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Okay. I guess I'll just make a comment.

Thank you, Seth.

I represent the soup and salad bowl of Canada, which is the Holland Marsh. I can tell you that right now—this is how behind Canada is—half of my farmers are still burning propane. We can't even get the infrastructure in for the bridge fuel, natural gas. We can't even get people passports or get our airports organized. To talk about training thousands of workers and more government agencies and this, that and the other thing.... We are behind the curve right now.

I have more comments, but.... Thanks, Chair.

Mr. Chair, you're a beauty. Thanks.

Good morning, witnesses, and thanks for coming this morning.

You know, there are pros and cons to everything. I was on my way here—I guess this question is for you, James—and there was an ad on the bus shelter. It talked about Bruce Power isotopes and cobalt-60, a medical isotope produced at Bruce Power as an essential element in the treatment of cancer. I stepped out of the bus shelter and talked to a few people walking down the road. I said, “I just want to talk nuclear power for a second, about some of the great innovations. Do you know what an isotope is, or helium, or cobalt-60?” People were looking at me cross-eyed, James, I have to be honest with you.

I just wonder if you could talk about companies like Bruce Power and what you're doing and what nuclear power does for Canadians and saving lives. A lot of people on the street, I'm going to say boots on the ground, just don't realize what nuclear power does.

Thanks.

I just wonder what initiatives you think the nuclear field can do to make the public more aware. Whether it's turning on your TV or whether it's saving a life in a hospital, there are various things the nuclear industry does. Could you tell us more about that?

A balanced approach, for sure....

I am happy to hear your words this morning about Canada being a global leader in this field. I think it's very important and something that we don't hear enough about, Canada being a global leader, so I am happy to hear those words.

Do you see any path to net zero in 2050 without nuclear power?

That is a good point. Just like fighting COVID-19, we need every tool in the tool box.

To follow up on Madame Pauzé's question, you wanted to speak about legislation, and I think you ran out of time. I just wonder if you have a comment on that, James.

Thanks very much.

Again, thanks to all the witnesses this morning.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thanks to all the witnesses today. I get really excited when I'm sitting here, and we're talking about Canada again as a world leader.

My question is for Mr. Van Wart. How are you doing, Jason?

York—Simcoe is about an hour north of Pickering. I like to call it the soup and salad bowl of Canada. It's home to Lake Simcoe. Many Canadians want to hear more about the benefits of nuclear energy, and how it's relevant to their lives.

We've heard about helium-3, cobalt-60 and reactors. Some of the words are scary. How does that help Canadians in their lives? Could you speak more about that?

Thanks very much. That is very interesting.

One thing I didn't tell you, Jason, is that York—Simcoe is also home to the Chippewas of Georgina Island; it's my family....

The proposed repository in Kincardine is within the traditional territories of the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation and the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. Can you tell the committee more about your company's commitment to your dialogue and relationships with local first nations with regard to this project?

Thanks very much.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Through you, I respect everyone on this committee. We're in a minority Parliament, and for my colleague across the way here, Mr. Chair, they're making the assumption that we want to decrease the meetings on water. We just want to have an open discussion. Maybe we're going to need nine days. Maybe we're going to need eight. Maybe it is seven. We just wanted a discussion. We might need more. We know how important water is—

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll be splitting my time with my colleague, Mr. Mazier, if you could keep an eye on time. Thanks very much.

Thank you, Mr. DeMarco. I appreciate your backdrop. That great picture almost looks like the Black River going into the great body of water of Lake Simcoe.

I'll have to keep my comments brief, Mr. Chair, because I have only three minutes.

I'm going to focus on report number six. Mr. DeMarco, what did you identify as the primary reason for the various departments' failing to report their progress on the strategy?

I'm sorry, I'm on limited time.

I think what you're hinting at is that it was poor. There was a lot of grey. Half the reporting wasn't done.

This is the type of stuff that's very concerning to Canadians. Again, Canadians find that a report has gone into a storage unit somewhere. There's no one held accountable and no action taken.

Is there any indication taken from the flaws that were identified that they would be addressed before 2019-22, or are we going to be waiting now until the 2022-25 strategy?

Just quickly, my colleague, Mr. Duguid, mentioned 26 government agencies. He can correct me if I'm wrong. Are you finding that these bureaucracies are getting so big they can't manage what they're asking for? Can the bureaucracy not deal with the amount of reporting that has to be done now?

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, congratulations on your election as chair.

Good morning, colleagues. We're going to have fun. I'm Scot Davidson for York—Simcoe. I call it Lake Simcoe, home of the Holland Marsh—the soup and salad bowl of Canada and ice fishing capital of Canada. I'm really looking forward to this committee. Thanks, and good morning, everyone.