Human Resources Committee on March 7th, 2017

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Consequently, the increase in the cost of energy will have an effect on communities like yours, correct?

[Marie-Christine Vanier]

Certainly, because it will increase the KMHB expenses. Whenever there is an increase in energy costs, this affects budgets. There is less money in the coffers to do other things.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

There is going to be a carbon tax of about $50 on each ton of carbon. This is going to increase the cost of energy to heat homes and transport food, which is already too expensive in northern communities. Will these increases have an adverse effect on the citizens who live there?

[Marie-Christine Vanier]

It is certain that tenants are going to feel the effects of an increase. Rental costs are already increasing by 8% each year. Those costs affect renters directly, and other expenses will be added to that. There will be other increases that will affect tenants.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Is it possible to simply replace all of these other sources of energy with solar panels, or something else?

[Marie-Christine Vanier]

I know that at this time people there are looking at potential new energy sources, solar and wind energy. That is being studied currently.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

What are the obstacles?

[Marie-Christine Vanier]

I am not in direct contact with those who are piloting the project. I will have to send you that information.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Until you have replaced the current energy sources with new ones, the citizens of your communities will be affected by the increases in the cost of gas and fuel, correct?

[Marie-Christine Vanier]

That is correct.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Fine, thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much.

We now have Madam Boutin-Sweet.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We talked about economic development and education. I'd like to talk about all of that in connection with the building of new housing. I would like your opinion on this.

In my opinion, if more on-site training were offered in the construction trades, culturally adapted training, we could reduce construction costs. We could plan for the longer term, as you said, and we could better adapt things to the climate and the culture, since the workers live there. Do you think we could adopt that type of long-term solution?

Regarding energy sources, I know that Nunavik does not draw its power from the Hydro-Quebec power grid, and that is a problem. Could the federal government provide assistance in this regard, in order to lower construction costs and improve existing and future infrastructure?

[Marie-Christine Vanier]

That is a very good question.

Could you repeat the first question?

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

My first question was about training people in the construction trades.

[Marie-Christine Vanier]

In the long term, I think that could be one solution to be considered. Some companies hire Inuit people from the communities. In the long term, that practice could be broadened, and a larger number of contracts could be awarded. We have a construction company, but it is difficult to get contracts. It depends on the number of houses that are being built.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

What could the federal government provide?

[Marie-Christine Vanier]

They could offer training programs and programs to transmit knowledge to the Inuit.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Not very long ago, the federal government had a program whereby it paid for part of the training, but that program was cancelled a few years ago.

In your opinion, should the federal government to continue to co-operate with the other levels of government, or provide its own training in the construction trades?

[Marie-Christine Vanier]

I think that that could be really beneficial. Indeed, people could be trained and get construction expertise.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

In that case, it would no longer be necessary to bring up workers from the south. It would of course be less costly. And since the workers would be on site, they would not have to pay for housing.

[Marie-Christine Vanier]

It is the same philosophy as Ms. Bouchard's.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

We are moving on to the second round here, starting with MP Warawa, please.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

I again want to express my appreciation for your sharing with us. We get to understand, a little bit, some of the challenges of those living in the north.

I've asked a staff member behind me to do some research, and I'm going to ask you if you've heard anything of a cost-benefit analysis of growing food in the north as opposed to having it trucked or flown in.

In the Maple Ridge area, there is a company that had a display of what it called a 40-foot farm. It is a greenhouse built in containers retrofitted to create a portable greenhouse that would be flown in. The lighting inside the greenhouse would be provided by electricity from the village, and each community would grow its own green vegetables. It's on a rotisserie within the greenhouse, so that you have all these different layers that rotate and are constantly exposed to the light so that they grow; but you can have multiple crops within this greenhouse growing at the same time. They call them 40-foot farms because it's being grown within a 40-foot container that's been retrofitted to exist in the north. The community provides electricity.

Have you heard anything about that cost-benefit analysis?