Evidence of meeting #112 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was facilities.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Tammy Cumming  UW-Schlegel Research Institute for Aging
Bonita Beatty  Professor, University of Saskatchewan, As an Individual
Jeff Anderson  Chairman, Fort Vermilion and Area Seniors' and Elders' Lodge Board 1788
Rupert Meneen  Tallcree First Nation
Natalie Gibson  Research and Advisor to the Board, Fort Vermilion and Area Seniors' and Elders' Lodge Board 1788
Bill Boese  Treasurer, Fort Vermilion and Area Seniors' and Elders' Lodge Board 1788

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC

—the indigenous services providing for on reserve. Is that where we are right now, or is there some blend?

5:25 p.m.

Research and Advisor to the Board, Fort Vermilion and Area Seniors' and Elders' Lodge Board 1788

Natalie Gibson

There's very little blend.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk

Thank you.

We now wrap up with MP Mike Bossio.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

A lot of questions have already been asked, and there are a few loose ends I'm trying to get my head around. Robert Ouellette asked a number of questions about training, and I'd like to get a sense from a base level.

Right now it sounds like there are no support workers in health who are local to the communities themselves. Am I right in saying they all come in from the outside? I'm talking in terms of the delivery of home care.

5:25 p.m.

Tallcree First Nation

Chief Rupert Meneen

A while back we had issues with dialysis units in the north. Each health centre has health care workers already. We have two nurses in Tallcree. Each community has a couple of nurses. I have volunteered our nurses to be in that facility at some point in time, so they can help with the training or whatever needs to be done in there.

What's really holding it back right now from going into full training mode is the fact that we haven't really gotten to the point where the government has told us it's going to support us and build us a facility. Then I could go out to the ministers or whoever I need to talk to, to say I have to start training people right now. We're not at that point yet where I can go out and start putting these pieces together that need to be put together.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

As far as the delivery of home care services within each of the communities is concerned, is that happening today?

5:25 p.m.

Tallcree First Nation

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

There are personal support workers and health care professionals who go out to the homes to provide that level of care, but there is not the long-term care.

5:25 p.m.

Tallcree First Nation

Chief Rupert Meneen

Yes. We have an organization called the North Peace Tribal Council, of which I'm one of the chiefs, and we have an umbrella group that provides support to the communities right now.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

Are they all indigenous individuals who are providing those services today?

5:25 p.m.

Tallcree First Nation

Chief Rupert Meneen

Yes, most of them are.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

Thank you very much.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk

Thank you very much for coming and providing your information, both on the video conference and here in person. We really appreciate it. We'll be looking at preparing the report over the summer. It will be coming out in the fall. We really want to thank you for your participation.

Meegwetch.

We're done for today.