Cultural.
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.
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.
3:45 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
—to, one, start to gain capacity in some of those organizations so, as we had said, to help organizations like provincial-territorial sport organizations and—
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
No, you said cultural, the word here is cultural, cultural sports.
3:50 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
Right, sorry, the words that we had in fact used were that they would be culturally relevant and culturally sensitive. In culturally relevant, they still would be sports that you know such as three-on-three basketball, where last year's Tom Longboat winner had come from.
They would still be sports, but we are focusing—and the indigenous communities are focusing—on the types of sport that attract indigenous youth and indigenous participation.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
That term denotes something totally different, because there are cultural sports that are in their heritage that are no different from the sports you're talking about: rodeo, basketball, hockey. When you're talking about cultural sports, that's a different denotation. Do you understand why I'm saying that?
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
Unfortunately, that brings you to the end of your time.
I yield the floor to Mr. Nantel for seven minutes.
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I thank the witnesses for being here this afternoon.
The study we are doing follows up on a motion that was submitted about two years ago by a member of the committee, who is in fact here, fortunately. The motion reads as follows:
That the Committee undertake a study of no more than seven meetings examining Metis, First Nation and Inuit participation in amateur and professional sport across Canada; consult with the directors of the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) to find best practices on Indigenous participation in sport from across North America; make recommendations which will encourage increased participation in amateur and professional sport as well as increased fitness levels/health of Indigenous citizens, with a focus on youth; and report its findings back to the House.
I wanted to reread this motion, because, like my Conservative colleague, I am well aware that this is a very important topic. Indeed, it is such an important topic that it has spilled over into the territory of the committee. We agree on that; that's very clear.
If I understood correctly, the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission contains five recommendations to Sport Canada, calls to action 87 to 91.
In about one minute, can you tell us what you expect from our committee? What recommendations would you like us to make to help you reach the objectives of the commission's five calls to action?
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
I just want to flag as a warning that, because they are public servants, there might be some limitations on how they can answer that question.
I open it to you to answer as you wish.
3:50 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
Thank you, Madam Chair.
We are implementing all of the initiatives that were announced in the last two budgets. I believe some of these will help to achieve the goals of the calls to action.
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Thank you. This gives us some idea of the information we might have obtained, especially after our chair's warning.
I have read about the beneficial effects, in the sports arena, of the efforts made by communities like the one that welcomed Joé Juneau. As my Conservative colleague said, there is a chain of interventions, clearly. If we want there to be another Carey Price, for example, young people have to be able to play hockey. And for them to be able to play hockey, there has to be an arena. Besides an arena, there has to be a coach, motivated teams, and so on.
It is true that this goes somewhat beyond the scope of our study. That is why I too agree with our Conservative colleague. I hope that during the hour set aside for committee business after this meeting, we will be able to explore the motions I have introduced. I've mentioned them two or three times, but without any results. And yet, I specified that I had tabled motions, particularly the most relevant one.
I am glad to see that the Conservative Party is becoming aware of cultural issues and of the foreign invasion of all of the new platforms we occupy. We indeed managed to have Canadian content on these platforms for the past 50 years. Today, there is an invasion of foreign content.
On this topic, my motion says:That the committee, in view of the upcoming review of the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act...
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
Mr. Nantel, I simply want to mention that we will have an hour at our disposal after the witnesses' appearance.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Yes, but I would like to read my motion. I am sure it will be of interest to the representatives of Canadian Heritage. Around the water cooler, they talk to the people who deal with these things. So I will continue to read it.
February 7th, 2019 / 3:55 p.m.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
My motion reads as follows:That the committee, in view of the upcoming review of the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act, undertake a comparative study on similar legislation concerning broadcasting and telecommunications in other jurisdictions, and on recent reforms in those areas; and that the committee make recommendations and report its findings to the House.
I would like to point out that the Senate is conducting a similar study. These are extremely important issues. Obviously, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada is deeply connected to identity. This is, once again, extremely important. I am not an expert on indigenous matters but, in my opinion, a decision could conceivably be made to create a standing committee on achieving these recommendations, those that deal with sport, specifically. Why not?
I am the first to deplore that the barn is on fire. That is what is happening to Canadian content on our screens. I thus expect the government to take a responsible attitude and to agree that the Senate study should have a counterpart here. It is our responsibility to take care of our heritage and to encourage the sports activities of first nations. If anyone shows restraint in the media, it is certainly the first nations.
I don't want to mix all of these topics up, but I do hope that we will be able to discuss these issues during the hour set aside for committee business. I hope that the Liberal Party will agree to defend our system firmly. If I have a few seconds left, I would like to say that if there's one thing I have learned in politics over the past seven years, it is that the most effective way of solving a problem is to first look at what other countries have done to change things. We could simply draw inspiration from everything that has happened in Europe with regard to regulations imposed on Web giants, and the presence of local content in what is offered to spectators. Cutting our young people off from their roots is a very serious issue. Today, eight-year-old children are not exposed to any Canadian content when they borrow their mother's iPad.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
I simply want to remind everyone that we did a study on women and girls in sport. So, our committee has already studied that topic.
Mr. Vandal now has the floor for seven minutes.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
I have seven minutes?
Okay.
Thank you very much for being here.
The first thing I want to say is that when my friend Wayne Long talked about his involvement in sport what he didn't mention is that he's an active amateur boxer who's had several fights recently, and probably has several more bouts lined up in the next few months.
3:55 p.m.
A voice
In the House?
3:55 p.m.
A voice
He's taking offers presently.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
Tell me a little about the whole initiative of sport for social development. I know you didn't get to that part of the presentation, but budget 2018 announced funding of $47.5 million over five years. When I read the intent, I think it's something that is incredibly beneficial, leveraging the power of sport for improvements in individuals.
Maybe you can spend 90 seconds or a couple of minutes on that.
3:55 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
Yes. We've certainly had lots of groups. As we've gone out and done consultations, we've had lots of great examples come back to us on different groups where they've had sport in the morning, for example, and for the rest of the day the kids have been able to concentrate better in school. We've had lots of empirical pieces come back to us on that.
We have everything from kids' performance being better in school with physical activity to sport actually being one of those elements that help bring at-risk youth, as well as at-risk adults, into an environment where they get social cohesion and social support. From that perspective, there are a number of initiatives, and certainly we've seen this from the indigenous groups that we have been meeting with.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
Who are you working with, which indigenous groups?
4 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
Obviously the Aboriginal Sport Circle is our main group, but also all the provincial and territorial aboriginal sports organizations. On top of that, we've been meeting with individual organizations with sport, such as some local organizations where we've looked at what they've done. I was talking earlier about Spirit North, a sport group that was taking cross-country skiing into different classrooms.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
Can you tell me about the work that sport for social development has done? How much of it is outside of cities? How much of it is in cities?
The reason I ask is that I know a lot of people traditionally think of reserves when we talk about helping indigenous and first nations people. That's absolutely true. However, I come from Winnipeg, and young indigenous people, Métis and first nations, are the fastest-growing demographic in Winnipeg. That's where we need to put a strategy together to provide exercise and to provide self-esteem.
How much of the sport for social development work is divided up between the urban and the rural or reserve?