Evidence of meeting #53 for Finance in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was colleges.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
The reason I'm asking is that there was a request also from my riding and they couldn't get any money. I'm only wondering how much money is needed to--
President, Canadian Paraplegic Association
We're looking at a far more general application of this program. As I say, based on our knowledge of the pent-up need that's out there, we're recommending that $100 million be added to the expansion of that program.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
That was only a temporary program, I believe.
President, Canadian Paraplegic Association
Yes, and that's why we're saying it needs to be renewed so that--
President, Canadian Paraplegic Association
--it becomes more of a permanent type of program and is able to meet that need that is clearly not being met.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Is that your only request? I would imagine you would have other requests.
President, Canadian Paraplegic Association
We're looking in there, as I say. Obviously a number of federal and provincial agreements have been, to say the least, tenuous in terms of their renewals, certainly in the province of Ontario among others.
The other thing we are certainly looking for is more of a stated commitment that where there are federal investments being made into affordable housing programs, we're looking for a specific percentage of those housing units to be made accessible.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Besides housing, are there no specific medical--
President, Canadian Paraplegic Association
There's a whole variety of issues out there. We're focusing today on housing, because we can't address everything out there, but to suggest that somebody could live in housing without the types of health supports that are needed to keep one in one's unit on a day-to-day basis would obviously--
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
That's what I wanted to know. Thank you.
I want to get to the Social Innovation Generation, Ms. Hewitt. I'm from Quebec, and I'm surprised you didn't use any examples. Quebec is way ahead.
Director, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Innovation Generation
Absolutely.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Actually you're one of the only groups that have come forward because our theme was on sustainable future and social economy. So you're one of the groups that we were looking forward to hearing from.
I'm disappointed, I guess, that you haven't looked at the Quebec model. We fund a lot of these organizations. In your brief you're asking for other departments or agencies to be formed in order for this money to be transferred, but the federal government can do it through regional agencies. I understand there's no regional agency here in the Toronto area, but what happens in Quebec is that the regional agency transfers money to the local development agencies and they decide how to distribute the money.
In my riding there have been tons of examples of where it has worked. They've done recycling of bicycle parts--that's the latest one. I was at an opening two weeks ago. We've done all kinds of projects, whether it be just hiring local people for local restaurants--you name it--or anything that needs to be done from a local perspective or services that need to be delivered. There's a cohesiveness done through either the non-profit organizations with schools or CEGEPs that we have in Quebec. So there's a good model to be used there. There is a lack of funding, because you need somebody to be there on a full-time basis or you need somebody to be there in at least a supervisory role.
I don't know whether you've looked at those. I'd like you to comment on that.
Director, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Innovation Generation
Quebec is absolutely a model. What we were talking about here is some federal legislation, which is why I didn't address Quebec. Before I came to this session, I just presented with someone from Quebec on the social economy, writ large, and how effective that is, and the kind of funding that has been made available to social purpose groups to actually make a difference. There's a whole cultural issue, from co-op movements all the way through, and an understanding of the social economy in a much different way.
So absolutely, it's a model and absolutely we use it. I just didn't--
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Yes, actually you just made a good point. We were in Winnipeg yesterday and we went to a credit union, and they explained to us their involvement in the community. They also finance some of those projects through the credit unions they manage.
Director, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Innovation Generation
Well, Desjardins is a leader, for example, in this area--
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Yes, but Winnipeg is also big on the credit unions.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
John is going to take over the rest. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I'm sorry, very quickly, this is for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. Aren't most of your documents and literature now being transferred to an electronic model so that there's voice translation available?
Director, Government Relations, Canadian National Institute for the Blind
If you're talking about commercial production--
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
I'm not sure. My understanding is that you can now go on the Internet and actually get a book and somebody can actually read it to you.
Director, Government Relations, Canadian National Institute for the Blind
For the most part, no. Only about 5% of the material you would get through a library is available in alternative formats.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
So wouldn't it be better to just get it on an electronic format rather than translated to print?
Director, Government Relations, Canadian National Institute for the Blind
That actually is something that we've been negotiating. However, publishers are very hesitant to make their material available in an alternative format. I think it's mostly out of fear that the same thing would happen to their industry that has happened to the music industry.
Conservative
