Evidence of meeting #47 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was north.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Marie-Christine Vanier  Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau
Linda Roy Makiuk  Administrative Technician, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau
Françoise Bouchard  Director, Public Health, Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC

When it comes to adaptation, I was also told that it is windy in the north. The door hinges are not designed to withstand those climate conditions. So doors are often torn off by the wind. That is a cultural adaptation issue. You talked about aspects we did not discuss, such as the sun's orientation. However, the homes I saw over there are like the bungalows we have here.

If I lived in Kuujjuaq or Ivujivik, and I killed a caribou to bring home, I don't know where I would put it—perhaps in the basement or the bathroom. I assume that situation contributes to the mould. The homes are not adapted to the people's needs. Under a housing strategy, I would suggest that the very particular conditions in the north be considered. However, for the conditions to be accommodated, northern residents must be engaged in the process. We mustn't only hold consultations, but work together with the northerners.

11:45 a.m.

Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau

Marie-Christine Vanier

Yes. Exactly.

What I feel is really worthwhile about the Université Laval study is that it is being carried out in partnership with communities. Those in charge are getting people involved, not only through consultations, but they are asking them for ideas and inviting them to participate in the project. The idea is really to develop, in terms of structure, a housing concept that is consistent with the lifestyle.

There are no basements in Nunavik because of the permafrost. People have nowhere to cut up caribou. When a population hunts or fishes, they need somewhere to store the weapons. That is starting to be developed. Model homes have been built. There is one in Quaqtaq where the lobby was designed for that purpose with space to butcher the animal. There are areas to put closed and secured boxes for guns. There are boards....

What are they called, Ms. Makiuk?

11:45 a.m.

Administrative Technician, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau

Linda Roy Makiuk

It's a cutting board.

11:45 a.m.

NDP

Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC

That's for butchering animals.

11:45 a.m.

Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau

Marie-Christine Vanier

Yes. It's for cutting up the meat.

So, homes are starting to be adapted, but those are really prototypes. So, while homes are being built.... In addition, people need several types of vehicles. We are talking about snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, trucks and cars. They currently have huts that can accommodate a single snowmobile, but a family often has more than one snowmobile used for hunting.

11:45 a.m.

NDP

Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC

They have large families.

11:45 a.m.

Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau

Marie-Christine Vanier

To adapt to the way of life, costs don't necessarily have to increase. It's really a matter of adapting to people's lifestyle.

Thank you.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bryan May

Thank you very much.

Now over to MP Sangha, please, for six minutes.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

Ramesh Sangha Liberal Brampton Centre, ON

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, witnesses, for coming here and making statements.

My question will be regarding food insecurity, which we feel is a great problem in Nunavik. Food insecurity refers to the situation when, for example, the food that is purchased does not last for long, or there is not enough money in the household to buy the food and the household cannot afford to eat balanced meals. The household members are skipping meals because there is not enough money for the food. These are the big problems that people are facing in the north.

Can you suggest to the committee the impacts you have witnessed from high food prices and how these can be improved?

11:45 a.m.

Director, Public Health, Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services

Dr. Françoise Bouchard

It's a good question.

Regarding food security, in the last two years, the Nunavik regional board has set up a working group on this issue with all the regional organizations. This working group is looking at the types of strategies we need to put in place as a region, but also recommendations that we want to make to the government regarding strategies. We have not completed our work. However, we recently sent our recommendations to the nutrition north program. As you know, this program right now is under revision and the regions are being consulted about it. We just forwarded our own recommendations to the nutrition north program. All the regional organizations have signed on to these recommendations.

Mr. Chair, I can forward the copy of those recommendations to your committee members.

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

Ramesh Sangha Liberal Brampton Centre, ON

Thank you very much.

11:50 a.m.

Director, Public Health, Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services

Dr. Françoise Bouchard

Did you want me to elaborate more?

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

Ramesh Sangha Liberal Brampton Centre, ON

Yes, please go ahead.

11:50 a.m.

Director, Public Health, Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services

Dr. Françoise Bouchard

As for food security, in accordance with our mandate as a working group, we have identified issues. Clearly one of them right now is the lack of access to country food. It's an issue because we know this is healthy food for our communities. So we're looking at all the strategies to improve access. We know there are differences between our communities in their access to country food. There are different ways of sharing country food that have been put in place, like community freezers in the north. We need to fill up those freezers. We know that the impact of the different changes that have occurred has made it difficult to access some foods. For example, caribou right now in our region has gone down. These are all issues we're looking at.

Another issue is access to healthy food and our over-reliance on processed food. So we're looking at how to improve access to nutrition, healthy food, and decrease our dependence on processed food. That's another issue we're looking at. The third and fourth issues are looking specifically at some populations like elders and youth, who we feel would benefit from more targeted interventions to improve their access to food.

We have programs right now like breakfast in schools, and we want to expand that program to all children in all our schools and communities so they can have breakfast provided at school. We have right now strategies to increase healthy snacks in the schools because we know a full belly learns better than an empty belly. That's one of the strategies. We have community collective kitchens and other programs like this so that people can develop their collective kitchens to improve access to prepared food, using country food and delivery to people who are in need. These are the types of strategies we're looking at. These are the gaps we want to look at in the next two years. We hope to have a report in the next two years containing our strategies and the recommendations we want to make.

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

Ramesh Sangha Liberal Brampton Centre, ON

You talked about young children changing their lifestyle to overcome chronic diseases, drugs, and other problems like suicide. We see that the Quebec government has done quite a bit to improve these things. What are your suggestions on the initiatives in place at this time to tackle this huge problem?

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bryan May

He didn't give you a lot of time to answer that and I'm sure it's a complex response. I'll give you a little bit of extra time, but please make it brief.

11:50 a.m.

Director, Public Health, Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services

Dr. Françoise Bouchard

Maybe as a follow-up, Mr. Chair, I could provide the committee with reports we have made. For example, we have a suicide prevention strategy that's recently been adopted by our regional board, and it is funded in part by the provincial government. We'll be happy to provide you with this and with any other documents that can address some of those questions.

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bryan May

Thank you very much.

Mr. Ruimy.

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

Dan Ruimy Liberal Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, everybody, for coming today and making the trip here. I hope the weather is nicer here than back home.

Madame Vanier, what are the funding sources for the housing authority? Are they provincial, federal?

11:50 a.m.

Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau

Marie-Christine Vanier

They are both, actually.

New home construction is funded by the federal government, unless I am mistaken, and the provincial government is responsible for managing the housing.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Dan Ruimy Liberal Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC

What's the best combination of housing allowances, construction subsidies, and maintenance funds to produce and sustain the existing housing stock? What do you think is the best combination?

11:55 a.m.

Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau

Marie-Christine Vanier

That is a very good question.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Dan Ruimy Liberal Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC

That's why I asked it.

11:55 a.m.

Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau

Marie-Christine Vanier

I could consult my executive director about that and send you an answer.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Dan Ruimy Liberal Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC

Okay.