Evidence of meeting #33 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was health.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of Canadian Community Colleges
I'll mention one tax area that I know a lot about. I'm rather new in this sector, so I won't give you a detailed answer to the whole question.
We continue to pay GST at our educational institutions, and municipalities don't. So we'd like not to pay GST. That would be very helpful. It comes to about $100 million, I think.
12:20 p.m.
Conservative
12:20 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON
Very quickly then, tell me a bit about the centres of excellence for commercialization and research and the business-led networks of centres of excellence. Does somebody want to jump in there about the difference? Do we have a good coalition between the two? Is there good communication?
12:20 p.m.
Acting President, President's Office, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Absolutely. Actually, they're programs that are managed by the same steering committee. Of the committees reviewing the proposals, one of them is the same for both. So they are really aligned one with another.
12:20 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON
I want to go back to that first question. I just hope we're not driving direction. I know that in this country, if we look at where we're successful, we're successful in banking, we're successful in telemarketing...in telecommunications, rather; possibly telemarketing too.
When we direct the funds, are we taking enough time to really identify that this is what we're good at? Energy, for instance, is obviously one. I know that we have the pillars, but I hope we're taking enough time to make sure we're actually putting the money where we need to put the money.
12:20 p.m.
Executive Vice-President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
The Council of Canadian Academies did a study looking at our strengths across the country, and that led to the priority areas in the S and T strategy.
I think your point's a very good one. It's really important that we are able to maintain strength across a wide range of areas so that we're ready for the next wave of innovation, wherever that may come up. We don't know necessarily where the next wave will come from, but we have to be prepared and have people trained in those areas as well.
12:20 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON
As independent arm's-length organizations, how do you ensure accountability in terms of the funds provided to your organizations?
12:20 p.m.
President, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Perhaps I could jump in here.
We've made some significant changes to our governance, for example. Now our 22 council members are really a wonderful reflection of the diversity and richness of Canadian society. I think that's one of the key ways we've really helped ensure that we have those good links to the larger society and that the way we operate is really in keeping with the best of Canadian values and standards.
April 17th, 2008 / 12:20 p.m.
Carmen Charette Executive Vice-President, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
We also are subject to the same reporting requirements in terms of Treasury Board. The Auditor General audits all of our books. So in the case of SSHRC, we produce, I think, 130-some reports every year for all of those organizations to ensure transparency and accountability.
12:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Van Kesteren.
We'll go to Ms. Keeper, please.
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
Tina Keeper Liberal Churchill, MB
Thank you.
I'm really pleased to have this opportunity to be here today, as I'm not normally on this committee. I thank you for your presentations.
I represent a riding that's about two-thirds of the province of Manitoba. We have a startling situation, I find, in terms of the growth of the mining industry, the growth of the labour demands, and growth of the research demands. As well, we're seeing in the north the requirement for so much work around the environment and environmental studies, and then the need to develop the labour market.
I have a question for Mr. Knight and Mr. Lloyd in particular. We have such a large aboriginal population in northern Manitoba, and we really need to make linkages between the investments. I'd like to get your comments on that.
12:25 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of Canadian Community Colleges
Thank you for that question. I really appreciate it, because just a few weeks ago I was at Red River College. I was touring with the president, and I asked him what all these semi-trailers were doing parked in their yard. He told me they were not semi-trailers, they were in fact like RVs; they expanded and became classrooms. He said to me, “Jim, we take them up to northern communities in Manitoba, we situate them in the reserve or the town, we invite local people who are looking for a job in either mining or hydroelectric development”--which is your other big driver in the north--“and we train these people for six months. Then we take the classroom on to the next community, we train them there, and the students go on to do some apprenticeship work with various employers.”
I have to say that I found that really very creative. I was quite taken with the innovation being demonstrated by this particular college. I guess it's precisely in your riding. These are relatively new, I think. I don't know how many seasons they've been operating, but the trailers appeared to be new.
So this may be one response to the challenges you face in your riding.
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
Tina Keeper Liberal Churchill, MB
We have the University College of the North as well, and they have 17 satellite centres. So there is a real demand for the funding.
12:25 p.m.
Executive Vice-President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
This is a really important area. Our program of undergraduate student research awards has already been referred to. In the program we try to encourage undergraduate students to get interested in research, and they do a little 16-week term in a lab. Many then go on to graduate school.
We pay special attention to aboriginal students. Any aboriginal student who meets the quality requirements automatically is awarded one of those. We're just launching this year a program of aboriginal ambassadors whereby, for those aboriginal students who do get one of those awards, we give them extra money to go back into their communities and try to encourage some of their fellow students to do the same thing.
12:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
You have a few minutes, Ms. Keeper, if you want to add something.
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Thank you.
Here are just a couple of further questions relative to commercialization. I'm very interested in the Nova Scotia Community College example in terms of commercialization. I'd be interested in what policy lessons we can learn in terms of approaches that could be expanded on nationally. For companies like Ocean Nutrition, Clearwater Fine Foods, or Oxford Frozen Foods—companies that have grown to be international successes—a lot of their competitive advantage has been gained from research in their communities. It strikes me that community colleges are well positioned in that regard.
So I'd appreciate your view as to how we can better move federal policies to capitalize on that possibility.
12:25 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of Canadian Community Colleges
I don't want to be too simplistic here, but it does come down to investment. As I mentioned, the investment by the Government of Canada in commercialization involving our institutions is really very small, with only one in five of the institutions having access to this very small fund. I think there's an opportunity to ramp that up somewhat. These investments support industry-college partnerships for innovation and commercialization. We could do more of that. There's a good opportunity.
Also, I mentioned that you will find an article by Joan McArthur-Blair, as the president of that institution, who explains carefully that current federal sources are accessible by colleges in theory, but the criteria seem to be structured in a way that excludes them.
I hope that's helpful.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Here is one quick question. One idea for improving commercialization would be better integration between universities' business schools and their schools of science. What are you doing to encourage that in Canada? Why isn't that being pushed as a priority?
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Unfortunately, we'll only have one person answer this. Who would you like to answer?
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Whoever is most passionate and has the best idea to address this pressing need.
12:30 p.m.
President, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
I think in our recent competition we had a special call for management business finance and we had some extra money we could invest in it. We met with business schools across the country. We're now financing a number of projects on this whole question of innovation and commercialization. So my sense, at least, is that we have some indications of what might work, but there's no doubt that we have to keep focusing on this, and we're not there yet.