Could I have a final question?
Evidence of meeting #41 for Finance in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was volunteer.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #41 for Finance in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was volunteer.
A video is available from Parliament.
6:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Peter, we have you at the end again.
Do you want to take it now or leave it for later?
6:15 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
I'll take it now.
Are you aware of how many other organizations were approached? Was that figure ever mentioned to you?
6:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Okay.
We'll turn next to Mr. Cooper.
Just to give you the lineup here, it will be Mr. Cooper, Ms. Koutrakis, Ms. Gaudreau—I believe she wanted in—and Mr. Fragiskatos. We'll end it at that.
Mr. Cooper.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Speevak.
Ms. Wernick, in her testimony, stated that Volunteer Canada was considered for the administration of this program.
Do you know what she could have meant by that if Volunteer Canada was never approached?
6:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Volunteer Canada
No, I don't know. I don't know what happened with us.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
You don't. Okay, thank you for that.
Now, in terms of matching—an area that Volunteer Canada has extensive experience with—would you not agree that it's a pretty significant component of the Canada student summer grant program, matching students with not-for-profit organizations?
It's pretty integral.
6:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Volunteer Canada
If I could clarify one of the things about the network of 200 local volunteer centres, the reason this is an important model to us is that in each community where there is a volunteer centre, that centre knows the organizations. Therefore, when they post an opportunity on their systems, they verify whether the organization is a legitimate organization.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Right. That is one of the things that, again, is important for the purposes of this program.
6:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Volunteer Canada
Exactly. They vet the quality of the opportunities as well.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
I get it. I appreciate that. Thank you for that.
You noted in your answer that some of the things that Volunteer Canada doesn't have expertise or experience in include working directly with students, administering funds or disbursing funds. On the other hand, you noted in your answer to me that the WE organization doesn't have the kind of experience with matching and with youth engagement.
It would be fair to say that there's no one organization that could do it all in terms of administering this program. Is that fair?
6:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Volunteer Canada
Again, I can't speak to WE's capacity in that sense. Knowing there are various components, it would seem that whether the government itself or an organization is administering the program, collaboration with others would be a good thing.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
WE was coming to Volunteer Canada because of its specific expertise.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
It was presumably going to other organizations to establish strategic partnerships because of their expertise.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
That was expertise WE didn't have. Is that right?
6:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Volunteer Canada
Again, I can't speak to what the others were about.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
But certainly in terms of the areas that WE had approached Volunteer Canada, that would be fair. Is that right?
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Okay. Thank you for that.
In answer to a question posed by Mr. Fortin, you indicated that Volunteer Canada had led or partnered in large-scale projects that had been carried out with others. Could you elaborate on what those are?
6:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Volunteer Canada
We have been involved in a national educational campaign on screening, wherein materials related to screening volunteers, particularly those working with vulnerable people, a handbook and a training program were created, and a number of local volunteer centres then provided training in their local communities. The Canada service corps project creating that pan-Canadian volunteer matching program, again, involved looking at both technology and relationships in creating a pan-Canadian, large-scale initiative that essentially took individual matching systems from individual volunteer centres into a data hub and created one portal.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Volunteer Canada first approached the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth presumably because you thought that Volunteer Canada had some expertise and might be able to provide some assistance in the delivery of the program. Is that fair?