Well, I'll skip through some of my verbiage, then, and I'll get closer to the end.
I have a few recommendations for the committee today. I'll leave out the centre part of my discussion with respect to supporting marine training in the north. These are our hopes, if you will, but they're necessary if we are to build a marine workforce that includes those who have often been excluded.
Let us fund initiatives that increase career awareness by visiting and presenting at schools—middle schools, northern schools, high schools, regional centres and remote communities—and by having senior seafarers and role models spread an understanding of the opportunities and educational pathways available to enter the marine industry. Let us improve financial supports for marine training and provide funding for northern educational institutions and educational subsidies for our students. Let us fund projects that provide opportunities for northern students to gain practical experience on vessels to achieve their professional certifications. Let us fund the modernization of training methods, materials and equipment to align with industry needs and to reflect new technologies and northern and Arctic geographies, conditions and perspectives. Cultivating interest in marine careers, whether they're with commercial carriers or with our Coast Guard or navy, is an essential precursor to recruitment.
We have 243,000 kilometres of coastline in this country, 162,000 kilometres of it in our Arctic regions, and all of our larger marine training institutions are located in our southern latitudes. A small northern institution such as ours need not match the advanced training programs and sophisticated equipment that the large public institutions offer—it's not our intent—but it can be on the front line, informing those who otherwise would not know, recruiting those who are inspired and able, and providing pathways to the opportunities they otherwise would not have.
Thank you.