with no intention in the short or even medium term of putting it to use.

Bill S-242, the “Use It or Lose It” bill, is part of the equation for a solution. It is before your committee now. Can you advise the Senate when the committee will begin its review of that bill?

Hon. Leo Housakos: Thank you, Senator Tannas, for your important and timely question.

As you know, our committee is currently seized with government legislation — we have before us Bill C-11 — and, as always, government legislation is our priority.

I say your question is timely because one of the biggest criticisms we have been hearing on Bill C-11 is the inclusion of user-generated content. The government keeps claiming that this legislation is one of the driving forces to give more voices to under-represented people in this country.

However, the opposite seems to be being achieved, particularly when it comes to digital creators. We’ve heard from many of them, including those typically under-represented voices who are doing a number of interesting things right now using the internet. They’ve been telling the Senate committee that Indigenous creators and cultural communities are getting opportunities they have never had before thanks to digital platforms. But numerous digital creators we heard from also told us that the government should really just stay out of the way of marginalized and Indigenous Canadians’ and allow them to continue to use those media to prosper and grow.

But your point is very well taken. They brought up on a number of occasions that the biggest problem that Indigenous communities in the North and Canadians in rural Canada are facing is the lack of connectivity. Of course, the cost of connectivity is significantly higher as compared to the rest of the world.

So your question is relevant. The bill is in the queue. Unfortunately — or fortunately — we have a number of pieces of government legislation that we’re dealing with. But I hope to get to this bill, because I agree with you and the stakeholders in question with whom you’ve met that instead of our government in Canada putting so much time and energy in living in the past — because Canada, once upon a time, was a world leader in communication; that was a time when I was a young boy. Today in 2022, we have fallen behind the digital curve. I think the government should refocus its efforts toward increasing connectivity in rural and Northern Canada and allow the under-represented voices to continue to use the internet and the digital market to grow.

I wish I could give you a better answer in terms of the timeline, but I will take it to our steering committee and I will write back to you on this issue.

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. The open court principle is a cornerstone of our justice system. The government is quite concerned about media reports on the court proceeding in Quebec and is keeping a close eye on developments. As you know, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada is an independent entity. As this case is still before the courts and was in fact the subject of an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, it would be inappropriate for the government to comment further.

Senator Boisvenu: Senator Gold, I was not talking about the justice system. I was talking about the Minister of Justice’s interference in the justice system.

In the SNC-Lavalin affair, former minister Jody Wilson-Raybould lost her job because she refused to cave to pressure from the Prime Minister to spare SNC-Lavalin a criminal trial. What will become of Minister Lametti? Will he stay or will he go?

Senator Plett: Somehow, housing prices doubling in six years is an indication that your government has been successful. It is mind-boggling how anyone could even try to draw that out of what the government has done.

Your government has promised action on this over the course of multiple elections and has had numerous opportunities to put forward concrete solutions to fix this housing crisis. It is abundantly clear that the Band-Aid solutions and one-time top-up benefits proposed by your government will do nothing to make housing more affordable for Canadians in the long term. Are you and your government comfortable with this simply being yet another broken election promise?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table the answers to the following oral questions:

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on December 16, 2021, by the Honourable Senator Patterson, concerning consultation with interested organizations.

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on June 21, 2022, by the Honourable Senator Plett, concerning passport services.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Dennis Glen Patterson on December 16, 2021)

Justice Canada is consulting and cooperating with Indigenous peoples on the implementation of the UN Declaration Act (UNDA). The process focuses primarily on First Nations, Inuit and Métis rights holders, including modern treaty signatories, self-governing nations and historic treaty partners, and national/regional Indigenous representative organizations. It also includes engagement with Indigenous women, youth, elders, persons with disabilities, Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Plus (2SLGBTQI+) as well as urban Indigenous and other organizations.

There was also a call for proposals to support Indigenous participation in the engagement process, including support for Indigenous-led consultations. An online form is also available to help ensure that the voices of individuals and community-based organizations are heard.

The next phase of engagement will follow the release of a draft action plan in February 2023. This phase will focus on validating the priorities identified by First Nations, Inuit and Metis and on addressing any gaps, leading to the completion of the action plan by June 2023.

In June 2022, the Government tabled its inaugural annual progress report as required by Section 7 of the Act, outlining work undertaken in 2021-22 to implement the UNDA. Planning is already under way to consult and cooperate with Indigenous partners on the 2023 progress report.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Donald Neil Plett on June 21, 2022)

Service Canada (SC) has streamlined the in-person application process by implementing triage measures to provide a more client-specific approach. Before offices open at busier locations, managers and executives are speaking with clients to assess urgency/situation. Triage measures have been implemented in Richmond, Quebec City, Gatineau, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Laval, Vancouver, Surrey, and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Triage methods vary by location and are based on local circumstances. As a result, in-person services are more reflective of a pre-COVID experience where lineups are manageable and passports are delivered within our service standards.

SC took a number of additional actions to help stabilize the passport program. In July, we saw significant gains, but intake still outstripped production. Throughout August and September application intake levelled off. As of mid‑August, we are consistently entitling more passports on a weekly basis than we are receiving.

The Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration was suspended as of June 20, 2022. Passport employees on administrative leave due to non-compliance with the Policy were contacted by managers to arrange their return to work as early as June 20. As of October 17, there are more than 2,200 employees processing and supporting the program.