Status of Women Committee on Feb. 23rd, 2021

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

I'm sorry, Gudie, but that's your time.

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Long Range Mountains, NL]

Okay. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

We'll continue.

Ms. Larouche, you may go ahead. You have six minutes.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I want to thank all the witnesses for being here today to discuss this important issue, the challenges faced by women in rural communities.

Apart from the big city of Granby, the riding I represent, Shefford, is mainly made up of small rural communities. They're absolutely lovely. I've lived in small towns before. I take pride in living in a rural area, but I'm very aware of the challenges that go along with that.

I want to discuss some of those challenges.

The Standing Committee on the Status of Women has spent a lot of time talking about how much women need reliable Internet access in order to stay in touch, receive services and connect with people.

We are aware of the so-called pole war that has hurt the broadband program. We realize that connecting a pole on the last concession road in a remote small town is much more expensive than doing the same in a city.

What could the government have done to offset that cost difference?

I'd like to hear what Ms. Ivey and Ms. O'Brien have to say.

[Melissa O'Brien]

I'm sorry. Was the question about how to get to the last mile?

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Yes. As we know, it costs more.

[Melissa O'Brien]

I think it's a very good question.

I know that for our project the determining factor was whether you go out and try to connect more of the underserved premises or start with the ones that are further away and cost more. That's a decision that needs to be made across the board when you're looking at broadband funding. Again, is it to get more of the underserved connected or is it the farther-reaching ones? I guess that is the question in terms of how you move forward. I think all levels of government—whether it be at the federal, the provincial or the municipal level—are looking at addressing that.

I don't believe that any household should be left behind and be further marginalized and become vulnerable, especially those in the rural hamlets and villages. I hear from women across our project region who are constantly feeling frustrated with the lack of reliable Internet that's available to their houses. They especially are struggling, as the other witnesses have touched upon, when there is online schooling taking place, as well as remote working.

They're struggling. That is a very good question: How we get them all connected as quickly as possible? I believe that all levels of government are working together to find that solution.

[Adrienne Ivey]

Yes. I would add that I think that possibly the most important aspect in the cost of that last mile is really a collaborative approach, working directly with the rural residents and getting as many of them on board as possible, and taking part in cost-sharing as well. I think it's really important to have larger projects that encompass more people, rather than many smaller projects going on at the same time. Efficiency-wise, that's the only way to be able to cover a geography like Saskatchewan's, which is so vast.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology is studying high-speed Internet access right now.

Ms. Napper-Beamish and Ms. Kehler, I truly feel for you. You've endured a lot of stress.

I'd like to ask you about policing and funding for police forces like the RCMP versus provincial police services. As I mentioned, the area I live in is vast. I've had to call police before and they told me that they didn't have enough officers to cover the entire area.

The lack of funding is especially glaring in indigenous police forces. We know indigenous women are much more likely to experience violence.

Do you think the crime and violence that you face would decrease if more resources were allocated to police, with the necessary funding being transferred to the provinces and Quebec?

[Gail Kehler]

It would be nice if we could have more police on staff. It feels like they have to cover too many areas. Only certain police, I believe, are allowed to even go on the reserve. I believe there are issues around access. I'm not sure. I don't know a lot about the activities there, but I would like to see more police on the beat and have more police presence.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Do you have anything to add, Ms. Napper-Beamish?

[Pamela Napper-Beamish]

In our area the RCMP have a very large area to cover. We are actually at the point where the detachment has suggested that citizens go on patrol. Community members will go out and take what you might call shifts, for a two-hour stint. They'll drive the area to make sure the activity leaves our area.

When it comes to the indigenous areas, I asked the Onion Lake detachment to submit if they had anything, but they had just had a shooting. There were shots fired at the RCMP up there, so I just left them alone. Otherwise, I would have had that information.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Now we're going to Ms. Mathyssen for six minutes.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you to the witnesses. It's very interesting today.

Ms. Ivey, you were specifically talking about the struggles of keeping up with those huge Internet bills and what's necessary. The interesting thing I have learned over the years in terms of farming is the technological investment that's required—the fact that you're using tractors, combines and equipment that is remotely driven, or using drones to cover those hundreds and hundreds of acres that you farm.

Can you talk about the specific costs related to that kind of technology? Is that accessible to you at all? What could be provided in terms of supports to ensure that affordability is there?

[Adrienne Ivey]

Thank you. I love that question. That is an excellent question.

Farming definitely utilizes far more technology than ever before, and it's something farmers are really excited about and want to embrace. Part of using technology comes with data management. We have so much information we're compiling on each of our farms right now that has to do with soil health, animal health and even the metrics around the finances of the farm. We have all this information, but because we can't collect it in a timely manner from our equipment, we cannot make decisions based on that information, even though it's at our fingertips. We just don't have the Internet capability to really analyze all that information.

When it comes to affording the actual technology you're speaking about—whether it's GPS systems in our tractors or monitoring some of our animal health systems—we're already paying for that technology even though we can't use it. The tractors and combines all come with that stuff in them. It's not even an option. We utilize it to the small extent we can, but if we had more connectivity on the farm, we would be able to utilize these amazing tools that we're already paying for.

The sky is the limit when it comes to technology in farming, and I'm so excited to see where it takes us. However, we're a very long way from being able to utilize what we already have, let alone what we're going to see in the future.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

That need to constantly be competitive, the idea of the family farm versus more of the larger industrial farms.... There is that competition requirement, so to keep up is key in terms of that industry, I understand.

Ms. O'Brien, I actually had the opportunity to participate or listen in on the presentation by the members of SWIFT. I think it was a couple of weeks ago. Being in southwestern Ontario, of course, it's a huge concern for me. While my riding is very urban-suburban, it certainly is impactful on all of that community that surrounds us and the supports that the surrounding area has to come into London to receive, unfortunately.

Some of the requests that you had of the federal government.... There was a lot of information given by my Liberal colleague in terms of what's available. However, you're very well aware of what is and what isn't. One of the concerns that you had, of course, was with regard to the universal broadband fund, the CRTC funds in southwestern Ontario. You mentioned that you cover 10% of the population that is underserved; however, you've received none of that funding. Is that correct?

[Melissa O'Brien]

That was previously, under the connect to innovate program. What the request was.... Because southwestern Ontario represents 10% of the population, there would be an assumption or an expectation that at least 10% of the funding would be directed towards that area. Under the connect to innovate program, there was zero funding awarded to southwestern Ontario.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

One of the problems, too, is that there are a whole bunch of sources, but they are not coordinated. One of the presenters said that it actually isn't efficient. Could you talk about that a little bit?

[Melissa O'Brien]

In southwestern Ontario, I believe that there are roughly five funding mechanisms in place to solve the same challenges in a geographic location, none of which are currently taking a very coordinated approach. Ideally, it would be nice to see a coordination between all of them. The issue that comes with that is that ISPs are now applying for multiple funding mechanisms that all have different applications and processes to them, so there is some repeat in terms of how much time that takes, the time constraints that's putting in. Then, a lot of them tend to kind of be putting in for all the applications and waiting to see what comes back.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

One of the key comments was that the CIB is now a loan. How useful would it be for that to actually be turned into a subsidy for you guys?

[Melissa O'Brien]

SWIFT wouldn't have access to that. I think the commentary was around the fact that the smaller ISPs have been really engaged in the SWIFT project. We have 16 unique ISPs that have been receiving funding through SWIFT, and each one of them has a very important role to play, whether it's large, medium or small. We've been very successful with the smaller ISPs participating. That subsidy through the Infrastructure Bank isn't something that's really accessible to them for the dollars that they would need to—

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Again, it's about the coordination of that and the use, the full use—everyone being able to access that funding appropriately.

[Melissa O'Brien]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

That's your time.

Now we're going to Ms. Shin for five minutes.

[Nelly Shin, Conservative, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you.

I'd like to thank all the ladies for presenting today. Every time I hear about rural crime and the Internet, I feel for you. I know that we have to get some things happening to help you.

Melissa, you mentioned the importance of digital empowerment for women, especially in this time of lockdown when many services have gone online. You mentioned the need for digital literacy. What is already being done to teach women digital literacy, and how can it improve and grow?

What role does the federal government have in being able to give women these tools?