Alistair Macgregor

ALISTAIR MACREGOR

Alistair MacGregor is the MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford and the federal NDP’s Critic for Agriculture and Agri-food, Rural Economic Development and deputy Justice

Following the federal election that was held in September, the 44th Parliament of Canada began its service on Monday, November 22nd. The House of Commons is due to continue sitting until December 17th, and I’m happy to be back in Ottawa on your behalf and championing the issues that matter to our communities here in CowichanMalahat-Langford.

It is hard to believe that December is here, Christmas is around the corner, and that we’ve arrived at the end of 2021, a year that has provided no shortage of frustration, apprehension, and concern. While many of us might be happy to see 2021 in our rearview mirror, there is no doubt that we will continue to be exposed to serious challenges in the months and years ahead.

Our country is now continuing through the 21st month of the COVID-19 pandemic and its delta variant-driven fourth wave. We are collectively worn out and exhausted by this disease, and healthcare systems in Canada have been driven to the brink with emergency rooms and ICUs overwhelmed by unvaccinated patients. The effectiveness of vaccines in preventing serious illness and death from COVID is clearly documented, and we must continue to do all we can to encourage more people to get their shots.

On top of this, climate change again reared its ugly head in spectacular fashion last month. Following a summer that brought unprecedented heat waves and destructive wildfires, much of southern BC was hit hard by an atmospheric river, causing torrential rainstorms that dumped record-smashing amounts of water over a twoday period. Extreme flooding, landslides, and mudslides followed the deluge, causing critical infrastructure and home damage that will climb into the billions of dollars and will likely be one of the most expensive weather-related disasters in Canadian history.

How much more evidence must we wait for before those in power understand the gravity of the situation before us? How many future tax dollars are we prepared to spend as a country to shore up critical infrastructure in the face of increasing and more catastrophic extreme weather events driven by human-caused climate change? Because make no mistake, any costs associated with the investments we need to make as a country to transition away from our fossil-fuel dependent economy will pale in comparison with the economic havoc that climate change will wreak on Canada in future

years.

2021’s heat waves, wildfires, and floods in BC are a sign of our new normal. The natural environment is trying to send us a message that all is not well. We must take stock of this last year and finally listen.