Pauline Rochefort
Nipissing—Timiskaming, Ontario · Liberal · Canada
“Madam Speaker, after more than five decades in business, Laura Landers of Laura's Art Shoppe in Cobalt has retired, closing the doors on a remarkable career that helped shape the artistic and cultural life of the Timiskaming region. For 45 years, her shop has been a destination for artists, collectors, tourists and residents alike.”
“Madam Speaker, I would remind my colleague that the Bank of Canada and leading economists, including today, the C.D. Howe Institute, have cautioned against spreading fear and uncertainty when Canadians are looking for solutions. I am proud to be part of a government that is focused on supporting good-paying jobs and growing our economy.”
“Madam Speaker, this week is a good week for northern Ontario. Well-paid jobs are important. In the north, there are more than 900 companies operating in the mining supply and services sector.”
“Madam Speaker, there is a lot of good news today. It is important to mention that the first Canada groceries and essentials benefit payments were deposited today. In my riding, they went out to 28,000 residents of Nipissing—Timiskaming. A single person will receive $950 and a family of four will receive up to $1,890.”
“Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Winnipeg North . [ English ] I would also like to thank my colleague across the aisle who moved that we have this debate this morning, as I do feel that there are still a few words to be said regarding the matter of an independent military honours review board.”
“David reflected that resolving an important matter often takes a village, as the expression goes. He went on to say that in the case of the Victoria Cross cause, at the heart of the village has been a fire that has burned hot for six years, enduring setbacks and disappointments, surviving the moments when progress seemed to move two steps…”
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“As a result, additional funding is needed to upgrade North Bay's water treatment plan and to remove PFAS from the water supply. This is urgent. [ Translation ] There are so many other things that I could say with regard to the comments that I heard from my community following the election and with regard to our “Canada Strong” plan. That being said, I am pleased to see that the plan and the Speech from the Throne identify those issues and that meaningful action will be taken to address each one of them. In closing, I want to reiterate my full support for the throne speech on behalf of the people of Nipissing—Timiskaming. I am happy to take any questions from my colleagues.”
“PFAS, known as a “forever chemical”, used in the foam for air defence firefighter training until the late 1990s, seeped into the airport grounds and surrounding groundwater. The city and the Department of National Defence have reached a $20-million agreement to clean up the airport. However, and I will conclude on this point, the contamination has also seeped into waterways connected to Trout Lake, which supplies North Bay with drinking water. (1110) In recent months, Health Canada has established that the maximum allowable concentration of PFAS in drinking water is 30 nanograms per litre, while Ontario's 2024 drinking water report indicates that the City of North Bay's drinking water system is the only known system in Ontario that consistently exceeds this limit due to historic PFAS contamination.”
“It has 500 military personnel who provide surveillance and warning for the aerospace defence industry and work closely with NORAD in Colorado. There are also U.S. military personnel stationed in North Bay. From a city perspective, there is a strong interest in our base. It has strong ties to our communities. We have an airport with a military-grade runway. Flight schools, a Canadore College aviation campus and Voyageur Aviation Corporation operate out of this facility. There is an increased interest in the impact of the “Canada Strong” plan, which focuses on rebuilding, rearming and reinvesting. The base's facilities need housing improvements. I will also say a quick word about an issue tied to the CFB but not its daily operations. It is related to a major water contamination problem.”
“However, they pointed out the last trade negotiations with the United States, where supply management was supposedly off the table but concessions were nonetheless made at the last minute, so they intend to remain vigilant in the future. Their second concern is for financing. They need the support of Farm Credit Canada and FedNor. Third, they ask that Highway 11 north be included in the Canada strong plan, as it is an important highway that falls under the plan's provisions for building an east-west trading corridor and twinning the Trans-Canada Highway. As we know, Highway 11 is the main route used for truckers as they travel the country from east to west. Finally, I will say a few words about defence. People may not recognize that since 1951, the city of North Bay has been home to the Canadian Forces base known as 22 Wing North Bay.”
“We sometimes do not think of the north in terms of agriculture, but there are significant opportunities for expansion in the agricultural sector in Nipissing—Timiskaming, in what is known as Little Claybelt: the area of Temiskaming Shores, Earlton and Belle Vallée. In Timiskaming, there are 456 dairy, cattle and crop farms, with an average size of over 500 acres. With the growing days, days that are getting longer, it is predicted that this is an area that will have much opportunity moving forward. When I met with influencers in that area, they spoke about three things. The first is protecting supply management. They were very thrilled with the words that were included in the Speech from the Throne, as well as with statements made by the new Minister of Agriculture .”
“The shortage of housing remains a major barrier to attracting new residents to the region and is why housing projects tied to the North Bay area will continue to need support in this mandate of government. A second issue is tied to the fact that 65% of local companies will be introducing new products to the market, and they will continue to need strong support for innovation from organizations such as FedNor and the Business Development Bank. The third issue is that 60% of these companies export around the world, and they will continue to need support from Export Development Canada for managing their risks. Second, I would like to say a few words about agriculture.”
“This past weekend, the mining institute of Canada celebrated 100 years of mining in North Bay. From North Bay, companies export and operate around the globe via the city's well-developed transportation network, including highway, rail and air connections. The local industry is known internationally for its innovation, and it collaborates with post-secondary institutions to develop new technologies. When I met with representatives of these companies, there were three issues that came forward. The first is access to labour. With mining expected to see strong growth in the next few years, what is problematic is that 21% of mining workers in North Bay are over the age of 55 and are nearing retirement.”
“Mr. Speaker, when the plan entitled “Canada Strong” was released, it immediately resonated with the people in my riding, so I congratulate all who developed this plan, which addresses our nation's fundamental need at this critical time: economic prosperity. I would now like to share some of the significant comments I received regarding economic prosperity from three sectors of my riding: mining, agriculture and defence. The first are comments received from the mining sector. As some may know, northern Ontario accounts for most of Ontario's mining activity, with approximately 200 companies, a third of which are in Nipissing—Timiskaming. Mining is the largest commercial contributor to the GDP of Nipissing—Timiskaming. The riding is a hub for the global mining supply and services sector.”
“Nearly one-third of the residents of Nipissing—Timiskaming have a working knowledge of French and English. During the election campaign, many people spoke to me about the importance of a federal government that will continue to defend the rights, freedoms and prosperity of francophone communities outside Quebec. They also spoke about the importance of protecting institutions that promote francophone culture, such as Radio-Canada. [ English ] That is a snapshot of my riding and its people. When I met with people, including business owners and organization leaders, in my riding, the issue that came up most often was leadership. That is why, when Mark Carney released the plan entitled “Canada Strong”—”
“As a former mayor of my community, I know that each community deserves a representative who recognizes its distinctive character. I commit before my colleagues today to serving each community and its citizens with attention and discernment. There are areas of our riding such as Bear Island and Garden Village, which are home to the Nipissing, Temagami, Antoine and Matawa/North Bay Algonquin first nations. It is with honour and respect that I say meegwetch to the original people and affirm my commitment and responsibility to advance the process of reconciliation. It is important to them that the government recognize the rights and contributions of the Anishinabe first nations in all discussions concerning their lands, resources and economic opportunities. [ Translation ] I also want to talk about the francophone population in my riding.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Port Moody—Coquitlam . On behalf of Nipissing—Timiskaming, I would like to offer my support to our fellow citizens of Saskatchewan and Manitoba who have been affected by the forest fires. May rain and calm weather return quickly to the affected communities. [ Translation ] Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate you on your election as Speaker. I am very proud to follow in the footsteps of Anthony Rota, who served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 2019 to 2023. He also served the people of Nipissing—Timiskaming for 17 years. [ English ] Let me start by sharing a bit of information about my riding, which is only four hours west of Ottawa. Nipissing—Timiskaming is made up of many unique communities.”