Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, witnesses, for being here.
I honestly couldn't agree more when you talk about the importance of education in the community. This is a must.
I'll touch on some economic opportunities rather than going to that side, because we have talked a lot about that. We all know that the aboriginal population is fast-growing and is also the youngest segment of the Canadian population. We do recognize the tremendous economic potential of aboriginal Canadians. That is why in 2009 our government released the Federal Framework for Aboriginal Economic Development that reflects the significant, real, and growing opportunities for aboriginal Canadians to take an unprecedented step toward becoming full participants in the economy as entrepreneurs, employers, and employees.
I'm a little confused when I read the report of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, which is called “The Business Case for Investing in Canada's Remote Communities”. When I read the executive summary, under the heading“Remote communities' place in Canada”, it states:
Not only does more of our untapped natural resources [wealth] lie in remote communities, the people who can most help us leverage it live in them as well.
It further goes on to say something that is a little confusing:
Despite many sources of government support and significant federal spending directed at rural/remote areas of Canada, consistent progress in building strong, self-sustaining remote communities is not evident.
What are we lacking in all this? Why aren't we getting the intended results? You may want to address those questions.