Evidence of meeting #16 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was forest.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
That's a good listing of them. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Shory.
We'll now move to Ms. Perreault.
December 1st, 2011 / 3:55 p.m.
NDP
Manon Perreault NDP Montcalm, QC
Good afternoon. I want to thank you for joining us this afternoon.
Your report talks about issues that must be addressed. It says that it is more difficult to create sustainable business opportunities in remote communities.
I thought that your report was very interesting, but I noticed that it made little mention of how women are doing in remote regions. Actually, that is often where men predominate in industry, construction and forestry jobs.
Could you tell me whether your research has helped you identify any issues in terms of women's employability and skill development in remote regions?
3:55 p.m.
Director, Parliamentary Relations, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
In answer to your first question, we were talking about probably the most remote of remote areas, where there probably isn't a lot of agricultural activity. The exception to that would be the example that we cited, Swan Valley in Manitoba, which lost two major employment opportunities because of its lack of rail infrastructure. One was in the canola crushing industry.
In terms of women, we had a wonderful example, again from Nunavut, of women coming together to develop best practices and create tools for women who want to create their own small and medium sized enterprises. They were proposing something we thought that the government could look at as a model for some type of an online tool kit for entrepreneurs in remote communities, who might have issues around financing, financial literacy, marketing, and those kinds of thing. That was the only specific example we had with regard to women.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Manon Perreault NDP Montcalm, QC
Do you think there is anything the federal government could do to improve women's access to skill development programs in remote areas?
3:55 p.m.
Director, Parliamentary Relations, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Again, with the exception of that one particular example, our suggestions were global, for both men and women.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
Thank you for being here.
This was a great report. You've really highlighted something the NDP has been in favour of for quite some time, which is improving the funding for first nations education.
You talked about the development that is starting to occur in the north. Companies are having to go farther north and they're looking farther north. There's been an increase in first nations. They're the fastest growing population in Canada, and we need to ensure that we work in conjunction with them. I think they'd be able to fill the big void in the skills needed at this point.
I'm just wondering if, when you were doing the report—or if you've done another report in which—you considered guidelines for partnerships with first nations and the importance of those to ensuring that first nations get just as much of a piece of the pie as others do. I ask because this is not just about the skills and training, but also about the infrastructure that needs to be in place to bring those companies there. If there's no place to live, if there's no place to shop, if.... We just have to look at Attawapiskat. Although the deal that was struck with De Beers was beneficial to a certain extent, they still didn't get the best deal there. I'm just wondering if you've looked at that and at the training that could be had with respect to those companies.
4 p.m.
Director, Parliamentary Relations, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Actually, I did do a paper late last year on measures that we believed the federal government could take to improve the relationships between the private sector and aboriginal businesses.
4 p.m.
Director, Parliamentary Relations, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
I would be delighted to.
4 p.m.
Director, Parliamentary Relations, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Yes, it's available in both languages. So I'll send it to you.
4 p.m.
NDP
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
Perfect.
Could you also send the other report you mentioned to Jean earlier?
4 p.m.
Director, Parliamentary Relations, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
You mean the submission we did to the first nations panel?
Yes, of course. I'd be happy to.
So what we were looking at—just going back to the point about the funding for first nations education—is actually a policy resolution that the Canadian business community has endorsed. It's been endorsed by the 400, and also by some local chambers of commerce who are members of the Canadian Chamber. It's becoming very apparent that the potential of Canada's aboriginal workforce is becoming extremely important. Immigration is very important, but we have this tremendously fast-growing, young workforce. I believe 400,000 people of aboriginal roots are due to join the workforce in the next eight to ten years, and so we also have a great potential here to develop homegrown expertise.
4 p.m.
NDP
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
I just want to add something here. Based on what you've just said, it's imperative that the government work at making sure their relationship with first nations is addressed as soon as possible.
4 p.m.
Director, Parliamentary Relations, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
I'm not going to comment on that. I mean we have—
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
That's fair. It would be difficult for you to comment on that.
Your time is up. If you have a short concluding—
4 p.m.
NDP
4 p.m.
Conservative
4 p.m.
Director, Parliamentary Relations, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
No, I don't. I've said everything I need to say. Thank you.
4 p.m.
Conservative
Parm Gill Conservative Brampton—Springdale, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank the witnesses for being with us this afternoon and for providing us with this wonderful and valuable information.
I'm wondering if you can highlight some previous success stories that you feel provide a good model for government agencies, working hand in hand with the private sector, to develop remote rural communities.
4 p.m.
Director, Parliamentary Relations, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
I'd be happy to. We actually have some examples in the paper. I'd be happy to outline some of those with you. Again, most of these tend to be in the northern territories. We are actually embarking upon a study that will focus on the three territories over the next year or so.
There is an organization called the Yukon Mining Training Association, which involved HRSDC's ASEP program as well as first nations and employers. Again, they are looking not only at first nations but also at all Yukoners and are working together to develop skills for the extractive sector in the Yukon. They've had some very good results.
In Nunavut, we've also had the experience of the Agnico-Eagle mine. Again, in that region, the Kivalliq Mine Training Society does receive some support from HRSDC. It involves the Nunavut government, Agnico-Eagle itself, and the Nunavut Arctic College.
There has been quite a lot of success working in the high school; there's a training program within the local high school. There are now about 70 people who have come out of that partnership and are working at the Agnico-Eagle mine in Baker Lake.
4 p.m.
Conservative
Parm Gill Conservative Brampton—Springdale, ON
Would you be able to give us some key components of some of those programs?
4 p.m.
Director, Parliamentary Relations, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
I'm sorry: key components of those programs...?