Human Resources Committee on Dec. 1st, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, Mr. Johnston.

Thank you, Mr. Turnbull.

Ms. Chabot, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My question, or comment, is for Mr. Johnston.

I think what you're mentioning is quite important. I'm talking about the response that you seem to have found off the reserve, particularly in Manitoba, culturally, and for communities to experience things together. It respects the realities of indigenous people, of Métis, of Inuit.

The focus of this study is on indigenous housing in urban, northern and rural areas, to identify barriers and challenges and to determine whether programs are well or poorly adapted. We have an answer to give, and the government needs to be able to tell if these programs are in line with the reality and needs you are experiencing. At the beginning of your testimony, you talked about CMHC and you said that had been a mistake. I'm not sure I understood that very well. Are the projects you are proposing promising projects that require significant support?

[Damon Johnston]

Thank you very much, Ms. Chabot.

You are right that we are seeing real evidence of better outcomes in the approaches that we're now taking here in Winnipeg, primarily because they're culturally competent; they recognize each individual, whether they're Dene, Ojibwe, Anishinabe, Ininew or Cree, Michif or Métis. You're recognizing each person for their cultural uniqueness, and then you're working with them to create programs and services that work with them. You can bring other individuals who are part of their communities into the picture to help develop these newer, innovative approaches to trying to ensure that with the investment you're making in treatment, in housing, in other supports, you're going to have a longer-lasting outcome. In fact, the person will continue to heal over the rest of their life.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, Mr. Johnston.

We're going to finish up with Ms. Gazan.

Go ahead, please, for two and a half minutes.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you so much, Chair.

My question is for Mr. Johnston.

I want to say that I really appreciated the comments you made around the dispossession of lands and how that has impacted indigenous people. I've often said that first they took away our lands, and then they left us homeless on our very own lands, so I really appreciated your comments. I've often been pretty critical of the current government but also of consecutive federal governments that have massively and systemically underfunded indigenous communities, including urban indigenous populations.

Do you believe that the violation of the indigenous right to housing is the reason why our communities—including my riding of Winnipeg Centre, where we have one of the highest urban indigenous populations in the country, and I've had many conversations with my colleague Adam Vaughan about this—are now faced with a dire crisis during COVID?

[Damon Johnston]

Yes, I totally agree with what you're saying.

The question for Canada is, do you want to truly include indigenous people in everything we do in this country, and are you prepared to make the necessary investments?

We've had how many years—150 years or more—of a failure to make the necessary investments. It flies in the face of any common sense. It's human beings—and that's what we are. We were never viewed that way, but we are human beings. It's human beings who create almost everything in our country, so give indigenous people a chance now to demonstrate that they can bring positive solutions to the table. We are already working with many non-indigenous organizations in this city, with some of our business leaders like Mark Chipman, the owner of the Winnipeg Jets.

Relationships are the essence of our society, and if you can't have positive relations between the different groups that make up our society, then what do you get? You get conflict.

Nobody has the answers for everything we do, but collectively, yes, we do. Just in Winnipeg, from the partnerships that we're developing with non-indigenous Canadians in many different places, with new Canadians, with refugees and through the Winnipeg partnership agreement, we know now that it's paying dividends, and it will pay even more dividends. Better outcomes will mean much less cost to our country as a whole.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, Mr. Johnston.

Thank you, Ms. Gazan.

That's a positive, optimistic note to close on.

Dr. Christensen and Mr. Johnston, thank you so much for being with us. Your testimony will be extremely valuable.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Chair, is there time for another quick round?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

No, we're past time as it is, Mr. Vis. I'm sorry. Mr. Vaughan feels the same way.

Thank you very much, witnesses.

Thank you very much, colleagues. We will see you again on Thursday.

Witnesses, you can tell that you've engendered much interest. They're pleading for more time, but I have to try to keep us on track here. We've reached the hour.

I would entertain a motion for adjournment, or do I have consensus to adjourn?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, everyone.

We're adjourned.