Evidence of meeting #45 for Finance in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sir.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Michelle Douglas  Former Chair of the Board of Directors, WE Charity, As an Individual
Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Caroline Bosc
Marc Kielburger  Founder, WE Charity
Craig Kielburger  Founder, WE Charity

2:10 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

We would have to check the records and to go through—

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

How do you get to the Amazon?

2:10 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

A dugout canoe that's motorized; you take a commercial flight from Quito to a small airstrip in....

What's it called?

2:10 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Marc Kielburger

We'd have to double-check.

2:10 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

It's a small airstrip. It's commercial, though. Then you get on a motorized canoe down the Amazon at the base of the river.

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

Okay. So—

2:10 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Marc Kielburger

Then the other possibility, sir, is that some groups actually drive down. They don't even go on the commercial flight.

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

But is private aircraft a possibility—since you don't know the answer? Is that a means that people get to either of your sites?

2:10 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Marc Kielburger

Certainly not in Ecuador.

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

What about in Kenya?

2:10 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Marc Kielburger

Private aircraft is a possibility, because—

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

Okay. That's important.

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Let the question be answered, Michael.

Let's firm up the answer here and we'll go back to Michael.

2:10 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

I'm happy to speak to this.

It's similar to northern parts of Canada. The only way you can access certain corners are these simple two- or three-prop planes that you kind of cram into and fly into northern regions.

We'd have to check our records. As a mother with a teenage daughter, she may have opted for—

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

We'll go back to Mr. Cooper for a final question.

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

Just to flesh this out.... I'm just trying to visualize this place in Kenya. As I'm listening to you provide an answer, what I'm hearing you say is that normally to get there, you need to fly in.

2:10 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Marc Kielburger

Sir, that's not necessarily correct. You can also drive.

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

Okay: but it would be a long distance.

2:10 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Marc Kielburger

It is a five-hour drive. It's a lovely drive, and you—

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

Okay: can you then just, because my time is limited—

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

It's over.

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

—and I want to respect the time—

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Your time is over, but we'll allow this question.

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

I just want an undertaking from you, Marc and Craig, that you will confirm exactly—

2:10 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

That's very clear, sir. We'll contact our team to look into the question.

We simply don't know. Obviously, that was three-plus years ago.