Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Nov. 1st, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Ms. Simon.

[Mary Simon]

My view is pretty much the same. Work in partnership with us, not just at a one-time consultative meeting that doesn't really produce very much. Work on a continuous basis with us so that the program does meet the needs of the different regions and is more transparent to the consumer.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Ms. Labranche, or Ms. Gauthier.

[Elena Labranche]

Yes, echoing most of what everybody said, it's about more communications and more time for the transition part.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Thanks, Mr. Neville.

I have a short time for Mr. Dreeshen. Go ahead, Mr. Dreeshen.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Thank you very much.

Really, what I want to talk about, as I have been listening, is the focus on education. And again, communication and education is so significant here.

One of the things I'd like to hear from each and every one of you is how can we best communicate or make sure that communication gets out to your communities? The ideas that we might have, as you've said--the recipe card and so on--may not work, so it would be nice to know just what types of processes and procedures you feel would be important, or that you think you can implement in order to make sure these things are done. I'm sure it's not going to be the same in one community as it is in another. That's my first comment.

The second thing is the good opportunity we've had to listen to your comments, so that when we do have department officials here we're able to ask those kinds of questions as well.

And my last comment, because I'm looking at the clock and I have to go through this quickly, has to do with competition as far as air transportation is concerned. As you've said, in a lot of your communities there is only the one airline that is coming in. My question is, has anyone taken a look at perhaps bringing in some of the materials with other airlines and in other manners? If that were to happen, you might find you would be able to reduce costs there as well. The only specific question I would have has to do with competition as far as airlines are concerned. What do you think is possible?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Any comments from anyone?

Go ahead, Mr. Elias.

[Darius Elias]

From a Yukon perspective, I understand that Air North, Yukon's airline, has been invited to submit their testimony in front of the committee as well on November 17. I don't have a forensic type understanding of business in that matter, but in the north there's a reason why there is only one airline, and it's to do with business, the bottom line. That's why there is no competition in some of these communities, because there is no room for two airlines to operate.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

I would like to get back to that.

Is there no opportunity to say that it doesn't have to be regularly scheduled or whatever, but if you need a lot of it moved in as it would normally come in, with ships or whatever to other particular points of entry, has anybody looked at it and said, “You're supplying us--regular airlines and everything else--but we need this brought in and it needs to come in on an airlift”? And if they're not doing it, I'm just wondering what the costs would be like. That was really the thrust of my question.

[Darius Elias]

There used to be a competitive airline in Old Crow, and there is a reason why it is not any more. Our store in Old Crow is smaller than this room we're sitting in. There is no room for large, bulk shipments to be stored anywhere. Just to build a house in Old Crow--what most people would basically call a log cabin--is well over $100,000.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Chief Evans wants to get in just very briefly.

[Grand Chief Ron Evans]

Thank you.

In our province, in our region, the carrier that goes into the majority of our isolated communities or remote communities is well established. They have been there for 50 years. They just celebrated their 50th anniversary this year. We've had other competitors that have tried to break into that market. They would come for a while and then they just couldn't compete.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Madame Gauthier.

[Marie-Josée Gauthier]

In terms of education and communication, we must first take the time to get things done because, once we send it to the Nunavik public health branch, at regional level... We have to communicate with 14 isolated communities in Nunavik.

Last Friday, I received the draft for the education component of Nutrition North Canada. But this tool has to be used in the next five months. That does not leave me with a lot of time to get in touch with the communities where we are going to use the tool. The tool has to be developed, but the communities still don't really have the ability to do that. We need time for consultation, but we have to cover several levels. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Thank you, Mr. Dreeshen.

Monsieur Lévesque, I know we're over time here, but did you have a point of order? Or was there something you wanted to get in on?

[Yvon Lévesque, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

You are perhaps aware that the current Food Mail Program has been in place for 56 years. Today, we have a program where a central government controller is responsible for everything to do with bids. A new program called Nutrition North Canada will be administered by wholesalers and retailers.

You are the current government and I would like to know what you are doing to improve this service in the north and to bridge the gap between the prices in the north and the prices in the south as much as possible.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

That's a question, and we really don't have time for a response, but I'll give somebody 30 seconds just to voice that.

Chief Dumas, see if you can do that in 30 seconds.

[Chief Arlen Dumas]

Force the retailers and wholesalers to do joint ventures with the community so that the communities have a vested interest in the success of the program. So buy our relatives over here a warehouse, and ensure that the company partners with them to make it a successful program.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Very good.

Thank you very much. I know we're a little over time, and I thank you all for your patience and your presentations this afternoon. I'm sure this is going to be a terrific help for our study on this topic. I wish you all a great evening and afternoon.

Thank you very much. Merci.

The meeting is adjourned.