Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just want to correct one thing. The intent isn't to create a protected area for the St. Lawrence, but to ensure that the first nations concerned are directly informed of the potential consequences.
It's important to remember that the St. Lawrence Seaway is a waterway that was created. The river is wide enough in some places, but the waterway had to be dug up and widened in other places, which had consequences. Let's look at the history. The decision was made not to build the waterway near the Lachine Canal at Kahnawake or Châteauguay, but rather to move it a little further south. This has led to flooding of first nations lands, isolating some first nations and redefining their territories. These people have suffered the consequences of colonial decisions, without ever having been involved in the process or consulted.
By adding these provisions, we want to ensure that affected nations, such as the Mohawks of Kahnawake, in particular, can be involved and consulted at every stage of decisions related to the waterway.
When we talk about full participation in the governance, management and decision making regarding the protection, maintenance and use of the St. Lawrence Seaway, it's not just at the recreational level. We're talking about a waterway that is one of the main waterways. We agree that this has an impact on the ports of Montreal and that everything that goes to Toronto will go through there. That has a huge impact on first nations. If something happens to the environment, first nations need to know about it directly. Right now, the information chain doesn't reach first nations, either for pre-consultation or for the maintenance, use and protection of the St. Lawrence Seaway.