Mr. Caouette (Temiscamingue):

Yes, in Pontiac, in the federal election. At the provincial level, Temiscamingue is Liberal!

Mr. Speaker, in my constituency, the electors show intelligence only at the federal level, since they vote for the Social Credit Party of Canada.

Mr. Bechard:

Not always.

Mr. Caouette (Temiscamingue):

Mr. Speaker, I believe a question-

Mr. Bechard:

Ask Mr. Tetrault.

National Parks Act

Mr. Caouette (Temiscamingue):

We could also ask the Liberal candidate in the Rouyn-Noranda constituency, a Mr. Millejour, I believe. Mr. Speaker, it was not because of the voters' convictions that they voted Liberal in those areas and in the hon. member's constituency, but because of their fear of separatism. But this has nothing to do with the national park.

Mr. Speaker, everyone knows that it was fear that decided the vote. Quebec premier Bourassa is the first to admit it. He is troubled by the fact that he has 102 members; I would have preferred him to have 30 fewer members but that will surely occur one of these days!

Mr. Speaker, I have nothing against the Liberals. It is the separatists that I resent; I am honest and I say so in all sincerity.

Mr. Ouellet:

The Liberal party?

Mr. Caouette (Temiscamingue):

No, I did not bear the Liberals a grudge.

For whom did you vote?

Mr. Caouette (Temiscamingue):

I voted creditist. Of course, I admit that I lost my elections.

Mr. Prud'homme:

How did Mr. Wagner vote?

Mr. Caouette (Temiscamingue):

I do not know.

Mr. Speaker, coming back to the Temiscamingue national park, I would like to point out to the minister not the area already considered or surveyed, but a specific area extending from Belleterre up to the Domaine in La Veren-drye Park. The Domaine is a rest area. From there to Belleterre is the finest natural site. It would not be necessary to carry out works, it is natural and lovely. There are large lakes, beautiful forests and maple groves. In short, everything is found there. It would merely be necessary to build a proper road and the park would be an entirely natural site.

I wonder then whether the federal government could not co-operate with the provincial government to develop this land strip from Belleterre to the Domaine. We would not have to stop forest operations, a basic industry, we would not be an obstacle to thousands of farmers, and we would own the most beautiful natural park of the world.

Mr. Speaker, I see the previous member for my constituency nodding in approval. He is right. It is not a question of politics, of partisanship, but rather a matter of logic. We have the land and its numerous opportunities, without weakening the local economy, taking anything away from anyone. The northwestern region of Quebec would be provided with one of the most beautiful parks, if not as beautiful as Forillon, certainly more so than Saint-Mau-rice Park. It would attract tourists who at present will not bother to make a detour by Rouyn or North Bay to get to Temiscamingue, but who would then drive through the Domaine at the heart of Temiscamingue.

Mr. Speaker, I think that the minister should have his officials give special consideration to my suggestion to provide Temiscamingue not with an artificial park, but

November 16, 1973

National Parks Act

with a park that needs only to be acknowledged and developed.

Mr. Alexandre Cyr (Gaspe):

Mr. Speaker, you can rest assured that I am quite pleased to participate in the debate on Bill S-4, which we are called to pass on second reading and whose objectives are as follows: first, to include Kejimkujik and Forillon in the national parks system; second, to authorize the Governor in Council to set aside by proclamation lands for eight additional national parks, including St. Maurice, and third, to extend, by proclamation, existing national parks without having to resort to a legislative measure in each case.

The most important aspect of this bill, as regards the province of Quebec, is obviously the establishment of two parks in that province, namely Forillon and St. Maurice.

It is not the first time that I speak about the establishment of a national park in Quebec, more specifically in the Gaspe Peninsula, as I advocated in my maiden speech delivered in this House in 1963.

Mr. Bechard:

-and also your colleague from

Bonaventure.

Mr. Cyr:

In this regard, I say that I have always been seconded by my colleague and friend from Bonaventure-Iles-de-la-Madeleine.

I knew then that such a tremendous project could not be achieved overnight. However, I also knew that if the project were approved in the near future, the citizens living near the park and Gaspe people generally would be very happy to benefit from the many advantages deriving from such a park.

Following that I continued to make representations to the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development as well as the secretary for the province of Quebec. That was done only within the framework of the Canada-Quebec agreement for the development of the Lower St. Lawrence and Gaspe area. Section 55 of that agreement provides that Canada would undertake the development of a park in the Forillon Peninsula. The province of Quebec would take it upon itself to purchase the land and hand it over under a lease free of encumbrances to the government of Canada for a period and on terms acceptable to both parties.

As a follow up to that original agreement on May 26, 1968, negotiations took place between the two governments and I would like here to commend the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (Mr. Chretien) and pay tribute to the courageous minister as well as the Minister of Transport (Mr. Marchand), formerly in charge of the Department of Regional Economic Expansion, for bringing those negotiations with the province of Quebec to a conclusion.

In the agreement of May 26, 1968, it was agreed that the province would undertake to take the necessary steps before December 31, 1970, to free the lands from all possible encumbrances or acquire their ownership free of encumbrances, inform the government of Canada as the said lands are released or acquired and give free tenure of

the said lands to the government of Canada before December 31, 1970.

That is one of the obligations of the province of Quebec under that agreement. On the other hand, the government of Canada makes the commitment that the development and administration of that park will fully reflect the linguistic duality in Canada and more specifically the French characteristic of the province of Quebec and the Gaspe area. On the other hand, Quebec has agreed to have a utilization plan prepared for the pieces of land bordering on the park, while respecting its objective, natural beauty and fine qualities. The lease is for a 99 year term; however, there is a provision in the agreement whereby Quebec may, following a 60 year period, purchase Forillon Park from the Canadian government by reimbursing all capital expenditures which the central administration may have incurred.

Mr. Speaker, in the annex to this agreement appear all the amounts which must be spent during the period from 1970 to 1976-77, that is a total of $8,887,000 for the development of this park by the federal government.

Present and future economic benefits of such a park for the area are indeed numerous. Already, since the development operations of the park began in 1973, it has provided jobs for 175 Gaspesian residents. Last year's budget for Forillon Park totaled $2,500,000 and no change is expected this year. In wages alone $823,000 were paid last year to the park employees in that region. To this amount you can add the capital input of tourists. The park is obviously an incentive and a monetary input for the region directly involved, mainly the Forillon peninsula.

In 1972, the first year of operations, 84,726 visitors were recorded and their number increased to 165,000 in 1973. At the current rate, as someone said several years back at the time of the establishment of the park and as stated by the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (Mr. Chretien), Forillon Park should receive over 600,000 visitors.

As early as 1976, Forillon Park will become a genuine wildlife museum extending over 92 square miles.

Through the National Park Act which is aimed at ensuring the perpetual conservation as national inheritance of the regions containing important geographical, geological, biological or historical elements, the Forillon peninsula, by its history and situation, is an intouchable entity of this patrimony. Its 92 square miles and its varied natural elements surrounded by the sea are a splendour which no Canadian can ignore during a Gaspesian trip.

For true nature lovers and for the amateurs of natural sciences and the geologists or botanists, as well as for the historic peculiarity enthousiasts, Forillon Park will become a sort of museum of wilderness which will exhibit in their original surrounding the remains of prehistoric civilizations, the remains of ancient Micmacs camps, a lead mine opened by Superintendant Talon in 1758 and, offshore, ships sank by the Kirke brothers in 1628.

This park also includes Fortune Fort, an underground fort built during World War II to protect the Gaspe Bay against German submarines. This fort was restored last year.

November 16, 1973

Forillon National Park is also a sanctuary for several species of game animal, sea birds, birds of prey and marine mammals. Common and grey seals have also been observed in the territorial waters of Forillon Park from mid-May to the end of December. Their arrival seems related to a biological factor, the young being born around this period.

Now I should not want to use all my time as I know that several members wish to add their comments. It would take hours to describe the wonders of Forillon Park but, Mr. Speaker, I would like to report to this House for the first time and announce publicly also for the first time in Canada a discovery we made this summer in the park. We found in Forillon Park the white headed eagle called the bald eagle and I quote a report prepared on the subject.

We observed that bird on June 4 and September 9, 1972. In both cases the weather was clear and it was easy to make a positive identification. In June 1937, Ball (1938) observed one of those eagles at Grande-Greve.

Mr. Speaker, this is to give you an idea of the fauna, birds of prey and game we find in Forillon National Park.

Name them.

Mr. Cyr:

If you want to know their names I have here a whole book on the subject.

Name them.

Table the book.

Mr. Cyr:

Mr. Speaker, this gives only a small idea of what Forillon Park is and what it will be when we shall have finished the arrangements. I think this park will become a paradise for tourists in Gaspe Peninsula and I invite my colleagues here in this House to spend their next vacation in that beautiful part of Canada: Forillon Park in the Gaspe Peninsula.

Mr. Barnett:

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a question of privilege. I may not have interpreted him correctly, but as I understood it the hon. member for Gaspe (Mr. Cyr) seemed to be claiming that the appearance in Forillon Park of the bald eagle was unique. I would like to point out that in Pacific Rim park they are very plentiful.