House of Commons Debates VOLUME 147 Ï NUMBER 213 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday, May 13, 2015 Speaker: The Honourable Andrew Scheer CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 13829 HOUSE OF COMMONS Wednesday, May 13, 2015 The House met at 2 p.m. the St. Lawrence thanks to a temporary project called Village éphémère. This year, the Association du design urbain du Québec, an Prayers organization called Pépinière & Co and the citizens' group AmiEs du Courant-Sainte-Marie are working very hard to bring their joint Ï (1400) project of a village at Pied-du-Courant to life again. With the iconic [English] Jacques Cartier Bridge and the St. Lawrence on the horizon, the village at Pied-du-Courant will be a gathering place where people The Speaker: It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing can learn about the creativity of our local designers. of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Sackville— Eastern Shore. The organizers are inviting all Montrealers to contribute to the [Members sang the national anthem] project in their own way. I will be there for sure. Congratulations to all of the people who are rolling up their sleeves and getting involved to create a space that highlights our STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS natural places and our heritage. [English] *** WILFRED LAURIER UNIVERSITY Mr. Phil McColeman (Brant, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Wilfred Ï (1405) Laurier University's decision to launch a satellite campus in [English] downtown Brantford was a game changer for my community. At the time, our downtown core was in shambles. Laurier restored it and integrated its historic buildings into a modern, downtown university SPORT IN AURORA campus. An influx of students followed and new private investments Ms. Lois Brown (Newmarket—Aurora, CPC): Mr. Speaker, followed them. during this year of sport in Canada and with the Pan Am and Parapan Today, downtown Brantford is the place to be. Now we are set to Am Games around the corner, Canadians are applauding their break ground on another game changer, the new YMCA Laurier athletes for dedicating themselves to being athletically fit and at the recreation complex. top of their game. Overlooking Harmony Square and designed to reflect the Unfortunately for many, staying fit is not part of their daily commercial fronts that once lined Colborne Street, the new building routine. The town of Aurora has decided to draw a line in the sand will be an architectural landmark. Built into a three-story drop and proclaim that it wishes to become Canada's most active overlooking the Grand River and raised to provide spectacular community. It plans to get everyone involved, with the ultimate goal views, one will not find anything like it elsewhere. of building durable citizens who are active and remain active their I am proud that our government supported the project and all the entire lives. opportunities it will unlock for students, families and the continued revitalization of my community of downtown Brantford. Aurora is involving sports leaders, students, seniors, corporations, government officials and organizations to help the entire town *** become physically fit, more active and above all, make this athletic [Translation] movement sustainable. TEMPORARY VILLAGE Over the next five years Aurora will assemble the building blocks Ms. Hélène Laverdière (Laurier—Sainte-Marie, NDP): Mr. to become the most active community in Canada. It encourages Speaker, last summer, Montrealers enjoyed taking over the shores of everyone to follow its journey online at beactiveaurora.ca. 13830 COMMONS DEBATES May 13, 2015 Statements by Members CBC INNOVATION AWARD That is why I introduced legislation to support local volunteers by Ms. Yvonne Jones (Labrador, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased restoring federal environmental protection for the Goldstream, to rise and recognize Andrew Furey, who recently received CBC's Colquitz, and Sooke Rivers. innovation award at Atlantic Business Magazine's top 50 CEO awards. I am also disappointed that the Conservatives decided not to support NDP Bill C-638 to make the Coast Guard responsible for Andrew was recognized for the major contributions he has made derelict vessels and for tracking down the owners to make them pay as a member of Team Broken Earth. Team Broken Earth is a removal and cleanup costs. volunteer task force that includes physicians, nurses and phy- siotherapists from across Canada committed to delivering and We must act now to protect our water, fresh and salt, if not for the improving health care for people in Haiti. fish, if not for the whales, then, ultimately, for ourselves and our fate on this planet. I congratulate Andrew and thank all members of Team Broken Earth for the work they do. They make us proud to be Canadians. *** *** NEPAL CITIZENS OF THE YEAR Mr. Dean Allison (Niagara West—Glanbrook, CPC): Mr. Mr. Earl Dreeshen (Red Deer, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I rise today Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise to share a few words on what to recognize two of Red Deer's finest citizens. This past week Sheila Canadian development work abroad means today. Doing develop- Bannerman was named Red Deer's citizen of the year and Stephanie ment the Canadian way means helping where we can and because AuBuchon was named Red Deer's young citizen of the year. we can. It means responding to those who call out for help and protecting those made most vulnerable by disaster or conflict. These two constituents exemplify everything it means to be model citizens. Today marks almost four weeks since the deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Kathmandu, Nepal. In the first 24 hours of Sheila Bannerman has served central Alberta through a number of this disaster, Canada decisively responded with a $10-million organizations, including the Red Deer Public Library Board, the Red contribution to provide life-saving assistance through experienced Deer & District Museum Society Board and the Central Alberta humanitarian organizations. We deployed disaster response teams, Historical Society, and most recently as one of the main drivers of and supported the great work of the Canadian Red Cross and its Red Deer's centennial. delivery of emergency medical assistance, including critical maternal, newborn and child health services to as many as 200 Stephanie AuBuchon has volunteered with the St. John Ambu- people per day. lance Youth Brigade since she was 12. Stephanie has shown leadership by leading a number of initiatives including co-chairing To anyone who lives in this country, with the luxuries of security the first Hunting Hills High School Bike-a-Thon. Stephanie also and stability, 200 is not a great number, but to the families whose volunteers with the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre and plans on lives have been completely uprooted by this disaster, this number continuing to give back to the community by becoming a nurse. means something great. It means hope and it means that Canada's Sheila and Stephanie are truly model citizens and I speak for all of help abroad can and will continue to make all of the difference in the Red Deer when I say that their contributions to our city embodies the lives of those who need it most. spirit of our community. *** *** Ï (1410) THE ENVIRONMENT POLAND CONSTITUTION DAY Mr. Randall Garrison (Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, NDP): Mr Speaker, once again I rise to draw attention to the failings of the Mr. Ted Opitz (Etobicoke Centre, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I Conservatives when it comes to the west coast water protection. celebrate Poland's Constitution Day with Polish-Canadians, like my parents. When I first began working on water issues in the late 1980s, as the executive director of the Pacific Peoples' Partnership, one of our May 3 marked the 224th anniversary of Poland's constitution, concerns was the rapidly growing great Pacific garbage patch, which which is the oldest in Europe and second in the world only to the at that time was as big as Vancouver Island and is now a monster of United States. Liberty and democracy were foundations of this plastic garbage as large as British Columbia. document and it was regarded to contain dangerous concepts to Poland's central and eastern European neighbours at the time of its I was disappointed when the Conservatives reneged on their vote introduction. to ban the plastic microbeads that are so rapidly accumulating in our local waters. Residents in my riding, like those involved with the Other key principles included: the right to rule by majority; secret Peninsula Streams Society, are far ahead of governments when it ballots; and religious freedom and autonomy for all people. It comes to working to protect and restore water quality and fish established a constitutional monarchy and introduced ministerial habitat. responsibility in its parliament. May 13, 2015 COMMONS DEBATES 13831 Statements by Members Polish-Canadians have brought to Canada their long-standing [Translation] historic love of liberty and democracy for which they struggled so long. Poland today is free, economically prosperous, and a close STATUS OF WOMEN friend and ally of Canada. Mrs. Djaouida Sellah (Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, NDP): Mr. Speaker, Sunday was Mother's Day. Polish and Canadian troops are presently serving side by side on Operation Reassurance in Poland. On Thursday evening, Poland's Today, I want to acknowledge the remarkable work of those Ambassador Marcin Bosacki will host a celebration at the war mothers who are making Canada the country it is today. My thoughts museum. are also with all the mothers in developing countries who do not celebrate Mother's Day, women who are facing hardship and fighting I hope that all members will attend.