Evidence of meeting #42 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 agency.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Yes. We can provide that.
Perhaps Mr. Tim Gardiner from the agency would like to bail me out on that one.
Timothy Gardiner Director, Policy, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
In terms of project categories, we've done some support for tourism activities to try to prop up that sector, consistent with the intent of the program, which is really a response to the economic downturn. We've done some support for training activities as well, for those kinds of longer-term initiatives to help folks adjust to the downturn and take advantage of economic opportunities down the road. There have been a number of community beautification initiatives as well, to keep folks busy in the short run, but they're also broadly supportive of the tourism sector.
We can provide you with a comprehensive list if you like. I don't have it with me now, but I'd be happy to provide it to the committee.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Thank you, Mr. Payne.
We'll now go to Madam Crowder, who will be followed by Mr. Rickford, for five minutes.
Go ahead, Madam Crowder.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Thanks, Mr. Chair.
I have another couple of education questions.
I understand that the audit division has completed an audit of the K-to-12 programs. Do you know when the committee will have access to that report?
NDP
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
No, I don't know off the top of my head.
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
I'll let you know right away.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
We understand that it's been completed.
I think you're aware that the Parliamentary Budget Officer made some recommendations around school infrastructure. I know that one of the recommendations was around doing the kind of engineering assessment that has been proposed for waste-water treatment facilities, I believe. Is there any plan to do that kind of engineering assessment on school infrastructure for K to 12?
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
The assessment of the water and waste water is under way. It has been tendered and awarded. That work is starting. It'll take several years to complete.
On the school infrastructure, I think there was a bit of a difference in views about how much we knew about the state of the schools and the inventory. A lot of stuff had not been properly coded and entered into our information system. I can get back to you on the state of that.
We're not going to do one of those national assessments for every institution at this point. We've been very busy trying to do the CEAP projects and the gas tax projects and cope with the business that's under way right now. As you know, we work off the regional capital plans.
NDP
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
No.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
You mentioned the environment. On page 185, I note that there's money around remediation of federal contaminated sites.
You mentioned the Auditor General's report as well and the specific recommendations around dealing with the residual environmental regulatory gaps on reserves and looking at high-risk and medium-risk sites on reserves that became contaminated prior to 1998.
Is that pot of money there to address those kinds of recommendations in the AG's report?
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
We do two kinds of contaminated sites work, one in the north and another on reserve lands. We've been working away at an inventory of sites, which is quite extensive, as you can imagine.
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
It's on reserve. I can provide you a bit of a progress report.
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
There's a triage of sorts of what's most urgent and so on. We do what we can with the resources that are available, but there is an overall plan for how quickly we can get to that. If we had more money, we'd do more, but there is a system for that.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
It sounds as if there are some fairly serious regulatory gaps as well, though.
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
That's the issue about how there's some dispute about whether federal law or provincial law applies on reserve on some of these matters, because there are matters that weren't anticipated when the Indian Act was written over 100 years ago.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Is there a process under way for resolution around this that will include first nations?
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Yes. We're working very hard with the people who are expert in land and environmental management. My guess is that a permanent solution is going to require legislative change.
