Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on May 13th, 2020

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

I think she was on mute, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Okay, 30 seconds, please, Ms. Cloutier.

[Edith Cloutier]

Native friendship centres help community members access special programs, but not just during a pandemic. This is something we do every day. So the connection we have with the community helps us to get that far. Just to give you an idea, I know Thunder Bay very well—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I'm sorry, Madam Cloutier, we're way over time. Perhaps you can conclude that in a further part of the meeting. Right now it's Mr. Vidal's time for five minutes.

Mr. Vidal, please go ahead.

[Gary Vidal, Conservative, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My first question is going to be for either Jocelyn or Christopher, or maybe both if they're interested. As I'm sure you're aware, the northwest region of Saskatchewan is the absolute hotbed of COVID-19 in indigenous communities. We have first nations, Métis and municipalities all working together and affected by the crisis there. Earlier on MP Battiste asked about the needs being met by friendship centres across the nation. In northwest Saskatchewan we have at least three friendship centres right in this region, in this hotbed of activity right now, and we don't think of northwest Saskatchewan as being an urban centre.

Relative to the comment that Jocelyn made earlier about a quick transition to providing services, what are these friendship centres in northwest Saskatchewan able to do as far as contributing to this crisis on the ground and in the hotbed of activity right now?

[Christopher Sheppard-Buote]

I have the benefit of living in Saskatchewan during this time. This is, I think, the crux of what some of the visibility problems are. Our members are in over 100 communities in this country, from metropolises to 1,000-person communities. Sometimes the mid- to small-sized communities may be the community hub for indigenous people.

When we think of La Loche—La Loche comes up a lot—we think of the amazing, incredible friendship centre there led by an amazing team of people. Understand that there is this assumption that many of their members are getting support from multiple sources of funding when they're actually not.

Some of the biggest challenges we're experiencing right now are food, diapers and formula. When we reach out to large distributors, we're treated as if we were any small organization contacting them, even when we're representing, say, 10 organizations.

Our office has already sent multiple boxes of PPE to that region just to try to enable the employees to continue to do their jobs.

We have the benefit, in Saskatchewan, of having a really good relationship with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner and FSIN, and we've been trying to collaborate to do this. Not every region has that relationship and the PPE and other emergency supplies are just not available. It's extremely frustrating when you have staff who are on the front lines trying to support people and all they want is a mask. And there is no direct mechanism, even if you have a listing of distributors, to get food or diapers or formula.

When these communities are extremely close together, like, for example, Buffalo Narrows and La Loche, you get situations where communities become nervous having people travel in, say, for food.

The centres may seem like they're in a remote area, but I grew up in the Arctic in a town of 200, that was fly-in only. That's remote. La Loche is a drive, yet it's still cut off from even some of the most basic supplies. If we don't try to provide the resources and even access, it's just going to continue to harm communities and we're going to lose more and more elders, which that area has already seen.

[Gary Vidal, Conservative, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Thank you.

I know I don't have a lot of time left. This is just a quick follow-up, maybe to Christopher.

I know there is some frustration that your organization expressed with the process involved in the application and getting the money out. We're now a few more weeks down the road. We heard your comments a few weeks ago at the health committee, I believe.

Would you maybe just follow up with a comment on how the process has now played out, three or four weeks down the road, beyond where your comments were at that time?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

You have less than a minute.

Go ahead, please.

[Christopher Sheppard-Buote]

We finally did receive resources, but I'll reiterate what I said back then.

You've forced the largest portion of indigenous people in this country to compete for the smallest amount. I don't have another way to describe that. Now we've moved beyond that as an organization and we're looking post-COVID-19, and for an opportunity to help rebuild a community that was fractured and not supported prior to this.

That's what we offer. We have a massive network that we would like to use to help the largest majority of indigenous people after this is said and done, hopefully.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you very much.

We go now for a five-minute round of questioning with Ms. Damoff.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

I want to start by acknowledging that I am sitting today in the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

Edith, I want to extend my condolences to you on the loss of the two people you mentioned.

I want to thank all of you for the work you're doing, in particular, adapting your services in unprecedented times to be able to deliver much-needed services to urban indigenous peoples. I think we knew there was a gap before and this pandemic has just highlighted issues that exist in urban settings.

The ministers acknowledge that the $15-million fund is not enough. That's in addition to funding that went out through Reaching Home, the Canada child benefit and the CERB, which I know a number of your organizations are assisting people to apply for.

Lindsay, you mentioned that there needs to be an urban indigenous coalition of organizations like yours. I know that prior to this happening there was a meeting in Ottawa, which I attended and the minister spoke at. I'm just wondering if you could speak to whether or not that coalition has been in touch with one another during COVID-19 and how that is coming in terms of getting you to come together as an organization to speak as one voice.

[Lindsay Kretschmer]

Niá:wen, Pam. Thank you for your question. I can't speak to whether or not coalitions have been connecting independently. The national coalition scope right now is made up of 32 other cities across Canada. We do have provinces and territories coming together in an effort to form what we hope will be a voice for urban indigenous organizations that may not be represented under some of the current constructs that exist.

To be fair, I think there have been tremendous efforts made to date. The national coalition has been forming for the better part of the last two years. We do have a governance structure led by Mark and Charlene, whom I think you met when you were in Ottawa. I think it's a really good opportunity for us to think about how we might do better to connect with one another to get a sense of the landscape, but at this time I can't accurately answer whether or not that is in fact happening.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

I want to talk a little bit about connectivity. We tend to think of connectivity as being a rural issue only, but it's actually an urban issue as well. I've had these conversations with TASSC, so I wonder if we could maybe start with TASSC and then go to the friendship centres.

It has really pointed out a socio-economic divide in accessing programs and services that have been offered during the pandemic when people who don't have Internet or devices and who normally go to community centres, libraries and friendship centres just can't access them.

TASSC and then the friendship centres, what are you seeing on the ground in terms of connectivity?

[Lindsay Kretschmer]

On the ground, we have collectively been advocating for a fully connected city. We have been working with different levels of the city and province in trying to advance the issue around connectivity and device acquisition, in order to put devices into the hands of those who need it most. Member agencies have actually gone out to purchase minutes for cellphones and purchase devices for those who are the most vulnerable, particularly seniors and students.

As you know, most provinces have rolled out curriculum from their respective ministries. For us, in the context of urban indigenous people being able to access that information.... I mean, every parent got an email. I got one. If I didn't have a device or Internet, then my kid currently would not be doing their homework, in theory.

We've been trying to respond by word of mouth and through a variety of other mechanisms across social media channels, through different forms of outreach electronically and otherwise, to try to reach folks who do need the supports. We've been doing it on a sort of case-by-case or as-needed basis, but it would be great to have a fully connected city here in Toronto.

Niá:wen.

[Jocelyn Formsma]

Maybe I could quickly add to that.

Certainly, in the early days we did reach out to some of the staff of the coalition tables. In our conversations with Indigenous Services, we called for a mechanism to fund the urban coalition tables and friendship centres, recognizing that a lot of them work in partnership with each other to provide that community support. I definitely echo what Lindsay said.

Nationally, we've been talking to some companies about trying to get a national purchase of equipment, mostly cellphones and tablets that are data-enabled as well as Internet boosters. We're calling for that connectivity piece, because it's an issue all across the country in terms of making sure that people have access to the things they need to be able to finish school and to be able connect with their family members and the community.

It's a huge issue, and certainly one that's not been resolved yet.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you very much. We're at time.

We'll go now to a two-and-a-half-minute round.

The next speaker on my list is Kristina Michaud from the Bloc Québécois.

Please go ahead for two and a half minutes.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First, I'd like to thank the witnesses.

I would like to extend my sincere condolences to the loved ones and families of the two young men from the Val-d'Or area who passed away.

I feel that most would agree, from what we are hearing today, that the distinctions-based approach to service delivery to indigenous people does not allow friendship centres to properly carry out their mission.

My question is for the representatives of the National Association of Friendship Centres.

How should the government have rolled out financial assistance to ensure that friendship centres could provide services to the community?

Ms. Cloutier could answer on a perhaps more local level, that is to say, regarding the situation in Val-d'Or.

[Edith Cloutier]

Thank you for the question. As I said in my presentation and as many of us have said, this approach that Indigenous Services Canada and the government have adopted silences the voice of urban indigenous people. The way to highlight our realities is through action. From a more local perspective, and I feel it also applies to the national level, the action taken by native friendship centres clearly demonstrates that some needs are not being met.

In the 50 days that we have been managing the COVID-19 crisis, in Val-d'Or—with a population of 35,000—the Friendship Centre has been the main, the only, organization to provide more than 4,000 boxed lunches to homeless people. We run a day centre, where more than 500 food baskets have been distributed. Through our first response services, we receive over 100 calls a week allowing us to help communities. This is a reality that will need to be maintained after COVID-19; we will have to show that we were here before COVID-19, that we are here now and that we will be here afterwards. So the reality and the needs are going to be reflected in the work we are doing on the ground.

I am sure my colleagues at the national association will be able to provide more details.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

You're just about out of time.

Go ahead.

[Jocelyn Formsma]

I'll be quick with a little sneak peek on the policy paper we're going to be releasing.

We say that first nations, Inuit and Métis living in urban settings have multiple, intersecting diversities that make up their identities. We are looking at when you're applying a distinctions-based lens you're not just looking at first nations, Métis, Inuit, you're looking at where they're geographically located and their residency, as well as a gendered lens, so looking at the effects on women, as well as two-spirit, LGBTQ+ individuals. We're saying by applying these lenses, you'll be able to see people a lot better and have better policy decisions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you very much.

Ms. Qaqqaq.

[Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Matna, Chair, and thank you to all the witnesses for sharing with us here today on this committee.

My question is for the president of the National Association of Friendship Centres. I think we haven't been talking much about mental health during COVID-19. In my riding in particular, Nunavut, resources for mental health are scarce and much needed. Can you talk more about some of the mental health supports you are providing during COVID-19, the challenges you're facing and what you're still hoping to implement? Take as much time as you'd like.

[Christopher Sheppard-Buote]

I'm from a specific part of the north that, for most of my high school education, had the highest rate of suicide in the world. Canada talks about mental health, and yet when there are opportunities to truly make an impact, it doesn't happen.

As a specific example, our entire national youth council developed a suicide awareness and training program for young people that could be delivered across the country, and submitted it during a proposal call; it was not funded. Young people developed this directly for each other. I think we talk a lot about health and mental health, but I have yet to see a response that isn't reactionary and that is truly developed with the community.

In my own experience, being a young, gay Inuk in the north, I understand how isolating it is to be a young person who's indigenous, who already feels isolated. I understand how easy it is to get into a space where you are so sad and so alone that some of those more negative outcomes are a possibility. I think if Canada really wants to work on mental health, it should probably reach out to some of the friendship centres that are getting 47 times as many calls right now on domestic violence.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you.

Now we go to a five-minute round, with the first speaker up from the Conservative party, Bob Zimmer.

Bob, go ahead.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have a question for Mr. Sheppard, and it's really for all of the witnesses today. It's based on my role as shadow minister for northern economic development. That's how I'm going to frame my questions.

I would agree with all of you that one of the big concerns, when we talk about an economic recovery, are the elders, especially those at risk of not having the proper PPE and other abilities to shield themselves from COVID. I will preface my question with that.

Mr. Sheppard, you had spoken about the difficulty of accessing PPE. Again, with the economic recovery in mind, I know a lot of our young people want to get back to work, but they obviously don't want to put their elders and any of their community members at risk. We've seen, locally, that one of our reserves had a few cases of COVID, and we all know that the living conditions aren't always the best.

What would you see as being necessary to get to the next step? I know some of us would agree that right now isn't even adequate. What do you see that we need going forward to get to that place where we can so-called get back to normal?