Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for being here with us today in Trois‑Rivières. I have just finished my meeting with Éric Baril and his family, who graciously invited me into their home. I saw with my own eyes the difficult situation faced by too many families … because of pyrrhotite. In a number of regions of Quebec, pyrrhotite is a serious and costly problem for homeowners. The mineral destroys foundations and causes serious problems for the structure of houses. Unfortunately, there is no quick way to solve this problem.

The Quebec government has already taken action. Since 2011, it has been providing generous support to homeowners who face this problem. This funding is used to replace foundations damaged by pyrrhotite and to carry out the necessary renovations. Trois‑Rivières residents are expecting the federal government to do its part as well. Today, we are happy to announce that the federal government will provide $30 million over the next three years to assist homeowners in fixing pyrrhotite damage.

We are happy to announce that the federal government will provide $30 million over the next three years to assist homeowners in fixing pyrrhotite damage.

We will be working closely with the Quebec government on the matter. As a result of the increased funding, homeowners who … have serious pyrrhotite damage could receive up to $75,000 to repair their home. For many Canadians, being a homeowner is an important goal, or even a lifelong dream. To achieve this goal, they had to work very hard and save. Unfortunately, damage such as pyrrhotite damage can have a very significant impact on people’s lives.

We are especially pleased to take some of the burden off homeowners affected by pyrrhotite. We hope that people who have pyrrhotite damage here in Mauricie and across Quebec will be able to obtain the help they need to renovate their house and live comfortably again.

Thank you again for being here with us today. I am now happy to take your questions.