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Member of Parliament

Gord Johns

  • Member of Parliament
  • Member of Parliament
  • NDP
  • Courtenay—Alberni
  • British Columbia
  • Voting Attendance: 67%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $148,159.67

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 235 - Oct/19/23
Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)
  • Oct/19/23 10:26:51 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table this petition on behalf of constituents of my from Ucluelet and Tofino. Emergencies at Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park are attended by Parks Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard, West Coast Inland Search and Rescue, B.C.'s emergency response group and the RCMP. However, rescues initially fall into the hands of surfers and beachgoers. The petition cites many people who have died over the last few years, including someone who died this year. According to Parks Canada, over a million people visit Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, making it the third most visited national park in Canada. Lifeguards watched over the beach as part of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve surf guard program for 40 years until the federal Conservative government cut the program in 2012. We will not find a beach in this country with more people in the water and no lifeguards. Petitioners are calling on the government and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to reinstate the surf guard tower and surf guard services, and extend the duration of the surf guard program to accommodate the growing number of emergencies, as well as visitors at Long Beach in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. This would save lives.
215 words
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