Status of Women Committee on April 9th, 2019

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Thank you.

Ms. Pokiak, I had the opportunity to visit Nunavut in March 2018, about a year ago. During my time there, I had the opportunity and privilege to visit 11 communities in nine days. I went as far north as Grise Fiord and it was an incredible experience. I had the opportunity to be in small communities throughout the region, to sit with people in their homes, radio stations and hotels, and to talk with them about their lived experience.

I took away many observations and a deep appreciation for the way I saw life being lived and for the culture, the heritage, the tradition, the history and the power of story.

One of my observations was that the traditional way of life is slowly eroding. I had the opportunity to talk with a number of people who are fishers and to chat with them about what they used to know and what they know now, in terms of being able to exercise their rights to hunt and fish.

One community that I had the opportunity to visit was Pangnirtung. In this community, the week before I arrived, there were more than a handful of suicide attempts—in one week. Upon arrival, I had the opportunity to sit with a group of about 12 young people from the community and to hear their stories and their reflections on what was going on in their village.

One of the things they shared with me was that they felt their traditional way of life was being robbed from them. They didn't have the opportunity to do the things their elders talked to them about having done during their childhoods. There was a sadness there, a sorrow and a grieving that was taking place. One used the word “bored” to describe his life. Another was just very, very sad. She expressed a lot of sorrow with regard to the place she was at in life and her family as a whole.

I also had the opportunity to talk to a number of elders within this same community. They shared with me their deep concern for the rising generation and what they were inheriting. They were very concerned about the fact that their way of life was being threatened.

I share this because my experience there has stuck with me and very much informed my appreciation for Inuit and for your way of life.

Elders play a very key role, and it's one that I would say the rest of Canada doesn't have the same appreciation for. Can you comment a bit on the impact that women in particular play with regard to helping give meaning to others within the community? In other words, there's an impartation of identity that takes place from the older generation down to the other generation. That seems to be somewhat lost, or under threat, I'll say.

Is that true? Can you comment on that?

[Anita Pokiak]

Yes, thank you.

Yes, that's very true. It's all about respect. We were the teachers of our children in everything. Our men taught our boys and our women taught the girls. We were teachers of everything—sewing, way of life, how to raise a family and how to hunt—everything.

When families off the land were placed into settlements, that all started with the taking away of our children. Everything was to be taught in the schools or by the missionaries. All that was taken away from the elders. Today, our kids are getting educated and they're losing their respect for everything, for our culture, for the land and for the animals.

We have to get that back. That's why it's really important that we get our elders into the schools, because they're not getting the teachings at home anymore. We have to put our culture and language into the schools so that we gain that respect back. It's all about respect for our people, for our land and for our animals.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

That's excellent.

Thank you very much.

We're getting very short on time now.

Sonia, I'm going to give you one question, then we'll turn to Marjolaine for one question, and then we'll be finished for the day.

Sonia, you have the floor for one question.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you for being here.

Ms. Watts, I know CARP. I have had meetings from time to time with CARP in my riding of Brampton South. I know they are big advocates for better health.

You mentioned abuse prevention. What kind of resources do you have for abuse prevention in elders?

[Laura Tamblyn Watts]

There are so few resources in this country. It shames us if we look at the comparative jurisdictions in the G20. There is not one place for older adults to call. We've been advocating for a phone line. We already have a national crime prevention phone line that could be used as an elder abuse phone line. We've not had an awareness campaign on elder abuse and neglect since 2009. The prevalence of elder abuse and neglect is considered to be about one in six older people. The resources by contrast are almost non-existent.

This federal government has a role it can play which it has not yet had the opportunity to play, but we hope it will. The provinces and territories are cutting back the very little community-based funding there is.

It's shocking, and it doesn't need to be. The rates of elder abuse are expanding quantitatively.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

That's excellent.

Thank you very much.

We're now going to turn it over to Marjolaine.

You have time to ask a question.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Okay, thank you.

I first want to ask the clerk whether each party can send written questions to Ms. Weeks. We were unable to ask her any questions earlier.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

It's at the discretion of the committee. If you go into your question, then we'll discuss.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Thank you.

My question is for Ms. Tamblyn Watts.

As you know, I'm replacing Irene Mathyssen today. A few years ago, Ms. Mathyssen proposed a national seniors strategy. Her proposals and the proposals in your report entitled “The FACES of Canada's Seniors” have a great deal in common with regard to financial security, violence prevention, health care and housing.

However, I don't know whether your report contains one of Ms. Mathyssen's specific proposals, which was to create a seniors advocate position. In this proposal in your report? If not, would this be a good recommendation for the committee?

Seniors, especially single women, often don't know whom to approach.

[Laura Tamblyn Watts]

We strongly support having either a seniors advocate or a seniors ombudsman at the federal level. We see this in other comparable countries as well. Canada has been lagging behind. We even see our provinces and territories have either a seniors ombudsman or seniors advocate. The opportunity is ripe for Canada to do so.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

That's excellent.

Thank you very much.

As Marjolaine mentioned, to get questions to Lori Weeks who was showing up for Dalhousie, if you would like to submit any questions to the clerk, she will then give them to Lori and get responses that way. That will be an option for us as well.

She did provide us a brief as well as a power point presentation. There may be some information there that will help you as well.

Seeing no other questions or comments, today's meeting is adjourned.