Evidence of meeting #38 for National Defence in the 40th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was nunavik.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Quebec has already announced that it is contributing $300 million. The province has said that it is ready to move forward and that it is only waiting for the federal government to sign the program agreement. Can you confirm this?
Vice-President, Economic Development, Makivik Corporation
I'm not 100% certain on that one. This is a file our president, Pita Aatami, usually keeps close to his heart and it's a very important issue—
Vice-President, Economic Development, Makivik Corporation
Yes. It's a very important issue for the whole region too.
There has been some announcement, but I believe it's a renewal of the regular housing program like the Quebec government provides.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Maxime Bernier
Thank you, Mr. Gordon.
I will give the floor to Mr. Payne. I know you want to share your time also.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will be sharing my time with Mr. Boughen.
I'd like to thank the witnesses for coming today. I'm learning some very interesting things about the north.
I have a couple of follow-up questions.
My friend Mr. Bachand surprised the heck out of me talking about an election. The only ones I know who are talking about an election are the Liberal Party. However, having said that—
Conservative
Vice-President, Economic Development, Makivik Corporation
That's the basic program. I believe about $12 million a year is provided, and if Makivik Construction can decrease the price per house, we can add more houses.
It's larger than that. This year around 100 houses were built, maybe even a few more.
Conservative
Vice-President, Economic Development, Makivik Corporation
About 120, 140 might be at capacity, but if there is money for a catch-up program, we'd have to mobilize the communities to make sure everything falls in line. We're planning to have a summit in the spring to look into those issues.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
My colleague Mr. Braid was talking about investments in the north, and we did talk about the harbour investment. I think he suggested Mr. Ricard could provide us with some other types of investments that have been beneficial to Nunavik.
Economic Development Officer, Economic Development, Makivik Corporation
Sure.
November 5th, 2009 / 10:15 a.m.
Conservative
Economic Development Officer, Economic Development, Makivik Corporation
Not here right now, but yes, we can certainly look into this. Let me do a little bit of research on this so I can tell you.
Conservative
Economic Development Officer, Economic Development, Makivik Corporation
Yes.
Vice-President, Economic Development, Makivik Corporation
Most of the infrastructure in the north comes from the Quebec government and the federal government. We have the airports. Kuujjuaq Airport is a federal airport.
Vice-President, Economic Development, Makivik Corporation
Not renovated. A new building was recently built.
Kuujjuaq Airport is the transportation hub for the region and provides other services to Nunavut as well.
Conservative
Ray Boughen Conservative Palliser, SK
Welcome, gentlemen. Let me add my welcome to that of my colleagues. It's good of you to come and share part of your day with us.
Looking at your housing situation, most grants we're aware of are from three dimensions: federal, provincial, and municipal. Are your communities structured that way? Are they part of the housing solution by supplying money for the housing to be built? Certainly house construction is an economic driver. What other economic drivers do you have in the communities that may develop some dollars toward the housing projects?
Vice-President, Economic Development, Makivik Corporation
I haven't really thought of it in those terms, but from what we're hearing from Minister Strahl, they'd like us, Makivik Corporation in the northern region, to provide contributions toward the housing.
We had a meeting very recently on this issue. We're open to that. We're looking at that aspect of it.
Conservative
Ray Boughen Conservative Palliser, SK
What other economic drivers are in your communities--processing, manufacturing?
Vice-President, Economic Development, Makivik Corporation
Eco-tourism and the outfitting camps provide a lot of money, not just for our region but for Quebec. I believe about $11 million is injected into the province of Quebec just from that alone, from outfitting hunters coming from the States to go caribou hunting or fishing.