Finance Committee on June 11th, 2026

[Aaron Vansintjan]

Yes, absolutely. Thank you, Mr. Turnbull.

Our regional food systems and our farmers, like Mr. Samuel Richard, are trying to grow food that is organic, that is safe and that is healthy for our children and for Canadians. They want to get it to Canadian markets.

Small farms and middle-sized farms are also far more resilient to extreme weather. Relying on them and building up infrastructure for them help us by avoiding having an agricultural system that primarily depends on export. More than half of our food is exported, and more than half of our food is imported. There's something wrong there.

Another example is a farmer I spoke to just the other day, Mr. Gabriel. He also had the same problems. He has a bigger farm, but he exports 45% of his vegetables to far-off places like Kentucky. They're delicious vegetables, but he can't get them into the supermarket because it would bring a loss.

We need to strengthen the position of these farmers. We need to deliver food to Canadians, who want Canadian food. This will help our national security by strengthening our economy and will also help the environment.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Let me just ask you a more pointed question about disrupting the current consolidation in the food system. I think that's what Canadians want when they're talking about prices at the grocery store. The Competition Bureau has done an analysis and said that we need more independent grocery stores, and you said that those grocery stores don't actually have the supply chains that support them.

Essentially, the way I take the points you've made today is that rebuilding the shorter, smaller, regional supply chains is going to support more competition at the retail end of the supply chain, which is where consumers interact. What effect is that going to have, essentially, on prices? It undercuts a lot of the major corporations out there that are driving up prices, does it not?

[Aaron Vansintjan]

That's right. Since 2020, the major food retailers have profited by over 120% and have doubled their profit margins. We hear talk that this is a small-margin industry, but they're the middlemen and they're extracting profit wherever they can.

Look at, say, a family-run, independent grocery store in a small town. It is forced to buy from its own competitor, like Loblaws or Sobeys, because it's often the only truck that comes into town. If we get different companies, different small businesses, non-profit distribution centres and food hubs and strengthen them, then those small businesses and community food spaces will have an alternative.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

I want to jump in with one more question.

Am I out of time?

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

You have 10 seconds.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Why non-profit? Why is that important? You mentioned that a number of times. Does that help take some of the profits out of the supply chain as well?

[Aaron Vansintjan]

It's to protect against profiteering.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Thank you very much.

We're going to conclude with Mr. Garon.

Mr. Garon, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is a turn to speak that, in the end, was never in any danger.

I'll continue with the Frontier Duty Free Association.

As we know, because of the trade dispute with the United States, sales at all duty-free stores have significantly dropped. In any case, what I understand is that these sales have been particularly affected in duty-free stores along the Canada-U.S. highway border. According to the Journal de Montréal, we're talking about decreases up to 80%. How long should the targeted measures you propose in your brief apply? That's my first question.

Second, do you expect sales to return to normal in the near future? I imagine that you're keeping a very close eye on the data, the statistics on road tourism. How do you see all that?

[Barbara Barrett]

I'll answer the second part of your question first, if you don't mind.

Do we foresee it going back? We operate in small border communities across Canada, and we count on cross-border travel going into the United States. We understand that there's a decline right now, but we also think that it's a moment in time and it will go back to its previous levels at some point. Border communities across Canada depend on that.

The second part of your question is on targeted supports and how long they will support us. In our submission, we asked for a loan program to help some of the stores that need it the most, allowing them to stay open until things return. The bigger part of our request is the permanent solution, the levelling of the playing field, to allow us to compete properly with the United States, as it should be. It would align us with other export channels in Canada and exempt us from that. I'm sorry; I shouldn't say exempt. Manufacturers are exempt. It would remove the tax from the source and have it collected at the border, where it should be, as all other export channels in Canada have. We're the only export channel that has it applied at source. We're asking to have it aligned with the other export channels and have it collected at re-entry into Canada, as it should be.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

That's great.

Thank you very much, Mr. Garon.

On behalf of the committee, I would like to thank our witnesses for their time, suggestions and recommendations today.

We will now suspend until after the vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

I'm calling the meeting back to order, colleagues.

As a result of the vote, I'm going to truncate the next two panels. Instead of having an hour for each, we'll have 45 minutes for each. That way, we'll still be able to hear from all the witnesses, and we'll be able to get one round of questioning in for sure. You may want to govern yourselves accordingly.

With that, I would like to welcome our next panel of witnesses.

From the Canadian Media Producers Association, we have Alain Strati, senior vice-president, industry and policy, and Kyle Irving, O.M., chair of the board of directors. From Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, we have Natan Obed, president. From the Métis National Council, we have Victoria Pruden, president, who is joining us by video conference, and Alyssa Doner, manager of legislative affairs, who is here in the room. From the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres, we have Sean Longboat, chief executive officer, and Audrey Davis.

I would like to remind participants of just a couple of points.

Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those participating via video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your microphone, and please mute yourself when you are not speaking. For those on Zoom, at the bottom of your screen you can select the appropriate channel for interpretation: floor, English or French. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel.

I will remind you that you may be asked questions in either English or French. If you require interpretation, please have your earpiece on and ready to go right now so that we can make the best use of the time we have available.

Also, I have a final reminder that all comments should be addressed through the chair.

Each of you, or each of your organizations, will have five minutes for opening remarks. I'd like to keep that as tight as possible so that we can make sure we keep the meeting flowing.

With that, we will begin with the Canadian Media Producers Association.

You have five minutes.

[Alain Strati, Senior Vice-President, Industry and Policy, Canadian Media Producers Association]

Good morning, Madam Chair and members of the Standing Committee on Finance.

Thank you for inviting us to appear before you today.

My name is Alain Strati. I'm the senior vice-president of industry and policy at the Canadian Media Producers Association, the CMPA.

I'm joined by Kyle Irving, the co-owner and executive producer of Eagle Vision and chair of the CMPA board of directors. Based in Winnipeg, Eagle Vision is the most prolific production company with indigenous ownership in Canadian history.

The CMPA represents more than 650 independent production companies working in film, television and digital media. As leaders of small and medium-sized businesses, independent producers help fuel local economies, creating over 180,000 jobs across the country, contributing $11.7 billion to the national GDP and attracting $6.2 billion in foreign investment.

Canadian independent producers are creative entrepreneurs and bold risk-takers. They are the driving force behind the creative, financial and strategic decisions that turn a simple idea into a successful film or television show. They tell the stories that reflect who we are as Canadians: stories that showcase our history, amplify under-represented voices and connect audiences at home and around the world.

I'll turn to Kyle.

[Kyle Irving, Chair, Board of Directors, Canadian Media Producers Association]

We have three proposals, and we'll outline them shortly. However, underpinning all that we have to say today is a deep concern about the future of the Online Streaming Act. This legislation was the result of a decade of public consultations, industry input and dedicated policy work. It has the laudable goal of ensuring that U.S. streamers, who make billions from Canadian audiences, invest a portion of those revenues back into the production of Canadian stories.

Last week, the government pressed pause on the regulatory framework needed to implement these important pieces of legislation. In doing so, it may have inadvertently pulled the rug out from under the future of Canadian content. The government must defend the Online Streaming Act. Abandoning or further weakening it would be a historic mistake.

Since Mark Carney became Prime Minister last year, Canadians have applauded his overt efforts to defend Canadian sovereignty and to strengthen our country's economic self-reliance. In January, at our national industry conference, the Prime Minister loudly proclaimed his support for a domestic broadcasting system that produces Canadian stories like Heated Rivalry, the global hit. Where did this Prime Minister go? Canada needs him back. Our cultural sovereignty as a nation is at stake.

[Alain Strati]

I'll turn to our budget submission. There are three tangible actions we encourage the government to take to strengthen the Canadian production sector.

First, the government must honour its commitment to increasing funding to the CBC, and those contributions should be made permanent. The government committed to fill an investment gap in public broadcasting during the last election campaign, and it should do so in this year's budget. With additional funding, the CBC will be better able to implement a modernized mandate. This renewed mandate should include a formal commitment to Canadian independent production, providing a framework to ensure that Canadian producers retain meaningful rights in the shows they produce so that they can share in the success of their own programs.

The Canadian film or video production tax credit, or CPTC, is one of the most important tools the federal government has to support Canadian content. However, the credit is only paid after production has wrapped. This forces producers to take out loans to finance the interim period, which is often 18 months or more, with interest costs on these loans consuming as much as 5% or 10% of a show's budget. This money should go on screen, not to the banks. Front-loading the CPTC through partial prepayment or accelerated reimbursement will remove this production inefficiency.

We are also asking that the government make a dedicated permanent investment of $50 million to support the production of Canadian children's programming through existing programs like the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm, as well as the Rocket Fund. The shows we watch as children stay with us forever. When kids see themselves reflected on screen, it builds a sense of belonging that lasts a lifetime.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Thank you very much, Mr. Strati and Mr. Irving.

We will now turn to President Obed from ITK.

You have five minutes.

[Natan Obed, President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami]

Thank you.

Ulaakut and good morning, everyone. As I've been introduced, I'm Natan Obed. I'm the president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

I want to start with an overview.

Whenever the federal government spends a dollar, it should understand where that's going, and it should be very clear about who the class of recipients is. We have spent over a decade working with this government as Inuit to clarify the rights-holding space that we share with the federal government in the implementation of programs, services and legislation.

Therefore, we call for the return of an indigenous chapter in the budget with distinctions-based sections so that Inuit can clearly understand exactly what we will be working with this government on, instead of having to go into the 30-plus departments, understanding the terms and conditions and, in many cases, advocating for funds that we have already been told are for Inuit or for indigenous people.

It is often federal government departments themselves that take these funds and imagine that they are the recipients of them through federal budgets. This is the type of practice we can interrupt by being more clear in the text of every federal budget about monies that are spent on rights-holding indigenous peoples.

ITK has seven recommendations that I'd like to share with you today. We will be finalizing our pre-budget submission and submitting it formally to this committee within the coming weeks, but I'm able to share with you the seven general recommendations.

The first is in relation to the introduction of an income-tested $7,500 refundable tax credit for low-income residents in Inuit Nunangat. We are requesting this credit, because in our 51 communities—82% of the people within those communities are Inuit—Inuit have a median income of $32,000, compared to $100,000 for non-Inuit people within our communities. We would like to ensure that there is equity among all Canadians, and this tax credit would help with the specific Inuit inequity in this country.

The second is to establish and fund a new federal program replacing the Inuit child first initiative. We started the co-development of a sustainable, long-term, shared responsibility model for CFI in 2019. It is now 2026, and we would love to ensure that there is a replacement for the initial program, which was only meant to be a placeholder. We need funding to be able to work with the government on ensuring that Inuit children have equity in this country.

Recommendation three is to pursue federal establishing legislation for the Inuit Nunangat university. In budget 2025, $50 million was allocated by the government to ensure that the university could be built. We recently identified Arviat, Nunavut, as the main campus. We wish to open the doors by 2030, but federal enabling legislation is necessary. We hope that budget 2026 can commit to that.

Recommendation four is about supporting the development of a national Inuit identity card to improve access to health and social services. ITK is developing a national ID card equivalent to the Indian status card tied to membership in the four Inuit treaty organizations. The card would streamline Inuit access to federal programs and services and prevent those programs and services from being exploited by non-Inuit. We're seeking a policy commitment by the federal government to co-operate with Inuit in developing this card and rolling it out.

Recommendation five is to establish a billed Inuit Nunangat fund of $1 billion over five years, with a focus on the Arctic, defence and security, and with funding commitments for dual-use through NOSH sites or for the many other considerations in the Arctic.

We would like to be able to work directly with the government in a distinctions-based way and in a rights-based way to ensure that our core infrastructure needs are met and not forgotten within the larger considerations of federal infrastructure, major projects and housing. Working directly and together is something we've done repeatedly, and we continue to work in partnership with the government on the implementation of funds from previous budgets. It only makes sense for us to build on that success.

Recommendation six is that the government provide funding in the amount of $55 million in capital investments for justice-related infrastructure, including $4.5 million of O and M annually, to expand Inuit-led justice services and to implement the Inuit chapter of the indigenous justice strategy. This strategy was released in March 2025, and it still requires funding for implementation.

Recommendation seven is that the government invest $150 million over seven years to eliminate TB in Inuit Nunangat. Our rate of TB is now upwards of 600 times the national rate for all other Canadians born in Canada. We have a commitment by this government to eliminate TB together, but we have not allocated the necessary resources to do so.

In closing, the distinctions-based considerations and the articulation specifically of funds dedicated to Inuit allow us to do work. We are 75 to 80 people. You are thousands of people within the government sector. We need clarity to get to work instead of having to chase funds that are imagined for us but not then delivered to us.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Thank you so much, President Obed.

I will now turn it over to President Pruden from the Métis National Council.

[Victoria Pruden, President, Métis National Council]

Thank you so much to the committee for the invitation to appear today. I'm joining you from Treaty No. 6 territory and the Métis homeland in Edmonton, Alberta.

My name is Victoria Pruden. I serve our nation as the president of the Métis National Council, the recognized Métis-specific national indigenous organization in Canada since 1983. I'm a proud Michif iskwew—Métis woman—mother and grandmother with deep ancestral roots in Métis nations spanning the Métis homeland.

Métis have long played a critical role in Canada's economic prosperity. We've been partners in building this country and its economy. This context informs the recommendations I'm going to be highlighting today.

Our message to the committee today is simple: The Métis nation can be a full partner in housing, major projects, procurement and workforce development while responding to the pressing needs of Métis governments and our citizens, but budget 2026 must renew distinctions-based capacity investments that make this possible. Canada is entering a period of generational investments in housing, infrastructure, major projects, clean energy, trade diversification, procurement reform and workforce development. We support these priorities and want to ensure that Métis governments are full partners in their design and delivery.

The most successful federal investments in the Métis nation over the last decade have been distinctions-based, co-developed and supported by long-term capacity funding. These investments have produced measurable results in areas such as housing, economic development, education and workforce development, and they are grounded in the recognition that Métis governments are best positioned to design and deliver these programs for their citizens. This approach also improves efficiency and value for money by leveraging existing Métis governance structures and infrastructure within those governments and by reducing duplication in program delivery. Budget 2026 presents an opportunity to build on these successes and efficiencies.

The recommendations in our submission are interconnected and designed to strengthen and build more resilient Métis communities. At the same time, they're complementary to Canada's broader economic growth and nation-building agenda, while advancing shared outcomes.

Given the committee's focus on economic growth, I'm going to focus my remarks today on two areas where targeted investments can generate immediate and long-term benefits for both the Métis nation and Canada: economic development and housing.

Canada is pursuing an ambitious agenda focused on housing construction, major projects, clean energy, transportation corridors, trade diversification and procurement reform. Métis workers and businesses are already active in many of the sectors driving this growth, including construction, manufacturing, transportation and resource development. In 2020, Métis businesses and enterprises contributed $25.4 billion to Canada's GDP—not an insignificant contribution.

However, all federal economic development funding that supported the MNC and Métis governments sunsetted at the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year. As Canada advances major economic initiatives, Métis governments currently lack a dedicated source of funding to support continued participation in these opportunities, thus causing a risk of shrinkage and growing gaps in terms of Métis contribution to GDP in the Canadian economy.

The Métis National Council is requesting $3.8 million over three years to build foundational economic development capacity within the MNC and among our governing members. This investment would support procurement coordination, major project participation, strategic economic planning, business engagement and trade development, including efforts to diversify opportunities both interprovincially and internationally through initiatives such as IPETCA, the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement. This modest investment would ensure that Métis governments, businesses and workers are positioned to contribute to Canada's economic future, rather than being left behind by it.

Housing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing Métis citizens across the homeland. At the same time, Métis governments have demonstrated a strong track record in delivery through the Canada-Métis nation housing sub-accord, underpinned by the Métis nation housing strategy. This strategy supports thousands of households through home ownership programs, housing repairs, rental assistance, and affordable housing initiatives.

The importance of this work is reflected in the fact that as I appear before this committee today, the Métis National Council is convening elected leaders and technical experts from five Métis governments across the homeland in Edmonton for our inaugural Métis policy forum. It's taking place in the next room. Housing is its primary focus. This forum is bringing our nation together to identify shared priorities, advance solutions and help inform the next chapter—

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

I apologize, President Pruden. Could you wrap up in the next 30 seconds, please?

[Victoria Pruden]

Absolutely.

We're seeking $5.2 million over five years for capacity work to explore the renewal of the Métis nation housing strategy and support the next phase of federal housing policy development and coordination.

The rest is in our submission, and you also have my notes.

Thank you. Kinanâskomitin.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Thank you very much, President Pruden.

We'll conclude our opening statements with Mr. Longboat from the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres.

You have five minutes.

[Sean Longboat, Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres]

Thank you for the opportunity to appear here today.

My name is Sean Longboat. I'm the CEO of the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres. We represent 31 member friendship centres from across Ontario.

I'm joined by Audrey Davis, the treasurer of our board of directors and the executive director of the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre. We both happen to be members of the Six Nations of the Grand River territory and residents of the greater Golden Horseshoe, and I'm here today to comment on our pre-budget submission.

Before I do that, I want to begin by thanking the federal government for restoring friendship centre core funding for five years, including enhancements. Those enhancements were initially time-limited, and this continuation stabilizes the operational backbone of friendship centres for the first time in decades. This has been critical in moving centres away from survival mode and towards thriving.

Ontario is home to the largest urban indigenous population in Canada, with 88% of indigenous people now living off-reserve in cities, towns and rural areas. Friendship centres are significant multiservice organizations employing more than 930 frontline staff across 31 communities. The recent enhancements announced allow friendship centres to build management capacity and focus on long-term planning and partnerships.

Here are a few examples of what that stability is already making possible.

In Thunder Bay, a 58-bed indigenous youth transitional housing facility is moving forward and is set to open in the coming months. In Hamilton, the friendship centre is achieving strong housing outcomes and has developed a new partnership with child welfare agencies to improve outcomes for indigenous families. Across Ontario, friendship centres now have the capacity to develop long-term strategic plans that create a clear path for lasting success.

Centres are also using the funding to stabilize wages, as program salary caps were causing chronic turnover. Before the enhancements, one-third of friendship centre staff had reported to us that they were using food banks in their communities.

We're also studying the economic impacts of friendship centres. Early analysis shows that for every dollar invested, friendship centres generate approximately $1.17 in local economic activity, outperforming growth in mainstream and government service delivery.

I'm here today to reflect the priorities in our pre-budget submission, particularly mental health and addictions, housing and homelessness, violence prevention and emergency management.

We also want to be clear about what we're asking for. We recognize that Canada is facing fiscal constraints. We're not asking for increased core funding; that stability is in place, and it's working. I want to draw the distinction between core funding and program funding. Core funding is not program funding, but what we need is a continuation of program funding alongside targeted investments in key priority areas identified within our submission. What we are proposing builds on our results and protects the progress that has already been made.

The first is mental health and addictions. This is a national crisis that disproportionately affects indigenous people, and sustained investment in indigenous-led wraparound services reduces pressures on health care systems and improves community safety.

The second is housing and homelessness. In Ontario, indigenous people represent 20% to 50% of the population experiencing homelessness and account for between 65% and 88% in some communities while only making up 3% of the province's total population. Friendship centres deliver integrated, cost-effective housing programs that outperform fragmented systems and reduce reliance on shelters and emergency services. Our submission calls for renewal and expansion of the Reaching Home program, fulfillment of the urban, rural and northern indigenous housing strategy commitment, and expanded indigenous-led housing solutions.

Our third priority is violence prevention. Programs like kizhaay anishinaabe niin, which translates to “I am a kind man”, work with indigenous men and boys to prevent violence and promote healthy relationships alongside other prevention-focused services supporting safer communities. At the same time, the four-year urban indigenous homeward bound program supports single-parent mothers to stabilize, complete post-secondary education, enter the workforce and build long-term independence and intergenerational prosperity. We know this program is working, but it is currently underfunded, and it's at risk. We're asking the federal government to step up and help sustain it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

I apologize, Mr. Longboat, but could you wrap up in the next 20 seconds?

[Sean Longboat]

We also want to address emergency management. Friendship centres play a critical role in evacuation, but the current system lacks coordination and is not consistently culturally safe.

In summary, our budget priorities include mental health and addictions, housing and homelessness, violence prevention and indigenous-led emergency management. Our message is simple: Friendship centres are indigenous-led solutions that improve outcomes and reduce costs for government and communities.

We have presented our submission to you for consideration.

Thank you.