Evidence of meeting #35 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was north.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:45 p.m.
NDP
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
Well, it needs a little more work.
How are we doing for time?
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
We're just about out of time. You have maybe 20 seconds for a very short question and answer.
12:45 p.m.
NDP
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
Once again, back to that question around actual.... You're conducting permafrost research through Environment Canada, is that right?
12:45 p.m.
Executive Director, Environmental Assessment, Department of the Environment
Yes, the scientists in our department do.
12:45 p.m.
NDP
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
So you would be analyzing the nature of the impact of permafrost degradation on structures that are going to be built for the....
12:45 p.m.
Executive Director, Environmental Assessment, Department of the Environment
Yes. The way the environmental assessment legislation works, we provide expert testimony advice into the process on the science that we have. We don't have regulatory authorities around structures and permafrost. Instead, we provide the science, what we know about frost conditions.
12:45 p.m.
Director General, Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of the Environment
Perhaps I could add one point; my colleague reminded me. Our minister would work with the deputy and Industry Canada on the pipeline, per se—the structure, the industrial project—and then the minister would work with our department on the types of permitting, the type of assessment and environmental impact, and would provide advice to the proponent as they would perhaps be executing the project.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
Keith Martin Liberal Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Thank you very much, all of you, for being here today. I have two comments and two questions.
First, I personally feel that many first nations communities are being set up for failure because they don't have the capacity to be able to do what they're asked to do. I'll share with you an innovative thing we're doing in my riding. We have a relationship with post-secondary institutions to use their senior post-graduate people and utilize those people to provide and build capacity in first nations communities--for example, if they need to have business plans, or if they need to find economic development. It's an inexpensive way of actually enabling them to have access to the types of capabilities they need. I share that with you as something that may be useful.
Second, I spent a fair bit of time with wildlife officers and anti-poaching patrols in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. As you know, they were very innovative in actually marrying up and looking at their wild spaces as a way to utilize and develop resources and create jobs, particularly in rural areas. If you haven't, and I'm sure you have, I ask you to take a look at what they've done there in terms of being able to utilize these wild spaces, particularly in northern Zululand. They've created jobs and utilized those wild spaces in a very economically successful way and have essentially been able to generate the funds for the expansion of habitat as well as create the resources for jobs, primary health care, and education in rural areas.
My two questions are to Parks Canada. The division of labour issue is a very serious issue with our wildlife officers right now. I personally think it puts them in a very compromised situation. I would ask if you could share with us what has been done to actually decrease the siloing in duties, so that a wildlife officer can deal with situations where they need to deal with errant wildlife--they also deal with tourists--where they can actually have quick access to being armed, frankly, for their protection, and also the way they are identified. The removal of their slashes has caused a problem and in fact puts their lives in danger when RCMP officers see somebody carrying around a shotgun who is not identified as a wildlife officer. This compromises their lives. I implore you to take a look at that for the safety of our wildlife officers.
Last, has anything been done to decrease the speed of trains through our wildlife corridors, particularly in blind corners, to decrease the mortality of some of our large mammal species?
12:50 p.m.
Director General, Western and Northern Canada, Parks Canada Agency
In terms of the work of our park wardens, they are certainly responsible for law enforcement and the enforcement of the Canada National Parks Act. I think what you are referring to are our other staff, who deal with resource management issues.
We are working through our national occupational safety and health committee in terms of dealing with appropriate identification for these resource management officers. They do deal with wildlife issues. They are allowed to carry rifles or shotguns for the purposes of public safety and dealing with wildlife, but the law enforcement elements are specifically set aside for park wardens.
In terms of the question around trains, particularly in places like Banff and Jasper national parks, we do work with the local railroads in terms of assessing correct speeds. We spend a lot of time with other elements of that work in terms of cleaning up the tracks from grain spills and that kind of thing. We continue to do that.
Thank you for your encouragement. We will continue to work with them on that.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Keith Martin Liberal Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
I have one brief comment, if I may. I want to say that I have a huge respect for the men and women who serve in our parks. They really do a yeoman's job, and I give them kudos. They serve Canada admirably in their duties.
The point I was trying to drive at--
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Ms. Poter was trying to get in there as well. But go ahead, Mr. Martin.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Keith Martin Liberal Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
I'll just finish briefly. Thank you very much.
With regard to the siloing of the duties, Mr. Fisher, as a wildlife officer, if you come across a person doing untoward things, you have to call in a replacement who has a sidearm. This causes all kinds of challenges. Also, if you have other duties and you can't deal with a problem animal, if you will, you have to call in others to help.
If more can be done to enable wildlife officers to be able exercise the skills they already have, that would be very beneficial from a morale perspective and, if I may say so, from an efficiency perspective in the execution of their duties.
Thank you.
12:50 p.m.
Director General, Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of the Environment
I want to speak, if I might, to the comment about capacity and supporting the people in the north.
In the Inuit impact and benefit agreement, there were a couple of provisions that I think are relevant to the point you raised. The first one is that there's a trust fund that has been set up to support ecotourism, to take advantage of the new national wildlife areas that are being set up in the Nunavut land claims area.
The second point that I want to make sure people are aware of is the requirement for a mentoring program. Co-management is a key feature of the management of the wildlife areas as well as their selection. Stewardship is part of the mandate of that local community. And there's a requirement for us to hire students and to support the youth in developing capacity to help manage these wildlife areas and participate in research that's conducted on those lands.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Thank you very much, Mr. Martin, and to all of our witnesses today.
There's certainly volumes of information for us to ponder. I'll remind you again that if you have the opportunity to take a look at the transcript, or if there were some commitments to respond to some of those questions, it would be very helpful.
We do have a couple of short items of business. We will ask you to sit tight for a minute or two, because I know some members would like to say goodbye on the way out.
There is no doubt that they are essential for preparing the committee's report, however.
Mr. Rickford, you have a question.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON
I was just going to talk about some general business things. I have a couple of points to raise about our forthcoming trip. If that's not timely right now, I understand.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
We'll see if there's time, but I think we'll get to that.
By the way, I want to thank Mr. Clarke and Mr. Rickford. Our colleague Mr. Benoit was not feeling well, and I appreciate Mr. Clarke bringing that to our attention and taking some direction. I hope he's feeling well soon.
There's one item that was circulated to you. This is a routine motion that involves the--
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Thank you.
Is there any discussion?
As background, this is where the committee is paying for a breakfast, for example, when there will be other people joining us. We need to authorize the payment of those breakfasts for our guests or hosts that join us during the trips to Whitehorse, Yellowknife, or Iqaluit.
(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Second, I'll draw your attention, as I did earlier, to a tremendous reference document prepared by our analysts. It was on your desks today. There will be more briefing documents coming with backgrounders on the witnesses, but the document that Mary Hurley and James Gauthier have put together is a tremendous reference for the many subjects we will come across in the course of our work. I would ask you to take a look through that; it may be some nighttime reading for you.
Finally, a question has come up with regard to members' staff who may wish to accompany their member on the tour. You know that members have the ability to use special points for their staff to travel; that is their choice. The committee meetings that will be held in the three locations are public, and certainly staff may attend those.
The one potential area of limitation would be when we, as a committee, have authorized arrangements for ground transportation or bus tours that may be limited to the size of the committee delegation. We can't guarantee there would be other seats available on a bus, for example, for staff to accompany their members. Of course any other costs—hotel, ground transfers—would be absorbed in your MOB.
With those understandings, you have discretion in terms of how you wish to proceed on that.
Mr. Rickford, I'll take your question now.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON
This is just a question or comment, Mr. Chair, with respect to the use of special points on this particular trip. Is this one special point for both destinations, or are we using a special point for each trip?
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
My understanding is that it will take two, because there will be one special point used to go.
I'll ask the clerk if there is anything inconsistent with this explanation.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
