Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Nov. 19th, 2020

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Absolutely. That's also an excellent question.

I think if this pandemic has taught us anything, it's that the importance of connectivity is going to be even more important after the pandemic.

The connectivity limitations have been raised for a long time, and they have far-reaching impacts. Many communities rely exclusively on satellite for access to Internet services. They lack access to fast, high-quality and reliable telecommunication networks.

The numbers we recently announced are $750 million, on top of the $1 billion that was announced in budget 2019, to help connect all Canadians to high-speed Internet across the country. This investment will connect 98% of Canadians across the country by 2026, with the goal of connecting all Canadians by the year 2030.

I can tell you that I'm working with Minister Monsef to engage the Government of Nunavut, as well as private stakeholders, in how to access this fund. We know that things get a little more difficult the further north you go. I think there's a potential there for low-earth orbit satellite capacity. We are engaging, and this money was recently announced—last week, I believe.

We are in the middle of a pandemic—Nunavut is actually seized with the pandemic right now—but if we've learned anything through the pandemic, it's that connectivity is so very important and will be even more important afterward.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you.

I have only a few seconds, but I want to go to you, Minister Bennett.

Part of what you're committing to is implementing the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls calls to action.

In my riding, the Lil' Red Dress Project is fundraising to put up billboards. I'm wondering if there will be any support for these kinds of organizations that are desperately trying to find their missing women and girls?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

You have just 10 seconds. I'm sorry about that. Go ahead.

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

Absolutely. There is the commemoration funding, and Minister Monsef has been working hard on that. We know that this is important to communities, and it is part of the healing.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you so much.

Now we'll go as far into a five-minute round as we can go in view of the time.

Mr. Melillo, you have five minutes. Go ahead, please.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to direct my questions to Minister Vandal.

Minister, you mentioned in your remarks that the estimates show your government's commitment to economic development. We know that the proposed Alberta-to-Alaska rail line will be able to generate billions of dollars in economic activity across northern Canada, and the project has recently received a presidential border crossing permit from the United States.

I wonder if you can confirm whether your government is supportive of the project, or if the Prime Minister intends to block it in a way similar to how he has blocked other similar development projects.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

I can tell you that this is something that is extremely intriguing. I do know that our government has yet to see an actual proposal from anyone on this potentially very exciting project.

We know that connectivity, whether physical or virtual, is something we need more of in the north. We've recently launched Canada's largest-ever infrastructure project to help develop a project in the north.

The short answer is that when we get an actual proposal, we'll do the review of it.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Thank you.

I would like you to comment on broadband as well. I realize it's not exclusively in your file, but it's definitely very important to many people across the north. The government is currently planning to connect all communities across Canada by 2030. I believe that for many in the north—and I'm sure, Minister, you'd agree—that timeline is still too long.

The official opposition actually brought forward a plan of our own to help connect Canadians. The plan includes changes to the spectrum auctions, incentives for rural infrastructure and new rules to prevent big companies from profiting off of consumers. We believe that these suggestions could help accelerate that timeline.

They're public and they're out there. Do you have any thoughts on why the government hasn't taken on some of those great suggestions?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

I think our government is very clear that we think suggestions are useful, but we need some actual dollars to come forward to work with territorial governments, to work with private companies and to work with satellite companies. That's why last week the Prime Minister announced $750 million on top of the $1 billion announced in the previous budget to connect Canadians to high-speed Internet across Canada. We want to grow businesses. We want to create jobs.

Also, the Prime Minister recently announced an agreement of $600 million with the Canadian satellite company Telesat to improve connectivity and expand high-speed Internet coverage to the far north, rural areas and remote regions across Canada—

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Thank you, Minister.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

—through low-earth orbit satellite capacity.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Thank you.

I'd also like to ask a bit about housing, Minister. We've had some conversations about housing, and you know there's a housing crisis across the north, to put it frankly. With the recent rapid housing initiative that was announced, I know there are some people in my riding who had some questions about why certain urban centres were prioritized through the first stream of funding.

I am in agreement with my constituents that a specific northern stream of funding to ensure that northern communities can have access to a lot of these funds, and aren't in any way left behind, would be beneficial.

Could you speak to why the government didn't really seem to consider that?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

You have one minute.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

I can tell you that improving housing outcomes is an absolute priority for our government. I can tell you that in all of my travels, phone calls and Zoom calls, both pre-pandemic and during the pandemic, housing comes up the most often. We realize it's even more important during a pandemic. Our government has a 10-year housing agreement with the Government of Nunavut.

In fact, we have 10-year housing agreements with the territorial governments in Northwest Territories and Yukon, which will invest close to $800 million in those three territories. As well, we have a 10-year, $400-million housing agreement with Inuit land claim organizations that are going to invest close to $400 million in Inuit housing.

We feel we're going in the right direction, but you're absolutely right. The gaps are so large and there's so much work to do that we need to continue what we're doing for many, many years.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thanks very much, Minister.

Mr. van Koeverden, you have five minutes. Go ahead, please.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Thank you very much, Chair.

I'm joining you from my home, from the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

I want to say thank you to both the minister and staff for joining us today. It's wonderful to have you here.

I also want to give a shout-out to my friend and colleague MP Battiste, whose insight, perspective and knowledge on issues like this are so valuable to this committee. If our friend and colleague Mumilaaq Qaqqaq were here, I would say the same about her perspective.

No offence, MP Blaney; you're wonderful, and it's great to be working with you here, but I know I speak for all of us on this committee when I say that we miss Mumilaaq and we wish her well.

My questions are for you, Minister Vandal.

I would like to focus on something that wasn't touched on too much in your speech, but I think I heard it, which is the post-secondary task force. I'm asking because I'm concerned about youth in the north. I want to make sure we are getting them the services that they need.

I also know that in your youth, and probably still, you were a great athlete, and you know that athletics and sport have a really positive impact. I talked to a good friend yesterday, Beckie Scott, who has a program called Spirit North, which brings endurance sports to a lot of indigenous youth across the country. There were 6,300 last year, actually—great numbers.

Could you elaborate a little bit on the post-secondary program?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Yes. Thank you.

First of all, let me set a little bit of the context.

Prior to the last election, the Arctic and northern policy framework was signed. Minister Bennett did a tremendous amount of work on it. It's a framework whereby the territorial governments and the indigenous nations are all signed on, as well as several provinces, including Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, I believe. It is a policy framework for all the leadership in the north to sit at the same table to hammer out priorities.

One of those priorities is education. One of the ideas that came out was to form a task force with the best and the brightest of the north to look at the post-secondary education systems and consult with people who work in the sector and with other leaders, look at traditional indigenous knowledge and make recommendations to our government on how we can improve.

We reached out to those people who are on the framework—the territorial governments, indigenous nations, Inuit leadership, first nations and Métis leadership of the north—and they have submitted several names that we were able to choose from to put on the task force. Their work started last week. In fact, I had my first meeting with all 13 members, I believe, last week, and we talked about the challenge they have.

They're such a dynamic group. It's a good mix of experience and youth, indigenous and not, and they're going out there. They're going to submit a report to government by...I believe it's March 2021, so it's not a lot of time. They have a lot of work to do, and it's something that is important to our government.

The initiative started before the last election. We've invested over $40 million in five years to improving post-secondary options in the north. This is something that is exciting, and I hope it's going to bear a lot of fruit in the future.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

You have one minute, Adam.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Thank you very much, Minister Vandal. I have just one more question.

Could you elaborate on the value and the leverage potential that I think a connection to the natural environment through sport, play and recreation might be able to provide to that program with the post-secondary task force? As well, could you elaborate a little on the food program and how access to post-secondary education and the food program are connected?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

We have less than 30 seconds for those answers.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Yes, absolutely. We all know the value of sports recreation for young people. Something that I don't think has been looked at often enough is the value of indigenous sport. I know that's going to be something that comes up in the task force's work.

We're looking forward to suggestions from them, but we know there's a lot of work to do. Once the report comes in, that's when the actual work must continue, and we're committed to doing it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

We're over time on that, but thank you for that answer.

Madame Bérubé, you have two and a half minutes. Go ahead, please.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

In supplementary estimates (B), you are requesting $82.5 million “to support indigenous mental wellness”. We know all too well how important that is right now, with the suicide rates and mental health problems plaguing communities throughout the country.

How do you determine how much funding is needed given the impacts of COVID-19?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Is that question for me?

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Yes.