Evidence of meeting #38 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was food.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Terry Sheehan
Okay. Thanks, Bob.
MP Greaves, you're next for questioning, but before I go to you, I'm going to MP Gill.
Bloc
Marilène Gill Bloc Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC
I'll speak very briefly. Given what Ms. Chamberlain said, I also want to offer her my condolences. I also want to extend them to everyone who worked with Ms. Shannon, of course.
I'll take this opportunity to say that the Bloc Québécois supports this bill.
I have no further questions, but I want to say that people live on through their work.
Liberal
Will Greaves Liberal Victoria, BC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses.
I'll go to you, Ms. Chamberlain.
In British Columbia, around other recent modern land claim or treaty negotiations, or other self-government agreements, we've unfortunately seen efforts to misinform and confuse members of the public about what the implications of those agreements would entail. In many instances, efforts to purposefully generate that concern have focused on questions around private property ownership.
I'm wondering if you could speak to whether or not you've had similar challenges in this negotiation—people being concerned about the impacts on private property—and what kinds of communications the government has put out to address and allay those concerns as not being warranted in this case.
Negotiator, Northwest Territories Negotiations Directorate, Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs
In this case, specifically, the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement was the agreement that addressed land rights and title in the entire Sahtu region of the Northwest Territories. As part of the self-government agreement negotiations, there hasn't been property title as a topic to address.
We haven't had any concerns, as far as I'm aware.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Terry Sheehan
All right.
Are we ready to proceed to the next part, which would be whether the committee provides unanimous consent to pass clauses 2 to 44?
(Clauses 2 to 44 agreed to)
Shall the short title carry?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Terry Sheehan
I'll do that ASAP. Hopefully, tomorrow I will report this.
I'm thanking our team here.
Taylor, thank you for bringing Shannon's legacy to our attention.
President Hodgson, I don't know if you're still online. You're also leaving a legacy to your people as you retire from being president. This is good.
Thank you again, President and Mr. Tan, for your work on this over the years.
Thank you to the committee for getting this done expeditiously.
With that, folks, we are going to suspend and go to our next study.
Chi-meegwetch, everyone.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Terry Sheehan
Welcome back. It is great to have you here.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee is resuming its study of affordability challenges in northern Canada.
I would now like to welcome our witnesses.
We have Merlyn Recinos, co-chief executive officer, and Inuaraq Angutimarik, director trainee. They're from the Arctic Fresh Group.
Welcome. Thank you for being here.
We have, from the Nunavut Sealink and Supply Inc., Brian Tattuinee, business development manager.
Welcome.
We are going to allocate five minutes to each group to speak.
Just to let everybody know, you have the earpieces because we will be asking questions in English and French. Answer in whichever language you choose. For the interpreters, make sure that your mic is off when you're not speaking because it provides feedback. Only one person may speak at a time, and please address everything through the chair.
Thanks to our wonderful interpreters for being with us today.
We have five minutes for Arctic Fresh Group.
Is one person doing it, or are you sharing the time?
Inuaraq Angutimarik Director Trainee, Arctic Fresh Group
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.
My name is Inuaraq Angutimarik. I'm an Inuk from Nunavut. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak today.
I would like to start with a story. The first time I was taken on a seal hunt, I was six or seven. A few elders and family members brought me along on a community hunt because they wanted to make sure that I was exposed to our harvesting culture. I do not remember every detail, but I remember the lesson. Harvesting is about more than food. It teaches us how to survive on the land, how to work together and how to take care of one another.
What is harvested is often shared with elders and people who cannot harvest for themselves. I still carry those lessons today. Instead of harvesting on the land, I might buy a few extra groceries and share them with people who need help. The lesson is the same. Strong communities are built when people look after each other.
When people talk about affordability, they talk about numbers and statistics, but for the youth, affordability is about everyday life. It is about seeing your classmates come to school hungry. It is about knowing that many families live in overcrowded homes with no places to rest to prepare for a day in class or at work. It is about watching people leave their communities because they cannot find housing, training or employment opportunities.
Young Inuit want to build our futures in the north. We want to raise families, contribute to our communities and help shape Nunavut and Canada's future. We are proud of being the inhabitants of Canada's real north—the people who ensure that our country stays an Arctic nation. To do that, we need opportunities. We need safe and affordable housing. We need access to education, training and good jobs. We need opportunities to learn trades, to work in fisheries, to participate in infrastructure projects and to build careers close to home.
When governments invest in food sovereignty, housing, infrastructure and workforce development, they are investing in young people. They are creating opportunities that allow Inuit youth to stay in their communities, to build meaningful careers and to strengthen the north for future generations. I hope this committee will remember that affordability is not only about lowering costs today. It is about creating opportunity, self-reliance and hope for the future.
Qujannamiik. Thank you.
Liberal
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Arctic Fresh Group
Thank you.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs. Thank you for inviting us to appear before you today as part of your study on affordability challenges in northern Canada.
My name is Merlyn Recinos. I'm the chief executive officer of Arctic Fresh Group, a Nunavut-based, Inuit-focused business that works across food security, logistics, housing, infrastructure and workforce development.
While I'm not an Inuk, Nunavut has been my home for many years. My wife is an Inuk. Together, we're raising Inuit children. Our family, our business and our future are deeply rooted in Nunavut communities.
I want to begin by sharing a story.
Last year and again this spring, Arctic Fresh worked with Canadian North, local hamlets, Innu organizations and community partners to deliver food hampers to households across Nunavut, including Grise Fiord, Canada's most northern community. The hampers contained fruits, vegetables and meats. There were no applications, no eligibility requirements and no complicated processes. The goal was simple: to ensure that every household received support.
This year marks our 10th year supporting communities such as Igloolik and our seventh year delivering this initiative across the region. Local businesses' profits generated through our work are reinvested into employment, training, food programs, food banks and community development initiatives. This initiative has taught us that affordability is not an abstract policy discussion. It's about whether families can put healthy food on the table, whether communities have the infrastructure they need to support themselves and whether young people can build a future in the north.
At its core, affordability in Nunavut is driven by our continual reliance on southern supply chains. Whether we are talking about food, housing materials, fuel, equipment or many other things, the cost of moving products into the communities drives up the cost for families across the territory. That is why our message today is simple: Improving affordability requires investing in northern self-reliance.
These investments are about more than reducing costs. They're also about strengthening Arctic sovereignty and security by ensuring northern communities have the infrastructure, the workforce and the economic capacity needed to support a permanent and thriving presence across the Arctic.
Projects of national interest such as ports, transportation corridors, energy infrastructure and housing are nation-building investments that create economic opportunity for Inuit while advancing Canada's strategic objectives in the north. When Inuit communities are empowered to build and operate critical infrastructure, affordability, economic development and sovereignty objectives are advanced together.
We saw just how vulnerable Nunavut's economy can be during the COVID-19 pandemic and during the early stages of the Canada-United States trade dispute, when disruptions to supply chains and rising costs were felt quickly and acutely across the territory. Those experiences reinforce an important lesson: Affordability, economic resilience and Arctic sovereignty are deeply interconnected, and greater northern self-reliance must be part of Canada's long-term strategy.
For generations, Inuit have sustained themselves through harvesting, fishing, and sharing networks. Strengthening those systems is one of the most effective long-term affordability measures available to northern communities. We need investment in harvesting infrastructure, community freezers, fisheries and food processing facilities and need to support the blue economy. We also need operational funding to ensure that the systems can function over the long term.
Second, we need transportation and holistic infrastructure that lowers costs for families. Northern communities need more runways. They also need airport storage facilities, cold storage, warehousing, improved cargo handling capacity and better harbour and sealift infrastructure.
Third, we need to recognize that food infrastructure must match social realities. Programs such as nutrition north can help, but they do not work for every household. Some families continue to struggle to access healthy food. That's why we need community food centres, food banks and necessary programs to strengthen harvesting and food-sharing networks.
Finally, affordability cannot be separated from housing and workforce development. Arctic Fresh began as a food company, and we extended into housing and infrastructure because we saw how interconnected these challenges are. Every project we undertake includes training and skills development. Our goal is not to build homes, but to train Inuit for the long term to operate and maintain their infrastructure in their homeland.
Thank you.
Liberal
Brian Tattuinee Business Development Manager, Nunavut Sealink and Supply Inc.
Good day. Thank you for the opportunity to address this committee today.
My name is Brian Tattuinee. I'm originally from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, but I've called Iqaluit my home for a number of years now. I'm the business development manager for Nunavut Sealink and Supply, a majority Inuit-owned company based in Iqaluit that delivers essential sealift services across Nunavut. We transport general cargo and fuel, supporting economic development throughout the territory, and bring many years of Arctic experience and a versatile fleet to do the work.
My role focuses on understanding developments across Nunavut and offering logistics solutions. Our customers include all levels of government, the private sector, the resource sector, industry and individuals in the communities we serve.
We operate a fleet of 13 dry cargo vessels, serving all 25 of Nunavut's communities, all 14 of Nunavik's communities in northern Quebec, and resource sector clients across both regions. We play a key role in delivering cargo safely, reliably and efficiently.
Our operations take place under some of the most challenging conditions in the world, with a short seasonal window. Every community in the north receives at least one ship per season. Some receive two, and others receive three or more, depending on demand.
We load cargo, primarily along the St. Lawrence Seaway, in Valleyfield, Côte-Sainte-Catherine on the south shore of Montreal, and Bécancour. This year, we also plan to have an operation out of the port of Churchill, after more than a decade of not going there regularly.
Due to limited infrastructure in many communities, we specialize in self-sustained cargo delivery, so we take everything with us when we deliver cargo for communities. We carry tugboats, barges and loaders so that we're able to safely deliver cargo to the communities we serve. However, that also takes away space from revenue-generating cargo when we visit these communities.
Our operating season typically begins around this time of year, with the last ships returning from Canada's Arctic by late October or early November. Outside of our busy season, we focus on debriefings of operations and learning how the experience of our customers—such as Arctic Fresh Group—was with us so we can continually make improvements to our operations and also prepare for next year.
Our Arctic is growing. We've added capacity in recent years, including, just last week, announcing an addition to our fleet. As I said, we're up to 13 ships now. At the same time, it's important for us as an organization to understand what development is coming to the Arctic so that we can continue to scale our operations effectively.
We recognize the federal government's commitment to Arctic development through major projects such as the Grays Bay road and port project and the Iqaluit hydro project. As a Nunavummiut, I'm very excited to learn about these investments and the increased attention that we have there. We are also encouraged by the investments to modernize the Canadian Coast Guard's fleet of icebreakers, and we look forward to our continued collaboration to deliver essential goods and services to our north.
Investments in community and marine infrastructure are particularly important. Projects like the port of Iqaluit, which opened in 2023, and smaller improvements in other communities, such as sealift lay-down areas and ramps, demonstrate meaningful progress and offer models that could be expanded to other communities. There's also the continued investment in things such as the Canadian hydrographic service to update all of the charting and navigational aids that are in Canada's north.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to speak. I'm looking forward to the questions.