Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on June 15th, 2010

[Michel Robillard]

Probably, I will let you be the judge of that.

The context is important. A deputy minister represents the people in the north, first nations, Inuit, and plays an important role in

an advocacy role and policy research.

That is a first answer.

Second, I would like to give a concrete example to show that the agency can have a real influence. There is a new Northern Projects Management Office and an economic sector. This is the only regional development agency in Canada with a Northern Projects Management and Economic Development Office.

A few months ago, we organized a working session with Avalon Rare Metals Inc. mine in the Yellowknife region and the four Dene nations to talk about business opportunities. This concerns the mining sector, working with the Northern Projects Management Office and connecting this to the economic development sector, in order to be able to demonstrate to communities that will be affected by this budget that there are business opportunities, potential sources of funding and CanNor support in order to take utmost advantage of potential economic spinoffs. This was an overwhelming success. We expected 125 participants, there were over 200. Local jobs are being generated. We went to an aboriginal community, a first nation. So there are extremely positive results. This is a very innovative approach. This is an example of what CanNor can do in the north.

Furthermore, we act as a facilitator. We brought the stakeholders in the federal family together to create ties. We know that funds are rare and difficult to obtain. What can we do to use the money we have, to ensure that each dollar spent has an ever-greater impact? Our approach is to create synergies with Industry Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, and so on.

Today, you can see that even in our programs, two Human Resources and Skills Development Canada employees are part of CanNor and will work to develop synergies between their programs and ours.

These are quite telling examples of what the agency is doing differently, today, to ensure that the people in the north can benefit from potential economic spinoffs.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Thank you.

Okay, now we have Mr. Bevington, and he'll be followed by Ms. Neville and Mr. Payne.

Mr. Bevington, go ahead.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I note in your action plan on regulatory reform there are three main items. One thing we heard over and over again was the problems within Ottawa of the regulatory regime for the territories. The time and effort that went into the work in the north was then repeated in many cases in Ottawa with the different departments.

Where does this action plan deal with streamlining the regulatory system in Ottawa?

[Paula Isaak, Director General, Natural Resources and Environment Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Thank you for the question.

Yes, and that was something that was identified by a number of parties during all the consultations.

What the action plan is intended to do with its suite of regulatory amendments or changes is to include timelines for our minister as well as other ministers. So there is the intention of not only increasing timelines for proponents and consultation processes, but also for our internal approval processes as well. It's intended to be a large suite of timelines, which are evidenced in the NUPA Act that was just tabled in May. It includes timelines for all parties involved in the regulatory process.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

So these will be part of the legislative changes that you're proposing, or regulatory changes?

[Paula Isaak]

That's correct. It will be part of the legislative regimes.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

So those things won't be impacted by land claims. What about the change that you've been proposing to have single boards for the Northwest Territories? It would go against the basic makeup for the regulatory system that was agreed to under land claims agreements.

[Paula Isaak]

As you know, when the action plan was announced, the appointment of John Pollard as the chief federal negotiator was announced as well, and his mandate is to talk to all stakeholders--aboriginal groups, the Government of the Northwest Territories--to talk about restructuring, and his mandate does also include the need to respect the land claims that are in place now.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

And even though many of the groups, including the Government of the Northwest Territories, have said that this is not on the books, and did not ask for any restructuring of the boards, you're still proceeding in that direction?

[Paula Isaak]

Mr. Pollard will be talking to the government of the territories about that.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Is your plan to proceed in that direction?

[Paula Isaak]

We can't pre-judge what Mr. Pollard will come to the minister with.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

So we have no plans to proceed in that direction? You're just waiting for advice from a consultant?

[Patrick Borbey]

I think the minister was clear that he thought that restructuring was required. And there's not just what Mr. McCrank said in his report; many others have said that the system is too cumbersome, needs streamlining, and that there are ways of being able to do that while still respecting the land claims.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Are they respecting the land claims and the general feeling of the people in the north as evidenced by their public government in the presentations they have made on it?

[Patrick Borbey]

Again, as we said, Mr. Pollard is going to be talking to all stakeholders and coming back with his report and advice to the minister as to what scope there is for restructuring, and that will include certainly the views and opinions of the Government of the Northwest Territories.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

If you have more questions, we'll still have some time.

Go ahead, Ms. Neville.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Thank you very much.

Thank you for being here. I've come into this study part way through, so I've missed some of your previous visits to the committee.

You talk in your presentation, Mr. Robillard, about the 202 projects and the investment of $32 million. My questions are related to consultation. I'm curious to know what consultation took place as it related to those projects. Then on May 3 you talked about how, through the Northern Project Management Office, you've undertaken engagement activities with the industry regulators, etc. I'm interested in knowing about that consultation process.

Then the department announced in June, just a few days ago, that it will be holding national and regional consultations with key individuals to develop the framework for aboriginal economic development. Again, I'd like to know what the criteria for the consultations will be, and how you will determine who will or will not be consulted. So I'm interested in the whole consultation process, and--as I'm reminded by my colleague, which I should have remembered--what kind of gender analysis you're doing as well.

My final question to you is we've heard much here from various private sector bodies and others about the overriding need for educational attainment in order to foster economic development, and I'm interested to know whether you or your organization will have any role in skills development or partnering or levering in any way or any capacity whatsoever.

[Michel Robillard]

Thank you, madam.

There are three questions: one is regarding the consultation process with respect to economic development; the second one is on NPMO, and the gender analysis I will turn to my colleague, Michael Nadler; the third one is on the skills development.

First of all, in terms of economic development, I will take our flagship program, which is SINED, the strategic investments in northern economic development. We have a five-year investment plan. So this plan was developed in consultation with our partners and stakeholders from every territory. For instance, in Nunavut the Government of Nunavut was part of that through what we call the Nunavut Economic Forum. We had a broader consultation in terms of having all the key players around the table: GN, NTI, economic development institutions, and so on and so forth. We did the same process of consultation. At the end of the day we had an investment plan developed with all of our partners and stakeholders, and these investment plans are part of SINED now. They were approved by our minister last year.

Another example of consultation: last week I spent two days with NEDCIN, the National Economic Development Committee for Inuit Nunangat, which brings together the four groups of Inuit, Inuvialuit, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut. Around the table you had NTI representatives; aboriginal financial institutions; ACOA; DEC; CanNor; and different representatives from CEDOs, the community economic development organizations. Again, we had a large consultation and we were dealing mainly with the renewal of the aboriginal economic development framework. I think this summer we'll do exactly the same in the Northwest Territories and in the Yukon. We're trying to involve, as much as we can, the key partners and key stakeholders when we're conducting these consultations.

With respect to NPMO, the same thing was done with the different partners and stakeholders: industry boards, our federal colleagues from different departments, the different territorial governments. We met with them, explained what NPMO was providing and so on and so forth. So again, there was a lot of consultation.

With respect to the skills development—

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

If I can interrupt you for a moment, how are you establishing priorities, both with whom you consult and the topics of consultations? Are you establishing them? Are you doing it in cooperation with those you're consulting with? What's the process?

[Michel Robillard]

As an example, with respect to NEDCIN, INAC is leading the consultation nationally, but in the north we're part of this process. We're inviting all the key partners. We have discussions with them. So the process is quite clear in terms of who are the partners, who wants to be involved, and we're inviting them to be part of this consultation as well. That's the process we're more or less following to bring all the players together.

In the north, one of the challenges we have is that we have a few good strong partners and stakeholders, but it's small, it's not that big, so all the major players are normally part of the different consultation tables that we run with INAC.

With respect to the skills and development, CanNor signed an MOU with HRSDC about a month ago, and as we speak, this week my original director in Nunavut, Hagar Idlout-Sudlovenick, is meeting with HRSDC to organize a one- or two-day workshop with these people to understand their program, for them to understand our program, and start to create synergy between what they do and what we do. The goal is really to create synergies and have better control of the funding we spend on training and really target it, what is the best approach to skills development, and so on and so forth.

In addition to that, through our different programs we are also investing in skills development. A good example is in the Yukon lately, with $2,250,000 to YMTA, Yukon Mine Training Association, with $1.5 million for a mining simulator and $750,000 for the curriculum of the YMTA.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

So are there any new dollars coming in under this memorandum of understanding, or is it using existing dollars?

[Michel Robillard]

Right now we are using existing dollars.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Okay, we do need to move on.

Ms. Neville also asked about gender issues. I wonder if you could address that one. I'm just keeping an eye on the clock. We have a few more questioners. So we'll do the gender question, and then perhaps move on.

[Michael Nadler, Director General, Policy and Planning, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency]

Sure. I can follow up.

Just to refine the response on skills development, one important role for CanNor in the north is as an advocate. This relationship with HRSDC does provide a window for advocacy and key programs, such as the aboriginal skills and employment program, that help adults who are without work in the Arctic develop the skills to participate in natural resource development or other major economic sectors. These are very critical programs. We have had some success, both of CanNor and within INAC, in advocating for certain projects in the Arctic, and we're getting considerable success both in the Northwest Territories and in Nunavut in this most recent tranche of the program.

On gender-based analysis, I agree it's in a very critical and important area. CanNor has just been recently established. We're building a suite of foundation policies that will be foundational or critical to our future, and gender-based analysis will be one of these.

In our own work and engagement with stakeholders, issues facing young entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs have been raised as possible challenges for the future. That might be a target for interventions within the agency or for program development. So we are considering those two client groups as unique client groups, but there are others that have raised their hands as potential new areas of activity for the agency.

The one thing I'll observe is that women play a strong role in the business community in the north, particularly in the eastern Arctic, and particularly for small businesses. So not only would they be an important client, they're also opinion-shapers in the north, so a critical partner and advocate for the work of the agency in the Arctic.