Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and humility that I rise in the House as the member of Parliament for South Shore—St. Margarets. To stand here representing the voices, the stories and the concerns of my community is both an honour and a responsibility that I do not take lightly. My riding is a place where the ocean is not simply scenery. It is livelihood, heritage and the foundation of our communities.
For generations, families in South Shore—St. Margarets have built their lives around the water. Our fishers head out before dawn. Our families depend on the marine industries for their income, and our coastal towns thrive because of the opportunities and the challenges that the sea provides.
The Canadian Coast Guard, too, is woven into our community's fabric. For many in my riding, the Coast Guard is not just a federal institution. It is a neighbour, a rescuer and a partner. We see the red and white vessels in our harbours. We know the crews that are on call at all hours, and when there is a storm, a vessel in distress or an oil spill threatening our shorelines, it is often the Canadian Coast Guard that answers first.
That is why it feels fitting that my first speech here as we sit again should be about Bill C-2, and in particular, part 5 of this legislation, which would amend the Oceans Act. This is not just about legal language or technical updates. It is also about the safety, the well-being and the resilience of our coastal communities, those like mine and like so many across Canada.
South Shore—St. Margarets is defined not only by its relationship with the ocean but also by the strength of its communities and the compassion of its people. This past summer, I had the privilege of meeting with a remarkable local non-profit group called Thriving Twogether. This organization works tirelessly with families and individuals who are struggling with addiction. What they shared with me was very sobering.
They described parents living in constant fear that their children might be exposed to drugs at school or throughout their community. They spoke of individuals desperate for treatment but unable to find a bed, a program or timely support. They told me about families who have been torn apart by addiction and the invisible weight that so many of us carry each day.
Those were not statistics or headlines. Those were the stories of real people. They are the mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and neighbours, the people in my community who I have met at local events, at the grocery stores, at the church halls or at community fundraisers. Their struggles are real, and they remind us that the issues debated in the House are not abstract. They are about human lives, dignity and hope.
Their concerns are also echoed through another message I received this summer, which was an open letter from a municipal warden in my riding. The letter urged the federal government to act swiftly and decisively to address the flow of drugs into our communities. It spoke of the strain on local resources, of the heartbreak felt by too many families and of the urgent need for federal leadership.
When a community leader, a frontline organization and everyday families all converge on the same message, we must listen. Their voices remind us that government action must be grounded in the realities that the people face on the ground. It is against this backdrop that we must view part 5 of Bill C-2.
This legislation proposes an amendment to the Fisheries Act to explicitly state that Canadian Coast Guard services include activities related to security. It would authorize the responsible minister to collect, analyze and disclose information and intelligence. It also clarifies that these new authorities would strengthen Canada's capacity to work with our international partners, including our closest ally, the United States, to address pressing challenges such as cross-border drug trafficking.
Let me be clear that the Canadian Coast Guard is and will remain non-military, a civilian organization. Its core mandate will not change, and the vital services it provides, such as search and rescue, environmental response, marine navigation and support for our fishers and mariners will continue uninterrupted and undiminished. However, what this amendment would also do is provide the Coast Guard with these additional tools. It would ensure that in the face of modern security challenges, the Coast Guard can contribute effectively to the efforts to keep our communities safe. For communities like mine in South Shore—St. Margarets, this matters.
We know that the same waters that sustain us and our livelihoods can also be exploited by those who seek to move illicit substances across our borders. We know that trafficking networks are sophisticated. They adapt very quickly, and no single agency can respond alone. The Coast Guard's unique presence, its vessels, its infrastructure and its crews, stationed from coast to coast to coast, make it a critical partner for this work. By strengthening its ability to collect and share intelligence and to work seamlessly with law enforcement and international allies, we make it harder for traffickers to exploit our waters. We also make meaningful steps toward protecting families and communities from the ripple effects of drug trafficking.
Supporting this legislation is about more than policy. It is about people. It is about responding to the voices that I have heard in my riding, the voices that all members have heard in their ridings, the families supported by Thriving Twogether in my community, the municipal leaders sounding alarms and the neighbours who quietly share their fears about what drugs are doing to our youth and communities. It is also about acknowledging that addiction and trafficking are not challenges that one level of government, one organization or one community can solve alone. It requires a coordinated response. They require tools at every level: prevention, treatment, enforcement and community supports. Bill C-2 would not solve every aspect of this crisis, but it would strengthen one piece of the puzzle.
I have seen first-hand the resilience of my community. I have seen how people come together in times of crisis, whether it is after a storm, during a fire or in response to tragedy, but I have also seen the strain. I have seen how families can only carry so much on their own, how municipalities struggle with limited resources and how community organizations such as Thriving Twogether do this historic work, but cannot fill the gaps left by a lack of coordinated support. This legislation gives us a chance to ease some of that burden in our communities.
By enhancing the Coast Guard's capacity to play a role in security, we would disrupt trafficking networks before their products reach our shores, strengthen the hand of law enforcement and reduce the pressure on families and communities already stretched thin. I also believe this amendment reflects a broader principle here, one that I continue to carry with me in the House. That principle is that national policy must always be connected to the local realities we see every day in our ridings. When we debate legislation here in Ottawa, it must be with an eye to the impact that it will have on places like Liverpool, Bridgewater, Tantallon, Mahone Bay, Shelburne, Caledonia and the many other towns and villages along South Shore—St. Margarets—
