Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on June 14th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Thank you, Mr. Weiler.

Ms. Gill, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My question is for Mr. Pedersen.

Mr. Pedersen, from what you said, I conclude that, at present, the indigenous people themselves are largely responsible for sovereignty, security and emergency preparedness.

Is that correct, Mr. Pedersen?

[Calvin Aivgak Pedersen]

It is our own responsibility because that's where we are. To get southern help is hours and sometimes days away, as I was saying.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

So you do not have any support.

Would it be accurate to say that you have no support and you have to do everything without equipment, preparation, simulation, human resources, supplies or funding? In other words, everything falls on your shoulders.

You mentioned mental health, but there is something else that worries me. I would imagine that you put your own lives at risk since you do not have adequate preparation or equipment. I do not know if it is possible to remain completely calm when trying to help the members of your own community that you live with every day.

Do these government failings put your lives at risk?

[Calvin Aivgak Pedersen]

There is very little help, but we are very lucky in our community that we have a very small group of highly dedicated individuals who have come to learn on their own how to deal with this, but nobody should have to do that. Knowing these people who we are searching for and who we are recovering is a huge burden. To have someone just deal with it on their own, that takes a lot. There are only a few people around the world who could do this, function, continue to go to work, do their daily lives and continue to search for these people.

I give these guys a whole lot of credit.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Pedersen, Mr. Leuprecht also talked about a combined force. Would that be helpful to you as well? It might of course not be as mobile and quick to deploy as people who are already in the community, but could this idea provide some reassurance to the communities? Mr. Leuprecht talked about this. I do not want to put words in his mouth, but he talked about integration and overall response.

Does that interest you? Would you like to see something like that proposed?

[Calvin Aivgak Pedersen]

It will help a lot, especially if we have this community public safety officer. That would be the one person who would be coordinating all of these separate entities. We don't have that right now. It's just like chaos. If we do have a huge rescue operation, it will be chaotic. Having this safety officer program would greatly reduce the times and the confusion of a lot of things.

Going through one person....how can I say this? We need an orchestrator for the band. Is that a good example?

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Thank you, Ms. Gill.

We'll finish off now with Ms. Idlout.

You have two and a half minutes.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

[Member spoke in Inuktitut, interpreted as follows:]

Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.

My last question is to you, Calvin.

You have created a better understanding of Inuit communities, especially Kugluktuk. I know that you need further assistance and resources, perhaps from the federal government.

I would like to know if other Nunavut communities have the same challenges you were talking about. Can you tell us a little more about how the other communities operate?

[Calvin Aivgak Pedersen]

I was a part of search and rescue in Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk. I lived in both communities. They're very similar. I imagine all other communities are just the same in the passion that these are our people and we need to save our people, no questions asked. We do the job with very little help and very few resources, but we are all determined because we know these people. We live with them. We work with them every day. We travel with them. The passion is there. Every community has these people like Jack, who I mentioned earlier.

They are highly dedicated individuals who get nothing in return but the satisfaction that they saved a life today. They put a lot of time and hours into this. Every community has this special person or is lucky to have a few of them.

The passion is there for every community, I think, all across Inuit Nunangat.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

[Member spoke in Inuktitut, interpreted as follows:]

Thank you.

I believe I have a few more minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

You have 45 seconds.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Okay. I'll ask in English, for speed.

We have been told through our briefing materials that there is an ability for Canadian Rangers.... I can't remember if it was also for search and rescue, but if you're a Canadian Ranger, you can rent your own equipment for operations, because you've done an exercise. I wonder if that's sufficient for you to be a Canadian Ranger. Canadian Rangers from the military are provided that equipment when they do exercises in the north.

Do you think it's sufficient that you are able to rent your own equipment when you're a Canadian Ranger?

[Calvin Aivgak Pedersen]

That funding hasn't been updated for a long time. Since then, prices have gone up across the globe on everything. It helps a lot, but I think it could use an increase.

As for the other option, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable on a random snowmobile or a random boat. We have to travel a lot of miles. I'd be way more comfortable on my own equipment, because I know that equipment. I've travelled thousands of miles on it. I know its tendencies. To have somebody go to an unknown location on a brand new piece of equipment is unsafe, really. You're creating more hazards.

I believe the current way of renting is sufficient, but it could use an increase and modernization with the times of inflation and stuff like that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Thank you very much.

That brings our panel to a close. On behalf of the committee, I would really like to thank Professor Leuprecht, as well as Ms. Sargent and Ms. Cardinal from the Red Cross. A special thank you goes to Mr. Pedersen, who came a very long way to get here today to give his testimony. We very much appreciate all of your opening remarks and answers to our questions. They will help us with our study.

Thank you very much on behalf of the committee.

We'll suspend temporarily to get ready for panel number two.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

I call the meeting back to order.

Colleagues, I would ask you to retake your seats, please. We'll start with panel number two.

On this panel, we have two guests. We have the honourable Shane Thompson, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs and Minister of Environment and Natural Resources for the Northwest Territories. Arriving imminently, we'll have Chief April Martel of the K'atl'odeeche First Nation, also of the Northwest Territories.

Minister Thompson, you are probably aware of how we do this. We would like to give you five minutes for opening remarks. Hopefully, Chief Martel will have arrived by then. She'll speak for five minutes, and then we'll get into questions.

If you are ready, we are ready to listen to you. Please go ahead.

[Shane Thompson, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs and Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I hope this will be five minutes.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs for the opportunity to discuss the challenges faced by our territory's government and our communities.

My name is Shane Thompson. I was born and raised in Hay River, Northwest Territories. I am the Government of Northwest Territories' minister of three portfolios—environment and natural resources, lands, and municipal and community affairs—and I'm the Minister Responsible for Youth.

To help set the context for our conversation today. I want to briefly highlight some important points about the Northwest Territories.

The Northwest Territories comprises 33 communities, with approximately 45,000 people living in an area that is approximately 13% of Canada's land mass. Over half of our population is indigenous.

Nineteen of the 33 communities are served by an all-season highway system. Ten are served by a winter road only, and four are served by marine or air only. Twenty-five of these communities are nearly 100% dependent on fossil fuel for electricity. This is mostly diesel generation. The other eight are on two isolated hydro power grids that are not connected to the North American power system.

Our government is a consensus-based one. We have no political party system. Our cabinet is appointed by the members of the legislative assembly. Community governments play a strong, independent role in the territories, but still require investment, training and capacity building to ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs of our residents.

As you've likely determined, our communities are remote and rural with significant geographic distances between them, with aging and limited infrastructure. Only through collaboration and understanding the territorial operations reality do I believe we can position our communities to be more resilient in both the context of emergency preparedness and Arctic security.

In relation to Arctic security, from the Northwest Territories' perspective northern security is not just about a robust military presence. It is also about building sovereignty, strong resilient people, and communities that show Canada's commitment to the region. I believe this is achieved through significant investment in critical infrastructure like roads, telecommunications and energy.

Of fundamental importance to us is how decisions are made. Decisions about the north must be made by northerners. After all, northerners have the biggest stake in a strong and sustainable Arctic Canada. We are committed to working across borders with indigenous northerners to improve the economic, social and cultural well-being of the Arctic region and thus improve Canada's Arctic sovereignty and security.

Related to strategic infrastructure, the Northwest Territories will require much of the basic infrastructure that already exists in southern jurisdictions to meet the needs of our residents, communities and businesses. The lack of road, communication and energy infrastructure results in a high cost of living and doing business, which is a significant challenge identified by our communities and industry and erodes the potential for economic development.

The Northwest Territories continues to do its part to close the significant infrastructure gap. We have invested in all-season roads to our communities and resources, alternative energy projects and a fibre line to some of our most remote communities near the Beaufort Sea. The most important investments are supported by Canada, but more is needed if we are going to truly address the gap between our remote communities and the rest of Canada.

While the diamond mine industry in Northwest Territories is beginning to wind down, there are many new mining and natural gas resource opportunities including substantial critical mineral potential that could fuel the global green economy and support the growth of our communities and Arctic sovereignty. All this can support Arctic sovereignty by ensuring safe, reliable access to the resources needed to support and build the economy. However, it needs to be done in a way that is balanced with environmental stewardship, so that we can connect our communities and develop our critical resources.

The strategic importance of the Arctic, particularly as a marine transportation route, has been increasing due to climate change. This is in part because it has been shown to be warming between three to four times faster than the global average. Our winter road systems are at risk as our climate continues to change. Ice roads only work when it's cold. This impacts everything from our construction season in communities without year-round road access to the ability to ship in and out of existing mines.

Our remote communities must be equipped to predict, prepare for and respond to climate change hazards, such as an increase in floods, fire, extreme cold weather events, erosion along rivers on the Arctic coast, unpredictable ice conditions and permafrost thaw. We need to ensure our communities have the capacity and ability to respond quickly to emergency situations and manage their disasters. This can be done through many tools; however, we need to support our communities and our indigenous governments to assist their decision-making abilities.

Premiers and indigenous leaders from across the three territories issued a pan-northern leadership statement on climate change. This statement highlighted the need for investment in climate-resilient infrastructure, renewable and alternative secure energy systems, emergency preparedness, northern research, knowledge and capacity building, health and wellness, and the preservation of cultural identity and economic opportunities.

A strong and collaborative relationship with Canada is critical to advance the priorities of residents, communities and indigenous leadership.

The Arctic and northern policy framework is the road map to success in Canada's Arctic. It provides an opportunity for Canada to show leadership in asserting Arctic sovereignty by empowering and equipping communities to be both resilient and responsive in the changing international landscape.

Through the Arctic and northern policy framework, the federal government has already acknowledged the significant gaps that must be filled in between the quality of life experienced by northerners and the rest of Canada. The impact of COVID-19 has opened these gaps wider. It is critical that Canada move forward with us, and fund the implementation of this critical framework. No one government can resolve these issues alone, and we look forward to continued collaboration with all levels of government.

The Northwest Territories has seen the increased severity and occurrence of natural disasters, such as unprecedented floods, both in 2021 and this year, which have caused life-threatening hardships for so many communities, as well as the residents who live in them. There are businesses still trying to recover from the impact of COVID-19. The Northwest Territories is also facing increased risks of and impacts from forest fires, shoreline erosion and permafrost degradation, which are impacting community infrastructure.

With these challenges in mind, the territorial government has increased staffing in emergency management operations at both the territorial and regional levels to support community governments in their emergency preparedness, planning and response. With these increased resources, territorial and regional emergency management organizations are better equipped to increase engagement with community leadership and improve guidance, advice and support to communities in advance of the disaster events.

Communities remain the front line for emergency management, and they rely on the territorial government for support during response and recovery efforts. In return, they must have the support and flexibility of the federal government and its funding programs in order to respond as quickly as possible to our residents in their time of greatest need.

Dedicated and flexible federal funding is needed to support mitigation efforts for community infrastructure, including relocation of critical municipal infrastructure, residences and businesses in communities at risk of disaster events.

In closing, we look forward to the continued partnership and support of this government to meet the challenges I have laid out for you today. Northerners are resilient people, but they need the support and action of all levels of government to ensure their safety, their security and their future.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Thank you, Minister.

It looks like our second guest is not here yet, so we'll proceed immediately with questions.

We'll go to Mr. Schmale for six minutes.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for your comments.

I want to pick up where you just left off, talking about emergency preparedness and the several aspects that encompass that file. You talked about emergency response plans and training. We can probably add in public awareness activities, equipment, and the list would go on.

To finish up your thoughts, in your view, are there certain aspects of emergency preparedness that are more important than others in the Arctic? If so, what are they and why?

[Shane Thompson]

That's a very loaded question, I would have to say.

I think it's all-encompassing. Again, as I said in my opening comments, it's about making sure our communities are prepared. That means we need to be working with them so they're prepared, whether with tabletop exercises or making sure their emergency response plans are in place and that residents.... This year, we started a campaign telling residents, communities and governments—each department—what their responsibilities are and how we can all work collaboratively together to address these emergencies we're seeing.

As I said in my opening comments, the last two years.... The riding I represent of six communities—Jean Marie/Fort Simpson—was prepared for a 100-year flood, but it was a 200-year flood. It was the same with Hay River. It all happened, and it was worse than the 63-year flood. That year, they talked about the 100-year flood, and what we are seeing is the impact of a 200-year flood. As prepared as we were, we still had challenges we did not foresee. We talked to our local leadership and elders—people who were around for both last year's flood and this year's flood. They didn't foresee this. They have no recorded history of it. When I say “recorded history”, I mean what's passed down from generation to generation.

We do have infrastructure in place to help move things. We have plans in place. We have airports. We have the ability to move people to different locations. Airports are very important, and we have those in place, right now. We do have resources there, but it's about making sure we enhance those resources.

Hopefully, that answers your question.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

It did, very well. Thank you very much.

In the previous testimony, we talked about the Canadian Rangers and the role they play in emergency preparedness. I'd like to get your thoughts on how you think the federal government can continue to ensure that resource is available and well prepared.

[Shane Thompson]

We have a process where we reach out to the federal government if we need the rangers, the military or the Red Cross. The system we have in place right now works well. I have to write a letter to the minister of safety and ask him for the Canadian Rangers. We also have to work with Joint Task Force North and reach out to them. We have a process where we work with them.

Again, the problem is that, when we use our rangers, they're great and very helpful. However, sometimes, when we access them, their communities are being impacted, as well. We have rangers from other jurisdictions or communities, but they're at the other end of the flood zone or other end of the river. If we ask to access them, they may be taken out of their communities. That is a challenge we see.

I think we have a really good relationship with the federal government, and we have the ability to access this, if we need it. The resources are there. We utilized them more so last year than this year. It depends on the resources in the communities and the ability of the communities to work on things. I would say the Canadian Rangers are a very integral part of what we do. They're one piece of the puzzle.

Thank you.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Thank you.

Regarding the comments you made about the emergencies you had, your comparison of the floods and their severity.... Is the information you gathered from those events continually used to update your plans and ensure you are prepared, as best you can be, for whatever scenario is on top?

[Shane Thompson]

Yes. The thing is, from last year, we learned a lot from the disaster and some of the challenges. One of the things, like you heard in my opening comments, was that we noticed there was this deficiency in regional staff. We needed to have more staff at the regional level to help the communities out, so we created five positions. We also knew that we needed more positions at headquarters, so we created those three positions.

If you look at our communications that we developed, we started our communications.... It was weekly. I think we started in April, and we started getting it out weekly to the communities, residents, governments and indigenous governments, to get them prepared: “This is what you're responsible for. This is what you need to do.”

We also helped with the disaster assistance policy. We updated it and made it more compatible with the DFAA, the federal government's disaster assistance policy.

The other thing was that we had pathfinders. Last year, we didn't have them for probably four or five weeks. This time, as soon as it was safe, we had pathfinders in. We hired three more pathfinders who had lived in the communities to live in the communities, so they were able to help that way. We learned from last year's flood. What we did, starting last year, was make our plans living documents. What that means is, every year, when we see new disasters, we try to improve on that moving forward.

I would say our plans are getting better and better, but are they perfect? No. What I mean by that is, if you think they are perfect, that's when you're waiting for the next disaster that you haven't prepared for. I think the departments and the communities have been very good at working together and enhancing their ability to address disasters, whether they're floods or forest fires.

I believe that we are better prepared, but Mother Nature always throws a curve at you that you're never prepared for. It's about the opportunity to learn.

Thank you.