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House of Commons Debates VOLUME 146 Ï NUMBER 140 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday, June 13, 2012 (Part A) Speaker: The Honourable Andrew Scheer CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 9347 HOUSE OF COMMONS Wednesday, June 13, 2012 The House met at 2 p.m. exposure with shorter telephone calls, hands-free devices and text messaging, because children are more sensitive. Prayers The people of Oakville do not want cellular antennae that broadcast electromagnetic radiation located near their homes, schools, daycare centres or health care facilities. We have good Ï (1405) coverage for phone calls and do not need cellular towers everywhere [English] to broadcast hockey games to hand-held devices in every room. The Speaker: It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led today by the hon. member for Thunder Rogers and Telus are working with local residents, but Bell Bay—Superior North. Canada has placed powerful antennae 11 metres from a child's bedroom and over the heads of our firefighters and refuses to move [Members sang the national anthem] them. This is intolerable. I would tell the president of Bell Canada, Mr. George Cope, to tear down those antennae. STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS *** [English] THE ENVIRONMENT [Translation] Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP): Mr. Speaker, I had the enormous honour earlier today to meet with Bonnie and LES GRANDS RANGS CO-OPERATIVE Gord Johnston of Sundre, Alberta. They came to Ottawa to plead with members of Parliament to remember that when a pipeline leaks Ms. Annick Papillon (Québec, NDP): Mr. Speaker, Thursday, it is not just the environment that is devastated, it is families and it is June 14 will mark the official opening of the grocery and deli of the lives. Les Grands Rangs co-operative on Saint-Joseph Street, in the heart of the Saint-Roch neighbourhood, in the riding of Québec. Gord Johnston grew up on the 23 hectares where his family lives on the banks of the Red Deer River. Their beautiful river became a flood of oil that has now contaminated their entire property. Bonnie The original idea was to create a model for building bridges and Gord were in tears as they pleaded with members of Parliament between rural and urban areas, and between producers and to bear in mind what happens when environmental regulations are consumers. The co-operative's mission is to bring together various weakened. artisan producers of local agrifood and agroforestry products from the greater Quebec City region and other surrounding regions. In their own words, and they asked me to convey this today, they said, “Please, Mr. Prime Minister, you need to stop and think. The environment is where we live”. The new co-operative will allow for knowledge transfer among generations, thus helping to preserve heritage and ensure the future *** of farming. This networking among producers, users and the public CELLULAR TOWERS will contribute to socio-economic development, while respecting sustainable development, equity and local traditions, as well as ties Mr. Terence Young (Oakville, CPC): Mr. Speaker, cellular to the territory and community. telephones and cellular telephone antennae emit radio frequency electromagnetic radiation that the World Health Organization has classified as possibly carcinogenic. That is why Apple and RIM Les Grands Rangs co-operative is a powerful symbol for building warn their customers to not touch BlackBerrys and iPhones during a a local, collective, united economy that respects our environment. call and to keep these devices at least 15 millimetres from their Let us celebrate the knowledge of our producers and put some bodies. Health Canada tells parents to reduce children's EMR Quebec on your plate. 9348 COMMONS DEBATES June 13, 2012 Statements by Members Ï (1410) Park on Earth Day. In 2004, he incorporated his organization, Open [English] Flag Planet Earth, whose objectives are to educate the public on the preserving the environment and to host an open house in green space CANADA-RUSSIA RELATIONS annually. Mr. Mark Adler (York Centre, CPC): Mr. Speaker, yesterday marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada I admire and I congratulate Johann on his commitment to the and Russia. It was also the 22nd anniversary of Russia Day when the environment. declaration declaring Russia state sovereignty was signed in 1990. I am proud to speak to the enormous contributions Russians have I also congratulate Brittany MacLean, a grade 12 student in made to our country. Over half a million Russians have chosen Etobicoke Centre. On March 27, Brittany competed in Canada's Canada as their home. As the representative of the riding with the Olympic trials and won the 400-metre freestyle event. Her time of 4 largest number of Russian speaking people in Canada, I have had the minutes and 6.8 seconds not only broke her personal best but also privilege to participate in the richness, complexity and beauty of the beat the Canadian record, which has stood since 2005. Most Russian culture first-hand. remarkably, her win qualified her for the London Olympics. I look On the commercial front, our bilateral relationship means jobs for forward to cheering her on this summer. Canadians. Just last wee, our Minister of International Trade led a successful trade mission to Moscow and St. Petersburg with a I congratulate both Johanne and Brittany on their personal delegation of Canadian companies with an eye to increasing the $2.7 achievements. I am proud of the exceptional residents who call billion worth of bilateral trade that currently exists between our two Etobicoke Centre their home and whom I have the honour to countries. represent. We all know that trade means jobs, growth and long-term prosperity, which we on this side of the House are committed to. I *** wish our Russian friends Pozdravliau S Dnem Nezavisimosti. *** CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF CO-OPERATIVES Mr. Matthew Kellway (Beaches—East York, NDP): Mr. Hon. Mauril Bélanger (Ottawa—Vanier, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Speaker, we know there are skill shortages in this country and yet Corporate Knights is a respected quarterly magazine which, for 11 the government has hit the delete button on about 300,000 skilled years, has been publishing the list of best 50 corporate citizens of worker applications. It is shoddy public administration, economic Canada. To do so, it uses 11 indicators that measure social and mismanagement and is callous. environmental performance and corporate governance. The top three companies this year are Le Groupe Desjardins, It has also prompted a number of visits to my office from Vancouver City Savings Credit Union and the Co-operators Group. constituents, including one whose sister and family have been in the It is fitting that in this, the International Year of Co-operatives, the queue since 2006. She wrote to me stating, “As a landed immigrant three leading corporate citizens in Canada are co-ops. and now a proud Canadian Citizen, I am absolutely devastated to [Translation] hear about the proposal of handing back my sister's application... [along] with their future dreams and opportunities of a better life for Monique Leroux, the chair of the board, president and CEO of Le themselves and their children in Canada. Groupe Desjardins, had this to say, “This speaks volumes about our 'cooperative DNA'. As organizations, we’re rooted in our commu- “I cannot believe it has come to this...this is not the Canada we nities, dedicated to our people and the environment, and managed immigrated to. I am left with a heavy heart and an emptiness in the with a view to long-term development.” pit of my stomach, and the deep sadness for why I chose to come to [English] Canada and call it home. This is not what Canada stands for”. As well, all three companies are led by women: Monique Leroux for Desjardins; Tamara Vrooman, CEO of Vancity; and Kathy Indeed, it is not. Bardswick, president and CEO of the Co-operators Group Limited. Here also, the co-ops are truly leading the way. *** *** CHILD HEALTH INITIATIVES PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS Mr. Ted Opitz (Etobicoke Centre, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I rise Ms. Kellie Leitch (Simcoe—Grey, CPC): Mr. Speaker, it is my today to acknowledge the achievements of two remarkable pleasure to rise today to speak to an important organization that constituents from my riding of Etobicoke Centre. The first is Johann helps raise awareness for the health of Canadian children and youth, Fisch, who has, for the past 30 years, planted a tree in Broadacres the sandbox project. June 13, 2012 COMMONS DEBATES 9349 Statements by Members The main goal of this charity is to make Canada the healthiest the New Democrats went out and listened to the concerns of the place on earth for a child to grow up in. With a focus on anti-obesity Canadians, and they are speaking out in incredible numbers against strategies, injury prevention, children's mental health and the this bill. We are fighting on their behalf inside and outside of the environment, the Sandbox project's ambitious but achievable goal House. is to make measurable progress against these health issues through collaboration. Today I am asking Conservative members to do the right thing In an effort to raise awareness about the importance of child health and vote to respect the will of Canadians and the basic principles of initiatives, today this organization has the world's largest sandbox democracy. here in Ottawa. Elementary school students from across Ottawa were joined by ministers, members of Parliament, NGOs, as well as *** industry, media and academic leaders to participate in sandcastle building.

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