Human Resources Committee on March 7th, 2017

[Marie-Christine Vanier]

Yes, I totally agree.

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Saint John—Rothesay, NB]

Chair, how much time do I have?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

You have about two and a half minutes.

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Saint John—Rothesay, NB]

I'd like to talk about innovation in your community. We're a government that talks about innovation and new ways and new ideas.

Ms. Vanier and Ms. Makiuk, what innovation do you feel is happening in your community with respect to poverty and poverty reduction or needs to be introduced to effectively reduce poverty?

What innovation are you seeing, or you think you'd like to see?

[Linda Roy Makiuk]

I've been working as a Pivallianiq agent for the past two and half years. What I would do is meet one-on-one with the tenants in their dwellings to see what the conditions are in their homes.

The foundations, the pads, as Marie-Christine was saying, would have to be built two years before the contractors can build on the foundation. I've heard that, under the Quebec government, foundations have to be built two years in advance of the building being constructed. No matter whether it's a business building, or a dwelling, a home, a residence, the foundation has to be built two years before the building is constructed.

That's why we see that the newly constructed buildings, built within the last five years, are all cracked. The windows are cracking, the doors and windows cannot close well, it's cold, and when we get to winter and it's -50°, we have to live in these conditions because of how the contractors built our houses. What I see housing as lacking is the foundations.

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Saint John—Rothesay, NB]

Thank you.

Ms. Bouchard, can you talk to me briefly about what innovation you feel is needed, or what innovation you're seeing that is effective?

[Dr. Françoise Bouchard]

I'm not sure what you mean by “innovation”. If it's technology, I—

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Saint John—Rothesay, NB]

It's new ways and trying things, new ways of thinking, new approaches.

[Dr. Françoise Bouchard]

One thing I've observed in the last year is that the major regional organization, our leaders' organization in Nunavik, conducted what we call the Parnasimautik. They went around to each community to hear from the people directly about their preoccupations in all areas of life. What has come out of that is that we have communities now who have decided to hold their own Parnasimautiks, as we call them.

Unfortunately, even in small communities, sometimes we work in silos. It happens. Encouraging integration and sharing between the different groups in the community can bring change. We are seeing the leaders in those communities now undertaking these kind of initiatives in which they identify not only their own issues but also their own solutions. To encourage and support that will be the best way to move forward.

One of these communities, Kangiqsualujjuaq, just won a prize for their family house. They decided to have a family house in their community so that people could share together issues and everything. They just won a prize at Arctic innovation...I think it was a conference in Winnipeg.

These are the type of things that we need to support and encourage in those communities, so that people themselves can find the best solutions. We support that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you so much.

We'll now move over to Madam Boutin-Sweet, please.

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

Thank you.

Inukjuak is a good example. Tommy Palliser spoke to me about the development of materials that are adapted to northern conditions, and about his work with the universities. He also spoke to me about greenhouses, as Mr. Warawa mentioned. For the committee's information, the clerk asked Mr. Palliser to send us a document, and we will be able to have some information on this which could be quite interesting.

You spoke about consultations earlier, consultations with local groups. We can talk about the housing strategy or we can talk about other consultations. You also referred to full jurisdiction, full local jurisdiction.

Someone said that earlier. Someone referred to full local jurisdiction. What did you mean by that?

[Dr. Françoise Bouchard]

I would refer to the example of our regional organization making recommendations to nutrition north Canada. The way of the future is that those funds should probably be transferred to the region to administer and decide where best to invest them, rather than criteria or conditions being imposed by the federal government.

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

I agree, but how can we get there?

What is the starting point for that?

There have to be some negotiations from the outset. And there has to be more than negotiations. It has to be discussions between equals, nation to nation.

[Dr. Françoise Bouchard]

There are regional organizations who represent the Inuit leadership. I think you can sit down with them. The governments have to recognize their capacity to manage.... The Kativik Regional Government is our regional government. They must recognize their legitimacy. Those programs, like nutrition north Canada, have existed for years now. We have learning and we know what they think.

If those programs were transferred to the regional bodies, they could best see where the needs are in their own communities. For example, we sometimes see the disparity in those programs between communities because of distance and other things. The regional bodies can best see how to assess and address those inequities. Often these programs, because they're not based in the community, cannot see how best to address those needs.

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

So we are talking about local authority over decision-making and the execution of those decisions by the administration.

[Dr. Françoise Bouchard]

Correct.

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

Fine.

[Dr. Françoise Bouchard]

That's where we're moving with health care right now. The Nunavik regional board is the one that decides where to invest in what priorities.

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

I have a question for one of you about the melting of the permafrost.

I don't know if it was in Salluit or Ivujivik, but someone said that not only does that cause a risk for the construction of new homes, but also that the existing village might have to be moved.

Have you heard anything about that?

[Linda Roy Makiuk]

Yes.

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

What have you heard?

[Linda Roy Makiuk]

The community of Salluit was based on swampy land. All the houses were sinking and breaking down. Salluit moved all the houses up to the mountains. This is why there are houses on the mountains of Salluit.

With the growing population, they had no more space on the mountain, and this is why they went back to the sinking, swampy area to build houses there.

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

How is that move financed? To move a village, do you use funds that could have been used for the construction of new houses? How does it work?

[Linda Roy Makiuk]

I think they were all used already.

[Marie-Christine Vanier]

Have existing homes been moved?