Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Nov. 24th, 2009

[Simeonie Akpalialuk]

The challenges are very similar, whether it's Iqaluit or smaller communities. The differences are in the services. The services here in Iqaluit are much more well established compared to the communities, especially around health care, and probably housing as well.

The other area where we really see a lack is in services in the business sector. There are very few in the communities compared to Iqaluit. It's quite well serviced here.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Thank you.

Your Worship, a few years ago the Prime Minister promised a port for Iqaluit. I'm just wondering how that project is going and if you could take an estimate of when you think it might be finished.

[Elisapee Sheutiapik]

Good question.

Actually, during the advocacy days, one of Minister Strahl's recommendations was that we actually refer to statements made by the Prime Minister or ministers. Because he made that statement, I will now go and say “You had this vision of this infrastructure in Iqaluit. We agree that it's a need. How can we help make it happen? How can we help coordinate it?” At this point I don't know of any plans, but definitely it's several years forward now, so we obviously would have to do another feasibility study. At the municipal level we haven't heard. I hear there might be some funding, funnelled through the territorial governments, but I don't know where it's at.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Mr. Long.

[Robert Long]

If I can speak to that briefly, at this point we have engineers who are working on some design options. We expect within a month or so that we'll actually have some preliminary recommendations. There are three options being considered.

With our high tide, the other comment I'd like to make is that the engineers are saying it's at the outer extreme of engineering, the difficulty in providing a dock with a 10-metre tide.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Long, there was recently the McDonald report. I'm not sure what it was called, but it was the report on the Nunavut government done by Piers McDonald. Was there anything in that report that would be useful for us related to either Nunavut's responsibilities for economic development or other things in economic development?

[Robert Long]

There were over 90 recommendations within that report, and a number of them were recommendations on how government could work better. I don't think there were a lot of big-vision items there that impact directly on economic development.

In terms of those statements, it talks more about a better style of life and helping people find work, so sort of moving from poverty into the wage economy. I'm having a little trouble putting that into the reference of this committee and the federal government, other than again devolution and that sort of thing. We are clearly part of it. People want government to be closer to home. There was a strong concern that we're centralized in Iqaluit and the bigger centres and the small communities are having trouble speaking to government. So—

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

We'll have to leave it at that, Mr. Long.

Thank you, Mr. Bagnell.

Now we'll go to Mr. Clarke. After Mr. Clarke's question there will only be time for one brief question to Monsieur Gaudet.

Let's go ahead then, Mr. Clarke, for five minutes.

[Rob Clarke, Conservative, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to thank the witnesses for coming in this morning.

I remember coming up here last year with the Indian affairs committee and touring around the communities of Pangnirtung and Iqaluit.

We're looking at economic development on this committee, specifically, here today and trying to get testimony on what would be beneficial for the territories. We've travelled to the Yukon, we've been to the Northwest Territories, and now we're here in your territory as well.

What can you recommend to this committee that would help in terms of economic development, such as the training of the Inuit for jobs?

I understand there's a project taking place, the first harbour. How is the territory looking at creating, first of all, sustained employment? How is it looking at training the Inuit? What percentage are we looking at in terms of participants from the Inuit communities to work there? Also, just in regard to trade development, what types of courses are we looking at for the training of tradespeople? This would be very beneficial in terms of future recommendations and possibly for future grants. This is what we're looking for, ideas, so that we can provide that.

I'm hoping Mr. Long can answer that question.

Also, in regard to the first harbour, what is the total expenditure going to be? What types of long-term forecasts are there, or what type of economic development or even future money is expected to come in?

[Robert Long]

That's a really good question, and I could talk all morning if you'd allow me. But I'd like to start by posing our priorities. The first priority is mining, the second is the fishery, the third is cultural industries, and the fourth is tourism. Within each of those industries there is a need for training. There's a need for job opportunities for our people, who are 85% Inuit.

Within mining we see two things. The first is training, so that most of the jobs can be handled by people who are more or less in adjacent communities. So that's basic mine training, heavy equipment operation, trade skills, that sort of thing. For small businesses, it's support to the mining operation, ranging from catering and operating bunkhouses through to contracting heavy equipment, that sort of thing.

The fishery really requires the dock facilities. This is a specific economic opportunity to use docks. I believe the first one was put in Pangnirtung because it already had a fish plant, so there was a certain logic to that. The fishing resources range much farther than that one community, and into the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fish are available. Currently this is being fished offshore using factory trawlers, in joint ventures with our people. So we have an ownership position in the fishery in addition to—

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Sorry, Mr. Long. We have two other witnesses who want to get in on this as well.

[Robert Long]

I'm just getting started.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Perhaps you could briefly sum up. I'm sorry about the time restrictions here.

Just wrap up very quickly, and then Mr. Akpalialuk and Mr. Morrissey will add a comment as well.

[Robert Long]

With the fishery, there's money to be made. Cultural industries are almost purely Inuit, and tourism also has great promise for local communities.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Mr. Akpalialuk.

[Simeonie Akpalialuk]

To respond to your question, perhaps you're familiar with Making Connections in Canada. We have a program in Pangnirtung right now and we're negotiating a used entrepreneur centre to train young people in business. Hopefully we'll have a building that's energy efficient in terms of using solar technology and windmills, that has good lighting efficiency and windows that are very cold-proof and wind-proof.

Along with that, two-thirds of the population, I believe, in Pangnirtung itself is under the age of 34. So we're looking at a very young population. This is what we're concentrating. This is one of the key answers to developing business in the community: training young people.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

We have one question on the floor and we have a bunch of responses lined up, Mr. Clarke. You obviously touched off a good range of responses here.

Thank you, Mr. Akpalialuk.

Let's go to Mr. Morrissey for 30 seconds, no more.

[Mark Morrissey]

You asked how this committee can take recommendations back for development. Pick up a copy of the strategy. As I said, it's the road map for development in Nunavut. It outlines what we want to accomplish and by when we want to accomplish it, and all the other training things that Bob and Sim have talked about are included in it as well. So I would suggest picking up a copy of the strategy and giving it a read.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Merci, Mr. Morrissey, Mr. Clarke, and witnesses.

Mr. Gaudet, you have only three minutes to ask your questions.

[Roger Gaudet, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to share a story with you. My brother said that he helped build the hospital in Frobisher Bay. He told me to check what kind of shape it was in.

My question is simple. Mr. Simeonie, you said earlier that there was employee turnover in the economic development sector, that people leave frequently. Why? Is it the pay? What is causing this high rate of employee turnover in the economic development sector?

[Simeonie Akpalialuk]

Most people who take on these jobs are from the south. They don't stay very long. Most people stay maybe a year or two and then they're gone.

[Roger Gaudet, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

I have an example. Last night, my colleague and I went to the supermarket. I saw that potatoes were selling for $1.97 a pound, and lettuce cost $6.50.

In my opinion, your economic development should start with good food. You have to feed people properly if you want to keep them. I saw a man with a sparsely filled shopping cart, and his groceries cost him $350. I thought to myself that he must surely make a lot of money in order to pay such a bill. Economic development is all well and good, but if people cannot feed themselves properly, they will leave.

I would like to hear your thoughts on that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Go ahead.

[Elisapee Sheutiapik]

When it comes to cost, right now they've been quite proactive and vocal about the food mail program. I think it's under review right now, and hopefully that will help.

When it comes to economic development, we concentrate on mining, because it's a new sector. We ask what we have to do to ensure... I want to refer to the three statements I made in my presentation. I think they clearly answer what has to happen with economic development within the mining sector, so please keep those three in mind.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Is there anybody else?

Go ahead.