Special Adjournment Debate (Ice Storm) in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the leaders of all of the parties, especially the Leader of the Opposition, asked for or agreed to a debate at this point to discuss the totally unprecedented events in Eastern Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes in early January.

As you know, there are times when nature reminds us who is really the boss on our planet. Despite our advanced technology and knowledge, we can one day find ourselves at the mercy of forces beyond our control. It is a great lesson in humility. For several million people in Eastern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick - from Wolfe Island to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu - the ice storm brutally reminded us how vulnerable we are in the face of nature's fury.

There are times when we realize that our status as Canadians goes far beyond our geography, our citizenship and our common history. To be Canadian is to be a member of a living and active community. Wherever we live in this great country, be we rich or poor, whatever our political bent, we are all citizens. As such, when things go wrong, we help each other, we work together and we band together. As in the case of the floods in the Saguenay and in Manitoba, the ice storm of 1998 triggered this natural reflex in us.

A few weeks ago, no one would have believed that a continuous rain around the freezing point would put so many cities and villages in the cold and in the dark, for days in certain cases, and for weeks in others. No one would have believed that complex hydro networks which took years to build would be destroyed in a matter of hours, that giant pylons would bend in no time flat under the weight of the ice.

Most members of Parliament, including myself-either by personally visiting the affected areas or by watching the situation unfold on television-were able to witness the damage, as did all Canadians. Canadians quickly got over their shock and displayed a profound desire to help the victims of that storm. When this winter disaster struck, families, neighbours and - for that matter - all Canadians came to the rescue.

Faced with untold misery and uncertainty, communities came together. People reached out to one another. They lent a hand. They cooked meals. They opened their homes. As the extent of the crisis became clear, local and provincial governments quickly marshalled their resources: to assess damage, to organize emergency food shelters, to co-ordinate volunteers, to provide people with information concerning where to go for help, and to warn of the dangers.

Everyone did their part. Partisan politics was absent. I met with the premiers of Quebec and Ontario. During the first hours the premiers were all calling. The Premier of Newfoundland offered to send his line men. The same offer was made by the premiers of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The premiers of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia called to ask what they could do. They told us that they had all sorts of equipment available. Everybody wanted to come to the aid of the people who were in difficulty. I would like to thank them for that. It was a great sign of solidarity.

Mayors followed the situation very closely, as did municipal officials. They spent days, if not weeks, with hardly any sleep, to provide assistance to those in need.

It was quite obvious that an exceptional effort was required, because this was a truly exceptional storm. Very quickly, the crisis took on national proportions and demanded a national response. It required the resources of the entire Canadian government.

When the governments of Quebec and Ontario called for help, all the resources of the Canadian government were mobilized. We were prepared to co-operate with provincial and local governments to speed up the relief effort. We had to look after people's safety and build co-operation. We focussed on helping individuals, families, small businesses and farmers.

The Canadian Armed Forces spearheaded the Canadian government's effort. At the peak of "Operation Recuperation," over 15,000 regular and reserve soldiers were deployed in all the regions devastated by the storm. They helped the hydro teams restore power. They cleared debris. They helped people get to shelters. They provided food and beds and blankets for those who needed them. They visited all families that had not left their homes to make sure they were safe. They provided assistance to everyone.

Their mandate was to do what needed to be done and ask questions later, because this was a national emergency. They did an outstanding job at helping local authorities and all the victims.

Equipment was airlifted from Vancouver and Victoria, and stops were made in every provincial capital along the way to pick up the equipment local authorities were making available to the storm victims: generators, equipment provided by power companies in every province. Planes even had to be chartered abroad for this purpose.

The American army was called in under the terms of an agreement we have with them. I want to stress that the American army responded immediately to assist the Canadian army in carrying out its duties. In my opinion, this turned out to be a major source of help for the Canadian army, which has so often been called upon to help abroad.

When they had the occasion to serve the Canadian people, I met them and I know how anxious they were to do the right thing, a spirit they have developed over the years travelling abroad in difficult circumstances. They were very happy to help the citizens of Canada who were in trouble at that time.

I talked with the soldiers who came from all over Canada. They were in the local communities helping people. They came from British Columbia, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Alberta and Manitoba. Many of them were in Quebec and they could not speak a word of French, but they communicated in their own way with the people to help them restore order and gain comfort.

It was a great moment for them. All members of Parliament should be very proud of what the Canadian forces did in those troubled communities. They did it with a sense of pride. It was a call to duty. Now they have been re-deployed. Some are still there because the problems have not been completely solved. They will stay there as long as they are needed.

When they arrived in the villages and in the towns, the sense of security, the sense of solidarity was felt by all the citizens. Sometimes we have tended to criticize them, but it was good to see that when they were needed, they did a fantastic job.

In "Operation Recuperation", the federal government did all it could to help at the time. To date we have spent some $250 million to help people in difficulty as the result of the catastrophe. We have advanced $50 million to the Government of Quebec and $25 million to the Government of Ontario to help them with the difficulties they face.

Obviously, we have not yet seen the final bill. It will be enormous, unfortunately. However, Canadian solidarity will be expressed once again, because up to 90% of the expenses incurred by the provincial governments will be reimbursed by the federal government. That is what Canadian solidarity is all about. We help each other out in difficult times.

The Minister of Human Resources Development made a fund of $45 million available to municipalities to help them do the necessary clean up and repair work.

The Department of Public Works put all federal government equipment at the disposal of the victims. The minister sent the mayors-it was very urgent, he paid in advance-tax payments or payments in lieu of taxes so that the municipalities would have cash on hand to meet the unexpected obligations they must face.

Revenue Canada allowed all those importing generators and other equipment from the United States to cross the border quickly and will ask questions later to ensure that the laws have been complied with. The Department of Health, with emergency systems located across the country, immediately gave the order to ship the available beds, bedding and medicines to the devastated regions as promptly as possible.

I believe the government did everything possible under the circumstances, and when our fellow citizens are in difficulty, it is our duty to spare no efforts to make their lives easier.

Canadians from across the land showed their solidarity. They sent blankets, food and money. There were all sorts of donations. The Red Cross has received $6 million in relief so far. The donations came from everywhere, big and small. The NHL gave half a million dollars.

On the plane when I was travelling with Team Canada the businessmen raised $150,000. One of them got up and said that there was a problem and everyone started signing cheques, despite having had to pay at least $15,000 to be part of the team. Those businessmen pitched in $150,000.

There were all sorts of good examples. I would like to make particular mention of Kaija Belfry and Linnea Clough, two 11th grade students from Prince Edward Island, who were in Quebec when the ice storm struck and who gave their friends back in P.E.I. the idea of collecting money for the disaster victims; and of two New Brunswick children, two little boys named Joshua and Christopher Ogden, who sent in part of their weekly allowances. They sent in $2, a sizeable sum to them, and they sent it in.

Six rail cars containing some 360 cords of firewood were collected in Halifax, Windsor and Sydney, Nova Scotia. The member for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke sent 12 trucks of his own firewood from a business he has with his brother. There were members of Parliament calling other members of Parliament offering help. There was equipment coming from everywhere. The Member for Provencher collected generators to be sent to Quebec and Ontario because of the situation, because they were needed. The army was collecting and delivering them.

Imagine how the farmer who had not been in a position to milk his cows felt when he saw Canadian soldiers arriving with a generator to help him do his job. Imagine him standing at his barn door and receiving help from Manitoba, Saskatchewan or other parts of Ontario.

Members of Parliament called members in affected areas to offer help. That is something of which we can be very proud. Also, I should mention Ashley Franzon , a grade four student at James Bolton Public School near Toronto, who organized a drive to collect emergency supplies.

A Francophone club from Windsor, Ontario, called "Place Concorde," organized a fund-raising event called ``Brise-Glace''. Grand Forks High School, in British Columbia, got in touch with the students of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to offer them assistance and even to invite them to come to British Columbia during the storm, to share their facilities. The CHMB radio station, in Vancouver, collected over $15,000. Such a show of solidarity, support and friendship is simply unprecedented.

That is why, my dear friends, even though the situation is not completely back to normal yet, we say thanks to all Canadians on behalf of those who benefited from their support.

I have always believed that while times may change, fundamental values remain the same. This extraordinary reaction on the part of Canadians, whether they live next door or at the other end of the country, reinforced my belief. I will never forget all that was done. More importantly, the victims of the ice storm will never forget it either.

This showed, once again, how lucky we are to be Canadians. In this great country of ours, one thing is now very clear: the word solidarity is not just a word, it is a reality.