Evidence of meeting #138 for Canadian Heritage in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was métis.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
Good. Thanks.
Thank you for talking about Saskatchewan and Remembrance Day. Alberta is similar, but a lot of the country doesn't do that. It's not a statutory holiday; it's a school day.
3:55 p.m.
Legal Counsel, Native Women's Association of Canada
It was certainly a surprise to me when I moved to Ontario.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
There is the challenge. If we're talking about a national holiday, it does not mean the schools would not be in.
How does that fit with a national holiday, being the federal government, so the schools will still be in?
3:55 p.m.
Legal Counsel, Native Women's Association of Canada
You're saying that in this particular circumstance, you're speaking about October 1, September 30, or whatever day it is.
3:55 p.m.
Legal Counsel, Native Women's Association of Canada
Most schools would probably not be in session on June 21.
3:55 p.m.
Legal Counsel, Native Women's Association of Canada
If we have that kind of discrepancy across the country, it might be interesting to see if there are other unifying ways to bring different regions together on the same issue. I think that it could possibly go beyond people simply having a day off. Maybe there could be some type of federal programming even in a lead-up to the day. I'm sure we all remember things like Heritage Minutes on CBC. Perhaps there could be a similar public relations campaign in a lead-up to the day so that if the provinces choose to regulate these days in different ways or if different employers are going to be somehow exempt from giving people these days off and they can't spend them with their children, at the very least there would be some sort of national plan in place to draw attention to the importance of the day even if the date itself is not the significant part. I think that goes back to the other comments we've made. It's not the date that matters; it's the meaning behind it.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
January 29th, 2019 / 3:55 p.m.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I invite you all to grab your earpiece. The lower switches are the ones switching to English and French. Eventually, we may have first languages in the translation services. We actually do have that now in the new House of Commons, which is great news.
I would like to refer everyone to my colleague Ms. Georgina Jolibois’s very short bill, entitled An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Indigenous Peoples Day). In the summary, it states that the “enactment amends certain Acts to make National Indigenous Peoples Day a holiday.”
That’s the issue we need to focus on. We’ve talked a lot about this over the past few months. I recall my fellow member, Mr. Blaney, raising the issue of Remembrance Day. Members on both sides spoke passionately on the subject. They all wanted to pay tribute to our armed forces but wondered whether it was a good idea to establish a holiday.
Frankly, this isn’t about selecting a date—granted, we do have to choose one, of course. Ms. Lomax pointed out that we wouldn’t consider combining Canada Day, July 1, with Remembrance Day.
I’m worried about the issue getting bogged down; it’s important to move forward. We’ve heard a range of views, and, yes, there is a risk in terms of combining the days. We need to consider whether designating June 21 as the new holiday is appropriate when orange shirt day exists as well.
Mr. Obed and Ms. Lomax, I’d like you to talk more about that. As you clearly pointed out, Ms. Lomax, we would never consider combining Remembrance Day and Canada Day, a day of celebration. Do you think we should proceed?
I’m worried because the end of the parliamentary session is looming, so I want to make sure that the bill comes to fruition at the end of all this.
4 p.m.
Legal Counsel, Native Women's Association of Canada
Just for clarity, the question is what would we do to ensure that we have not mixed these two days? To be succinct, separate them. Be very clear about the different meanings. I think that different programming for different days would also be prudent in order to conceptually distinguish these days.
If you're having a day of celebration, a day that's going to be a day with dancing, a day with music, a day with the celebration of the very distinct and vibrant cultures, it's going to have a different spirit than will a day that is intended to educate and to reflect.
To me, the way to distinguish this is not only to very clearly, temporally and physically separate these days but also for the federal government to set an example of what these days are supposed to mean and what these days do mean.
4 p.m.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Mr. Obed, you said that, in the past, the Government of Canada had provided funding to celebrate the summer solstice on June 21.
Do you think that’s still the best day to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day?
4 p.m.
President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Each community across Inuit Nunangat, our homeland, receives a small bit of funds from the federal government to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day. That's the fund I was referring to. As far as the push from indigenous people from Inuit first nations and Métis on making it a statutory holiday goes, that's been a conversation for a long time that predates the TRC. There have been Inuit representational organizations, our governments, and us, that have started to recognize that day as a statutory holiday within our own structures.
As far as whether or not this bill would create a statutory holiday for all Canadians goes, I wouldn't want to see it framed as it is now going to be the TRC call to action implemented through creating a statutory holiday on June 21, because that is mixing very clearly the established place and purpose for National Indigenous Peoples Day and this particular part of the TRC call to action.
Again, whether or not the statutory holiday falls on June 21 or another date is picked within the calendar year is a question that without more consultation I don't have a position on.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
4:05 p.m.
Legal Counsel, Native Women's Association of Canada
Can I just ask a clarification question? Did you imply that it's at least a strong possibility that if these days are not combined, neither will go forward?
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
I would not evoke this. The reality is that we've been talking about this for a long time and the reality is that there are many points of view. As you said, I wouldn't want to see the side effect of this bill actually be damage to any dates. I think that quite effectively, as you say, Remembrance Day, November 11, is one thing and July 1 is another thing.
4:05 p.m.
Legal Counsel, Native Women's Association of Canada
From our view, if there's concern that continued debate over the importance of this separation would harm the progression of the bill, I would respond that to progress with a bill that does not respect the separate spirit of these two events that we're discussing would be to fail the spirit of the bill.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
Mr. Nantel, you’re out of time.
We are now going to Mr. Vandal, please. You have seven minutes.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
Thank you.
First of all, I appreciate all of your input. It's been very valuable. This bill is incredibly important, and we can only learn through consultations with not only you but also many other groups and individuals.
My first question is whether any consultation was done before this bill was presented to the House of Commons by the author of the motion, MP Jolibois.
President Obed, was there any consultation? Is this the first time you've been asked your opinion?
4:05 p.m.
Legal Counsel, Native Women's Association of Canada
I can speak only to my own knowledge, but to my own knowledge, yes.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
I'm glad we're having this conversation, because the information is very important.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
If I can just jump in for clarification. I wasn't sure if the answer was yes, it's the first time you've been consulted, or yes, you were consulted before.
4:05 p.m.
President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
The “yes” was that this is the first time that we at ITK have been consulted on this particular bill.