06232022 June 23 2022

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS

Local News Weekly

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Vol. 26, Issue 40, June 23, 2022

Kebsquasheshing Golf Club Revitalization Project Gets Financial Support from Generous Newmont Donation!

By Gwen McKnight laying golf in Chapleau became official at a meeting in the St John's Memorial Hall, now the home of Branch No. 5 (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion on May 15, 1924.

According to the handwritten minutes, now available on the Chapleau Public Library site, the meeting was held "for the purpose of organizing a golf club' to be called the "Kebsquasheshing Golf Club".

The golf course and clubhouse, now club owned, were located, and remain to this day on land that appeared to have been provided by V.T. Chapple and G.B. Nicholson, under a lease agreement. The clubhouse had been the summer home of Mr. Nicholson. Club President Rolf Fuchs with Donna Byce of NewmontAs a key part of the recreational sector of Chapleau for a good portion of the year, our mission is to, "Maintain and continuously improve the golf course, social activities and clubhouse facilities for present and future members and guests through regular consultation with our members.

We aim to deliver a rewarding membership experience in a respectful and inclusive environment by ensuring that services and facilities are of the highest possible standard, while maintaining our Long Term financial stability and Forecast providing our members Thursday with excellent value for High 24 t h e i r m o n e y. We Low 16 encourage and foster a Friday volunteer ethic within High 29 our club."

Low 15 Over the years

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many individuals have made tremendous contributions to the club, working countless hours as volunteers. On July 1st, 2017, the Kebsquasheshing Golf Club won the first Buddy Swanson Volunteer Award for 93 years of volunteerism in Chapleau.

For several years now the Kebsquasheshing Golf Club has been working towards improving not only the course itself, but also the facilities and services that we provide to our guests and members. This project, which has been called a revitalization effort, is being undertaken for a number of reasons: to meet the mandate of o u r o rg a n i z a t i o n a n d i t s commitment to continued Club President Rolf Fuchs with improvement of our golf course Donna Byce of Newmont and its facilities.

Maintenance of the strives to do just that, and we feel very fortunate greens and grounds of the course are a yearly that the Community Investment Committee of struggle with aging equipment and many Newmont Porcupine has chosen to support our volunteer hours required by our members. The Club with an enormously generous donation of purchase of several pieces of equipment is $20000.00 to put towards the purchase of absolutely necessary to see not only the maintenance equipment for the course. The Club maintenance of the course, but also to make the and its executive are very proud to serve our golf club viable. community, and with the help of partners like In a small rural community, it is important Newmont Porcupine we hope to continue to to have recreational activities that enhance the make improvements to both our facilities and our quality of life of its citizens as well as to have course, and we would like to thank both the recreational activities that can attract and retain committee and Newmont Porcupine for newcomers to the community. Our golf club providing us with the financial means to do so.

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Monday High 18 Low 11 Tuesday High 25 Low 10

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CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, June 23, 2022- Page 2 approximately $150,000.00 and the Gray Street bill will exceed that figure (final bills not tabulated).

Let's take a step back to explain the significance of all this. Both were emergencies, unplanned and unbudgeted for. No provincial grant exists to cover full or partial costs under these circumstances.

The cost of repairs was solely in municipal hands. Some households have "rainy day funds" for unexpected expenses.

Chapleau has a Reserve Fund for rainy days, monies set aside to pay for catastrophic emergencies which must be solved as soon as possible. Expenses for both were covered through the Reserve Fund without burdening the township through possible loans or burdening ratepayers with increased taxes.

Some may picture the Reserve Fund as a pile of money that must be spent (isn't that what you do with piles of money).

Every dollar in the Reserve Fund has a purpose and

Notes From A Mayor – 7 RESERVE FUNDS – DOLLARS FOR A RAINY DAY The opinions expressed are those of the Mayor and no other Councillor.

Why have a Reserve Fund?

Two recent town infrastructure incidents best demonstrate our need for a municipal Reserve Fund. The first incident happened on Birch Street in late summer last year. The second occurred several weeks ago on Grey Street.

Burst pipes initiated action in both cases.

The Public Works crew follows a standard procedure in such cases: dig to locate the problem; replace with new piping; attach the replacement pipe to the nearest serviceable pipe.

But in both cases serviceable pipe was hard to find which meant continued digging until attachment could be made. By the time each case was resolved costs had escalated well beyond expectations. The final bill for Birch Street was OBITUARY Donald Douglas “Don” Russ

Passed away with his loving family by his side on Friday, June 17, 2022 at the Chapleau Health Services. Beloved husband of Barbara for 61 years. Loving father of Ginger Forget (Maurice), Donna Payette (Patrick), Susie Demers (late Gaston), and Mitzi Jean (Martin). Proud papa to Darrell (Renee), Amy (Alex), Melanie (Josh), Stefanie (James), Tyler (Owen), Janessa (Brandon), Kimberly (Phil), Julie and great “Papa” of Brody, Isabelle, Chloe, Charlotte, Amelia, Brynlee and Kenna. Dear son of the late Leslie and Margaret Russ.

Dear brother of Gail Steele, the late Barbara, Dean, Myrna, Gary and Brenda. Don will be missed by his many nieces and nephews.

Son-in-law of the late Joseph and Frances Devon. Brother-in-law of Gary Devon, the late Ken, Frank and Doug. Family and friends may visit at Sacred Heart Church on Friday June 24, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. until time of the memorial mass at 11:00 a.m. with R e v e r e n d H e r v e S a u v e o ff i c i a t i n g .

Cremation has taken place at River's Edge Cremation Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Memorial donations made to the Chapleau Health Services would be greatly appreciated by the family. (Arrangements entrusted to the Kerry Funeral Home, Wawa, ON 1-800-439-4937).

IMPORTANT NOTICE for the Communities of Foleyet, Gogama, surrounding areas and First Nations.

The Ministry of Health's Emergency Health Services will be migrating all emergency call taking and dispatching of Manitoulin-Sudbury D S B Paramedic Services to the Central Ambulance Communications Centre located in Sudbury. With this migration, the number to call for the communities of Foleyet, Gogama, surrounding areas and First Nations Communities for Paramedic response will change to 1-877-351-2345.

This transition will be occurring on Tuesday June 28th, 2022 at 9 am.

All Allied Agencies have been notified and the affected residents have received a notice via Canada Post.

If any further information is required, please contact Paul Myre, Chief of Paramedics Services at paul.myre@msdsb.net .

is set aside for that purpose only. Our Reserve Fund is divided to cover fourteen separate areas such as waterworks, sewage, fire department, landfill site, development, etc.

Considerable money is spent each year for emergencies and each year the fund is replenished. Without the Reserve Fund the Municipality would rest comfortably in the hole

GreenFirst is HIRING!!!

NOUS EMBAUCHONS The following positions are available in Chapleau, ON:

General Labourer / Journalier (ière) Licensed Electrician / Électricien licencié Millwright / Mécanicien(ne) industriel(le) Welder / Soudeur(se) Power Engineer – 2nd, 3rd and 4th Class / Mécanicien de machines fixes – 2ième, 3ième et 4ième classe . Students / Étudiants (16 years or older / Étudiants 16 ans et plus) . . . . .

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, June 23, 2022- Page 3

Chapleau Moments by

Michael J. Morris Looking back at her years as a student at Chapleau High School, Gwen MacGillivray wrote that she realized that it was not the institution but the students and staff who made it "a valid source of community pride over the years".

Gwen, who graduated from CHS in 1980, was writing in a souvenir newspaper marking the school's 60th anniversary in 1982, but I am sure she was speaking for the vast majority of us who attended and/or taught at either the "old" school on Pine Street or the "new" school on the hill in its 100year history. I am one of those who was a student at the old school and teacher at the new.

Gwen's mother Joan (MacGillivray) Simard attended CHS and Chapleau Public School in the same grade and years as me.

Gwen noted that CHS students were "strong contenders in anything they chose to enter whether involved in science fairs, typing contests, sports of 'Reach For The Top', they always managed to put in a good showing".

When the new school opened in 1966, historically the major team sport had been hockey with curling and at one point bowling as sports too. In its earlier years CHS also had very good track and field teams in conjunction with the YMCA. High school hockey ended with the opening of the new building as it was the same year as the Chapleau Junior "B" Huskies commenced play in the International Junior "B" League and it of course recruited almost exclusively from CHS. The new school also had a proper gymnasium Gwen wrote that by 1980, CHS had won the NSSSAA Gymnastics Championship every year since 1973, and it struck me that with the

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Chapleau High School graduate Gwen MacGillivray noted that extra curricular activities "real heroes" of life at the school new school a new era in high school sports had arrived too. That won't seem like news to students who have been attending CHS since 1966 on on the hill who have played on the various teams.

It has been an integral part of their school experience, and much credit must go to the coaches over the years, with a special nod to Ross Hryhorchuk, who established the school's sports and extra-curricular programs, and greatly contributed to their success.

Boys' and Girls' Athletic Associations were established as well as a House System for extra-curricular activities and Gwen wrote that the school instilled a sense of "team spirit" and the success of the house system was a prime example.

"Talent played an important role in all the competitions and contests, but team spirit and the hard work of dedicated individuals was the major contributing factor .. and that's really what CHS was, and is... team work," Gwen wrote.

The school has produced excellent teams often at junior and senior girls' and boys' levels in gymnastics, volleyball, basketball, curling and soccer, and at one time also had junior and senior cheerleading squads. I won't even try to start listing the championships won by CHS teams, mainly because I don't know all of them, but I do hope that this part of CHS life can be recognized at the school's 100th reunion festival coming up soon.

As Gwen pointed out: "While the students could never be accused of lacking scholastic talent, the extra curricular activities

were the real heroes of the time".

She also touched on the importance of other events during her time as a student from 1975 to 1980 like greaser day, winter carnival, initiation, and regular dances with live entertainment, all "a very big part of their education.

"Of course, part of our recreation included ribbing the teachers and frustrating the librarians, but it was all done in fun ... and accepted as fun, right Mrs. Joyal?" (Yvette Joyal was one the school's popular librarians.) Robert Fife, now the Ottawa Bureau Chief of the Globe and Mail was president of the CHS Student Council in 1972-73..

I certainly agree with Gwen having taught at CHS from 1969 for about 20 years before leaving to join the faculty at College of the Rockies.My email is mikejmorris41@outlook.com

CHS GAA 1972-73: Back from left Karen Turner, Pierrette Demers, Janet Apsey, Carol Besnier, Georgia Ann Landry, Diane Kohls, Denise Joyal, Ruth Dodds. Middle from left, Debbie Dunne, Tina Cappellani, Micheline Audet, Barbara Hoath, Helen Fortin, Diane Mallek. Front from left, Mary Lou Futhey, G a i l M a y, L i s e B o u r g e a u l t , M a r i l y n Laframboise, Cathy Welch.

C H S B A A 1972-73: Back from left Ross Hryhorchuk, Guy Martel, Denis Brisson, Donald Johnson, Robert Doyle, Guy Bazinet, Bernie Gagne. Front from left, David Doig, Maurice Blais, Jamie Doyle, Keith Marsh, Tim Morris

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, June 23, 2022- Page 4 l'incident de la rue Birch a atteint environ 150 000 $ et celle de la rue Gray devrait être encore plus FONDS DE RÉSERVE — DES DOLLARS EN élevée (le calcul final n'a pas PRÉVISION DES TEMPS DIFFICILES encore été effectué).

Prenons un peu de recul et Les opinions exprimées ici sont celles du tâchons d'y voir clair.

Dans les deux cas, il s'est maire et en aucun cas celles de l'un·e ou l'autre agi d'urgences, donc de situations imprévues et membre du Conseil. non inscrites au budget. Il n'existe aucune Pourquoi se constituer un fonds de réserve? subvention provinciale pour couvrir en tout ou en Deux récents incidents touchant nos infrastructures illustrent très bien le besoin de partie les frais associés à de telles situations. Le constituer un fonds de réserve municipal. Le coût de ces réparations est donc entièrement premier de ces deux incidents s'est produit sur la revenu à la municipalité. Certains ménages se rue Birch à la fin de l'été dernier. Le second s'est constituent des fonds pour les mauvais jours afin produit sur la rue Grey, il y a de cela quelques de pouvoir faire face aux dépenses imprévues. Il en va de semaines.

Dans les deux cas, une rupture des canalisations a m ê m e p o u r l e C a n t o n d e nécessité notre intervention. En pareils cas, Chapleau qui a mis de l'argent de l'équipe des travaux publics doit suivre une côté afin de payer pour des procédure réglementaire : creuser pour repérer le u r g e n c e s c a t a s t r o p h i q u e s problème, poser une nouvelle conduite, puis auxquelles il faut répondre dans brancher cette conduite de remplacement à la les plus brefs délais. Dans les conduite en bon état de service la plus proche. deux cas précités, nous avons dû Toutefois, dans ces deux cas, il a été difficile de puiser dans le fonds de réserve trouver une conduite en bon état. Il a donc fallu pour ne pas faire porter le fardeau creuser encore pour parvenir à réaliser le financier au Canton sous forme branchement. Le temps de résoudre ces deux d'éventuels emprunts ni accabler problèmes, les coûts ont grimpé bien au-delà des les contribuables en haussant prévisions établies. La facture finale pour leurs taxes.

Notes d’un Maire – 7

Can you believe it – one more week until the reunion!

The excitement is palpable and we can't wait to see our fellow classmates!

We have a limited number of camping spots open at the Community Centre offering the perfect location but zero hook ups. They are available on a first come basis.

Registration is still open or you can sign up at the event. Cost is $60.00 per high school graduate and $30.00 for your guest. Check out the Reunion website at chsreunion.ca for the weekend schedule and latest updates.

If you are interested in volunteering for the registration table, please email nadialee0620@gmail.com.

Let's all reunite and celebrate 100 years strong of the CHS/ESCHS High School! Time to make more lasting memories.

Certaines personnes peuvent concevoir le fonds de réserve comme un beau paquet d'argent qu'il faut dépenser (n'est-ce pas ce que l'on fait avec des tas d'argent).

Chaque dollar du fonds de réserve a sa raison d'être et il est mis de côté pour cette fin précise. Notre fonds de réserve couvre quatorze volets différents, comme l'adduction d'eau, les égouts, le service d'incendie, le site de décharge, l'aménagement, etc. Chaque année, des sommes considérables sont consacrées aux urgences.

Chaque année, le fonds de réserve est regarni.

Sans fonds de réserve, la municipalité ne ferait que s'embourber dans les dettes.

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, June 23, 2022- Page 5

Algoma District School Notes d’un Maire – 6 Board In-Person & Virtual PROMESSES RAISONNABLES Summer Opportunities & Resources ET BUDGETSLearning SENSÉS This summer, Algoma District School Board (ADSB) will provide summer learning opportunities to further student growth and support student well-being. We are pleased that these opportunities are once again being offered in person, in addition to virtual options to ensure access for students from across the district.

Elementary Summer Learning Program The focus of ADSB's Elementary Summer

Learning Program (SLP) is Primary Literacy, providing literacy intervention while minimizing summer learning loss. It supports students with literacy needs and will build off the Levelled Literacy Intervention program currently being facilitated in each of our elementary schools.

We are offering our in-person summer learning program at Queen Elizabeth Public School. We are also offering virtual opportunities for district students who will link in through a virtual classroom.

There will also be recreational activities and ADSB will reach out to community partners to assist in hosting events focused on everything from mental health to healthy eating, as well as movement and exercise.

The Summer Learning Program will run July 4 to 22, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. We have one hundred and one students participating in-person and thirteen students from the district joining virtually.

A D S B Indigenous Summer Transition Camp Once again, Algoma District School Board, in partnership with Great Lakes Culture Camps, will be operating A D S B Indigenous Summer Transition Camps for Indigenous students who are moving from Grade 8 into Grade 9 in the fall.

Called 2022 Niibing Enakamigisyang (Things We Do In Summer), two camps will run this year, one in Serpent River First Nation, the other in Garden River First Nation, July 4 to the 22.

This unique partnership will involve culturally and landbased learning. Together students will explore language, visit sacred and historical spaces, discover ancestral food systems, develop outdoor skills, engage in paddle sports and water safety training and take part in local environmental stewardship initiatives. Upon completion of the program, students will be eligible for a high school credit and ORCKA (Ontario Recreational Canoeing & Kayaking Association) certification. In addition, the camp will integrate the development of skills that will assist in a successful transition to secondary school.

Local First Nation elders

and community partners will be invited to provide their expertise around well-being and mental health activities and supports. This year, we have teachers at both sites who speak Ojibwemowin to further promote language development at the camps. …continued New this year, we are working with the ADSB Pathways team to incorporate a Mind over Metal (Welding) option for students. If a student from either site is interested in being hands on in a trades environment, they will have the option to work for one week with qualified tech staff in a shop.

Currently we have over thirty students signed up for the ADSB Indigenous Summer Transition Camps.

Secondary Summer School Opportunities ADSB will be offering in-person summer school to students at Superior Heights C&VS, July 4th through the 29th. A variety of courses are being offered for high school students including credit recovery, full credit courses, co-operative education, and e-learning courses for all students to access from across our district. Grade 8 Reach Ahead is also available for students entering Grade 9 in the fall.

A complete list of courses and the daily time commitment required to support student success in this condensed program can be found at www.adsb.on.ca. Students are encouraged to register early through their school's Student Services Office. For students currently in Grade 8, parents are asked to contact their child's Principal for more information. All courses listed are tentative and are subject to sufficient enrollment.

Registration is required before June 24th, 2022.

Also new this year, Algoma District School Board is partnering with York University/Lassonde School of Engineering for their k2i Academy focused on Bringing STEM to Life, through a Work-Integrated Learning Program. Students will learn about traditional Indigenous knowledge and engineering, identify societal challenges, and use a variety of world views to design and test solutions to problems. ADSB is fortunate to have educator Bryan Bellefeuille, a sought-after speaker, exploring topics such as bringing Traditional Indigenous Mathematics into the classroom and Land-Based Learning, championing this program.

This STEM program is being run for W.C. Eaket students from July 18 to August 12.

ADSB Robotics Camp Registration 2022 ADSB and White Pines Robotics are excited to announce the return of robotics camps this summer.

These in-person camps provide a fun environment where students learn practical, hands-on engineering and computer science skills. Students will learn the basics of robotics while building and programming various components. They will make use of the VEX IQ robotics platform, the same used by local schools to compete in the VEX IQ Robotics Challenge. The week will end with Cont’d on P.7

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, June 23, 2022- Page 6

Last weeks solutions MOMENTS IN TIME On July 5, 1946, French designer Louis Reard unveils a daring two-piece swimsuit at a popular swimming pool in Paris. Reard dubbed the swimsuit a "bikini," inspired by a U.S. atomic test that took place off the Bikini Atoll earlier that week.

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, June 23, 2022- Page 7

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Algoma District School Board In-Person & Virtual Summer Learning Opportunities & Resources Cont’d from P.5 students participating in a mini-competition.

New this year we will also be offering a separate one-week hands-on Coding Camp for students that have recently completed Grade 7 and 8. Students interested in programming will have the opportunity to learn coding fundamentals, as well as how to connect their code to various electronic devices and sensors. This camp will not be building robots.

The cost is $100 for each camp and they run from 8:30am to 4:30pm each day at Pinewood Public School. Registration is open to students enrolled with the Algoma District School Board.

For non-ADSB students, registration opened on Monday, June 13.

• Robotics Camp Week 1: July 4 to 7 for students that completed Grades 2 to 4 in June.

• Robotics Camp Week 2: July 11 to 15 for students that completed Grades 5 to 7 in June.

• Hands-On Coding Camp: August 22 to 25 for students that completed Grades 7 or 8 in June.

ADSB Summer Wellness Line The ADSB Summer Wellness Line will be available again this summer, serving ADSB students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and their parents/guardians. This resource provides ADSB families and students a means of connecting to members of ADSB's Mental Health, Counselling, & Attendance Services Team. More details will be made available about this resource in the coming weeks.

Additional Resources Our Board is pleased to have hired twelve post-Secondary students as Tutors to support

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classroom learning. These students will support learning in elementary and secondary programs in July and some will continue on into the fall supporting school staff throughout the district.

For further information on these programs and resources, students may contact their schools or the Algoma District School Board Education Centre at 705-945-7111.

Pimii Kamik Gas Bar & Gift Shop Located on the Chapleau Cree First Nation

SUMMER HOURS will be from 7 a.m. - 10 p.m., 7 days a week Drop by and check out our line of Authentic Native Crafts, Unique Gift Ideas, Jewellery, and Gift Certificates TOO! We also carry road trip snacks, which includes Subs, Chips, Pop, plus a whole lot more.

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Local MARKETPLACE ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (A.A).Open discussion meeting every Monday evening. Brunswick House First Nation Band office lounge 7pm. Narcotics Anonymous(N.A) every Tuesday same place same time.

NNADAP Worker @ 864-0174 info.

CHADWIC HOME, FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE. Offers shelter, emotional support, and information for women and their children who are in crisis situations. We have a Toll Free Crisis Line which is staffed 24 hours a day. We can arrange for free transportation to the Centre for women who live in the Algoma/Chapleau area. We also offer support to women who live in the communities of Chapleau, White River, Dubreuilville, and Hornepayne through our Outreach Program. Our Outreach Worker travels to those communities to meet with women who need emotional support as well as information about their rights and options. If you need to speak with the Outreach Worker when she is in your community, you can call the Centre at any time to set up an appointment. You do not need to be a resident of the Centre in order to use our services. If you need someone to talk to or if you just need someone to listen, call our Toll Free Crisis line at 1800-461-2242 or you can drop in at the Centre. We are here for you.

Deadlines on Wednesdays at 3 p.m.

New at the Library Library Hours Monday 1-5 pm Tuesday & Wednesday 1-7 pm Thursday & Friday 1-5 pm Website : www.chapleau.ca Follow us on facebook for more info!

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CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, June 23, 2022- Page 8

Delays at Airports and with Passports both Predictable and Preventable REPORT nationals coming into Canada will still be required to applications this year. from OTTAWA This pent-up demand was obvious. Canadian be vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter, as will the travelers who delayed plans to travel throughout the use of the ArriveCAN app, to avoid federal Rapport pandemic are now getting that opportunity, so a quarantine requirements upon arrival from d’Ottawa bottleneck in applications should have been international travel. This obviously also does not by/par

Carol Hughes Federal member of Parliament Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing

After the past two years, people are getting ready to travel the world once again. A surge in travelers was to be expected. Whether people are looking to meet family in other countries, attend international business meetings, or just trying to take a well-deserved vacation, the demand for travel has seldom been higher. However, that demand is hitting a few bottlenecks that keep the experience from being pleasant, with delays, cancellations and chaos at airports adding to travelers' anxiety.

The first major issue travelers have been facing is getting their passports renewed. Predictably, as soon as international travel restarted in earnest, Service Canada became overwhelmed with passport requests. While hardly a good period to measure normal demand, 363,000 passports were issued between the start of April 2020 and the end of March 2021. The following year, 1,273,000 passports were issued in that same period, with 75 percent (960,000) of those issued in the last 6 months of that period. With pent up demand, those applications are skyrocketing this year, with Service Canada estimating anywhere between 3.6 million to 4.3 million passport

anticipated, but the government seemed to have not anticipated this, and didn't apply the additional resources necessary to keep up. While some 600 additional staff have been hired to address the backlogs at Service Canada, and an additional 600 redirected to deal with passport applications, these are issues that needed to be addressed not now, but before the influx occurred.

Delays in passport processing times are significant, but do not compare to the chaos we are seeing at airports. Major airports across the country have seen hours-long wait times for check-ins, security, and customs, particularly at international hubs like Pearson. The Tourism Industry Association of Canada notes that processing of passengers by government agents, such as customs agents, used to take an average of 30 seconds per person prepandemic. That has grown to two minutes, four times as long since the pandemic started. Couple this with shortages of actual agents due to recruitment challenges and low wages at the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA).

This week, the government announced suspension of all Covid-19 vaccine mandates for air travel for domestic or outbound travel, but all re-entry requirements, including current testing and quarantine requirements upon re-entry from international destinations, will remain. Foreign

affect foreign vaccination requirements, such as the U.S., which does require proof of vaccination to enter their country.

This is welcome news. It may alleviate some of the burden at airports, but certainly will not be a fixall for the long lines, delays, and cancellations. The government knew there would be issues once the border would reopen, and without a clear plan to reopen the border safely in a way that would address situations that were likely to arise, such as dealing with staffing levels and addressing potential delays, was foolhardy. New Democrats have been pushing the government to develop a Safe Border Task Force since the beginning of the pandemic that would have ensured clear plans for the post-pandemic reopening at border crossings. The government didn't heed those calls from people like Windsor West MP Brian Masse, who's riding has the busiest land border in the country, and who knows all too well that easing border restrictions is not as simple as flipping a switch.

The government needs to be very clear about how they intend on addressing these delays and disruptions and be transparent about how decisions are being made on public health measures. They also need to work with CATSA employees to streamline their work and compensate them fairly. The alternatives will only continue to hurt our travel and tourism industry.

Aéroports et passeports : un engorgement à la fois prévisible et évitable Après les deux dernières années, les gens se préparent à parcourir le monde de nouveau. Il fallait s'attendre à voir bondir le nombre des voyageurs. Que les gens souhaitent aller rendre visite à leur parenté dans d'autres pays, assister à des réunions d'affaires à l'étranger, ou simplement prendre des vacances bien méritées, la demande pour les voyages a rarement été aussi élevée. Cependant, quelques goulots d'étranglement rendent l'expérience désagréable pour les voyageurs, dont l'anxiété est décuplée par les retards, les annulations et le chaos dans les aéroports.

Le premier problème majeur qui se pose aux voyageurs est le renouvellement de leur passeport. Sans surprise, dès que les voyages internationaux ont vraiment repris, Service Canada a été submergé de demandes de passeport. Bien qu'il ne s'agisse guère d'une bonne période de référence pour mesurer la demande normale, 363 000 passeports ont été délivrés entre le début d'avril 2020 et la fin de mars 2021.

L'année suivante, 1 273 000 passeports ont été délivrés au cours de la même période, dont 75 % (960 000) dans les six derniers mois de la période. À cause de la demande refoulée, le volume explose cette année et pourrait atteindre de 3,6 à 4,3 millions de demandes de passeport cette année, selon les estimations de Service Canada.

L'existence de cette demande latente était évidente. Les voyageurs canadiens qui ont retardé leurs projets de voyage pendant la pandémie ont maintenant l'occasion de partir, de sorte qu'une hausse exponentielle du volume des demandes était à prévoir.

Or, le gouvernement ne semble pas l'avoir vu venir et n'a

pas accru les ressources en conséquence. Pour répondre à la demande, environ 600 personnes additionnelles ont été embauchées pour traiter les arriérés à Service Canada, et 600 autres ont été réaffectées au traitement des demandes de passeport, mais il aurait fallu corriger la situation avant l'afflux actuel.

La lenteur du traitement des demandes de passeport est considérable, mais elle ne se compare pas au chaos qui règne dans les aéroports. Dans les principaux aéroports du pays, l'attente se prolonge pendant des heures pour s'enregistrer et pour passer à la sécurité et aux douanes, surtout dans les plaques tournantes internationales comme l'aéroport Pearson.

Selon, l'Association de l'industrie touristique du Canada, le contrôle des voyageurs par des agents gouvernementaux, aux douanes notamment, prenaient en moyenne 30 secondes par personne avant la pandémie. Ce chiffre a quadruplé pour atteindre deux minutes depuis le début de la pandémie. À cela s'ajoute la pénurie d'agents attribuable à des problèmes de recrutement et à la faible rémunération offerte par l'Administration canadienne de la sûreté du transport aérien (ACSTA).

Cette semaine, le gouvernement a annoncé la suspension de l'obligation d'être vacciné contre la COVID-19 pour prendre l'avion vers une destination intérieure ou à l'étranger, mais toutes les exigences au retour de destinations étrangères, y compris en matière de dépistage et de quarantaine, demeurent en vigueur.

Les ressortissants étrangers qui arrivent au Canada devront encore être vaccinés contre la COVID-19 pour être admis et utiliser l'application ArriveCAN afin

d'éviter la quarantaine fédérale. Les nouvelles règles n'ont évidemment aucune incidence sur l'obligation vaccinale de pays étrangers tels que les États-Unis, qui exigent une preuve de vaccination pour entrer au pays.

Cette annonce est la bienvenue. Elle pourrait réduire l'engorgement dans les aéroports, mais elle n'éliminera pas complètement les longues files d'attente, les retards et les annulations. Le gouvernement savait que la réouverture de la frontière créerait des problèmes, et il était insensé de sa part de ne pas établir un plan clair pour rouvrir la frontière de manière sécuritaire et de façon à pouvoir faire face aux situations qui risquaient de survenir, comme le manque de personnel et les retards possibles. Les néodémocrates pressent le gouvernement depuis le début de la pandémie de mettre sur pied un groupe de travail sur la sécurité à la frontière qui aurait établi des plans clairs pour la réouverture après la pandémie. Le gouvernement n'a pas écouté les gens comme le député de Windsor-Ouest Brian Masse, qui compte le poste frontalier le plus fréquenté au pays dans sa circonscription et qui ne sait que trop bien que l'assouplissement des restrictions frontalières ne se fait pas en criant lapin.

Le gouvernement doit indiquer très clairement comment il compte remédier à ces retards et à ces perturbations et être transparent quant à la manière dont se prennent les décisions relatives aux mesures de santé publique. Il doit également travailler avec les employés de l'ACSTA pour rationaliser leur travail et les rémunérer équitablement. Sinon, notre industrie du voyage et du tourisme continuera de pâtir.