text:
October of 2013 was a completely lost month. The snow storm called "Atlas" happened on October 4 and 5. We were out of electricity for almost a week. The first week after the storm it seemed we spent collecting cattle. Ever day we collected more cattle. They could be neighbors cattle or your own, but more stragglers kept coming in. Fortunately the weather stayed mild, but the sun never seemed to come out. It just stayed cloudy.
Our neighbor to the west had is cattle drift onto our south pasture. Since most of the fences were snowed under, some fences were under four or five feet of snow, I told him to leave them there as they were content to stay. Our cattle had congregated on the alfalfa field along the creek around our house. They spend part of the winter there so were completely content.
This was the scene out our bedroom window one morning. The cows grazing on the lawn by the house.
A week after the storm it still hadn't froze, so the grass and trees were still green.
Then we started dragging dead cattle out of the pastures and creeks and road sides. Over here most of our cattle were lost in deep snow as they tried to cross the deep snow in the deep draws. Some made it to the creek and the snow covered them. So we had to wait for snow to melt so we could find them. Then 2" inches of rain fell and brought the creek up and flooded everything. So then we had to wait for the water to go down and the ground to dry out enough that we could get out on the prairie and the fields. The carcasses lay rotting in the water and nobody could get to them. There was a lot of frustration due the constant waiting to do something.
The Meade county emergency management called and asked if they could make a burial pit on a school section that we lease. The county came in and dug a pit to put 350 head in and if they needed more room they would dig another pit right next to it. The day the pit was dug we hauled about fifty head to it. About twenty head were neighbor's cattle that were laying on the school section. Then we hauled from our fields and road sides to get the rest.
Last Monday Mr Micheal Scuse an under-Secretary in USDA that oversees FSA and NRCS came to Union Center and we were among those that met with him then we led him up to the pit on our school lease. Also Mr.Craig Schaunamen , director of the state FSA was along. The pit is filling fast. The ground is drying enough that people can finally get out and haul big loads of cattle across the prairies.
Last Thursday over here at Fairpoint we finally were able to drag cattle out of the creek. We had a big crew and good equipment that we had access to so we drug and buried close to two hundred head. A lot of them were scattered along the creek. One group of around sixty head was stuck in a bend in the creek below a steep bank. They must have stumbled over the bank and down into the creek and the deep snow and succumbed.
Suddenly half the month was gone. All we had gotten done was gather cattle. Sort cattle. Drag dead cattle and dig holes to bury cattle. The City of Strugis and most of the business came to Union Center Community Center and cooked steaks for the surrounding community. They served steaks for several hours and fed over 600 people. Many people came one hundred miles to the event. The Governor and Sec. of Agriculture from Pierre were even in attendance.
This last week we have been able to direct our attention to the living. We sold steer calves in Philip on Tuesday. They had one of the biggest sales they have had in a few years. Finally ranchers could get their cattle out on to sale barn to get sold. Next Saturday we will sell the rest of our calves that we run over here at Fairpoint. Then we hope to sell lambs the next week. The lamb market has been one bright spot. We were going to sell lambs early in October, the price would have been around $1.45 per pound. Now lambs are bringing over $2 per pound.


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The phrase is 07288.H page 174 and I used Vivid Ultrmarine ink to stamp it.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Make 10 Card 02
The patterned piece on this card is the number 2 piece on the template. The edge was torn but I changed it to a straight cut. It is also edged with Vivid Olive ink. I added a narrow strip of green and then navy cardstock to the edge then glued to a prepared top-fold card front.
Posted by Canadian Carole at 5:20 AM
Labels: 07288H page 174, Make 10 Card 02
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text: The United States Supreme Court has ruled in United States V. Garibay that the waiver must be knowing and voluntary. The court suppressed statements due to a combination of lack of IQ to understand and inability to speak the language. As such, it is fair to interpret that it would be necessary for the Miranda rights to be translated for the defendant in order for teh waiver to be consensual. The actual question posed was "Can the Police read Miranda rights in English then use a translator to interpret a confession." In this scenario, it would be illogical for the police to be permitted to use the confession when the rights were not understood by the defendant. The Miranda requirement is that the defendant be apprised of his rights and make a knowing waiver of these rights. If he does not speak English and the only Miranda warnings were given in English, he could not have knowingly waived these rights. In practicality, the police should and often do have the interpreter first translate the defendant his rights. Many police agencies have the Miranda warnings in writing and also have at least a Spanish translated version for the defendant to sign. If you have a question regarding your rights, whether the police gave a fair Miranda ruling, and/or have been charged with a crime in Northern Kentucky and you have further questions, you may contact attorney Michael W. Bouldin at [email protected] or 859-581-6453 (581-MIKE).


text:
All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.
House of Commons Hansard #210 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was women.
House of Commons Hansard #210 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was women.
Opposition Motion—Feminine Hygiene ProductsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
1:10 p.m.
The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.
Opposition Motion—Feminine Hygiene ProductsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
1:10 p.m.
Some hon. members
Opposition Motion—Feminine Hygiene ProductsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
1:10 p.m.
The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
All those opposed will please say nay.
Opposition Motion—Feminine Hygiene ProductsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
1:10 p.m.
Some hon. members
Opposition Motion—Feminine Hygiene ProductsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
1:10 p.m.
The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
In my opinion the yeas have it.
And five or more members having risen:
Pursuant to Standing Order 45 the recorded division stands deferred until Monday, May 11, at the ordinary hour of daily adjournment.
Opposition Motion—Feminine Hygiene ProductsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
1:10 p.m.
Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON
Mr. Speaker, I believe if you seek it, you will find the unanimous consent of the House to see the clock as 1:30 p.m.
Opposition Motion—Feminine Hygiene ProductsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
1:10 p.m.
The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
Is that agreed?
Opposition Motion—Feminine Hygiene ProductsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
1:10 p.m.
Some hon. members
Opposition Motion—Feminine Hygiene ProductsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
1:10 p.m.
The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
The Chair has received a notice of a question of privilege from the hon. member for Toronto—Danforth.
Access to Centre BlockPrivilegeGovernment Orders
1:15 p.m.
Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on a question of privilege. I was blocked from accessing Centre Block, and thus the House of Commons, by an officer of the RCMP. This physical obstruction impeded me from performing my parliamentary duties, which I believe constitutes a prima facie breach of my privileges as a member. I am rising at the first opportunity.
I remind the House that Erskine May's Treatise on The Law, Privileges, Proceedings and Usage of Parliament, defines "privilege" in the following way on page 75:
Parliamentary privilege is the sum of the peculiar rights enjoyed by each House collectively…and by Members of each House individually, without which they could not discharge their functions....
I will fairly briefly describe what happened, then the argument on procedure will be limited, as I will adopt other argument that has appeared before the House.
Today, on May 8, at approximately 10:35 a.m., I arrived on Parliament Hill on foot by the O'Connor entrance from Wellington. I proceeded up past the lawn along the sidewalk that runs north, east of the West Block. At the top, at about the midpoint of where the sidewalk curves along the balustrade overlooking the lawn, a cluster of people were stationary in front of an RCMP officer just in front of a barrier running alongside the driveway. At this point, I was directly below the MPs' entrance to the House of Commons and obviously very close to it. My trajectory was to be, and later became, the same as it always is for me and other MPs arriving on foot: to proceed straight north from that point in the sidewalk and enter the Centre Block via the West Block entrance and thereafter the lobby and the chamber where today proceedings in which I wanted to participate were under way.
At that point, I walked through a gap in the waiting group and proceeded to walk toward and then alongside the RCMP officer, gesturing to my pin, which I was wearing on my lapel. I was asked to stop. I told the officer I was an MP and she said that did not matter. I asked whether she wanted to see my ID. She said that it was irrelevant. I nevertheless took out my MP identity card, which she glanced at in my hand but did not take to inspect. I asked whether she knew she had a duty to let an MP through. She said that she had orders to stop everyone. At that point, I proceeded to take two or three steps up the sidewalk, saying that I wanted to get to the House. She moved toward me with her arm outstretched to block my way, without physically touching me. So, I stopped to resume the discussion, as I was not going to put her in the position of acting in any further physical fashion on what were clearly orders from her superior officers. She was doing her job as best she understood it, in light of orders from the RCMP command on the Hill.
To be clear about what her orders were, I then asked whether she was under orders to stop MPs as well as others. She replied she was under orders to stop "everyone".
At one point in the conversation I asked why I was being stopped. She said that VIPs were coming. I could see in the near distance the red carpet going up the main steps of the Centre Block. I asked whether the fear was that an MP would do something to these VIPs. She avoided the question, understandably recognizing its rhetorical nature. However, the point is clear. The only logic at work in this obstruction was one of protecting the safety of a VIP from a person the RCMP knows to be an MP. On that logic, there is little to stop the RCMP from putting in place orders that obstruct the movements of MPs inside Parliament's buildings in order to protect VIPs from us, the MPs. This may sound like a stretch, Mr. Speaker, but that is the logic of what happened. I was stopped because I was treated indistinguishably from non-MPs, as an equal threat to a visiting dignitary.
I then asked for the RCMP officer's name, and she showed her badge. I then pointed out to the waiting group that they were witnessing an MP being stopped from getting to the House of Commons. At that point, she got on her radio and asked whether she could let an MP through. An answer came back to let "everyone" through, with no specific response about an MP. I then walked the rest of the short distance to the West Block entrance to Centre Block.
I have the officer's name, but the name is irrelevant, as this issue is about the command of the RCMP, all the way up to and including the Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner for Federal Policing, and their disregard for the rules of Parliament Hill related to the parliamentary privilege of MPs. This is about the system within which the officer had orders to operate. It is not about the officer, who I want to emphasize was firm but also polite.
I also took no record of the time that elapsed because it is irrelevant to the issue, which is that in these circumstances no obstruction of an MP was justified in the least. I am happy to say for the record, if it matters to some, that it lasted no longer than the time taken for the events and the conversation just described to transpire, almost certainly less than a minute.
As for precedents, as you know, Mr. Speaker, the second edition of the House of Commons Procedure and Practice states the following:
In circumstances where Members claim to be physically obstructed, impeded, interfered with or intimidated in the performance of their parliamentary functions, the Speaker is apt to find that a prima facie breach of privilege has occurred.
Having reminded you of something that you do not need to be reminded of, Mr. Speaker, I am sure I will save the House's time by adopting by reference all of the authorities cited and argued by my colleague, the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley, in his question of privilege on April 30. Hansard will, of course, have those arguments in full for the Speaker to consult.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I would ask you to consider my question of privilege and the facts I have just related to the House. I believe you will find that my privilege was breached and that I was prevented from carrying out my functions as an elected member of the House of Commons. If you find that there was a prima facie breach of my privileges as a member, I am prepared to move the appropriate motion.
Access to Centre BlockPrivilegeGovernment Orders
1:20 p.m.
Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON
I am rising, Mr. Speaker, to advise that the government will be looking into this matter. We will get back to the House once we have looked at the issue and have been able to ascertain certain precedents and facts. We will get back to the House with a response from the government in due course.
Access to Centre BlockPrivilegeGovernment Orders
1:20 p.m.
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Speaker, that is exactly the problem. The government has usurped your role as Speaker to look into a question of privilege. It is not up to the partisan Conservative government to look into breaches of privilege; it is up to you, Mr. Speaker. This is exactly the point that was made by the government House leader when the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley raised what is now becoming a pattern of breaches of privilege of members of the House.
New Democrats had raised significant concerns when the government decided to throw up in the air the existing security systems in the House of Commons. It did it in a very irresponsible way. It did not consult the Speaker at all. The Prime Minister's Office decided in a very partisan way how to proceed. Now we are consistently seeing breaches of privilege of members of the opposition.
The government is saying it will look into it. That is entirely inappropriate, and a breach of your privileges, Mr. Speaker; we are asking you to look into this breach of parliamentary privilege, as we asked you to look into the breach of privilege that occurred to the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley and the member for London—Fanshawe. This is becoming a pattern.
We know that you will want to take some time, Mr. Speaker, to reflect and to look into it, but it is your purview, your office, and it is your role as Speaker to look into this, not a partisan Conservative government trying to take over what is clearly an issue of breach of privilege of a member of the opposition.
Access to Centre BlockPrivilegeGovernment Orders
1:20 p.m.
Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON
Mr. Speaker, under no circumstances would the government ever suggest that the Speaker does not have authority here. When I hear the member across the way say "partisan Conservative", that is what that is all about.
What I meant by that response is that every single member of the 308 members of Parliament has a right to speak on an issue, including the government. That is what I addressed the Chair about, not to question your authority, not to preach to the Speaker, suggesting that somehow you had better be careful, Mr. Speaker, because we are keeping an eye on you. That is exactly the sentiment.
We respect, 100% and wholly, the authority of the Chair. We think there are certain things we would like to look into to be able to give the government's side of the issue, and that is it only.
Access to Centre BlockPrivilegeGovernment Orders
1:20 p.m.
The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
I thank hon. members for their interventions and the hon. member for Toronto—Danforth for bringing this matter to the attention of the House.
Members will know that this is an issue that is currently being considered, and these other interventions are noted. I also note that there is an interest on the part of the hon. member for Northumberland—Quinte West, indicating that the government would like an opportunity to address the question of privilege raised this afternoon at a later time.
We will, of course, take all of this under advisement in the course of the deliberations on the matter.
We will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's order paper.
Ferry Services to Prince Edward IslandPrivate Members' Business
1:25 p.m.
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
That, in the opinion of the House, the government should ensure a safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation system for Prince Edward Island by: (a) recognizing the integral economic importance of the ferry service between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island, and Caribou, Nova Scotia; and (b) committing to stable, long-term, sustainable, and adequate funding, notably by ensuring that all future contracts (i) are for no less than five years, (ii) maintain or exceed current levels of service.
Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to stand in this great chamber. This is an issue that I have dealt with over quite a few years, and it is important in my riding. I want to thank the hon. member for Charlottetown for seconding my motion. He is also well aware of how important this service is to Prince Edward Island and Pictou County in Nova Scotia.
Members will also be aware of how important the Wood Islands ferry service is to me and to Prince Edward Island, particularly eastern Prince Edward Island and Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Every year, this ferry takes over 475,000 passengers, 160,000 vehicles, and 18,000 commercial trucks between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. The ferry has an economic impact of $27 million a year to the island, and it has a good effect on the communities, mostly Charlottetown and eastern Prince Edward Island. The ferry also has an economic impact of over $12 million to Nova Scotia, particularly the Pictou County area.
For background, the ferry service connects the Trans-Canada Highway from Wood Islands in eastern Prince Edward Island to Caribou, Nova Scotia. It is run by Northumberland Ferries Limited, or NFL, with headquarters located in Charlottetown. NFL has operated this ferry service since it was established in 1941 by the Government of Canada.
To go back even further, in 1935, prime minister Mackenzie King brought Saskatchewan politician Charles Dunning back into federal politics to make him the minister of finance after the Great Depression and to help with the country's finances. Dunning was the minister of finance in 1929, but was defeated in the R.B. Bennett election of 1930. He had a great reputation for hard work and fairness. In the 1930 general election, as I said, he was defeated.
He restarted his business career and earned a great reputation. Mackenzie King regained power in the 1935 general election, and immediately convinced Dunning that he needed him in those tough economic times. Dunning was elected by acclamation as a candidate in the dual riding of Queen's County and Prince Edward Island, which was one of the four dual ridings across the nation at that time.
One of the biggest local issues at the time for the people of Prince Edward Island, and I am sure for Pictou County in Nova Scotia, was that the establishment of this ferry service was vital to the economy of both areas. Dunning made sure that the interests of the people he represented were looked after and established the ferry terminal at Wood Islands. A new privately owned company, Northumberland Ferries Limited, was established to manage and operate the ferry service, and the government kept ownership of the terminal properties and the vessels.
Charles Dunning left politics in 1939, but the ferry service was nevertheless established in 1941. It has continued to be one of the most important issues for the people of eastern Prince Edward Island to this day. I might add that Mr. Dunning was elected from Regina, and I am pleased to say that the Regina area has a habit of electing very good finance ministers.
It is also important to realize that this was done after the Great Depression. The people had the wisdom at the time of how important this was, and that if we were going to have a good economy, we had to have good transportation links. Mackenzie King, Charles Dunning, and many other people, certainly understood the vital importance of this link.
A major redevelopment of the Wood Islands terminal took place in the early nineties. I happened to be here at the time. One of the things that was done was double deck loading. This meant that the new vessel that came into service was able to load vessels a lot quicker, and it made for more efficiency.
The federal government continues to provide financial assistance to NFL under the terms of a contribution agreement while the company leases two ferry terminals and the vessels from the federal government. Today, it is the only ferry service to the mainland. As an interprovincial ferry service, the route qualifies for federal funding, with the amount of approximately $6 million per year to keep the critical link between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia operating safely and efficiently.
The way that the government has treated this critical link to the mainland over the past few years is quite concerning. Near the end of the last five-year deal, which was put in place by the Liberal government, there was quite a lot of speculation that the funding would be cut and the service reduced to one vessel or eliminated entirely. Eventually, with the support of the people from Prince Edward Island and Pictou County in Nova Scotia, we convinced the government to back away from that awful idea. Thanks to the government and the people who rallied, they put a three-year deal in place. That was followed by a one-year extension, in 2013. Then last year the government extended the service for two more years.
Short-term contracts are not enough. The operators of the ferries, the people and business people in Prince Edward Island and Pictou Country, Nova Scotia need stability. They need to understand that this critical service will remain in place. They need to have a longer term deal in place for at least five years, and one that maintains or exceeds the current service that is provided.
In fact, a document put together by the four Atlantic provinces called "Charting the Course Atlantic Canada Transportation Strategy 2008-2018" highlights that ferry service is integral to an economy of a region. It lists Wood Islands and Caribou as strategic marine ports and service centres for cargo and passenger movements.
This important document, which I encourage all members to read, also states that federal cuts to ferry services have potentially serious consequences for our entire region. We all know that things have only become worse in the last number of years. The fact is, the government does not do anywhere enough to supply our country's ferry services, especially in the Atlantic region. I hope that this motion will bring to the attention of the government how vital this is to our region and other regions in Atlantic Canada.
We just have to look at the Marine Atlantic and the government's recent cut of $108.1 million to the service. This service is also an interprovincial service connecting the Trans-Canada Highway to Newfoundland. Marine Atlantic expected that there would be more money in the budget, but instead it got nothing, and the government thinks that is the way to go.
This is what worries so many people in Atlantic Canada and in my district of Cardigan. The government fails to see the importance of these vital links in our region. In fact, it fails to see the importance of the Atlantic region in general. We are all aware of how much the cutbacks have affected our regions.
I am quite concerned about what will happen, but with the communities, the business leaders, and everyone working together, I am hopeful that we can secure a long-term deal. I hope my motion will be supported by the government and all of the people in the House.
All we want is to have a service provided to us in eastern Prince Edward Island and Pictou County, Nova Scotia. The government may highlight its spending of $13 million on engine upgrades and rehabilitation for infrastructure of the wharves in 2013, which was a good idea, but we have to be careful where that goes.
Most of this work had already begun and was planned and budgeted for by Transport Canada, so it was not actually new money. The work had already begun well before the announcement. It is work that was needed to be done, and I am pleased the work was done, but we have to make sure that the service continues the way it is.
Conservatives on the island after this had happened had great hopes that there would be a long-term investment coming, but we only ended up with a short two-year contract. I can assure this House and the people of Canada that this fight is just beginning
I would like to say I am hopeful that these needed infrastructure upgrades would set the stage for the government to put a new deal in place, but there are a number of things that concern me about it.
The Conservative government likes to hand things over to the private sector. It is in a cost-cutting mode and it has already hit eastern Prince Edward Island especially hard with the closure of the addictions research centre, our national award-winning EI claims processing centre, the devastating changes to the EI program, and a number of other federal government jobs lost in the area.
The federal subsidy is critical for the survival of the Wood Islands-Caribou ferry service. It is also important for the people of Nova Scotia, especially Pictou County and central Nova Scotia. We truly cannot afford to lose this kind of economic activity after having to deal with so many other losses.
We need a long-term contract. We need stability. I hope the government will see fit to support this motion, support this vital ferry service, and ensure future contracts are at least five years in length and maintain or exceed the service levels currently provided. It is vital to the business communities and the people I represent.
I hope the government will take a look at just what took place over the last number of years. We have to go back and see the wisdom that there was in the people who established this. It goes back to Mackenzie King's government. It goes back to just after the Great Depression. Money was very short, but King and Charles Dunning saw the great need for this ferry service and how important it would be for Prince Edward Island and the Pictou County area of Nova Scotia.
About $6 million is the amount involved, and it generates about $27 million. It is vital to every part of our economy in eastern Prince Edward Island.
When we look at charting the course with the Atlantic Canada transportation strategy, they were able to indicate quite clearly how vital these services are if we are to have an efficient and vibrant economy in the areas where these ferry services are in place.
If there is any concern about whether it is valuable or not, I wish that government members would talk to Tom Carver or Morley Annear. These people own large trucking companies. They understand the cost that is involved. They understand what it would cost in order to take stuff even to a hardware store in eastern Prince Edward Island. They understand the costs that there would be for even fertilizer to come to the province. All of us understand exactly how important it is for the tourism industry.
It is very important that the House understand how vital the Wood Islands-Caribou ferry service is to the economy of eastern Prince Edward Island and Pictou County, Nova Scotia. I urge my colleagues to support this motion and give us a long-term contract.
Ferry Services to Prince Edward IslandPrivate Members' Business
1:40 p.m.
Essex Ontario
Jeff Watson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I have had the great pleasure of extending a Nova Scotia vacation into Prince Edward Island, specifically by way of the ferry that the member mentioned.
In his speech the member noted a number of significant investments made by this government since 2006. I believe it is over $100 million in that particular ferry now. He did forget to mention the over $1 billion that we put into Marine Atlantic, and more coming.
He called these things "good things to do". He did say he was "pleased". He was so pleased, but he could not bring himself or his colleagues to vote in support of any of the appropriations to make the ferry meaningful.
The member knows very well that this government is looking at the long-term sustainability of our ferries, including this one, but based on his past performance, can he tell us whether he is just going to vote against any of that support anyway?
Ferry Services to Prince Edward IslandPrivate Members' Business
1:40 p.m.
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Mr. Speaker, I truly believe my colleague from Essex is a fair politician. However, to indicate that I would vote against an omnibus bill that contains a number of poison pills that we cannot accept has absolutely nothing to do with the Wood Islands-Caribou ferry service. It has absolutely nothing to do with the economy of Pictou County in Nova Scotia or the economy of eastern Prince Edward Island.
I would ask my fair and hon. colleague from Essex this. He used the ferry service. Could he please understand and indicate to his colleagues how vital this is, in fact, indicate that to my colleague from Pictou County himself? If they use this service, they will understand how vital it is. Again, I ask that they please evaluate this and do the right thing.
Ferry Services to Prince Edward IslandPrivate Members' Business
1:40 p.m.
Philip Toone NDP Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Cardigan for his speech. He raises a very interesting question, especially for the people of eastern Canada, the Maritimes and Quebec, where there are many ferries.
We are all wondering how it is possible that budget 2015 makes no mention whatsoever of ferries and provides no funding. We heard the parliamentary secretary say that the Conservatives are interested in examining the issue of ferries. I would like to get it in writing that they are willing to support us in eastern Canada with real measures to support ferry services throughout the Maritimes and in western Canada.
When the Liberals were in power, they abandoned and dismantled public services. One example is CN, which is a basic, essential service across Canada and one that they utterly abandoned.
Is it not true that the Liberal Party developed the bad habit first and simply paved the way for the Conservatives, so that they could do what the Liberals did, only faster? Is that not the case? Are the Conservatives not simply Liberals in a hurry?
Ferry Services to Prince Edward IslandPrivate Members' Business
1:40 p.m.
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague from Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine started off quite well but then he went astray. If we want to talk about what governments did, I sit alongside a former minister of finance who balanced the budget, but that is not the subject today.
The subject today is to ensure that we have a proper contract signed for the Wood Islands-Caribou ferry service. We want to ensure we have the proper transportation system in place.
My hon. colleague from Essex indicated that there were a lot of expenditures. My concern is the Conservatives spent a lot of money on the Montague post office, but then they sold it to the private sector. If they take away the federal government investment in the Wood Islands-Caribou ferry service, the service will end.
We cannot play games here and talk about other issues. The issue here is the Wood Islands-Caribou ferry service, and to ensure the Government of Canada puts a proper contract in place.
Ferry Services to Prince Edward IslandPrivate Members' Business
1:45 p.m.
Essex Ontario
Jeff Watson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his annual Chicken Little motion that he brings before the House once again.
Canada is a maritime nation with vast coastlines. Ferry services have allowed for greater economic development and the building of stronger and more integrated communities.
Ferry operators employ Canadian businesses to help ensure Canadians receive the safest and most efficient ferry service possible. According to the Canadian Ferry Operators Association, ferry services directly employ over 8,400 people with well-paying jobs and indirectly help generate over 22,600 jobs throughout Canada.
Moreover, as important components of regional transportation networks, these ferries connect families, bring tourists to the far corners of our country and ensure businesses in remote communities have opportunities to connect to larger markets every day.
Our government recognizes the benefits that ferry services provide and supports ferries from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador.
It is for these reasons that I am pleased to rise and have the opportunity to speak on private member's Motion No. 591 on ferry services between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou, Nova Scotia. The motion before us today proposes that we recognize the importance of the Wood Islands to Caribou ferry service, that all future contracts with the ferry operator are at least five years in length and that we maintain or exceed current service levels.
I can assure this chamber and Canadians that our government does support the Wood Islands to Caribou ferry service. Our support is long-standing and consistent.
This ferry service was first established in 1941 when the federal government began providing support for the service through Northumberland Ferries Limited, which has remained the ferry operator for all of these years. While the Wood Islands-Caribou ferry is only an eight-month service, it helps to meet the diverse transportation needs of Prince Edward Island's economy. During the 2014-15 operating year, the ferry moved over 353,000 people and over 15,000 commercial vehicles across the Northumberland Strait. It is an important component of the island's economy. As such, our government has provided $100 million in funding to support the continuation of service since 2006.
Another way our government supports the ferry service is by leasing the two terminals and chartering the two ferries used on the Wood Islands to Caribou route, the MV Holiday Island and MV Confederation, to the current operator for a nominal amount. However, the MV Holiday Island, built in 1971, and the MV Confederation, built in 1981, are aging. These ferries have required significant investments over the past four years to maintain safe and reliable operations.
Our government has invested over $10 million in the past four years to undertake a number of repairs on the terminals and ferries, including a main engine replacement for the MV Holiday Island. Our government has made these investments because it recognizes that important economic and social infrastructure has developed and been enhanced by the presence of the ferry service.
Finally, our government further supports the island through its contribution towards the Confederation Bridge. To support this alternative transportation route, this government provided $61.7 million in funding toward the bridge in 2014.
Our government's commitment to ensuring safe and secure transportation linkages in the Atlantic region is further highlighted by the approximately $150 million our government has provided to support the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec to Souris, Prince Edward Island and the Saint John, New Brunswick to Digby, Nova Scotia ferry services.
I would like to note that a new vessel was purchased in October 2014 at a cost of $44.6 million to replace the MV Princess of Acadia on the Saint John to Digby route. This vessel will ensure the continued safe and reliable operation of another important eastern ferry service, while creating jobs and economic opportunities in the region. The competition to name the vessel closed in February, and so I know everyone is looking forward to learning the winning name and a date for the ferry's entry into service.
Also, on les Îles de la Madeleine, our government heard the need for a year-round link to the islands. In 2009, our government extended the 10-month service to year-round service.
As announced in July 2014, our government is working toward developing a long-term sustainable approach to supporting eastern Canada's ferry services. This initiative, along with our government's announcement of a $58-million investment in the three eastern Canada ferry services until March 31, 2016, has created an opportunity to establish a sustainable, long-term approach to supporting these ferry services into the future. Our government is using this time to engage the Atlantic provinces, Quebec, and ferry operators to further this initiative that is in the interest of all Canadians.
I understand the member for Cardigan's desire to ensure that the region continues to be served by a reliable and efficient ferry service. However, our government is conducting this work because ferry services are facing challenges. Pressure on ferry sustainability is following a worldwide trend. Domestic and international ferry operators are responding to these pressures through new and innovative approaches. These new approaches could be implemented in a way that would allow our ferry services to be more efficient while also improving the passenger experience. There is a need to understand and learn from these approaches to ensure that the eastern Canada ferry services continue to meet the high standards Canadians expect.
To conclude, our government is committed to supporting the Wood Islands-Caribou ferry service through a long-term, predictable, and sustainable approach.
Our current objective, however, is to ensure that our government has the time to complete its examination of options to determine the right level of service under the right parameters to support the long-term prosperity and economic development of the region.
Motion No. 591 would impede our government's ability to do that. It is for this reason that our government cannot support Motion No. 591.
Ferry Services to Prince Edward IslandPrivate Members' Business
1:50 p.m.
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Motion No. 591, concerning the ferry between Wood Island, P.E.I. and Caribou, Nova Scotia.
As somebody who represents northwestern British Columbia in this place, we know the ferry system as well as anybody does. It is good to support our friends and fellow Canadians on the other side of the country who are dealing with a government that has shown inconsistent support to the ferry services across Canada and has fallen far short of promises made by the Canadian government, time and time again.
The fact that the government could not even bring itself, in hundreds of pages of the 2015 budget, to even mention Wood Island and the vital ferry service shows where the government's priorities are. It is certainly not with the people of P.E.I. and Nova Scotia. That is the reality. Those are the choices it is making.
The government has lots of money for unfair income-splitting initiatives, $2 billion-plus for that. It has billions more for other pet projects. However, when it comes to vital services that actually help Canadians stay connected to other Canadians and when it comes to helping services that actually help our economy, the Conservatives are nowhere to be found.
We saw it again today with 20,000 more jobs lost in the Canadian market. That parenthetically marks 16 months in a row that Canada has had less than 1% growth in our economy, which is the worst stretch of economic performance outside of a recession in the last 40 years. The Conservatives are wrapping themselves in this idea of how well they are doing on the economy, except for the facts. The facts are the facts that Canadians face each and every day.
It goes without saying that many of the services like the one we are talking about today, and many other ferry services across the country, pay for themselves in whatever support is offered by the government. If we look around the world, particularly the developed world, the developed nations in Europe, Australia and whatnot, the ferry services provided there, and the strength of the central government, is much stronger and consistent than what we have in Canada.
Coming from British Columbia, as anyone who has ever visited the coast of B.C. from south all the way through to the north, ferries are an integral link. They are in fact our highway system. If people are driving down Highway 16 in northern British Columbia and get to Prince Rupert, they get on the ferry and keep going when they get to the other side, in Haida Gwaii, some four or five hours away on the ferry. I have taken that ferry many times.
It is a vital link. To suggest that it does not deserve support would be like saying to people in the Greater Toronto Area that there will be no support for development on Highway 401, or saying to people along the TransCanada, that it is not a vital link anymore. For us, the ferry service is exactly what it is. It is a link between us and the rest of the country.
When B.C. entered confederation, as part of the deal, the Government of Canada promised to support ferry service. Yet, what we have seen from consecutive Conservative and Liberal governments is a constant bleeding of the funds, a constant shortfall, again and again.
The B.C. ferry service, to put this into some context, moves more than 20 million British Columbians, other Canadians and visitors every year; 20 million people get on and off ferries in British Columbia. That is an absolutely essential component, not just to our tourism economy, which is obviously vibrant and vital to the people of British Columbia, but it is essential to just about every part of the economy. People living on Vancouver Island or any of the southern or northern gulf islands, or where I live on the north coast, the ferry service is essential, yet it is not treated as an essential service by the government. We have seen cutbacks year after year on the north coast routes. We have seen prices continue to climb, while service continues to drop.
Again, the Conservatives pretend to be good at business, but imagine a business that offered less and less service of a lower and lower quality and charged more and more for the product. The business would not last very long, but that is exactly how the Conservatives have treated the ferry service in British Columbia with their partners in Victoria, the so-called Liberal government of Christy Clark.
What they have done, year after year, is cut back support for the ferry services. The Conservatives have mismanaged it entirely. They have done what Conservatives always do with vital crown corporations, with vital services, they have privatized it. We know how the promises always go when Conservative politicians get up and say they that will privatize something and let the private sector do better. What the private sector has done to the ferry service in British Columbia has been nothing but a disaster. It was good at one thing, which was paying executives a lot of money. The previous CEO of BC Ferries made more than $1 million, each and every year he was CEO as he was cutting services to British Columbians and raising the costs.
The new CEO took a huge pay cut, coming in at a little north of half a million dollars a year. I just do not know how he makes ends meet. That must be tough. He has two vice-presidents who are making more than $650,000 a year to run the ferry system. To put that into some context, just south of us, in Washington state, the same job is being done by a CEO at $145,000. That is a sixth of what they are paying themselves in British Columbia, yet they claim poverty. They claim poverty when it comes time to actually provide services to British Columbians.
For the routes I represent in northern British Columbia, going from Prince Rupert to beautiful Haida Gwaii, the very western tip of this country, a place that, for any Canadian or anyone who has the fortune to go there, burns in the memory--it is a magnificent place, a place we all should get to--this ferry service is essential for business and tourism.
However, for the nearly 5,000 people who live on Haida Gwaii, often just getting to a dentist appointment or a medical appointment or having a baby requires them to leave the island and take the ferry across. That can run, for a family of four, up to nearly $1,000 just to get back to the mainland to get basic services, because the downturn in the economy on that island has been so devastating that they have lost many of their essential services. They have closed so many of the important things that for any particular care people might need they have to come off the island, and they are hit with this huge tax.
The subsidy that came from the federal government, which was promised by the federal government to British Columbia, was consistent for a while and has since started to roll into general revenues, as Conservatives are so wont to do. They take a very specific thing for a very specific and important measure and they roll it all into general revenues. Guess what happens to it when it goes there, into the black hole of Conservative economics and government. It can go into any project and anything they deem to be important to them on any given day. That is a problem for us, because we see dedicated money just not going to the dedicated purpose.
The effect on places like Bella Bella, Bella Coola, and some of the smaller coastal communities along the central and north coasts has been even more devastating. These are vital and vibrant communities, yet they require that connection, as any Canadian does, of transportation to get across to talk with and visit people, do business, and be with family and friends.
To us, this has been a reprehensible approach to government. We have long put in our platforms, as New Democrats, year after year, more and stronger, consistent support for ferry services on the west coast. It is good that we are being joined by our Liberal colleagues now to talk about sustainable ferry service, predicable ferry service. We have to keep in mind, particularly for those businesses that rely on the tourist trade in Îles de la Madeleine and on the east coast, along with the west coast, the unpredictability the Conservatives are causing now by saying they are in consultation, while the contract is running out
For those who are in the tourism business, the time to make money is a very tight window of three, four, or five months, maybe. If they are setting up that operation and hiring staff, and they do not know if or what kind of ferry service they are going to have to their island and to their business, that can be devastating, because those people looking to come to visit make their decisions four and five months out, because they sometimes travel from far away. If they do not know if they are able to get there, they are not going to come.
We saw this last year with BC Ferries, which has this so-called private-sector approach, being such brilliant managers of something like the ferry service. They had actually allowed construction companies to book virtually the entire deck of what was a now reduced ferry, just in case they wanted to put any equipment on it. People were phoning BC Ferries, a privately run company that is supposed to be efficient, and were being told that the ferry was full, so people did not come, because they had to come from far away to the get to the north coast, to Prince Rupert, just to get over to Haida Gwaii and some of the other islands. Therefore, the ferry was sailing 40% to 50% empty most of the time, because the construction companies were not coming up, and they were not paying for any of the space.
This is the Conservative world view of how to run an essential service. It is terrible business practice. It is awful public management practice, because it hurts communities that, in some cases, are just struggling to hang on, doing all they can to remain vital and a contributing part of Canadian society.
We have known that for many years the subsidy from the federal government to the 20 million passengers who ride B.C. ferries is around $1.40 a year, which is dramatically less than it is in other parts of the country. We do not wish the other parts of the country, the east coast in particular, to come down to our level, because we see the results in massive cuts, layoffs, strife and uncertainty. We want to bring it up to a reliable and vibrant ferry service. That is what the country needs. It is what the economy needs.
The Conservatives say that they are concerned about the economy and that they want to reverse the trend of anemic job growth for 16 months now, which the Governor of the Bank of Canada called an atrocious situation with respect to our economy. Let us start with the practical things, the smart things, such as helping out the ferry service. For the life of me, I cannot understand why the Conservatives will not support this motion. I cannot for the life of me understand why the Conservatives so consistently look to bleed the ferry system across this country, from east to west to north, to the point where people cannot rely on it anymore. It is what helps connect this country. It is what helps keeps us strong.
Ferry Services to Prince Edward IslandPrivate Members' Business
2 p.m.
Sean Casey Liberal Charlottetown, PE
Mr. Speaker, when I heard the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport speak, he described this motion as the annual Chicken Little motion from the member for Cardigan. While I thought that was a terribly insulting thing to say, I remembered the story of Chicken Little, which was that there was alarm unnecessarily raised over the fact that the sky was falling when, in fact, the sky was not falling. Therefore, when he described it as Chicken Little motion, I thought the Conservatives would support the motion and the ferry service. This is a motion that says that things could go badly, but they will not go badly at all. Then at the end of his remarks, he indicated they would not be supporting the motion. The government's position on this motion will only add to the sense of abandonment that Prince Edward Islanders feel from the government.
I am probably one of the better customers of this ferry service due to the fact that 27 years ago I married a Cape Bretoner. I am the father of two St. Francis Xavier University graduates and I can say, with some experience, that the drive from the soccer field at St. Francis Xavier University to the Caribou ferry terminal is exactly 51 minutes. I have done it on several occasions. I have had more than my share of the Islander breakfast special onboard the Holiday Island, the very fine clam chowder it serves. If one is lucky enough to hit the MV Confederation, there is nothing quite like the COWS ice cream that is served on board.
Up front, I need to declare my personal bias. As a fellow Prince Edward Islander, I am very proud to speak to the motion put forward by my hon. colleague from Cardigan. He has been, and continues to be, a true champion for the ferry service in Wood Islands because he understands that it is a vital service to Prince Edward Island and his constituents, in particular.
There are many things to love about living in Prince Edward Island, although this past winter would not be one of them. One of the things to love about Prince Edward Island is its proximity to the water. Beaches are close at hand, and spending days on the water or near the water is a favourite pastime of Islanders and visitors alike. The only downside to being surrounded by water on all sides is that it makes travel a bit more complicated.
Thankfully, for eight months of the year, there are two options for travelling off island. Many Islanders have family, work commitments or travel plans in Nova Scotia and the Northumberland ferry, which travels from Wood Islands to Caribou, provides an additional, reliable method of transportation.
The motion today calls on the government to ensure a safe, efficient and sustainable transportation system for Prince Edward Island. It is a little troubling that the member for Cardigan has to move a motion in the House of Commons to seek stable, adequate funding for a service that has proven to be necessary and valuable to two separate local economies. In my view, this should be a logical decision.
As I prepared my notes for the motion, it became increasingly obvious to me that this was an issue, and will continue to be an issue, until the government acknowledged that it need not be an issue. In 2010, the five-year contract negotiated in 2005 by the Liberal government expired. At the time, there was a concern in our province that the federal government would cut its funding altogether, which would have resulted in the loss of one of the two ferries or the entire ferry service. With the hon. member for Cardigan leading the charge, support flooded in from the good people of Prince Edward Island, as well as from the communities in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.
The Council of Atlantic Premiers called upon the government to put in place a 15-year funding agreement for the Northumberland ferry service. Of course, in 2010, the premiers of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia were Liberal and New Democrat respectively. This may have had an impact on why the next funding agreement was for only three years.
The next agreement after that was for just one year, followed by an additional two years in Budget 2014. Perhaps coincidentally, we also saw a Liberal premier in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island at the time.
The Northumberland ferry provides islanders with one of only two links to the rest of Canada. The other, of course, is the Confederation Bridge, which links Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick. For people living in the eastern end of Prince Edward Island, the ferry service is a faster and safer alternative to driving across the island and back through Nova Scotia to reach their ultimate destination.
I realize that many of my colleagues in this House are not so fortunate as to be from Atlantic Canada. For those who are less familiar with Prince Edward Island, let me try to explain the importance of the Northumberland ferry.
From May to December, the ferry provides a central link from Wood Islands to Caribou, Nova Scotia. In the fall semester, Prince Edward Island students who are attending that fine educational institution at St. Francis Xavier University, Cape Breton University or the universities in Halifax or the Annapolis Valley use the ferry to get themselves to and from university. This also applies to Nova Scotia students attending the University of Prince Island or Holland College. For many students, the fee to walk on the ferry is significantly lower than the cost of driving across Nova Scotia to get to the Confederation Bridge. In many ways, it is much safer to board the ferry and to take a break from driving.
The ferry welcomes approximately half a million passengers travelling between Wood Islands and Pictou; that is half a million passengers on an island of 145,000 people. This includes students, but it also includes visitors who are either from Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island, or they are visitors who want to see more than one maritime province during their trip to the east coast of Canada.
I look forward to the support from some of our Nova Scotia colleagues from across the aisle. This is not and should not be an issue solely for Prince Edward Island. Besides visitors, students and islanders looking to travel off-island, the ferry transports nearly 160,000 vehicles including 18,000 commercial trucks. Tourism is a major component of the Prince Edward Island economy, and the ability to get to and from the island is perhaps the most important component of our tourism strategy. Year-to-year funding or a two-year funding agreement is just not cutting it for the Northumberland ferry.
The Minister of Transport, who is also originally a Cape Bretoner, is no doubt aware of the importance of the ferry service. The Minister of Justice represents the riding of Central Nova, which includes Pictou County, the home of the Nova Scotia ferry terminal. I can say that I have personally seen the Minister of Justice on board. I have also seen the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands on board the Northumberland ferry for one particular crossing. That probably, again, speaks to her Cape Breton roots. Surely they understand that the ferry service is important, and that multi-year funding would be hugely beneficial to the local service. I am hopeful that the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Justice and their colleagues are prepared to support this motion. These short-term contracts do nothing to inspire confidence or security in Northumberland Ferries Limited. This is a vital service that has proven itself year after year, but the government still refuses to make a long-term commitment.
As the motion reads, the member for Cardigan is seeking a minimum of five years of stable funding. The economic impact of the ferry service to Prince Edward Island is approximately $27 million, and over $12 million to Nova Scotia. The service is extremely important to Prince Edward Island. It is not only important to our economy and to our people who are employed by Northumberland Ferries; it is also important because, as the member for Cardigan mentioned in his speech, the ferry service connects the Trans-Canada Highway from Wood Islands to Caribou, Nova Scotia. The ferry service offers P.E.I. a physical and symbolic link to the rest of Canada.
I have a couple more points. In any business, uncertainty is the enemy. For the people of Northumberland Ferries to be able to properly plan their business, their capital expenditures and their commitments to their employees, long-term stable funding is a must.
I would also add that probably the most dangerous stretch of highway in Atlantic Canada is the Cobequid Pass between Amherst and Truro. This ferry allows people to avoid that stretch of highway, thereby saving lives.
Business travellers have a chance to be much more productive on their travel between provinces as a result of the availability of Wi-Fi on the ferry.
This is a good and sensible motion from my hon. colleague. He is simply asking the government to make a multi-year commitment. I hope the House will support him on this motion. I certainly will be proudly voting for it.
Ferry Services to Prince Edward IslandPrivate Members' Business
2:10 p.m.
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Mr. Speaker, I am quite pleased to speak to this private member's motion on ferry services between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island, and Caribou, Nova Scotia, brought forward by the good member for Cardigan. I have known him a long time. He has served honourably in the House. He is a good man, and I am sure that he has the very best intent with the motion that he proposes here today.
Motion No. 591 proposes that the federal government recognize the importance of the Wood Islands to Caribou ferry service, that the government commit to stable, long-term, sustainable and adequate funding by ensuring that all future contracts with the current ferry operator are for at least five years, and that the government maintain or exceed the current level of service.
Our government understands the importance of this ferry service to Prince Edward Island. Our members, individually, use this ferry service and have used other ferry services across the country. I have, and I certainly appreciate the tremendous value of the ferries in our country.
This ferry contributes toward a sustainable economy. It meets the diverse transportation needs of the island's businesses and communities. It connects friends and families across the Northumberland Strait. It allows tourists to explore the far corners of Atlantic Canada. It helps to maintain some very vibrant communities in that part of our nation.
The government has a long history of supporting ferry services across Canada. Most recently, in June 2014, our government announced an investment of $58 million in federal funding to support the Wood Islands to Caribou ferry service and two other eastern Canada ferry services until March 31, 2016. At the very same time, our government also stated that it remains committed to examining options for a long-term approach for the delivery of the eastern Canada ferry services. This work is still ongoing with Transport Canada officials working closely with private operators, the Atlantic provinces, and with Quebec, as well. Our government wants to ensure that the analysis is complete and that an assessment has been done before it determines how best to support ferry services in the future.
That said, this government does support the Wood Islands to Caribou ferry service, and it has supported it in a consistent and long-standing fashion. I will describe the many ways in which the federal government supports the Wood Islands to Caribou ferry service.
Since 2006, the federal government has invested $100 million in supporting this service. In addition to this significant level of funding of $100 million, the government leases two terminals and charters the MV Holiday Island and the MV Confederation to the ferry operator at a nominal cost of $1 for each vessel and $500 only for each terminal per year. That support has ensured that the operator has been able to provide a safe, efficient and reliable service since the Wood Islands to Caribou ferry was established back in 1941. This is important to all Canadians and particularly to those who are from that area, and our government recognizes that. Our government has made these investments because it recognizes that ferries are a part of the social and economic fabric of the coastal regions, in particular. They link families, communities and businesses together to make a strong and more integrated Canada.
I would also note that our commitment to ferry services goes beyond just the Wood Islands ferry service. Our government is also supporting two other privately operated ferry services on Canada's east coast, and it also provides an annual grant to the Province of British Columbia for coastal ferry services.
I want to first speak about the Saint John, New Brunswick, to Digby, Nova Scotia, ferry service, which some members in the House will be familiar with. The legacy of ferry services on the Bay of Fundy runs very deep. The Saint John to Digby ferry service was first established in the early 1900s and has received government support through most of its history. The responsibility for the Saint John to Digby ferry service has changed hands over the years. It was operated by Marine Atlantic from 1986 until 1997, and then the service was commercialized to a private operator following a competitive process. Following its commercialization, government support for this service was phased out.
However, by 2006, it became clear that some level of public subsidy and support was required to maintain a viable service, so at that time, the federal government and the Province of New Brunswick and the Province of Nova Scotia stepped in to ensure that the region continued to be served by an interprovincial ferry service.
Since this time, our government has invested $43 million in support of this service. In addition, our government also purchased a replacement vessel for the 44-year-old MV Princess of Acadia, at a cost of $44.6 million. That new vessel, which has yet to be officially named, is expected to be in service this year, in 2015. Thanks to that investment, the government has ensured the continued safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the Saint John to Digby service.
The second privately operated ferry service supported by this government on Canada's east coast is the Îles de la Madeleine, Quebec to Souris, Prince Edward Island ferry. That ferry service was established in 1971 and has been receiving federal support since that time.
Les Îles de la Madeleine are a remote set of islands only accessible on a year-round basis by government-supported ferry and air services, with the ferry service being the primary means of accessing the islands. In support of this ferry, our government has invested $118 million since 2006 to ensure that residents, tourists, and businesses have a reliable alternative to air services.
Les Îles de la Madeleine service was not always a year-round ferry service. Our government heard the requests from residents and businesses on les Îles de la Madeleine for a year-round ferry service and responded.
In 2009, our government began supporting an extended winter service in February and March because we recognized the contribution this made toward a more sustainable economy for les Îles de la Madeleine. Extending the winter services required an additional financial investment from our federal government, and included chartering an ice-class ferry to push the ice away in the winter months so the operator could safely navigate the icy Gulf of St. Lawrence waters.
Our government made this investment because it recognized the substantial benefits for residents, including decreased transportation costs and increased economic opportunities for local businesses.
Our government's support is also extended to contributing to ferry services on British Columbia's coast, as was mentioned earlier. As part of an agreement, in 1977, the federal government and Province of British Columbia determined that federal support for ferry services within British Columbia would be provided through a yearly indexed grant. The initial grant was set at $8 million, and has grown to over $28 million in 2014. That money is used by the Province of British Columbia to support BC Ferries coastal services.
As members can note from my remarks, we are committed to supporting ferry services across Canada, including the Wood Islands to Caribou ferry service. What this government can do, and what we are doing, is working with provinces and ferry operators to complete the examination of options for a long-term, predictable, and sustainable approach to the delivery of the eastern Canada ferry services. Supporting this motion in its current form would prematurely jeopardize that analysis, which would undermine an important opportunity to find the right approach.
For the reasons I have outlined today, our government is unable to support the private member's Motion No. 591, but we definitely support ferry services all across our fair land.
Ferry Services to Prince Edward IslandPrivate Members' Business
2:20 p.m.
The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
The time provided for private members' business has now expired, and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the order paper.
Before we adjourn, I want to remind all hon. members that we have a very special day coming up this Sunday.
On behalf of the Speaker, I want to wish all hon. members and all staff of the House a wonderful day this Sunday, as we celebrate and pay tribute to our mothers, our grandmothers and all of the women in our life whom we love. Happy Mother's Day to everyone.
It being 2:25 p.m., this House stands adjourned until next Monday, at 11 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).
(The House adjourned at 2:25 p.m.)


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In the closing chapter of the last book of the Bible (Revelation 22:17) it says, "Come! And let him who hears say, Come! And let him who thirsts come! Whosoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."
This is a universal invitation for anyone who would desire a relationship with Jesus Christ to come to Him. Regardless of where you have been, the invitation is to come to Him. This is also the invitation of Raven Outreach Ministries. We are more concerned with where you are going than where you have been!
This is a ministry that will be much different than what you have previously known in your life. Our desire is what Paul the Apostle stated in:
Philippians 3:12-14 "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, (or have already arrived) but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
We are not trying to be more like the world to reach the world. We are trying to be more like Jesus to reach the world. We are to be "in the world," but not "of the world."
We will make every possible effort to "go out into the world" with the message of hope, life and salvation and also provide a place for those who would desire to know Jesus to come and "taste and see that (He) is good." Psalms 34:8
We believe that the primary purpose for the "Church" or meeting place established for worship is: 1) to provide a place for believers to gather together to worship and minister to the Lord; and 2) to provide believers a place to come and be discipled or to be trained and instructed in the Word of God.
While there will be some people who make an initial decision for Christ Jesus during one of our worship services- they are not designed for the unbeliever but instead for those who belong to Jesus already. Most of the new converts who come into this fellowship or ministry will make their initial decision for Christ in the streets, in their neighborhoods, or in the work place where true evangelism should be taking place.
In Acts Chapter 1 and 2 there were 120 "believers" gathered together in the upper room (church or meeting place). There they prayed, worshipped and sought the Lord. After the "Spirit" fell upon them (or after the worship service concluded), they spilled out into the streets where the unbelievers were gathered. There, the Apostle Peter stood and gave an evangelistic message that resulted in 3000 unbelievers surrendering their hearts and lives to Christ.
In Acts 2, as the Apostles began going and ministering from house to house (we call it Adopt-A-Block) it says, "The Lord added to the church daily (not just on Sunday) such as should be saved." Again, "saved" outside the church and brought into the church through faith.
In Acts 5, "multitudes were added to the Lord, both men and women" as the sick were brought "into the streets!" This resulted in even greater multitudes coming out of the cities and into the streets where they were preaching to unbelievers. This was not popular with the "religious" people (Chapter 5:17,18) and they had them "throne into prison."
Raven Ministries endeavors to "Go into all the world to preach the Gospel" so that those who will believe can be saved from their sin and thus be able to "come boldly to the throne of grace and that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16
Those who are not presently walking with Jesus (back sliders) and those who have never exercised faith in the sacrificial work of the Lord Jesus upon the Cross are certainly welcome to attend one of our services. That being said, we cannot and will not seek to avoid making you feel "uncomfortable" by abandoning or in any other way diminishing our worship of the One who came and gave His very life so that we might live.
Chances are, if you are living a destructive life of sin and selfishness and have refused to repent (turn from that lifestyle) and ask Jesus to lead and guide you- we would be very surprised if the Spirit of God did not convict you of that sin while attending one of our services.
God is a God of love. God is also a God of holiness, truth and judgment too. He loved you enough to send His only Son (Jesus) to live and then die upon a cross for your salvation-- but if you are not walking in that faith-- His righteousness demands penalty from you.
Hebrews 10:31 says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Our advice to the unbeliever: Recognize and receive the grace, mercy and forgiveness that Jesus has made available to you before it is too late.
If you are searching or seeking and answer--we will gladly come to your house or meet you somewhere to explain to you the Word of God and how Christ Jesus can transform your life (or) you can come see for yourself the transformation that has taken place in the lives of the believers who will be gathered in our worship services.
We endeavor to maintain Biblical integrity in everything that we do. There is a pattern that has been established for the Christian walk and for Christian ministry (the Church) that is timeless and perfect in its mode and manifestation. This is the pattern that we desire to imitate and follow to the best of our abilities, understanding and revelation of the Word of God
We will never try to "trick" anyone into the Kingdom of God through manipulation, compromise, man-made motivation, "dumbing-down," watering down or otherwise making the Gospel more palatable.
Jesus said in John 10:1 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."
That message is clear. There are not "many roads that lead to the truth." There is ONE way, ONE truth, ONE life and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, who was and is explicit in what it takes to be a follower (disciple) of His.
Matt 16:24-26 explains, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Christianity is not joining a church or attending enough services or even living a good moral life. Christianity is coming to the end of yourself that you might be made alive in Jesus Christ. You cannot be a Christians apart from "denying yourself, taking up your cross (embracing that which truly causes you to decrease) and following Him (doing what He did).
If you attend a service or an event sponsored by Raven Ministries there are some things that you can expect.
You will be loved. Regardless of where you have come from, what you look like or how you have been raised, we are committed to loving people unconditionally. We may not agree with you on every subject or have the same view on certain things but this will in no way deter us from loving you.
You will see Jesus lifted up. The reason that we gather together in worship is to "lift up Jesus". It is not to entertain you or to accommodate your need to satisfy some religious quota for the week. We are about serving, knowing and worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are more concerned with TRUTH over TRADITION. We do not have a monopoly on every truth. We are in the process of having His word revealed to us in a greater and clearer way day by day. My motto is, "You don't have to know everything - just know what you do know real good!" We will never do anything "just to please" people. People are rarely pleased with anything for any great length of time. We are here to minister the Word of God into peoples lives and to love them; not to cater to the needs of their flesh.
You will see the gifts of the Spirit in operation. We will never make excuses or cower from the fact that we believe the whole Bible; even the parts that may make us uncomfortable or go against the things that have been ingrained in us through past affiliations or denominational upbringing. You may hear people "speak in tongues." You may see people "healed" by faith in the work of the Cross. What you will not see is a bunch of "flakey", unbiblical manifestations "just for the sake" of being "spiritual." We know that the Word of God has revealed enough POWER IN TRUTH and genuine manifestation; that we will call to order that which is not. If it is of God, then the person operating in a particular gifting should not be opposed to having that particular gift or manifestation measured or judged in accordance with the Word of God. While we firmly believe in the gifts of the Spirit--it is not what we primarily seek--we seek the Person of the Holy Spirit to operate in our lives, ministry, and services and we welcome His "gifts" as the fruit of that relationship.
You will see people of all races, creeds, nationalities, and socio-economic backgrounds worshipping with us. If you hate a person of another color- either repent or find somewhere else to go. If you are rich and despise the poor or you are poor and despise the rich this will probably not be the place that you would want to come and feel comfortable. Everyone is welcomed in our ranks.
We will seek Him first and foremost. If you are looking for a quick "fix" for your religious cravings and all you have is 45 minutes or an hour to spare, then there are many places that will be more appealing to you. While we endeavor to not "waste time," our main objective is to come and have an intimate time of worship and hearing the Word of God.
There will be "liberty in worship." Some people may jump and dance before the Lord. Some people may kneel at the altar and pray. Some people may lift their hands and weep. Some may just want to sit quietly and listen to His voice. There is liberty here to do all of those things.
If you are a member of this body you will be required to be not only a "hearer but a doer of the word." This is not a place of all inspiration and not application. Everything that you will learn here is so that you can actually go out and do it. Everyone has a part and no one is excluded.
Our primary reason for serving God is so that we can be equipped to go out and win others to the saving faith in Jesus Christ. EVERYONE who claims Jesus as Savior is a "minister of reconciliation." YOU are to witness and tell others about Jesus as your "primary" ministry.
You will be instructed in truth and righteousness. Our purpose is not to implement and espoused the vain philosophies of man in the hopes to draw a large crowd or increase our church coffers. Our purpose is to invest into your life the unchanging, all-powerful word of the Living God that you might live a victorious life.
The human phraseology employed in this statement is not inspired nor contended for, but the truth set forth is held to be essential to a full Gospel ministry. No claim is made that it contains all the truth in the Bible, only that it covers orthodox fundamental matters.
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, a revelation from God to men, the infallible rule of faith and conduct, and superior to conscience and reason, but not contrary to reason (2 Timothy 3:15, 17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12).
The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent, self-revealed "I AM," and has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association, by simultaneously existing as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29; Isaiah 43:10, 11; Matthew 28:19).
Man was created good and upright, for God said, "Let us make man in our image and after our likeness." But man, by voluntary transgression, fell, and his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 3:17; Romans 5:12-21).
A. Conditions of SalvationThe Grace of God, which brings salvation, has appeared to all men, through the preaching of repentance toward God and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; man is saved by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, and being justified by grace, has become heir of God according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 2:11, 3:5-7, Romans 10:13-15; Luke 24:47).
B. Evidences of SalvationThe inward evidence to the believer of his salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7, 2 Tim. 1:9).
The ordinance of baptism by immersion should be observed (as commanded in the Scriptures) by all that have repented of their sins and in their hearts have believed on Christ as their Savior and Lord. In doing so, they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they have also been released to walk with Him in newness of life (Matthew 28:19; Acts 19:47,48; Romans 6:4).
The Lords Supper, consisting of the elements, bread and fruit of the vine, is the symbol expressing our sharing in a memorial to His suffering and death, and prophecy of His second coming, and is enjoined to all believers "until He comes" (John 6:48,51, 53-57; Luke 22:19,20; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 Corinthians 11:25).
All believers should ardently expect and earnestly seek the Promise of the Father, which is the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire. With it comes the infilling of power for life and service, and the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the New Birth (Acts 2:38; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9).
The gift of tongues is a spiritual gift given to believers (1Corinthians 12:lO; 12:28-30). The primary use of the gift of tongues is for the edification of the Church (Acts 2:2-4; 19:6). Tongues (prayer language) are given to the believer for personal edification (Acts 14:2,4a).
By the power of the Holy Spirit we strive to obey the command, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." Sanctification is the will of God for all believers, and should be earnestly pursued by walking in obedience to Gods Word (Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15,16; 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24; 1 John 2:6).
The church is the holy body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer is an integral part of the Church, and their names are written in the Lambs Book of Life.
Divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for a two-fold purpose: (1) The evangelization of the world; and (2) The edification of the body of Christ (Mark 15:15,20; Ephesians 4:11-13).
Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement of Christ and is the privilege of all believers (Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:16, 17; Mark 16:18; John 5:14).
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation, together with those who are alive and remain unto the Lord, is imminent and is the blessed hope of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Romans 6:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51,52).
The revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, the salvation of national Israel, and the millennial reign of Christ on the earth are scriptural promises and our hope (2 Thessalonians 1:7; Revelation 19: 11-16; Romans 11:25; Revelation 20: 1-7).
The devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, and whosoever is not found written in the Lambs Book of Life shall be consigned to eternal punishment in the lake which burns fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Revelation 19:20; 20:10-15).
We, as promised in the scriptures, look for a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1).


text: This site, including the text, design, graphics, files, and any other material appearing on this site are protected by copyright. Copyright © 2004 Matt Duckham and Mike Worboys. All material is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.


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With ten years of working our budget around a single income under our belt we're no stranger to most of the saving tips, budgeting ideas & other such related topics that are all over the www. While skimming through one such article the other day I thought to myself, I could probably write something on what works for us with cutting costs or making that dollar stretch further than a maternity shirt.
Then I laughed, & I laughed some more. To the point I scared Clay a little, because after my little episode of hysterics he wasn't all that sure on being carried around in my arms, giving me a wide eyed, discerned look.
I am so not the person who can help turn your 'fiddy cent coins into one hundred dollar notes. My talents lie in finding more unnecessary, but at that immediate point in time {presumably} needed, crap to purchase.
I am the queen of buyers remorse.
So instead of writing a detailed guide on how to save & spend wisely while to raising a big family, I thought I'd share my wisdom & first hand experience of what not to do. By not following in my footsteps I may just save you some 'dosh after all.
Do not buy a bag of grapes for $27.
Big error & oversight on my part. Do not pick up a bunch of grapes when they are $29.99/kilo & put it in your trolley. Those juicy suckers weigh more than you think.
If you sign up to a direct selling company to save money & pay off debt, do not spend your profit back on the products you are selling.
I was so good at convincing people to buy Tupperware, I even convinced myself. Okay, not entirely true. I was not so great, but the other demonstrators around me were & had me hypnotized with their glittery words & inspiring examples of mushrooms staying fresh for longer than three weeks in the $60 containers. When I don't like mushrooms. Several years ago I joined up to get out of the house & to feel like I was contributing financially, with the goal of significantly paying off some debt & getting four digits in our savings account. This may work if you put your profits into your bank account or credit card account. Instead spending up big on the products you are selling...To earn more money. Go figure.
Step away from the Ikea knick knacks
I love me some Ikea. There is also a reason I almost never go there. The last time I went I blew over my spending limit, even after I re-evaluated my intended purchases before heading to the check out queues. When walking through their expertly & effortlessly styled miniature rooms, walking past shelves & racks & center aisle displays of handy little bits n pieces that cost next to nothing, keep a tally of what you are mindlessly throwing into your blue Ikea bag. I tend to forget that the cushions & throws, container sets, cooking utensils, finger puppets, childrens' play food, plus five little stuffed toys & a circus tent will all add up to a triple digit figure. I see all the bargains & lose my mind a little. Step away from the strategically placed impulse 'snatch n grab' stands
Stick to the shopping list. Do not turn left, do not turn right, go straight to Go
Very similar to the Ikea advice, when you go to Kmart for birthday invitations & a gift card...Only buy the invitations & a gift card. If the budget blunders of Ikea taught you anything about my shopping habits, I don't need to expand it any here. Let's just leave it at that.
It's only a bargain if you need it. Or wear it within three years.
I recommend only buying clothes that you know with a 98% certainty you will wear. Especially if the item, or items, are quite expensive, even after taking 40% off the original price tag. There may or may not be a dress or two that cost more than I'd like to admit & never been worn. I take solace in the firm fact I am not alone here.
Fuel savings
Driving 30 kilometers out of your way to save 4 cents per litre is not recommend. It is false economy & legit fuel wastage. Instead, stop at the nearest petrol station on your route. Chances are their fuel prices are the same, & you'll save yourself ten minutes in time & dollars avoiding the detour.
There are more examples I could spout off here I'm certain. If I asked Doug to remind me of some spending shockers I probably won't be able to shut him up.
So I'm not going too.
Last words of wisdom to impart you with, 'Do as I say, not as I do'. You'll be fine.


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We had our first Diabetes Camp for women only! Some brought their husband with them for a glucose test, but that's OK! <3
130 women showed up for the camp. All of them received free glucose and blood pressure testing. Nearly all the women were suffering from hypertension and many were walking around with extremely high blood sugar!
One woman's blood sugar was too high for the glucometer to measure! She was diagnosed with diabetes in the past, however, she had no knowledge regarding care and insulin maintenance injections. We immediately sent her to the hospital for further treatment. Her levels were high enough for her to have a DKA (Diabetes Ketoacidosis) attack.
According to the American Diabetes Association, Ketoacidosis is a serious condition that can lead to diabetic coma (passing out for a long time) or even death. When your cells don't get the glucose they need for energy, your body begins to burn fat for energy, which produces ketones. Ketones are acids that build up in the blood and appear in the urine when your body doesn't have enough insulin. They are a warning sign that your diabetes is out of control or that you are getting sick. High levels of ketones can poison the body. When levels get too high, you can develop diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA.
One example of how bad this problem can be is a case I came across in the ICU of the hospital I am working for, College of Medical Sciences Chitwan.There was a 67 year old female patient with Kidney failure, necrotic foot, cellulitus, and sepsis. Her chance of survival is very slim. All of these problems arose due to DIABETES TYPE 2. Something that can be so easily controlled with a good diet, foot care and basic knowledge. If this woman had proper health care through out her years she would not be in this state. That is just ONE case. I can't tell you the amount of patients admitted in the hospital per day with serious problems due to uncontrolled diabetes.
BUCKETTS of LOVE is trying to prevent this from happening. We are testing people for diabetes and giving everyone education and free diabetic care. The patients will receive free insulin, everyone will receive free glucometers and learn how to maintian a proper diet, proper foot care and skin care how important it is to go for frequent check ups and eye exams
Our goal is to find patients who do not know they have Diabetes !
If you would like to contribute to this cause please DONATE HERE. We will use these funds to purchase more glucose strips, education materials and supplies needed to sustain the foundation.