Evidence of meeting #37 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was wharf.
Chair, Regional District of Mount Waddington
No. Neither the Coal Harbour nor the Quatsino docks were part of the small craft harbours directorate.
Liberal
Bill Matthews Liberal Random—Burin—St. George's, NL
Somebody said that there was $3.1 million. It was Mr. Davidge, was it? How long ago was that, Mr. Davidge?
Chief Administrative Officer, District of Port Hardy
The agreement was signed in June 2000. It's a ten-year program. In the document we have, Transport Canada also gave the district $795,000 that was to be used for maintaining the infrastructure, not for any improvements. Again, however, we were able to use some of those funds to leverage other funds to make that dollar stretch.
That being said, this is a $2-million facility that the district will run on its own now. It's a financial liability for a community of under 5,000 people, there are no two ways about that. I can understand the bit of mystery the other folks here have, in terms of understanding their relationship with the Transport Canada process and the whole divestiture rationale. I think it's a challenge for all the small communities. It will be a challenge in our futures, as well, to try to maintain these docks.
Conservative
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good day. On the same subject, I would like to better understand the way you designate your organization. Reference has been made to district and the regional district. Does district imply municipality, and regional district a group of municipalities?
Chair, Regional District of Mount Waddington
The Regional District of Mount Waddington includes pretty much the northern end of Vancouver Island and over onto the mainland. It would include the communities of Sointula, Alert Bay, Port Hardy, Port McNeill. As far as the geographic area, Quatsino Sound, we start—
Bloc
Chair, Regional District of Mount Waddington
We're a regional level. There's federal, provincial. We're regional. We would be municipal, I guess, if you put us in a category.
Bloc
Councillor, District of Port Hardy
You have the federal government, the provincial government, and then local government. We have regions in our local government, and each municipality is part of the region. Rod is the chair of the Mount Waddington region, which consists of north of Sayward and also goes onto the mainland. It's quite large, if you look at it on the map.
We make up the government, which is made up of the major towns, plus we have directors who don't have municipalities, who look after certain areas.
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
We are talking about a Transport Canada divestiture program and a Fisheries and Oceans divestiture program. These are two completely different programs, but both have the same goal. Is the problem that we learned about in Quatsino due to the fact that both departments are no longer talking to each other at all?
Chair, Regional District of Mount Waddington
I think that would be my conclusion. That was the big problem: one group was getting rid of docks and the people who needed to use the docks, fishers and others, had no say in it. So if you had a DFO dock, you were in a lot better shape than if you were just a Transport Canada dock.
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
At one time, Transport Canada or Fisheries and Oceans had alluded to a divestiture program, but they weren't saying that they were necessarily looking out for their own interests or speaking on behalf of Transport Canada or Fisheries and Oceans. Ultimately, this leads to confusion among the stakeholders.
In light of that fact, Mr. Smith, given the history of this file, have there been any written communications from Transport Canada or, after seeing for some years that this hasn't worked, have you had to react in a certain way? Have you been able to follow the history of this file through written communications?
Director, Quatsino First Nation
No, there wasn't that much communication. I guess when the dock was supposed to be divested in the first place we found out through rumour or gossip that the Coal Harbour Community Club was going to take it over. No, to put it short, the communication was lacking, and it was only when we came forward after the dock was to be divested for the second time that Transport Canada started to talk to us.
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Mr. Cranmer, earlier, you mentioned that the federal government, and I don't know by which means exactly, had made an offer of $100 million. I would like you to tell us who made this offer. Was it the federal government in general, or a department or departments? What is the story behind that $100 million?
Chief, 'Namgis First Nation
I think it was small craft harbours directorate that was making that amount of money available for development on the north coast.
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Is it supported by written documentation? What is this based on? Who advised you of that amount? Was it provided in writing? Was a promise made by someone?
Chief, 'Namgis First Nation
It was a public announcement. I think it was in all the newspapers.
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Was this done by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans?
Chief, 'Namgis First Nation
It was in 2001. It was small craft harbours directorate and DFO.
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Right. At that same time, in 2001, if I am not mistaken, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced that it would be investing a little bit more money in the Small Craft Harbours Program. It was allocated over a five-year period, and the budgetary envelope was $100 million, but for all of Canada. I am trying to understand where that $100 million came from. Is it the same thing or something completely different? This is only for your community. It was a public announcement of $100 million for Vancouver island. That is what I have understood.
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Okay.
Now, I want to come back to Mr. Schmidt. You said that things were going relatively well right now. What does that mean, relatively well? You mentioned that your facilities were perhaps not as large as they appear. What is it that makes you say that, today, things are going relatively well?
