Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on June 16th, 2016

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

I'll go at this back to front. On the urban aboriginal strategy, we hope all of you will do consultations in your communities as we go forward, because we know it has to change. We've heard distinctly from the young people in Vancouver about the importance of culture and language. Even in downtown Vancouver, they want this.

We've heard that even getting urban kids out on the land and understanding and having those skills is really important. We're working across all departments. Aboriginal Head Start, obviously, is still in the Public Health Agency or Health Canada.

We are embarking on a whole-of-government strategy. The parliamentary secretary, plus I think the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Adam Vaughan, plus the parliamentary secretary to Canadian Heritage are going to go out to see what we can do in the consultations on the urban aboriginal strategy, but in those remote communities, even more important than language and culture and land-based programs are the recreational and cultural centres.

There are also other organizations, such as Right to Play and all of the other things that we know. Everybody's trying to help, and my personal thing would be to get some canoes and tents and paddles. If the south wants to know how they can help, then there are lots of things that the kids are asking for.

[The Chair, Liberal, Andy Fillmore]

Thanks, Minister.

The next question will be from David Yurdiga, please.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to thank the minister for taking questions from us today. Many of our questions are difficult to answer because it's such a broad spectrum.

Budget 2016 proposes to invest about $2 billion over five years specifically towards improving on-reserve water and waste water. My first question is in reference to on-reserve potable water. Has a list of priority projects been established, and how many communities will see construction starts this year?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

That's a great question.

I have to tell you that this is the most fun I've had in the last two days. For all of the places that have asked or that need them, we have a beautiful diagram showing the ones that are already being built marked with a hammer, as well as the ones that are at least in the planning phase. For some of these communities, it takes a feasibility study. In the places that really have no soil, what are we going to do?

I'm happy to share this with you. It came late-breaking, since the deck was distributed. The way in which the infrastructure people are working with first nations communities so that they can get the water structures they want is really impressive.

Also, what happens is that in certain communities, one proper water plant will relieve the community of four, five, or six boil water advisories, because each of the pumphouses is on a boil water advisory now. With a decent plant and distribution system, you can get rid of six boil water advisories in one community. We're working on needs, but we're also listening to the technical advisers who advise first nations in some of the regions and identifying which first nations have the greatest need.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Thank you.

What is the current status of the circuit rider training program, given that the first nations water and waste-water action plan appears not to have been renewed or included?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

It has been expanded, actually. We know that just building the plant doesn't work if nobody can run it. Also, it means that the communities are now learning to pick something that is workable and repairable, something that their people can be trained up to use, because they want jobs for their people and they don't want people having to come from other places.

We're also working on remote monitoring systems. In certain places they can now electronically monitor the systems at a distance and then train the people how to fix whatever problem has been identified.

I think, then, that there is really good work being done on training. If you listen to one of those young men or women, as water plant operators, they're so proud. They can talk to you about E. coli or about emergency management. There is pride in keeping their communities healthy, and we know that the training has to be there.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

You mentioned the program has been expanded. How did you expand it? What direction did you guys go as far as expansion goes?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Maybe Paul....

[Paul Thoppil]

We're fleshing out the program.

[Hélène Laurendeau]

We're fleshing out the program on emergency management, but it's also to support, as the minister said, the capacity for things like water. It's to be able to provide the training in the first nations communities, but on a rotational basis. We added $3 million, and if we need to add more, we're going to add more.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

How much time do I have left?

[The Chair, Liberal, Andy Fillmore]

You have three minutes.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Three minutes—

[The Chair, Liberal, Andy Fillmore]

—Oh, sorry; we're in a five-minute round. I beg your pardon. You have 45 seconds.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Thank you. I preferred your first response.

Okay, here's a quick one: what percentage of water treatment projects deals with upgrades versus total replacement?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

That is done case by case, based on what the community needs. I guess it was in Neskantaga that the old system had been patched up for as long as it could be. Our regional offices are to have those conversations with the communities. The first one on my list says, “repairs to leaks in water system”. That is being fixed now, so it gets the hammer. There's—

[The Chair, Liberal, Andy Fillmore]

Speaking of the hammer, Minister, I'm afraid we're out of time.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

—Kitigan Zibi, which gets 34 flawed expansions, so that's under way. It depends on which community and what the community knows it needs.

[The Chair, Liberal, Andy Fillmore]

Thank you. The next question is from Don Rusnak, please.

[Don Rusnak, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Did my time get eaten up?

[The Chair, Liberal, Andy Fillmore]

No, you're good. You have five minutes.

[Don Rusnak, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Thank you for coming, Madam Minister.

First nations are excited about this historic investment in infrastructure and the historic investment in first nations people and indigenous people across the country, but first nations people and indigenous people don't want delays in their infrastructure projects. We've talked about this before.

When I have spoken to first nation leaders and technical service people in my riding and across the country, they've expressed their concerns about dealing with infrastructure through the department. Can you elaborate on what's been done to alleviate some of those delays within the department with regard to infrastructure projects?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

I think we've come to understand that the regions know their communities well and that we can move a much greater number of approvals into the region, where the regional office can just approve anything up to...what is it, $10 million? Each regional office can approve any project that's under $10 million. After that they have to come to the centre. Even that is frustrating sometimes, for things that are $11 million.

Because there was such a large infusion in this budget, we're able to flow the money to many shovel-ready projects and renovations to things like housing.

Maybe Paul wants to explain.

[Paul Thoppil]

In terms of fast-tracking, we're also trying to lift the approvals based on risk assessment of the projects. Notwithstanding the higher dollar values beyond $10 million, if the project is deemed less risky from a technological or financial or complex engineering perspective, then the regions will have the authority to proceed further.

[Hélène Laurendeau]

We also have bolstered the engagement we are doing to assess the priorities, and there will be elements that will primarily be done jointly with first nation organizations at the regional level.