Canada's Oceans Protection Plan: Growing the Economy while Protecting the Environment
Hon. Marc Garneau
Canada's coasts enable the export and import of our goods overseas, are home to abundant Canadian fisheries, attract tourism, and support traditional Indigenous and coastal community livelihoods.
All Canadians — and especially those living in coastal communities like Vancouver — need confidence that commercial shipping is taking place in a way that is safe for mariners and that protects and sustains the economic, environmental, social, and cultural health of our oceans and coasts.
Through the recently announced Oceans Protection Plan, Canada will invest $1.5 billion over five years to develop a world-leading marine safety system that improves responsible shipping and protects Canada's waters, with an action plan to deliver results for the coming decade.
On Jan. 25, 2017, Canada's Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau, shared highlights from the recently announced Oceans Protections Plan and discussed the federal government's priorities in a keynote address to B.C.'s business leaders.
Following his address, Minister Garneau took part in a Q&A with the sold-out crowd.
Listen to the full audio below.
About the Speaker
Marc Garneau has served his country his entire professional career, beginning with the Canadian Navy, then as an astronaut and President of the Canadian Space Agency, and now in political life.
Marc began his service to Canada as a navy combat systems engineer in HMCS Algonquin from 1974 to 1976. He was promoted to commander in 1982, then to naval captain in 1986, before retiring from the navy in 1989.
Marc was one of six Canadian astronauts selected out of over four thousand candidates in 1983. He made history by becoming the first Canadian astronaut to fly in space in 1984. In 1989, Marc was named Deputy Director of the Canadian Astronaut Program, and provided technical and program support in the preparation of experiments for future Canadian missions. He later served as Executive Vice President and President of the Canadian Space Agency before leaving in 2005 to pursue a career in politics.
In October 2008 Marc Garneau was elected as the Member of Parliament for Westmount–Ville-Marie and, in his first mandate, served as the Critic for Industry, Science and Technology as well as the Leader's representative for Quebec. He was re-elected in 2011 and served as House Leader in the House of Commons. He also served as the Critic for Foreign Affairs and La Francophonie. In October 2015, he was re-elected, in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount.
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