Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Nov. 7th, 2018

[Yvonne Jones]

Yes. Well, one thing is for sure: There's a big need to expand broadband and cellphone access across all of the northern regions. One thing I have been very encouraged by is the number of communities and individuals coming forward, showing an interest and looking at options. Let's hope we can all get there.

I've certainly registered your comments around open access. I believe that, as the Government of Canada continues to fund those backbone connections, open access is going to be very important.

I want to move to the Prospectors and Developers. I was a little taken aback by the comments regarding the slow growth of exploration in Canada. I come from a mining region—and maybe I see it differently—where we have two expanded projects, an underground mine and potentially a new mine all opening within 12 months.

How slow is that growth in exploration? I'd like you to give me some comparable figures. Where is the exploration in Canada, or is it commodity driven? Is there something the federal government is doing that's impeding this?

Obviously, in the north, we've never had real infrastructure to support resource development. We're moving more in that direction. Of course, we want to be accommodating to resource development industries, because we know that it's those companies that drive jobs and opportunities for people who live across the northern regions.

I'd like to get a better understanding of what your message is around that and what we should be doing. I heard your piece about needing an infrastructure program for the north. No one who has sat at this table who I can remember hasn't told us that, which is good. In addition to that, is there something we should be doing that we're not doing that will encourage more exploration?

Then the chair will take over.

[Lisa McDonald]

Thank you.

There are probably a few of you around the table who have already heard PDAC asking and talking endlessly about the mineral exploration tax credit. I'd like to take the opportunity, once again, to stress the importance of that tax credit and the three-year extension that we've been asking for.

It's a really easy, simple thing for government to do that will provide the kind of certainty that's required for those small exploration programs that are reliant upon the capital markets for their money. As evidenced in some of the discussions earlier about the length of time it takes to work in the north, it's an even bigger issue and challenge for those operating in the north. That's something that would definitely make a difference.

The other thing that would be important to look at is investment in public geoscience. Historically, Canada's public geoscience has been a real competitive advantage for this country, but there are large gaps in the mapping. It is under-mapped. Particularly for exploration companies that have limited budgets, the information and the data provided through public geoscience really makes a difference in determining where they're going to look to invest their money.

The GEM program, the geomapping for energy and minerals program, is set to sunset in 2020. We would very much encourage the government to look at extending that program. Certainly, critical and more investment in public geoscience would make an absolute difference.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

I have just under one minute, and I have three questions.

One, given that the most affordable road was built by Agnico Eagle at $1 million per kilometre, where do you think I should build my road?

Two, please identify the areas of the Arctic that need additional geomapping and additional science and research. Please provide a map.

Three, what percentage of our entrepreneurs who are mineral explorers/prospectors are indigenous, and how are we encouraging these local individuals to take up exploration?

You have 10 seconds. Sorry about that.

[Lisa McDonald]

I'll take half; she'll take the other half.

Sure, we can provide you with maps. As for where you should build your roads, it's not for us or industry to determine where the territories should put their roads. We, as an association, are supportive of the requests that are made by the territories. They know their areas best. They know what they need. They know what their communities need. It's important for industry to be at the table in those conversations, but—

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

They don't build the roads. It was private.

Anyways, go ahead.

[Lisa McDonald]

And your response.... Sorry? The number?

[Lesley Williams]

Your other question was about the maps?

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

What areas of the Arctic have not been mapped? Where do we need to focus that geoscience?

[Lesley Williams]

I would suggest, most certainly, Nunavut, given that there's—

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

All of it?

[Lesley Williams]

—no territorial geological survey, but of course the NWT and Yukon could also do with some enhanced geoscience mapping.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

I asked you for a map of where to target it because, clearly, we're not going to map all of them. Some areas must have been mapped.

The third thing was about capacity. How many indigenous, Innu and first nations are involved in exploration and are entrepreneurs? How are we making more of them?

[Lesley Williams]

We don't have that number. It's a difficult number to get, especially with regard to exploration. It's never easy to get exact numbers for things like that.

In terms of the work that our association does and our members do, we work on engaging with community partners to enhance participation in various ways. There are different prospector assistance programs and capacity development programs, not only by governments across the country, but also by our members.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Okay.

The questioning goes to Arnold Viersen.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you to our guests for being here.

I have just one quick question. Do you have a copy of your pre-budget submission today?

[Lisa McDonald]

It's on our website, but we'd be happy to provide you with a copy.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Yes, please table it with us. I have it up here from the web. Recommendation no. 2, in particular, for “addressing the infrastructure deficit through increased, strategic investments in a [critical] transportation and energy infrastructure”, is entirely pertinent to this committee. I would love to have that.

Do you agree that recommendation no. 2 is particularly pertinent to this?

[Lisa McDonald]

Yes, certainly. We'll provide you with a copy of that.

As you say, recommendation 2 in our pre-budget ask speaks directly to our remarks and to what we are here today to speak about.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Thank you.

I'll give the rest of my time to my colleague.

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Thank you.

I have a couple of questions for Mr. Proctor.

You said that you've increased broadband in Nunavut. What did that cost your company this past year?

[Dean Proctor]

This past year?

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Yes. Well, you said that you're connected now.

[Dean Proctor]

In the last three years, we've spent.... We just finished a $75-million investment program. That's $35 million from the Government of Canada that went directly to Telus for satellite capacity—

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Okay.

[Dean Proctor]

—and $40 million of our own funds. We went way beyond our matching. Our matching was supposed to be $13 million. We spent an extra $27 million to complete 4G LTE, to complete 2G GSM—that's more for voice—