Official Hansard
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.
