44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 26, 2022 11:00AM
- Sep/26/22 2:05:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Gaspé Peninsula, the Magdalen Islands, the Lower North Shore and the Maritimes are assessing the damage. Hurricane Fiona left devastation in its wake.
On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to offer my condolences to the loved ones of the two victims and express my support for all the people who suffered losses. I also want to thank all the people who are working to clean up the damage, restore power and help the victims. I want to acknowledge my stepfather, Mario, and all the Hydro-Québec teams that have been deployed to Nova Scotia.
I want to acknowledge that the federal government was active and collaborative this weekend. I appreciate that. However, the government also needs to realize that it is not normal to have a tropical storm here. Our regions are already experiencing the effects of climate change.
Ottawa should go and ask the people whose homes were swallowed up by the sea whether it is a good idea to keep approving oil and gas projects. It should explain to the people who lost their car, boat or practically all their belongings why it is taking their taxes and using them to subsidize the oil companies.
A tropical storm in eastern Quebec is not a normal occurrence, and it is up to the government to ensure that it stays that way.
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- Sep/26/22 2:41:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, thousands of Quebeckers marched last Friday to demand that governments take bolder action in the fight against climate change. The fact remains that if there is one government that is not doing enough, it is this federal government. Oil production continues to rise, and oil subsidies remain in place. Canada is still part of the problem, despite the rhetoric.
When will the minister start acting like we are in a climate emergency? When will he begin to take bold, concrete action to fight global warming?
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- Sep/26/22 2:42:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us talk about Fiona and the devastation in the Atlantic region. In Quebec, the Magdalen Islands, the Gaspé and the Côte-Nord were also hit hard. This is a direct result of global warming, along with the heat waves, forest fires, flooding and melting permafrost. Things are not going well, and if we do nothing then they will only get worse.
Does the minister recognize that without bold ideas, strong action, and a solid strategy to combat climate change, we are headed for disaster?
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- Sep/26/22 2:43:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we want to believe the minister. We want to see the Greenpeace and Équiterre activist, but we no longer recognize him. He is telling us that, yes, it is serious, but he is also giving the green light to Bay du Nord. He talks like a friend of the environment, but acts like a friend of the oil industry. He is saying that he will take action later, but we need action now. Let him tell the people of Atlantic Canada that he has objectives for 2030 and 2050.
Why is he putting off to tomorrow what he must and can do today? Will he immediately get rid of fossil fuel subsidies?
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- Sep/26/22 7:57:31 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it means a lot to me to be here tonight because my part of the country was hit hard by hurricane Fiona.
I wish once again to extend my most sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims in Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. My thoughts are with the people who are directly or indirectly affected by the hurricane.
The Bloc Québécois wishes once again to express its solidarity with everyone affected. We are, of course, prepared to collaborate with all MPs and parties, as well as with the government, to make sure the citizens of the Maritimes and of eastern Quebec receive appropriate support.
We are feeling an overwhelming sense of helplessness tonight, but also a great sense of solidarity. I believe it is our duty as elected members and members of civil society to give all the support we can to those affected.
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- Sep/26/22 7:57:42 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, thank you for that intervention.
As I was saying, we need to work together in a collaborative and proactive way. In exceptional situations like this, we must set partisanship aside and work for our constituents. All weekend long, my thoughts were with the residents of the Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands. I was in the Gaspé Peninsula myself, and I must say that the winds were more intense than usual. In Matane, we are used to the wind, but this time it was something else.
Again, I want to thank all the people who are still helping out tonight, especially the firefighters and the line workers. I want to say hello again to my second dad, Mario, who is in Nova Scotia right now reconnecting homes that have had power outages. I also want to thank the military, the Red Cross workers, the many volunteers from St. John Ambulance and all the people who have helped out since Friday.
The Bloc Québécois just announced a partnership with the Red Cross. We did the same thing in May in solidarity with Ukraine and raised close to $35,000. Once again, we are counting on the generosity of Quebeckers and all citizens to help those in need.
I would like to take a moment this evening to commend the federal government, which, I must say, worked actively and collaboratively this weekend. I received a call from the Minister of Emergency Preparedness. I was provided with regular updates from his team, which showed that the government was prepared to deal with the situation, at least in the short term. It was ready to communicate with all levels of government, municipalities, provincial governments and opposition parties. I think that is to be commended. In politics, we too often spend our time criticizing each other. However, it is important to give praise where praise is due, like in this case. As I was saying, we have to work together, so I really want to recognize the government's proactive work this weekend.
This proactive work was necessary because hurricane Fiona has been devastating. The storm brought sustained winds of 80 kilometres an hour, with gusts reaching 90 to 120 kilometres an hour. A gust of 171 kilometres an hour was even recorded in Nova Scotia. Southwest Newfoundland was hit particularly hard. Water ripped through at least 20 homes in Port aux Basques. Hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate the area and move into a shelter.
The magnitude of the destruction is also evident in Prince Edward Island. Countless homes, businesses and wharves have been damaged. Some 200 people had to be evacuated from Cape Breton Island. The largest waves on the Gulf of St. Lawrence generally reached four to six metres. Ten-metre waves were recorded east of the Gaspé Peninsula. Ten metres is very high. At their peak, the waves reached 16 metres. The winds and waves damaged or destroyed many buildings. They washed away homes, cars and boats, the kinds of things people often spend their whole lives working for.
Eastern Gaspé has also sustained major damage. Château Dubuc in Chandler was swept away by waves on Saturday. I will say a little more about this building. I can say that it pained a good number of Gaspesians to watch a video of Château Dubuc being washed into the sea. The video has been shared thousands of times on social networks. It was a beloved heritage building that represented part of the industrial history of Chandler. In recent years, the municipality fought to save this heritage building from being destroyed. Unfortunately, it was already in very poor condition due to previous storms, and it was already at risk of being swept out to sea.
Levels of government failed to protect it in time, despite repeated requests from local communities. This long battle to restore the former inn began with the high tides of 2016 and 2017, when its protective wall was damaged, making it even more vulnerable to inclement weather. Later, in February 2021, the wall finally gave way, leaving the building unprotected. It was already very fragile, but this once again attests to our governments' lack of foresight when it comes to extreme weather events such as Fiona.
For Patrimoine Gaspésie, the destruction of Château Dubuc represents the disappearance of a part of Chandler's history. It is the loss of a heritage property that was the last physical remnant of the city's grand industrial era, as the chair of Patrimoine Gaspésie pointed out.
The Gaspé and Percé areas were also hard hit. The waves struck with great force. The sea rose over the pier in Rivière-au-Renard. Trees and utility poles were downed. Route 132 was quickly closed in Gaspé. The site of the Gaspé Oktoberfest in Percé suffered a lot of physical damage as well. The festival has been cancelled for this weekend.
There was water and debris on Highway 132 around La Martre, Marsoui, Manche‑d'Épée and Gros‑Morne. Wave run-up also caused coastal flooding in some areas.
Other sectors of the Gaspé Peninsula were also affected. High winds downed trees along Highway 198 between Murdochville and Gaspé and on Highway 299. Some places unfortunately still have no cell service, which is causing an even bigger safety issue. Local authorities are staying alert, and the roads continue to be closely monitored by the Quebec department of transport.
On the Magdalen Islands, the damage is even greater. Waves submerged wharves in several places, damaging several boats. Flash flooding destroyed dozens of buildings. On Havre Aubert Island, the coastline was completely underwater. Almost all the waterfront homes were flooded. The winds also tore off part of the roof of the Saint‑Pierre‑de‑La‑Vernière heritage church in L'Étang‑du‑Nord.
The areas hardest hit by the flooding include the historic site of La Grave on Havre Aubert Island, the Pointe‑Basse wharf, and the La Martinique area.
We obviously do not yet have an estimate of the damages, but at least 37 people had to be evacuated. There were fortunately no deaths or injuries on the islands. Highways were reopened last night and there are many Hydro-Québec teams on site to restore power to the nearly 6,000 people affected by outages.
One of the two underwater telecommunications cables connecting the islands to the mainland was damaged. The second cable held, which allowed people on the islands to maintain direct contact with the rest of Quebec. Imagine if both cables had been damaged. People on the Magdalen Islands would have been left to fend for themselves.
According to the interim mayor, they are looking at tens of thousands of dollars in damage, unless there are other surprises in the coming days. That is likely, since it is very difficult to assess the situation right now. It is still difficult to assess water damage on site.
Work to backfill the cliffs in Cap-aux-Meules was well under way when Fiona hit the east coast. The work site has suffered an estimated $150,000 to $200,000 in damage.
The beach developments in the Havre-Aubert area have held and proved their effectiveness. There was some flooding. The water went over the shoreline, but nothing was destroyed. We can conclude that the project was successful. That is at least one positive thing to take away from this that will help for what is to come. What is to come is the implementation of climate change adaptation measures.
The Government of Quebec quickly offered help. It will compensate island homeowners who did not have insurance. A special office will be set up in the next few days. Homeowners who were affected will be able to submit a request to the Department of Public Safety online or by phone.
Several cities quickly declared a state of emergency. In the Gaspé, declaring a state of emergency allows local mayors to make financial decisions without going through the city council. It is usually done to simplify the setting up of support programs to help the people affected.
As for the federal government, I know the government was on alert and had possible solutions on the table. However, I also know that when similar events have occurred in the past, the funds sometimes took a while to flow, which was criticized right away. I hope the government will step up quickly this time.
One thing is certain: We cannot leave municipalities and provinces to fend for themselves. In Maria, in my riding, it recently cost $10 million to deal with the effects of climate change on one short kilometre of road. It is often said that the energy transition will be expensive, but not doing it now will cost us even more.
This all raises many questions. One question I think we need to ask ourselves is this: Why is eastern Canada being hit by a tropical storm?
In an interview on CPAC earlier, I was asked about the connection I made in the House today between hurricane Fiona and climate change. The truth is that it is impossible not to make that connection. There is a direct correlation between global warming and extreme and violent weather events. That is undeniable. The experts agree.
Data recorded over the past 50 years ago by the U.S. National Hurricane Center show that cyclone events have clearly been increasing in intensity since the late 1990s.
Scientists expect that global warming will result in more intense cyclones producing stronger winds and more rain because of higher ocean temperatures. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, confirmed it in its August 2021 study.
Whether the current disaster is directly or indirectly related to climate change is certainly not what we are debating. The fact is that climate change will result in more extreme weather events that will have a greater impact on our way of life and our societies. The current disaster is an example of the challenges the world will face in the future.
The proliferation of extreme weather events means governments need to do more faster to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so we can minimize global temperature increases. Governments also need to adapt to the effects of climate change by doing things like upgrading infrastructure. That is the adaptation piece.
I want to emphasize the importance of making the energy transition a reality in order to build a more resilient society. As early as the summer of 2020, my party made proposals to that effect when we published a green recovery plan. Quebec's regions have needs when it comes to adapting to environmental change. Our regions are not immune to the devastating effects of natural disasters. We are seeing this once again today.
We need to focus more on protecting our shorelines. For years, the Bloc Québécois has been asking the government to take a more aggressive approach to tackling shoreline erosion. There used to be a federal program that provided funding for shoreline protection. It was abolished and never reinstated. The Bloc Québécois has suggested reinstating it and even proposed that a fund be created to fight erosion with $250 million in annual funding. The funding must be recurrent and predictable.
The fight against climate change must be based on both mitigation of and adaptation to the effects of climate change. The amount of money invested in the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund is not enough to build the kind of infrastructure we need to counteract the negative effects of climate change. It is about $3 billion over 10 years. That is not enough.
The throne speech mentions investing in preventing and preparing for certain negative impacts of climate change. It talks about a national adaptation strategy. That would be the first such strategy to be published by the Canadian government. The environment minister talked about it at COP26 last year. Almost one year later, nothing has been published. We know nothing about the strategy or the Canadian government's plan for adaptation and resilience in the face of climate change.
Is it not unusual that, in 2022, we still do not have this plan, even after experiencing several intense weather events, such as this weekend's storm?
I believe that now more than ever, we must get to work, develop this strategy and implement it as quickly as possible to help our communities be more resilient and prepared to face climate change and its effects.
I believe this will quickly become the priority. The minister knows this full well. I do not know why he is not taking action right now. If members want my opinion, it is deplorable that the Liberal government boasts about fighting climate change, but does not implement the changes required to make the energy transition happen in Canada and to divest from fossil fuels. What we are seeing today is that it is not enough to fix the damage caused by weather events. We must prevent these events from happening in the first place.
People are getting increasingly worried. In my riding, more and more citizen committees are being formed to call on the different levels of government to act immediately. A woman who owns land in Métis‑sur‑Mer contacted my office recently to say that stones at least a metre in size have been carried away by the sea over the past year. People from Sainte‑Félicité who had never engaged in activism before gathered one Saturday this spring to take part in an event organized by a UQAR student studying shoreline erosion. Every participant said the same thing: They are worried about the future.
We cannot in good faith or good conscience continue to fund projects that exacerbate climate change. Today, the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs was studying whether indigenous communities are ready and able to deal with natural disasters.
Darcy Gray, the chief of the Mi'kmaq community of Listuguj, recounted the painful memories and events tied to the 2018 flooding, which affected a number of homes. He mentioned that the criteria for compensation changed along the way, lowering the number of qualifying homes.
These events could happen again. Are we really prepared to deal with that? The answer, unfortunately, is no. We have to take action to both adapt and mitigate.
Canada has long been criticized for not meeting its greenhouse gas reduction targets and for continuing to heavily subsidize its oil and gas industry instead of investing in renewable energy and developing the green economy.
However, the government remains obsessed with fossil fuels and unwilling to start gradually cutting back production. Much was made of the promise to cap oil and gas sector emissions, but that promise did not include gradually phasing out coal, oil and gas. The claim is that these industries can be environmentally friendly by making their operations less carbon-intensive.
In other words, as the world transitions away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy systems, Canada and the Liberal government are transitioning from fossil fuels to fossil fuels.
How many taxpayer dollars will Canada waste on helping polluters pollute less instead of helping innovative companies create the economy of the future?
For example, Canada's grey-hydrogen strategy and the dubious promises regarding carbon capture, use and storage technologies have already made it clear that the Liberals' inaction is going to come with a hefty price tag. We are already paying millions of dollars to develop untested technology that will be implemented years from now, when it is too late to help Canada meets its 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target. All of that to produce so-called greener oil and gas rather than making the real ecological and energy transition.
Whether the current catastrophe is directly or indirectly linked to climate change is perhaps not the subject of the debate. However, it reminds us that we must absolutely, and as quickly as possible, prepare our communities to face the effects of climate change, which will be increasingly violent.
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- Sep/26/22 8:15:24 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question in French. It is much appreciated.
We will certainly fight alongside him to ensure that the government steps up and helps those affected by the devastating effects of hurricane Fiona.
However, what I would like to see from the Conservative members is a commitment to helping the government implement measures so we can adapt to climate change. This is not just about dealing with what happened this weekend, but also about preparing for the future and preventing the effects of climate change, which could be increasingly devastating.
Given the winds and waves that hit the Magdalen Islands, I can say that the shorelines took a hit and that investments in resilient infrastructure will be required. This is needed not just in the Magdalen Islands, but throughout the country.
I am counting on my colleague to fight with us on this issue.
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- Sep/26/22 8:17:03 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am happy to be able to return the favour and correct my colleague. I was talking about the national adaptation strategy announced by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change last year.
He announced it again at COP26 in Glasgow, which I also attended. This strategy has unfortunately not yet been released. We hope it will be made public before the end of the year. At least that is what it says on Environment Canada's website, which I consulted earlier.
Yes, some smaller investments have perhaps been made, but certainly nothing significant enough to allow us to feel confident about the future and the resilience we will need to show.
This would be the Canadian government's first-ever national adaptation strategy. What I was saying earlier in my speech is that, in 2022, such an adaptation strategy is long overdue, because the regions of Quebec and cities and towns across the country are already dealing with the effects of climate change.
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- Sep/26/22 8:18:37 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her question.
In fact, there are no barriers. There is simply a lack of political courage. The government has all the tools it needs and knows exactly what needs to happen. It has a former environmental activist as Minister of the Environment. It knows exactly what it needs to do to ensure that we succeed in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, do our part internationally, and make the transition and follow examples like that of Quebec, which has been using renewable energy for many years.
There are no barriers. The government already has all the solutions, but it lacks the courage to implement them.
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- Sep/26/22 8:20:58 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I absolutely agree with everything my colleague just said. Obviously, the Bloc Québécois agrees, since it has been saying for such a long time that we need to move away from fossil fuels. Other solutions exist and it is not as though we are empty-handed. No, there are other ways.
We promise to work with stakeholders; we promise a fair transition. At least, that is what the industry is asking for, that is what workers are calling for. They also know that they will have to make sacrifices, but they are prepared to do that. It still takes leadership from the top, however. If the federal government does not want to move forward with the transition, the communities, the cities and provinces cannot do it alone. The government really needs to make a serious commitment and one commitment that could be done quickly, immediately, would be to end fossil fuel subsidies.
Canada not only favours these energy sources, but it continues to take money from taxpayers and hand it over to these companies that are already making billions of dollars on the backs of consumers. I think that this type of measure would send a strong message from the Liberal government, who claims to be a partner in the fight against climate change.
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- Sep/26/22 8:23:22 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague is our critic for tourism, and I had the opportunity to welcome her to my riding and the Gaspé Peninsula this summer.
She knows full well what everyone loves about the Gaspé region. It is the scenic drive that loops around the entire peninsula. It is a wonderful feature, and what draws so many folks to our region.
However, parts of highway 132 were washed away by waves. Parts of it eventually collapsed because of shoreline erosion. We had to rebuild highway 132, the only road that leads to Gaspé, Percé and Bonaventure if you want to go all the way around.
This is having a huge impact on our economy and on tourism. If we want to remain a tourist destination, we have to be able to take care of ourselves, provide emergency services, and make sure that the economy continues to function and that trucks can get through.
I talked about Murdochville earlier. It is pretty much the only town in the middle of the Gaspé Peninsula, right in the parc national de la Gaspésie, and there is no network access on the road. Power cables and trees fell on the road. It was a major safety issue in addition to high winds and rain. There would have been serious consequences for anyone unfortunate enough to be on the road in the middle of that. It happened last weekend, and it will happen again. We have to be prepared for that.
As I was saying, the government is already aware of all this, and it already has the tools to launch real adaptation.
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- Sep/26/22 8:49:58 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I agree with him. I mentioned earlier that the government was well prepared, at least in the short term, this weekend to help and work with people on the ground. What worries me more is the medium- and long-term preparation.
As we heard earlier, everything is connected. The greenhouse gases emitted by the Canadian oil and gas industry are directly connected to the rising temperatures around the world, which are connected to the rising temperature of the oceans, which is causing extreme weather events. I think that we need to be prepared not only in the short term but also in the medium and long term.
Does my colleague agree that Canada needs to take action against climate change if we want to be prepared and improve things around the world? The government must stop funding the oil and gas industry and must do more to get our greenhouse gas emissions down.
Does the member agree that the government is not doing enough to prepare for the long term?
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