“I want us to pass this motion now so we can start debating right away.”

“Madam Speaker, my understanding is that we are just going to carry it. We are anticipating that we will get into debate right away. We request that it be carried.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. It sets up a national plan to better share information and predict floods and droughts. It helps towns, farmers, and provinces work together to prepare for disasters, without taking away any provincial powers.”

“moved that the bill be read the third time and passed. She said: Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise again today at third reading stage of Bill C-241, which seeks to establish a national strategy for flood and drought forecasting. Since I introduced this bill in the House, we have had the opportunity to discuss it with our colleagues, hear from various experts and look more closely at several important issues when it was studied by the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. I would like to thank the members of the committee for their work, as well as the witnesses who took the time to share their knowledge and recommendations. I also want to sincerely thank Dr. John Pomeroy from the University of Saskatchewan for his expertise and his valuable contribution to this bill. I am also grateful to my colleague, the member for Lac-Saint-Louis, for working on this bill with me. When I began this process, what I wanted most was to address a very real concern: What can we do to make sure our communities are better prepared for floods and droughts? In my riding of Terrebonne, flooding is not a remote risk. The 2017 and 2019 floods reached my riding and highlighted the vulnerability of certain waterfront areas. In January 2018, rising waters on the Rivière des Mille Îles caused flooding in a number of homes in the Côte de Terrebonne area, forcing municipal authorities to declare a flood. We know that these events can significantly impact families, businesses, farmers and municipalities. We also know that Canada has extensive scientific expertise in this area. However, there is still work to be done to better coordinate our efforts and facilitate access to reliable hydrological forecasts. In many Canadian communities, anticipating risk is essential for protecting our infrastructure, supporting municipal planning and, most of all, keeping residents safe. That was the goal I had in mind when I introduced Bill C‑241. I am not claiming that we can prevent natural disasters. I am proposing an approach that will allow us to better understand needs, strengthen collaboration among the various stakeholders, and look for ways to improve hydrological forecasting in Canada. The context in which we are discussing this bill also deserves our attention. The commissioner of the environment and sustainable development released a report last May on flood hazard mapping in Canada. This report contains findings that should concern us all. According to the commissioner, roughly 80% of Canada’s highly populated areas are located, at least partially, in flood hazard zones. He also points out that, between 2016 and 2025, our government spent an average of $230 million a year on post-flood relief. These figures illustrate the financial consequences of such disasters, but they do not tell the whole story of how these events affect people’s lives. When a family has to leave their home, when a business has to close temporarily or when a municipality has to repair damaged roads and infrastructure, the impact goes far beyond the immediate costs. The report also notes the challenges associated with producing and distributing flood hazard maps. The commissioner also observes that the information available is not always easily accessible or user-friendly for those who need it most. The commissioner’s report reminds us of the importance of having reliable data, sharing it more effectively and ensuring that the information produced can truly support decision-making. These concerns align with the objective of my bill. Canada already has considerable expertise in the field of hydrology. Our universities, researchers and water management agencies are doing vital work to better understand the phenomena affecting our waterways and watersheds. Several provinces also have their own monitoring and forecasting systems, tailored to their geographic realities and responsibilities. The challenge, therefore, is not to start from scratch, but to determine how these efforts can be combined and better coordinated. Waterways do not follow administrative boundaries, and hydrological events can affect multiple municipalities, provinces or territories. When information is collected in one region, it may also be useful in another region. That is why it is to look at how to improve data compatibility, promote data sharing, and strengthen ties between different forecasting networks. However, I want to be very clear: Bill C-241 is not intended to take responsibilities away from the provinces or to replace their current systems. Rather, it aims to establish a framework for collaboration that recognizes existing expertise and assesses opportunities for improvement at the national level. During my testimony before the committee, I had the opportunity to explain that differences among observation networks, measuring instruments, and analytical methods can complicate information sharing. I also emphasized that better coordination must involve respect for one another’s jurisdictions. It is easier to share information when we all speak the same language. Among the amendments adopted, one specifies that the strategy must consider measures that the Government of Canada may take in response to the assessments set out in the bill. In particular, it refers to the preparation of a proposal for the establishment of a co-operative, national hydrological and water resources forecasting service and system based on the federal-provincial distributed model of the national hydrometric program. This reference to the national hydrometric program is particularly relevant because it paves the way for an approach based on co-operation rather than centralization. Bill C-241 instead calls on the government to examine needs, assess opportunities and put forward measures that could be implemented in collaboration with relevant partners. One aspect I would particularly like to highlight today is the importance of working together to tackle the risks of flooding and drought. Although these two phenomena are different in nature, they present many of the same challenges when it comes to forecasting, water management and community preparedness. Floods often have immediate and visible consequences. They can force evacuations, damage homes, disrupt local economies and place considerable strain on municipal public services. In contrast, droughts tend to develop more gradually and have significant effects on agriculture, the water supply and certain industrial activities. The agricultural sector is particularly affected by these challenges. Farmers must make decisions based on weather and water conditions that can vary considerably from one season to the next. Better forecasting tools can help them plan, particularly in terms of water use and managing risks associated with periods of drought or heavy precipitation. During the committee study, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture submitted a brief laying out the specific needs of the agricultural sector, and I would like to thank the CFA for that. We also have to recognize the needs of indigenous communities, including those in remote regions or flood-prone areas. Both local traditional knowledge and scientific expertise have an important role to play in helping us understand hydrological conditions and prepare for extreme events. That is why Bill C‑241 provides for consultations with provincial and municipal governments, indigenous governing bodies, universities, civil society organizations and the private sector. Another important aspect of the bill is the structured approach it proposes, complete with timelines and accountability. The strategy will have to provide for an assessment of the benefits of improved national coordination, modelling needs and opportunities to improve short- and long-term forecasting. It will also have to consider investments and novel technologies that could help develop these capabilities. This will give us a way to collaboratively reflect on how we can improve the forecasts on which many important decisions depend. For municipalities, this information can help with infrastructure planning and emergency preparedness. For farmers, this information can support certain water management decisions. For governments, it can help them better understand the needs of communities and guide preparedness efforts. Scientific data has considerable value, but its usefulness also depends on our ability to make it available, interpret it properly and incorporate it into the decisions made on the ground. This practical aspect is particularly important to me in the context of Bill C‑241. Since the beginning of this process, I have been able to observe how water management issues involve diverse expertise and concerns. Scientists are interested in data quality and forecasting models. Municipalities are dealing with operational and budgetary realities. Provinces have important responsibilities to fulfill in managing water resources, while citizens primarily want to be able to live and work in their communities safely. In Terrebonne and in communities across the country, people expect the different levels of government to work together when public safety is at stake. They should not have to worry about which level of government holds certain data or which network is responsible for a forecast. What matters is that the necessary information is available and can be used effectively by the relevant authorities. It is in this spirit that I hope to see the bill move forward. We already have institutions, researchers and partners carrying out vital work. We must now examine how best to pool their knowledge and capabilities while respecting each party’s responsibilities. In introducing this bill, I hope to contribute to a debate that goes to the heart of the safety and future of our communities. I remain convinced that we must continue this work in order to improve Canada’s ability to anticipate the risks of flooding and drought and support decisions made by stakeholders on the ground. I therefore invite my colleagues to continue their consideration of Bill C-241 in this spirit of collaboration and responsibility, so that we may move towards better co-ordination of hydrological forecasting for the benefit of Canadian communities.”

“The changes to my bill did not ruin it. They are reasonable changes we agreed on in committee. The bill will still create a national plan to help Canadians prepare for floods and droughts.”

“Madam Speaker, I do not feel as though my bill has been gutted. I think these were entirely reasonable amendments that I was able to discuss with the committee members. The goal is really to have a national strategy and to be able to help as many Canadians as possible. That is the direction we are taking with this bill.”

“I want this bill to pass. It lets the federal government work with the provinces on flood and drought forecasting. Quebec has experts who can help protect communities across Canada.”

“Madam Speaker, the whole principle of this bill is based on a forum for collaboration with the various provinces. I would like to specify that Quebec has a great deal of expertise in this area. Some researchers from UQAM are asking to be included in a round table to get everyone on the same footing when it comes to prevention and taking action on hydrological conditions. That will help to protect not only Quebec but all communities in Canada.”

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“Towns and cities need money and infrastructure to deal with flooding, but they need good data first. What did local leaders say to you about this, and is there anyone else you want to thank?”

“Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her excellent speech. As a former municipal councillor, I understand how important it is that municipal infrastructure be supported to deal with the risks we are facing of increased flooding, and how important it is for municipalities to have financial support, but it all starts with data. I am wondering if my colleague could speak about the feedback or consultations from municipalities she spoke with. In addition, the member has already mentioned all the folks who helped her in this journey. I am wondering if there is anyone else she would care to thank as part of her remarks.”

“Municipalities organize their information in different ways. Floods and droughts cross borders, so we need everyone to use the same data system. That will help us work together to make better forecasts.”

“Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to thank everyone in the House, including the clerks, who helped me so much throughout this process. For a novice MP, this was quite the process. I am grateful for their help. As for municipalities, what I keep hearing is that everyone is organizing the information differently with different data systems. As I mentioned earlier, it is really important that we all speak the same language. Once we do, we will be able to collaborate. Floods and droughts do not recognize territorial boundaries. They do not know where a province begins or where a municipality begins and ends. It is important to me that we speak the same language when it comes to data so that we can come together and work in concert to make much better data-driven forecasts.”

“I want the House to pass this bill to create a national plan for predicting floods and droughts. Severe storms and flooding are getting worse, causing millions of dollars in damage in my riding and costing lives. Instead of just paying to rebuild after each disaster, we need better science and Indigenous knowledge to predict them and protect our communities.”

“Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the private member’s bill from the member for Terrebonne, Bill C-241, an act to establish a national strategy respecting flood and drought forecasting. This bill is not just important to the country; it is really important to my riding of Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish. During the Labour Day weekend in September this year, for the second time in less than two weeks, my riding was hit by heavy rain and major flooding that resulted in damage to homes, roads, bridges, small businesses, and major infrastructure that connects various parts of Cape Breton, which is still being rebuilt today. For days I toured around the riding, listening to constituents who have gotten far too used to the impacts of climate change and weather-related events, witnessing the damage that came from the heavy flooding from more than 140 millimetres of rain in some areas to more than 200 millimetres in other areas, and seeing the damage to homes and small businesses. The forecasted amount of the damages is over $20 million right now. It has been catastrophic for Cape Breton, which had three separate state of emergencies called in less than 24 hours. The most tragic part of this was to hear that in Richmond county, the flood took the life of a Cape Breton woman. My thoughts and prayers are with her family. Major weather events are happening frequently in my riding of Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish. In Nova Scotia, during my time as a member of Parliament over the last seven years, three times we have had to access the disaster financing arrangement because of weather-related emergencies due to hurricanes, heavy rainfalls and heavy snowfalls that we have not seen in generations or decades. No member of the House wants to have expertise in accessing and talking about disaster financing arrangements, but unfortunately, during my time as a member of Parliament, I have gotten so used to accessing the disaster fund that I have come to know it well. It is good that we have a disaster financing arrangement when these major weather-related events happen, that we are there for the provinces, municipalities and first nations communities. Up to 90% of the funding is covered by the federal government as part of major weather-related disasters. These programs are designed by provincial governments, they put the bill in and we pay it. Sometimes I wonder if we are just rebuilding without thoughts to the future about what we need to do to mitigate further disasters. I want to be clear that the science and data have told us for more than a decade that climate change will impact northern and coastal communities first. In fact, when I was first elected, I went to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which highlighted what climate change would mean to the north, to coastal communities and to indigenous communities, which are often in flood zones. The unfortunate part is that the situation is not an anomaly but is becoming a pattern. From the science and research we have heard with respect to these rainstorms, hurricanes and other weather-related events, over the next 50 years, the rain will not decrease but will increase to amounts of up to 20% to 30% greater than they currently are. This is why we need a national strategy to improve flood forecasting in Canada as proposed by the bill. It is why I support the bill. It is why, more than ever, we need to work not only to rebuild, but also to have the research and capacity to prevent future floods. We need to build back not just better but also more resilient, and we must flag the areas where we know drainage needs to be improved. It is concerning to see that infrastructure that was just fixed two or three years ago after the previous disaster is once again washing away due to severe rain and flooding. We have to figure out how to mitigate and adapt to the future of climate change. We need the research, the technology and the capacity. We need to use all the resources at our disposal to make sure we have a strategy moving forward and that we are able to build to ensure that the work we are doing addresses climate change and adapts to climate change. Canada has significant research capacity in hydrological monitoring. This bill would examine the opportunities to build on this existing capacity and the expertise of our academics. Let us ensure that, with this private member’s bill, through this important flood strategy, we make the necessary investments and do the necessary work so that no MP in the House has to stand up to talk about a constituent they lost in their riding due to weather-related events that could have been prevented. I would like to thank the member for Terrebonne for her private member’s bill and her commitment to the environment. It is, indeed, important that we continue to do the work. Not only is she a strong advocate for the environment but for the work that we need to do to address climate change, and I thank her immensely for that. This bill captures the spirit of collaboration and co-operation by ensuring that we would use provincial, territorial and indigenous knowledge to inform a national strategy that can help prevent floods and droughts and allow us to better plan for emergencies. This strategy would be a way to have the entire country speak the same language and share expertise in order to close the gaps so that all communities across the country are safer. In closing, I want to talk a bit about someone who helps my understanding and our responsibility toward the environment, and that is Dr. Albert Marshall, an elder from Eskasoni in my community. He is renowned throughout Canada not only for his work in indigenous knowledge and his commitment to the environment, but also for his belief that we must use indigenous knowledge and western knowledge in a two-eyed seeing approach to help us ensure that we are consciously aware of the things that we are doing moving forward that impact our environment. I want to highlight that this bill follows the same approach and explicitly provides for consultation with indigenous governing bodies to ensure the strategy is designed with both indigenous and western knowledge in mind. Elder Albert Marshall always taught me that we are interdependent and interconnected to all elements of the environment. In Mi’kmaq terminology we call it “netukulimk”, and it teaches us that we have responsibilities not only to each other and our communities but also to our environment. It is important for us, when we are looking at this strategy moving forward, that we develop this with balance in mind, living in balance with our environment. This private member’s bill encourages us to do so, and I am glad to support it. A national strategy would ensure that we are prepared for the impacts of the heavy rain, floods and weather-related events that are to come, but this important piece of legislation would help us ensure that we are mitigating the damage to come and make our country a safer place for all Canadians.”