Sitting 80 — February 5, 2026

The sitting was dominated by a Bloc Québécois opposition motion calling on the government to apologize for the 1969 expropriations for the Mirabel airport, which the government resisted by pivoting to its high-speed rail project, Alto. The main bills debated were C-15, the budget implementation act containing the high-speed rail network act, and C-227, a private member’s bill on a national housing strategy for young Canadians. The central political argument was whether the government should issue a formal apology for past expropriations before proceeding with a new major rail project through the same region.

The Bloc Québécois opposition motion, debated for the entire Government Orders period, asked the House to call on the government to apologize to those whose land was expropriated in Mirabel, acknowledge the collective trauma, and commit to no future expropriations without consultation, social licence and appropriate compensation. The Bloc argued that the 1969 expropriation of 97,000 acres for an airport that was never fully used was a theft that traumatized thousands of families, and that the government had never formally apologized. The Conservatives supported the motion, noting that Conservative prime ministers Brian Mulroney and Stephen Harper had returned expropriated land, and called the expropriation a tragedy. The Liberals opposed the motion, arguing that laws and consultation processes had been completely overhauled since 1969, that former minister Marc Garneau had already apologized, and that the motion was a tactic to obstruct the high-speed rail project. The government repeatedly pivoted to promoting Bill C-15 and the Alto project, saying it would create jobs and cut emissions, and that consultations were already underway. No amendment was moved; a recorded division was requested at the end of debate.

Bill C-227, the National Strategy on Housing for Young Canadians Act, was debated during Private Members’ Business. The bill would require the minister to consult with other governments and stakeholders to develop a national strategy to improve access to affordable housing for Canadians aged 17 to 34. The Liberal member who introduced it argued that collaboration between levels of government was essential and that young people needed hope. The Bloc Québécois opposed the bill, calling it an empty shell that would create more bureaucracy without building homes, and argued that housing funding should be transferred unconditionally to Quebec. The Conservatives also opposed it, saying it was another framework that would add red tape rather than build homes, and that the government should instead remove taxes and barriers to construction. The vote on the bill was recorded.

During Routine Proceedings, Conservative MP Garnett Genuis introduced Bill C-260, the Preventing Coercion of Persons Not Seeking Medical Assistance in Dying Act, which would amend the Criminal Code to prohibit government bureaucrats from suggesting medical assistance in dying to people who have not requested it. The bill was deemed read a first time and printed. Questions on the Order Paper were allowed to stand by unanimous consent.