Evidence of meeting #141 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 sports.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
This will begin our 141st meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. Today we are beginning our new study of indigenous participation in sport.
We have with us the Department of Canadian Heritage. We have Andrew Campbell, the assistant deputy minister for sport, major events and commemorations and Vicki Walker, director general of Sport Canada branch.
Please begin with your presentations.
3:20 p.m.
Andrew Campbell Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
I would like to begin the presentation by acknowledging that the land on which we're gathering today is the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.
I'd also like to introduce my colleague Vicki Walker, Director General at Sport Canada.
The Government of Canada has had a long-standing commitment to indigenous people's sport participation, which I will describe to you today.
I want to recognize, however, that indigenous peoples continue to face barriers to participation and representation in the Canadian sport system, at all levels and in all capacities.
The Government of Canada is committed to continuing its support of indigenous sport development in Canada and recognizes the role that sport plays in enhancing the lives of indigenous people by enabling more active and healthy lifestyles and full sports participation.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission framed five calls to action around sport and reconciliation. Rather than list them off, I would like instead to speak to them as I describe the actions that the sport Canada branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage is taking to support indigenous people's participation in sport.
Let me begin by outlining the policy foundation that Sport Canada has for indigenous people's participation in sports.
Section 4 of the Physical Activity and Sport Act states that the policy principles are founded in part on "the treatment of all persons with fairness and respect, the full and fair participation of all persons in sport [...] "
One of the key objectives stated in the act is "to facilitate the participation of under-represented groups in the Canadian sport system".
To advance this objective, Sport Canada issued the Policy on Aboriginal Peoples' Participation in Sport in 2005, developed in consultation with indigenous stakeholders.
The policy is a vision for an enhanced Canadian sport system that is inclusive of, and adaptive to, indigenous peoples. lt aims to continually reduce barriers to indigenous participation, at all levels and across all contexts, and to fully realize sport's potential to drive socio-economic change in indigenous communities.
I'm now going to turn it over to my colleague, Vicki Walker, to describe the funding from sport Canada and how we are meeting the TRC calls to action. I'll then conclude by discussing how, together with indigenous communities and organizations, we're leveraging the power of sport.
Vicki.
3:25 p.m.
Vicki Walker Director General, Sport Canada Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
For the purposes of advancing indigenous sport participation, there are four key mechanisms. First, there is funding to national sport organizations such as Curling Canada or Swimming Canada. Second, there is funding to national multi-sport service organizations such as Motivate Canada or the Coaching Association of Canada. These are organizations that lead or coordinate services to the national sport community. Third, there is funding through federal-provincial-territorial bilateral agreements. Fourth, there is funding to host sport events.
ln 2017-2018 Sport Canada invested over $450,000 in multisport service organizations to support indigenous sport development and leadership skills in indigenous communities. In the text you have before you, you will note that the figure cited is $660,000 instead of $450,000. That is because a portion of those funds is given directly to another organization that deals with this matter; I'll get to it soon.
lncluded among multisport service organizations spending in 2017-2018 was a contribution of $800,000 to the Aboriginal Sport Circle, which is the national organization responsible for advancing indigenous sport development in Canada.
Sport Canada has a long-standing funding relationship with the Aboriginal Sport Circle, which began in 1995. The Aboriginal Sport Circle is recognized as Canada's national voice for indigenous sport, which brings together the interests of the Inuit, first nations and Métis peoples.
The aboriginal long-term participant development pathway, launched in 2016, was developed by the Aboriginal Sport Circle and the Sport For Life Society and was financially supported by Sport Canada.
The purpose of the Aboriginal Long-Term Participant Development Pathway is to increase the percentage of indigenous children and youth who become physically literate, define a pathway for indigenous athletes into high performance sports, and increase the number of indigenous people who are active for life.
Sport Canada also encourages sports participation and physical activity among children and youth by supporting sports participation projects and activities through bilateral agreements with the provinces and territories.
Since 2003, Sport Canada has contributed $5 million annually, through bilateral agreements, to promote participation in sport by Canadians. This investment is matched by provinces and territories. An additional $1 million was invested in 2008, 2014 and 2017 to support provincial and territorial team travel to the North American Indigenous Games.
Through the bilateral agreements between 2012 and 2017, 343,263 indigenous people have participated in activities as athletes and have received training in coaching, leadership and officiating. The breakdown of these participants by gender is 182,695 males, 156,863 females and 3,705 non-identified individuals. Out of this total, 1,801 indigenous women and 3,903 indigenous men received coaching, leadership and officials training.
Budget 2017 announced funding to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action. ln particular, the TRC identified a need for stable funding for, and access to, community sports programs that reflect the diverse cultures and traditional sporting activities of indigenous peoples; programs for coaches, trainers, and sports officials that are culturally relevant for indigenous peoples; and anti-racism awareness and training programs.
The Minister of Science and Sport announced an increase of funding to the Aboriginal Sport Circle, beginning in 2017-18 in the amount of $800,000 to support indigenous sport leadership and the promotion of culturally relevant sport programming. This increased funding to the Aboriginal Sport Circle is an important response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which specifically asked for a reduction of barriers to sport participation, an increase in the pursuit of excellence in sport and a building of capacity in the Canadian sport system for the inclusion of indigenous peoples.
Part of the Budget 2017 investment is going toward the Aboriginal Sport Circle to provide additional workshops on the Aboriginal Long-Term Participant Development Pathway to key partners including national sports organizations.
The second component of the Budget 2017 investment increases the offering of relevant sports programming through the bilateral agreements with the provinces and territories, in the amounts of $1.0 million in 2017-2018, $1.3 million in 2018-2019, $1.5 million in 2019-2020, $1.8 million in 2020-2021, and $2.0 million in 2021-2022, in contributions under Vote 5. This funding will sunset in 2021-2022.
Funding directed to the governments of the provinces and territories is being used to increase the operational capacity of provincial and territorial aboriginal sport bodies. Building on the Aboriginal Sport Circle's leadership and guidance, these organizations are well positioned to support community-relevant programs and services. Within this funding, each province and territory receives an amount to help offset the cost of the North American Indigenous Games 2020 team preparation and team travel.
The North American Indigenous Games are a multi-sport games for youth 13 to 19 years old. They showcase unity, sport, culture, youth, volunteerism and teamwork between first nations, Métis, Inuit and non-indigenous communities. They were founded on the principles of promoting healthy lifestyles, building self-image and promoting indigenous role models through sport and culture.
3:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
Excuse me. You are now at just over 10 minutes. I see that you have a fair bit left. If you want to quickly do some highlights, you can bring out some of the rest in questions afterwards.
3:30 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
It may be preferable to discuss the advantages of sports for communities, nationally and internationally. Of course, thanks to the investments made in the past, there is something to point to.
Budget 2018 announced funding of $47.5 million over five years, and $9.5 million annually, for use towards culturally relevant sport, to achieve social development outcomes for indigenous peoples and to advance reconciliation.
To be clear, this is not one of those types of activities that Vicki was just talking about, but an extension beyond what was announced in budget 2017.
The design of this initiative has been ongoing over the year, with the Aboriginal Sport Circle and indigenous communities across the country. We are looking at sport for social development initiatives, such as working to keep at-risk youth out of the justice system, helping indigenous youth feel like a part of their communities, and working on such issues as mental health and childhood obesity within indigenous communities. We know that the numbers of students, and their parents and teachers, will be significant throughout the indigenous communities. We are excited to be advancing these initiatives in the coming year.
We are now ready to respond to any questions committee members may have for us.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
Thank you very much.
We will begin our question period.
I yield the floor to Mr. Long for seven minutes.
3:35 p.m.
Wayne Long Saint John—Rothesay, Lib.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Good afternoon to our witnesses. They've been very informative presentations. When we talk sports, we're in my wheelhouse. I was one of the principals of the Saint John Sea Dogs, a Quebec major junior hockey team. It was an expansion team that we brought to Saint John in 2005. I was very involved in the Quebec major junior hockey league, in development, recruiting, drafting, hiring, firing and so on.
In my time as president of the Saint John Sea Dogs, among all of the players we brought in from all over the country—actually all over the world, it's safe to say— we had two players who were indigenous youth. It's striking that it was so low, and that as an executive in the league, sitting around members' tables, board tables and governors' tables, we really had no discussion and no initiatives. There certainly was no ill intent there, but looking back now, it's quite remarkable that there wasn't more discussion with respect to minority groups, and in particular, indigenous groups.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued several calls to action regarding sport, including the development of a national sports program, initiatives inclusive of indigenous peoples and an elite development program for indigenous athletes. Can you elaborate on some of the steps you've taken to address the calls to action, and what kind of success you've had, or challenges or barriers you've faced?
3:35 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
One of the elements we are particularly proud of is in direct response to that specific call to action you're referring to. That is, as Vicki mentioned, putting together the long-term participant development pathway, which is a fairly hefty series of documents, with the Aboriginal Sport Circle and Sport for Life. At the same time, we worked on an aboriginal coaching stream with the Coaching Association of Canada, where we're bringing coaches on board from two perspectives. Within that stream, we have indigenous participation, and non-indigenous coaches getting training in culturally sensitive coaching techniques.
Another one of the initiatives we're looking at, with both the Aboriginal Sport Circle and the provincial-territorial-aboriginal sport organizations, is having them build the capacity to start community building, so that the base of the pathway, where you start to move people towards elite athletics, grows.
The last one is through the carded athlete program, where we started to ask people to self-identify. We are having more indigenous athletes continue to self-identify, and get that development.
3:35 p.m.
Saint John—Rothesay, Lib.
Thank you for that.
Ms. Walker, is there anything you want to add to that?
3:35 p.m.
Director General, Sport Canada Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
Your question is interesting, because I think it points to what may have been a barrier to participation.
Research indicates to us that organizations in the mainstream sport system are sometimes not culturally attuned and in a position to welcome aboriginal athletes. There are a number of elements to the work we're doing. Andrew mentioned sensitization for coaches, not only to develop capacity for aboriginal coaches but to help others who take coaching training and officials to understand what they can do to make their environment more welcoming.
This is true also in high-performance sport milieux. We've seen in the past that some athletes will get to a certain level and then may choose not to go any further. Again, research has indicated that we can introduce some things into those environments that are going to be culturally attuned to what aboriginal athletes require to keep them involved.
3:40 p.m.
Saint John—Rothesay, Lib.
We've had hundreds of players through the organization and have certainly made note of some players who might have had anxiety issues, or this or that. Thinking back now, we did have some indigenous youth come through our program—and some were leaders—but we never gave it a second thought as to the challenges or the barriers they faced.
Can you go back 10 or 15 years and touch on the progress that has been made since? Has substantial progress been made? Or are you looking at this as if we're at the start and moving forward?
3:40 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
I think one of the indicators to look at is that 10 to 15 years ago—I could get you specific dates—there were about three provincial-territorial aboriginal sport organizations, and today we have one in every province and territory. A lot of that building of capacity has come through the Aboriginal Sport Circle. All three of the national indigenous organizations have said that this is the group they would like to have deal with the issue of sport. I think that's really helped because it's given us a pathway within the indigenous community to start moving a lot of these types of initiatives forward.
I think the other one we see on an ongoing basis is the reintroduction of things like the Tom Longboat Awards. The reintroduction of awards like this have allowed indigenous champions to step forward and speak on behalf of their communities. Certainly that was called for in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action, as well.
Significant work has been done as well by different leaders within the Assembly of First Nations. They have an indigenous action group that has brought forward some sport directions for communities to follow. Certainly that's one.
3:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
I will have to cut it there.
Perhaps you can bring out some of that information with the other questions.
I now yield the floor to Mr. Blaney for seven minutes.
3:40 p.m.
Steven Blaney Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, CPC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to welcome all of our witnesses.
I am pleasantly surprised by the commitment shown by Sport Canada and Canadian Heritage to support indigenous participation in sport. In my opinion, this starts with local infrastructure in communities and on reserves.
Before speaking to the witnesses, I would like to underscore the fact that this is the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. We make collegial, in camera decisions about the subjects we study. This allows my New Democratic colleague and I to suggest topics. However, the government has a majority. Even if the committee is independent from the government, some of its members are a part of that government, and as such they make the decisions regarding the topics we study.
I'd like to express a reservation. It would seem much more appropriate to me that the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, of which I have been a member, conduct this study, as its subject matter goes far beyond the scope of the assistance Canadian Heritage provides to indigenous people. Having visited several indigenous communities, I have seen the community infrastructures that really allow indigenous people to develop their skills.
I'd like to mention some facts for the benefit of those who are listening to us and may have some questions about the mandate of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.
I'm thinking here of Guy Fournier of the Journal de Québec, who is interested in developments in the media. I'm also thinking of the artists who are seeing their sources of income collapse, and of the fact that Facebook is celebrating its 15th anniversary. I note that the Canada Media Fund, whose mandate is to support our culture, is seeing its revenue decrease considerably because the income it receives from cable distributors is declining, and because Internet service providers are not covered by the law. The news is replete with issues of burning concern with respect to the support of our cultural industry and our heritage. I'm also thinking of the repairs to the Quebec Citadel, which we had to storm the barricades for given the government's inaction, so as to ensure that original stone would be used for this heritage building. Canadians are entitled to expect that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage will examine these matters.
We have just seen the government table a bill to amend the Income Tax Act, and people are wondering why the government suddenly wants to subsidize the media, although the law gives us the means to act.
3:45 p.m.
Saint John—Rothesay, Lib.
Madam Chair, I have a point of order. With respect, I question the relevance of this.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
I was going to go there. I was actually just very interested to hear Mr. Blaney's support, once again, for over-the-top providers providing funding into the media funds.
On that note, we have discussed before, Mr. Blaney, that the North American Indigenous Games is in fact funded through the heritage department and this issue does fall within heritage. It is within their mandate.
I accept if you're not very interested in this study, but it is a study that the committee has undertaken. You do have four minutes left if you have any questions.
3:45 p.m.
Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, CPC
Very well.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I thank my colleague Mr. Long, and I acknowledge his efforts.
Last week I saw the movie Indian Horse, in which indigenous people manage, though sports, to overcome the trauma they suffered in residential schools. It's a work of fiction, but it is close to reality. I remember seeing indigenous athletes, like those from the Kitigan Zibi community, go as far as the National Hockey League.
I deplore the fact that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage decided to study only a fraction of a program instead of the entire program. Sports and indigenous issues fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. I'm beginning to have doubts about the government's will to really tackle the extremely important issues that exist currently with regard to heritage, culture, and the preservation of our heritage buildings. That is what I had to say.
I will turn the floor back to our witnesses and let my colleagues ask their questions.
I'd simply like to add one point concerning the Auditor General.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
I'm sorry, Mr. Blaney, but if you want to put questions to the witnesses, please do so, because you have less than three minutes left.
3:45 p.m.
Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, CPC
Very well, Madam Chair.
I've finished my comments and I will yield the floor to my colleague Mr. Shields.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
Thank you.
Thank you to the witnesses for being here today.
You ran through a large variety of numbers. Over 80% of it is going to cultural sports; that's a large number. You've got less than 20% in the rest of the sports and organizations. That 80% is a huge drastic change in what you're looking to do.
In my world of sports, and I think I mentioned it at this committee, there's a bust in the former building of Senator Gladstone. I knew of the senator. His grandson is the only Canadian to have won a timed event in the national rodeo finals in Las Vegas. I'm very familiar with that type of sport, the indigenous participation and the youth.
When you're talking about this 80%, you're changing drastically where you're going. Can you explain? I know all the other organizations, but all of a sudden 80% of your funding is going to something totally different.
3:45 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
I will maybe touch on a couple of points there. The funding that we are talking about is additional funding that has come in from—
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
3:45 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
Within the rest of the funding envelope, so—
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
I know what the rest is, don't go there. I want to know where that 80% is? What are you doing?
3:45 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
That's going to indigenous organizations to—