Evidence of meeting #42 for National Defence in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was infrastructure.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
We have five questions, three and a half minutes, and two witnesses. I'm not sure how this math is going to work. Maybe a minute each would be helpful.
Chief Operating Officer, CanArctic Inuit Networks Inc., As an Individual
I'll be quick.
As a former mayor and the former president of the Nunavut Association of Municipalities, I can say that the energy infrastructure is actually a territorial Crown corporation. The telecommunications can and should actually be owned and run by Nunavut Inuit. Right now it's run primarily by companies that are either in Yukon or in the south. We need telecommunications particularly for search and rescue as more and more vessels are coming into the Arctic.
When the plane went down in Resolute, one of the very first things the military and first responders required was access to good telecommunications. They had to tell our entire territory to stop using the Internet and the phones so the first responders could actually communicate with each other. It's a massive priority issue.
Also, we basically need to have those ships have good access to telecommunications so we know where they are. When and if anyone is stranded, whether it's a cruise ship or those idiots on their Sea-Doos going through the Northwest Passage, you can actually know exactly where you need to respond so that lives are saved.
Lastly, part of that Arctic strategy needs to be building the human capacity in our regions so that finally our people can benefit from building out this infrastructure—owning it, managing and servicing it.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Arctic360
In regard to climate change, the only thing I can say is that we maybe need to get with the program.
If we look around the Arctic, we see that lots of our Arctic neighbours are actually using the cold and the fact that it is remote and there is climate change happening, and melting permafrost, as an advantage to find new innovations, to figure out how to build better infrastructure to withstand climatic changes generally, and especially in terms of permafrost melt. Svaldbard is doing a lot on this, because they have a big seed bank. They're looking at how steel interacts with permafrost.
We should not be looking at this only as a challenge, as an impossibility, as an obstacle, but actually we need to start looking at this as a real opportunity for Canada to be more innovative. This is where ISED has a role to play.
On cruise ships, the bottom line is that they need infrastructure. Without infrastructure, it is a risk. I think all the cruise ship companies would argue for the same. They would like to do what they want to do, and they'd like to do more of it, but they can't do it. As much as they would like to respect the communities and work with the communities, if there is no infrastructure, from ports to hotels....
In terms of NORAD helping northerners, I guess I don't believe in trickle-down infrastructure. We cannot just have NORAD saying, “Oh, yes, we're going to build all this infrastructure”, and all of a sudden with all these defence things, “Sure, it's going to help. Maybe there will be telecoms, maybe there won't. We're going to build some things here and there.”
I think this is where we come back to our having to have multi-purpose, multi-user, strategically thought-out infrastructure, because we have no guarantee or even a sense of whether it's automatically going to help northern communities.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
Thank you, Mr. Fisher.
That brings our first hour to an end.
I want to thank the two witnesses, Dr. Shadian and Ms. Redfern, for their obvious knowledge base here and the sharing of it. I wish it could have been in a more relaxed setting, where they don't have somebody keep hammering the clock. It is what it is, and we make do.
With that, colleagues, I want to suspend for a minute or two while we empanel for our second hour.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
I'm going to have Dr. Kikkert and Dr. Vullierme do their five-minute opening statements.
I am looking at the clock, colleagues. We're not going to get full rounds in; it's just not going to happen.
Dr. Kikkert is assistant professor of public policy and governance at the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government at St. Francis Xavier University.
You have five minutes, sir.
Dr. Peter Kikkert Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Governance, Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, St. Francis Xavier University, As an Individual
I'd like to begin by acknowledging that I am joining you from the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people.
I am honoured to be here. Thank you for the opportunity.
I spent the last three weeks in Nunavut working with Nunavut Emergency Management and several other researchers, including Mr. Pedersen, to facilitate three regional round tables on search and rescue to build relationships between community, territorial and federal responders and to discuss the status of the search and rescue system in the Arctic. Given how frequently search and rescue has come up during these hearings, I thought the committee would be interested in the results of the round tables.
First off, they highlighted the need for governments to understand search and rescue as a fundamental component of community safety and security. The safety net provided by the SAR system allows Inuit and other Arctic residents to live, travel, harvest and work on the land, helps communities cope with climate change, and contributes to individual and community health and well-being. Funding should reflect the central role that SAR plays in Arctic life.
Second, round table participants emphasized the wide array of challenges that community responders face in delivering SAR on the ice, water and land of Nunavut, including volunteer burnout, training and equipment issues, funding shortfalls, limited mental and physical health supports, slow response times from primary SAR aerial assets based in the south and the confusion and barriers caused by the rigid jurisdictional division between air, marine and humanitarian search and rescue. All of this is compounded by a heavy caseload. There are over 200 public searches a year in the territory, and many more are never reported through official channels.
For federal and territorial coordinators and responders, the challenges of Arctic operations are no less profound. They are limited support infrastructure, communications difficulties, fewer vessels of opportunity to assist with marine SAR, the austere environment and the vast distances involved. Moving a Cormorant helicopter from Greenwood, Nova Scotia to the High Arctic, complete with multiple refuelling stops and crew changes, is a real logistical feat. With unpredictable and expanding outside activity—from cruise ships and passenger planes to fishing boats and bulk carriers—increasing the risk of major transportation disasters and the need to prepare for mass rescue operations, these challenges will intensify.
Finally, responders at every level highlighted the need for greater communication and co-operation between all SAR partners, which should be the bedrock of the SAR system.
While there are many challenges, I also want to highlight for this committee the innovative search and rescue policy and programming that really stood out at the round tables.
Nunavut Emergency Management is working to become a national leader on ground search and rescue operations in its community-based approach. Use of response technology and prevention work should serve as a model for other northern jurisdictions. The Coast Guard's expansion of volunteer auxiliary units, fuelled by the indigenous community boat volunteer program and more training and engagement, its hiring of Inuit SAR officers and trainers, its collaboration and exercises with industry partners to mitigate risks, and the establishment of the Rankin Inlet marine rescue station have all improved marine search and rescue in the Arctic.
CASARA's national remotely piloted aircraft systems program hopes to get drones into the hands of community SAR volunteers in the north. The enhanced maritime situational awareness initiative of the oceans protection plan and the establishment of new VHF, AIS and cellphone towers by various municipal, territorial and Inuit organizations all have great potential to take the search out of SAR.
My first recommendation to this committee is that these efforts be sustained and, where possible, expanded. They empower local responders, improve community-based capabilities and save money by reducing the need for the deployment of a Hercules or a Cormorant from the south, which generally costs hundreds of thousands of dollars for each flight.
My second recommendation is for the immediate re-establishment of a permanent Arctic or northern search and rescue round table by the national search and rescue secretariat. Right now, individual agencies and departments are doing great work in the region but lack strategic direction. A round table involving first responders like Mr. Pedersen and policy-makers from the north and the south would, at a relatively low cost, facilitate the building of relationships, improved communication, the sharing of best practices and lessons learned on SAR prevention and response, the synchronization of efforts, planning for mass rescue operations, and discussions around the basing, pre-positioning and/or contracting of primary SAR units in the Arctic.
It would ensure that the priorities of northern indigenous rights holders and the realities of Arctic operations are taken into consideration in decision-making on Canada's broader SAR program, including major hardware and infrastructure investments, which has not always been the case in the past.
Finally, the round tables could facilitate the codevelopment of a comprehensive Arctic SAR strategy that properly addresses the unique challenges facing SAR operations in the region, something that was first promised in 2006.
I look forward to discussing these issues and ideas and other solutions that were raised at the round tables during the question period.
Thank you very much for your time.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
Thank you, Mr. Kikkert.
Before I call on our second presenter, I saw Mr. Pedersen give a thumbs-up and wasn't sure of the significance of the thumbs-up.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
He liked the comments, so he gave a thumbs-up.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
Okay. Without a headset I can't call on you, Mr. Pedersen, but thank you for whatever it is you said.
Dr. Vullierme is a researcher at Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal.
You have five minutes, please.
Dr. Magali Vullierme Researcher, Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, As an Individual
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm very honoured to be invited to testify again. I hope the points I can bring to you today on the Canadian Ranger patrols will be helpful.
Today we will focus on the role these patrols play in security in the Canadian Arctic, and what kind of security we're talking about—security for whom, why and how?
When I found out about these patrols almost 10 years ago, in 2013, while writing a master's thesis, my plan was to analyze them from the perspective of traditional security by working on the relationships between civilians and the military, as well as the relationships between indigenous people and the Canadian Armed Forces.
However, over the years of research, interviews and field investigations that I have been able to conduct, I have come to realize that this angle is not sufficient and that it would leave out what these patrols bring and reveal about these Arctic indigenous communities: strong community support, an equally strong desire to preserve their culture and language, the absolute necessity to take care of each other and an unbreakable bond with their territory.
Junior Canadian Ranger patrols also do a lot of work to strengthen the intergenerational ties broken by the federal and provincial governments during the residential school period, as well as all the work to fight suicide among young people by trying to give them a little spark, as was often mentioned to me by members of the 2nd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, in Quebec. In fact, there is a strong desire to strive for the overall and holistic well-being of these communities.
In order to best cover all aspects of this holistic approach, I adjusted my angle of analysis and applied the lens of human security, in its broadest sense, with its seven dimensions, to the study of these patrols. I think it's an indispensable and unavoidable exercise to undertake when we're talking about Canadian Ranger patrols.
I wouldn't be so bold as to go into the details of this cherished Canadian concept here, nor will I launch into a political science lecture on human security. However, I would like to point out how my approach and that of other academics working on the Arctic regions differs from common postures.
In fact, in my research, I choose to apply human security, taken in its broadest sense, not to foreign operations, foreign affairs or peacekeeping operations, but rather at an intra-state level, that is in the relations between a state and its own populations, between a state and its less affluent populations.
Having said that, I've identified some points that I think are worth raising with the committee today.
First of all, if you're interested, we can quickly explain how the Canadian Ranger patrols and their counterparts, the Junior Rangers, reinforce most dimensions of human security. The Canadian Ranger and Canadian Junior Ranger patrols are an example of operationalizing the concept of human security. That is an example to be studied, understood and, who knows, perhaps exported.
We can also talk about how ranger patrols are an example of interculturality, since their cultural diversity is important and represents Canada's cultural richness.
We can also focus more specifically on the main tasks of the Canadian Rangers and detail examples for each of them, starting with the role of the rangers in land protection operations, which can be illustrated in particular in connection with climate change.
Second, in domestic Canadian Armed Forces operations, such as Operation Laser, but also in search and rescue operations, although the rangers are not the first responders, they provide invaluable support and expertise, as my colleague mentioned.
Finally, the presence of Canadian Armed Forces reservists in local communities strengthens these communities, particularly through the patrols of Junior Rangers.
Of course, I remain open to any other subject that would interest you today. I will try to answer your questions, to the best of my knowledge.
Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
Thank you very much.
We have way too little time already, so I'm going to have to cut back the first round to four minutes.
I see that Mr. Pedersen has a headset now.
If you put the headset on, are we ready to hear from you, Mr. Pedersen? Is the headset connected, and are you ready to make your presentation? You're not connected, okay.
Can we get a connection?
So much for that idea. Now we're going to go to the four-minute round.
Mrs. Gallant, you have four minutes, please.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Actually, I thought it was Shelby who was going first.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
That's news to me. I have you. Sometimes, things just don't work.
Mrs. Kramp-Neuman, you have four minutes.
Conservative
Shelby Kramp-Neuman Conservative Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON
Thank you.
The first question, Professor Kikkert, is with regard to the rangers. Few and poorly equipped.... It certainly strikes me as an untapped resource that can be very valuable.
The question is how you see the Canadian Rangers being able to better contribute to security in our Arctic.
Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Governance, Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, St. Francis Xavier University, As an Individual
I'm very happy to take on that question, but Mr. Pedersen has just asked if I could read his statement to the committee.
Is that something that would be possible? I have it here in front of me.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
I would like that, but I think we're past that point. We'll get it circulated to the committee members.
It is a real shame to not have a real volunteer talk to the committee, so we'll circulate the statement and try to figure out something else to get Mr. Pedersen's views before the committee. Thank you.
You heard the question.
Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Governance, Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, St. Francis Xavier University, As an Individual
I did.
Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Governance, Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, St. Francis Xavier University, As an Individual
To answer that question, I can work in part of Calvin Pedersen's text.
His answer is that he is a ranger. He has been a ranger for almost 25 years. He is a fourth-generation Canadian ranger, and he's very proud of his service.
The rangers do a lot of very important things. Just this summer, Calvin was at Operation Nanook/Nunakput, which meant that he and his patrol were keeping their eyes on the Northwest Passage to monitor vessel traffic. This is important from a broad Canadian security perspective, but also for the safety and security of his own community, so I think there is a real desire for more of those kinds of operational experiences.
The constant emphasis on having more and more rangers is not really what a lot of rangers are after. Calvin, here in his statement, is saying to give them more operational experience, give them more training and make use of them more, because they are the eyes and ears. The more they are used out in the land, the better it is going to be for Canada's broader security and safety concerns. To support this, the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group needs the support staff and headquarters staff required to make this kind of operational expansion possible.
That's one thing on which I very much agree with Calvin. The rangers could possibly be used for more operational activities out on the land, monitoring the Northwest Passage and these kinds of things, but to support that operational tempo, it is important to make sure that the headquarters of the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group has the support they require.
Conservative
Shelby Kramp-Neuman Conservative Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON
Thank you for that.
This is an additional question between you and Mr. Pedersen.
We clearly have a personnel crisis in our military right now. Can you speak to the impact on our ability to protect and strengthen our north and give it the attention it needs as a region of growing competition between Canada, Russia and China?
Additionally, can you speak to the troop strength of the ranger program capabilities, such as search and rescue?
Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Governance, Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, St. Francis Xavier University, As an Individual
I would answer that the Canadian Rangers play a lot of roles that are very important. They are very active in making sure that our troops—our Canadian Armed Forces, our Arctic response company groups or other CAF troops—can operate in the north. That is, to me, one of their fundamental missions, as well as making sure that they are passing along their knowledge, their learning and their skill set to those army troops and personnel coming up to the north. It's really important that they do that.
They are also providing those operational capabilities, so monitoring the passage. During disaster events, rangers are often mobilized as first responders to provide aid to their communities and their regions, so they're very much fulfilling that role as well.
Conservative
Shelby Kramp-Neuman Conservative Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON
Could you complement your answer with a suggestion of where we are with the necessity of more trained personnel and where we are with equipment for the rangers?
Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Governance, Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, St. Francis Xavier University, As an Individual
I'll take your question on the equipment for the rangers first.
What I hear most from people like Calvin, as a ranger, and other rangers is that they're comfortable using their equipment. They know it. They're using their snow machines. They're using their boats while out on patrol. They feel comfortable with that.
Right now, they get a SAR equipment usage rate through which the military compensates them for the use of that equipment. That could be increased. I certainly hear that a lot from rangers, and I think Calvin would agree that the usage rate could be increased. However, this idea of providing rangers with permanent boats and permanent snow machines that have to sit in a sea can for half a year and can only be used for ranger activities.... I don't see that as a popular idea among many of the rangers I have spoken with, and I think Calvin would agree with that.
Increase the equipment usage rate that allows rangers to use their own equipment and to invest in their own tools.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
We're going to have to leave that there.
We'll go to Ms. Lambropoulos for four minutes.
Liberal
Emmanuella Lambropoulos Liberal Saint-Laurent, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to our witnesses for being here to answer some of our questions today.
Mr. Kikkert, I'll be asking you, and if you're able to get some communication with Mr. Pedersen then I'll be asking both of you. I also find it very unfortunate that he's not able to share with us just because of a technical issue.
I'm wondering what you think are some of the main challenges noticed by the rangers and by northern communities for search and rescue operations. Has it been getting more and more difficult due to global warming? Over the years of experience that Mr. Pedersen has had, has he noticed an increase in challenge, let's say, because of that fact?