Evidence of meeting #88 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 community.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:20 p.m.
Conservative
12:20 p.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Chief, due to the confusion that you alluded to, we had community members, including my mom, who were evacuated through flames. Is that correct?
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk
These are very challenging stories, as is the life that you went through.
The questioning now wraps up with MP Stetski.
12:20 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Thank you.
I'm from southeastern British Columbia, which is the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa and the Shuswap. Of course, we also had a fire this summer in the Ktunaxa area, at ?aqam, just outside of Cranbrook.
This leads to two questions. When I was mayor of Cranbrook, we had an agreement with the ?aqam band to fight structural fires in some of their larger structures on their land.
Of course, every regional district does have an emergency response plan in place. Starting with you, Chief Louie, and then you, Chief Day, is there an openness or willingness you're finding now that you've gone through that, for both your local city fire departments to participate more actively on reserve land and/or for you to be fully integrated into the regional district emergency plan?
12:25 p.m.
Chief, Williams Lake Indian Band
Williams Lake Band has not had any communication with the Williams Lake Fire Department. However, we have been dealing with the 150 Mile House volunteer fire department and the Cariboo Regional District to expand our firefighting capacity.
12:25 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC
It certainly is possible for cities to do that, having been part of that agreement in Cranbrook.
What about an openness to be part of that larger regional district emergency response? Is there a door there that is open now that wasn't there before?
12:25 p.m.
Chief, Williams Lake Indian Band
For us, yes.
I just want to go back to the comment about the city. We've had experiences of racism because of the mayor in the past. That's an issue that has evolved over time, because we have let him know that we won't put up with it any longer. Business is getting better, but we've always had a better relationship with the CRD.
12:25 p.m.
Chief, Bonaparte Indian Band
Unfortunately, I don't have much of a different story there. The local community, as I say, is five kilometres away. It's only a thousand people, and it has a volunteer fire department as well. There's a willingness there, but there's a capacity issue on both sides.
In terms of the emergency plan with the regional district, yes, there is an openness, and we'll probably head in that direction, but there's a real issue with the regional districts as far as governance is concerned, as I alluded to in my statement. There needs to be a mechanism outside of politicians, with actual experts in the area on an operational level to deal with that.
12:25 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Is there an opportunity for you as chiefs going through the kind of experiences you did last summer—again, Joe Pierre from Ktunaxa would be part of that—to get together and talk about how to have a better future for first nations in terms of fire? We all know it's likely to continue.
I'll start with you, Chief Day.
12:25 p.m.
Chief, Bonaparte Indian Band
Certainly. Emergency Management BC has been good about wanting to do debriefs and some organizing. As I mentioned, though, it's important for us as chiefs to get together. We have to solve the jurisdictional barrier problem. When it comes to emergencies, there has to be a landscape-level solution. We are the experts on the landscape. That needs to be recognized and enforced so that we're leading the charge on that.
12:25 p.m.
Chief, Williams Lake Indian Band
I agree with Kukpi7 Day's comments. I personally made a presentation to the B.C. cabinet and all the chiefs regarding the fire situation this summer. EMBC has been quite active. I just met with them again a couple of weeks ago. It has been a difficult process, but it's slowly evolving.
12:25 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Let me finish by commending your band members. I watched the news with a great deal of interest. It was very clear that if it weren't for the effort of your band members, it would have been much more catastrophic.
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk
Thank you very much for taking the time to present to us. We will use your testimony, and your briefs if you submit them, as evidence for us to prepare a report, which we will be submitting to Parliament.
Meegwetch. Thank you very much.
We'll take a short break before we reconvene.
MP Anandasangaree.
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
Madam Chair, I'm going to propose that we continue and that we invite the witnesses for the next panel, but while they come up here, if I may, there has been some discussion on whether we could agree to extend our meeting today for about 20 minutes. That would allow for one round of 10-minute presentations, plus seven minutes each in one full round, with the provision that if people have to leave, then we won't be doing any votes after one o'clock.
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk
We had some informal discussion, but there is a glitch. The clerk has just reminded me that, as he had indicated previously, another group will be entering this room at one o'clock, so we must exit.
I would now encourage the second panel to come forward.
Gary.
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
Madam Chair, then I suggest we limit the presentations to seven minutes, followed by a five-minute round.