Evidence of meeting #35 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was products.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
I know that we're trying to make sure that the cost comes down for the north and that the foods are readily available for the people of the north. Has any organization actually done a cost analysis?
I'm an INTJ personality, so I love to have those kinds of answers.
5:15 p.m.
President, Marché central du Nord
You're right, doing a cost analysis would be important. Quality is nevertheless an issue, as I said earlier. Warehousing is important, but we must be careful when deciding what to store for a year.
Would you order groceries a year in advance? Would you buy a year's supply of ketchup, mustard and relish? I don't think so. That is what we are asking northern residents to do.
5:15 p.m.
General Manager, Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec
To give you a short and sweet answer, we are planning to build a warehouse in Puvirnituq, in my home community, and that warehouse will cost us $2 million.
The whole point, as you know, is that during the short summer season, when we ship up all this construction material and they start building these warehouses, we have to import the specialists over here. It's not only that: because it's such a short season, we have to pay them overtime and double time so that they will finish the warehouse in time, before it freezes, because once it's cold up there, they cannot build anymore.
It has to do with all of that. It's everything put together.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Thank you, Ms. Smith.
I would like to thank all the witnesses for their testimony.
Thank you for your responses and presentations.
We're going to suspend the meeting for about two minutes, and then we will be in camera for the next several minutes.
Anybody who is here as a guest, I'd ask you to take your leave. Thank you again for your attention this afternoon.
We'll now suspend.
[Proceedings continue in camera]