Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Oct. 17th, 2006

[Lise Bastien]

It was called Manitou College. It was near Montreal, between Montreal and Maniwaki. It lasted about five years. It gave college degrees. And it was quite interesting, because for the first time in our lives, we were Mi’kmaq, Mohawk, Huron, and Algonquin young people all at the same place. We didn't know each other, because at that time communication and transportation wasn't the same. I'm talking about 30 years ago. So it was really new and challenging for us, because for the first time we met people who had the same reality. I didn't know that Mi’kmaq existed in Nova Scotia, so I met interesting people with the same challenges. And I learned English.

I had opportunity. I attended only one year, because they decided to close the college.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

That's the question. On what basis was the decision made? Was it lack of enrollment or lack of funding?

[Lise Bastien]

No. Well, I think, you know, it was a political decision. This is my opinion, but it is also the opinion of a lot of people. Our people at the college were becoming more active politically, and I think some people were afraid of that, because we were really political. And this was a college; this was the place where you form and learn about your political.... You know, this is really the place where your social culture is in development. So I think it was really a place to create people who would disturb some institutions.

[Gilbert Whiteduck]

I should note that irony of ironies, this had been an old Bismarck missile base that had been turned over to first nations, and first nations had come because they saw this opportunity, and then they were asked to leave and the funding came to an end. But lo and behold, today I believe that it has become a medium or a minimum security prison where there are many first nations. The irony is that had it remained open, a lot of these people could very well not be in that institution.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Before I close, the chair would just like to make a comment, and that is that when I was back in my constituency, I visited Okanagan College. One very innovative thing they've done to help with trades training is that they have three mobile units. They have one for welding, one for plumbing, and one for electrical. They travel between the colleges. We have a whole valley of colleges. There are four campuses, and they rotate so they don't saturate the market. It is working really well. That's something you might want to look at for your area, because they can come right to the community, and if you have space they can unload the equipment and what not and run the programs. I think that's a real opportunity.

Thank you very much to the witnesses for your presentation today. And thank you, committee.

The meeting is adjourned.