Hon. René Cormier: Colleagues, I rise today to speak briefly at third reading of Bill S-273, An Act to declare the Chignecto Isthmus Dykeland System and related works to be for the general advantage of Canada, which was introduced in this chamber by my New Brunswick colleague, Senator Quinn, whom I thank. Much has been said, so I won’t talk about economic development, the movement of goods and services or the road and rail link, even though I recognize how important these elements are to the region. On these matters, I endorse everything my Acadian colleague, Senator Aucoin, said, and I thank him for his remarks.

I would like to point out that the land on which I am speaking is part of the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin people.

In light of the study duly conducted by the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, which included new facts related to this bill, allow me to clarify why I intend to support it. Let’s not forget that this legislation would make the federal government responsible for the restoration of the Chignecto Isthmus dikes through a declaration by Parliament that these works are for the general advantage of Canada, in accordance with section 92(10)(c) of the Constitution Act, 1867.

I will begin by saying that I am well aware of the comments that my colleague, Senator Clement, made in committee about how this bill could reflect a serious breakdown in negotiations among the different levels of government. Obviously, I think that a collaborative approach is important for any issue that affects Canada as a whole.

[English]

I also read with interest the comments of Mr. Andrew Leach, a Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta, who appeared before the Transport Committee and according to whom this bill does not appear to impose any positive obligation for the federal government to maintain, fund or act in any other way to support the system.

One might also question the intrinsic usefulness of such a bill, especially since the dike system could already fall under federal jurisdiction in accordance with paragraph 92(10)(a) of the Constitution Act, 1867.

[Translation]

Nevertheless, honourable senators, I recognize that a large number of key stakeholders in my region are calling for this legislative proposal. As it has often been said, we were all appointed to the upper chamber to represent our province or territory. The effective representation of regional interests is at the heart of our senatorial mandate and constitutes one of the pillars of this democratic institution.

It goes without saying that, if the legislative assembly of my province, which basically represents the general will of the people of New Brunswick, takes a stand on an issue that directly relates to our parliamentary work, then I think that I need to give that a certain amount of attention and deference.

In that regard, on May 17, a motion was unanimously adopted by the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick to urge Parliament to pass this bill. The motion in question referred to the fact that the Chignecto Isthmus is a rail trade corridor of national importance and that it is particularly vulnerable to the effects of rising sea levels and increasingly intense severe weather events. All of the political parties in my province, without exception, support this bill. The Nova Scotia Legislature also adopted a similar resolution. In my opinion, this constitutes significant legislative action.

Our senatorial mandate also requires us to represent the interests of minorities and of groups generally under-represented in the other place, including Indigenous peoples and official language minority communities. I think you will agree with me that it is imperative for us to take their interests and needs into account in our public policy development processes.

In May, the Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick, or SANB, in collaboration with the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse, or FANE, and the Société Nationale de l’Acadie, or SNA, which speaks for the Acadian people nationally and internationally, submitted a brief to the Senate Committee on Transport and Communications. This document offers unwavering support for Bill S-273.

One relevant passage of this brief reads as follows:

The Chignecto Isthmus Dykeland System Act is a major step forward for the preservation, and even more so for the protection, of this historically rich region. This region is also of great public interest, particularly given its nationally and strategically important infrastructure. Section 4 of Bill S-273 is clear on the subject: “The Chignecto Isthmus Dykeland System and related works are declared to be works for the general advantage of Canada.”

[English]

As explicitly indicated by Chief Rebecca Knockwood from the Fort Folly First Nation before the Transport Committee, the Mi’kmaq chiefs of my province also support this legislation. I equally note that the amendments adopted in committee have considered the opinions notably expressed by Jessica Ginsburg, a lawyer on behalf of Kwilmu’kw Maw-Klusuaqn, KMK, which supports the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs.

Through testimony and briefs, the Transport Committee also heard from other stakeholders favourable to this legislation, notably the Union of the Municipalities of New Brunswick, which represents 56 municipalities and almost 80% of the population, including communities along the Chignecto Isthmus.

[Translation]

Colleagues, while recognizing the importance of this region for the movement of goods and services and for strengthening the economic development of our region, and given the unique historical and cultural place that the Chignecto Isthmus holds in the collective imagination of the Mi’kmaq and Acadian peoples of this region, Bill S-273 reaffirms that the system of dikes and aboiteaux in the Chignecto Isthmus, which is still of immeasurable economic and heritage importance for the inhabitants of this region, particularly the Acadians and Mi’kmaq, is for the general advantage of Canada.

I fully support this principle, especially since this territory is central to the very identity of the Acadian and Mi’kmaq peoples and the Atlantic provinces. I therefore invite you to vote in favour of this bill. To show you just how important this territory is for the Acadian people in particular, I would also invite you to broaden your horizons to new possibilities for developing this unique territory. For ecological, economic, historical and heritage reasons, the three Acadian organizations I mentioned earlier are proposing the particularly interesting idea of creating a new national park on the Chignecto Isthmus.

In their brief to the Transport Committee, they say this innovative project will have three main benefits, and I quote:

 . . . it would allow the Government of Canada to effectively protect the isthmus against the ravages of climate change through the coordinated participation of multiple departments and agencies, including Public Works and Infrastructure Canada and Parks Canada. It would also allow two heritage institutions—Fort Beauséjour and Fort Lawrence—to be combined on the same site. Lastly, it would preserve and promote the presence and activities of the Mi’kmaq and the Acadians of Beaubassin, including the network of dykes and aboiteaux erected over three centuries ago that continue to protect the isthmus . . . .

Also, as part of its study on the impacts of climate change on critical infrastructure in the transportation and communications sectors, I fervently hope that the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications will give due consideration to this proposal in preparing its future report.

Honourable colleagues, I’ll conclude with an anecdote from my childhood. My father often took us to Nova Scotia via the famous Chignecto Isthmus. I’ll spare you the poetic rant and just say that my father was constantly reminding us how instrumental that particular place was in building our country and uniting the Atlantic provinces. Not to be biased, but he always highlighted the important role that Acadians played in the construction of these dikes, which helped make Canada what it is today, particularly in that region.

I must admit that I’m getting a little emotional over this, but at the same time, for all of the reasons that I gave here today, I would invite you all to vote in favour of this bill. Thank you.