Thank you very much, from our side, Ms. van der Woerd. It's unfortunate that we didn't have the time to ask you questions, and so many important points were raised.
Mr. Cyr, there's no question that the friendship centres do really critical work with aboriginal women, men, and youth in many communities. I'm very proud for the chance I've had to work with friendship centres in the area that I represent. However, I've been concerned at times when the government hasn't been there to support the critical work, particularly with young people, for example.
Recognizing that this legislation is about on-reserve first nations, I think has somehow been lost in the fray. We've spent quite a bit of time hearing from the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, who don't represent on-reserve first nations. We've heard a lot of rhetoric. The reality is that we have to be clear about who this pertains to.
Now I'm wondering, in your experience in working with the friendship centres, in terms of bringing an on-the-ground perspective, could you speak to us about some of the reasons why people leave first nations, whether it's in Manitoba or across the country?