Hon. Douglas Abbott (Minister of Finance):

Since the further supplementary estimates which I have just tabled contain an item concerning the superannuation account, I would like at this time to table a report on the actuarial examination of the civil service superannuation account in the consolidated revenue fund for the period March 31, 1931, to December 31, 1947. This report has been prepared by the department of insurance and was submitted to me by the chief actuary on April 16, 1951.

During the discussion of the further supplementary estimates of the Department of Finance later this week I shall make a statement on this report and on the policy which the government proposes to follow in making its own contributions to the account.

Right Hon. L. S. St. Laurent (Prime Minister) moved:

That when this house adjourns on Wednesday, April 9, 1952, it stand adjourned until Monday, April 21, 1952.

Mr. George H. Hees (Broadview):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Public Works, of which I have given him notice. In view of the erosion and recent severe flooding of the Toronto islands, will the government give consideration to the erection of a sea-wall and groynes to prevent this vital part of the St. Lawrence seaway from further deteriorating?

Hon. Alphonse Fournier (Minister of Public Works):

Mr. Speaker, after the adjournment of the house last evening, in discussing this question with the hon. member I mentioned

Inquiries of the Ministry to him that the member representing the way. They reported the incident to the riding in which the Toronto islands were police, the police informed the camp, and located had discussed this question with me the camp had the matter looked into. A for the last four years. The member for report was made. Unfortunately, such mis-Spadina (Mr. Croll) even asked me to receive

understanding as there was arose from the

a delegation this afternoon with regard to this matter. The best answer I can give to this question at the moment is as follows:

The question of erosion and flooding of Toronto islands is one that has been given consideration by both the city and ourselves for some time past. Both the city and the department have done work on the lake side of the islands. In so far as the department was concerned the work was done to protect the harbour. The question of protection from further deterioration by the construction of a wall or groynes is a subject that is under consideration by both the city and the department at present.

Hon. Brooke Claxion (Minister of National Defence):

Yesterday the hon. member for Peterborough West (Mr. Fraser) asked me a question about the finding of some mortar bombs at or near the Petawawa camp. With file information then at my disposal, I gave an answer, and said the matter was under investigation. It is still under investigation, but I found that 'the information upon which I acted was incorrect in one respect, owing to a- misunderstanding between the officer reporting from Petawawa and the officer receiving the message here. I said that the bombs, in question were found on the ranges,, but that is not so. Perhaps I had better give a brief account of what happened. .

On the morning of Saturday, a young boy named Jimmy Rae found a bomb a couple of miles from Pembroke. He brought this to his house in Pembroke, where he showed it to his grandfather. His grandfather did precisely the right thing by telephoning to both the Petawawa camp and the local police. The Petawawa camp had an officer down in a very short time, and he found that the bomb had been handed over to the police. An officer and an ammunition expert went to the police station, rendered the bomb inert and came back to the camp, where they made a report.

Independently another child found five mortar bombs at a garbage dump at the side of the road not far from Pembroke. The people concerned similarly acted in a proper

fact that the two sets of reports from the civilian authorities were made to different military agencies, and were only put together on Monday morning.

The bombs in question were two-inch mortar green signal flares. They weighed rather less than a pound and a half. The lot number was traced, and this is a lot that was delivered to the army in February, 1945, and delivered to the Petawawa camp in March, 1945. They were presumed to have been used there because they are no longer in store at or on charge to the camp. The bombs in question were issued as far back as 1945, and the records of the camp for the handling of this material, after it has been received by the camp and issued to the units, are kept for only two years. There is, however, an inspection service under which unit magazines are inspected every month. No bombs are issued from store or from units without receipts, and a certificate is issued by the officer in charge, when bombs or other live ammunition are used, as to the number that are used.

It is clearly impossible to say how these six bombs got into this garbage. It is not a proper garbage dump, but is located at the side of the road. From the condition of the cardboard carton in which the mortar bombs were, it was obvious that they had been there only as long as the garbage had, and that Was a couple of days.