Evidence of meeting #11 for Status of Women in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was men.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
Perfect. Thank you so much.
We're going to go now to Andréanne.
You have 90 seconds.
Bloc
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to thank the witnesses again for being here.
My last question is for Ms. Dolan.
We know that during the pandemic, the federal government made large payments to organizations that assist women victims of spousal violence. However, those payments are not recurring.
Could stable, recurring funding by the government help a resource like yours? Would that lighten the bureaucratic workload associated with finding funding? Would greater financial stability enable you to offer more services and help more victims?
Executive Director, YWCA Peterborough Haliburton
Yes, we need more stable funding. I understand that governments purchase service from organizations on behalf of their constituents. This is a compelling issue. Yes, we need more funding. Yes, we need more stable funding.
In many ways non-profits are penalized because we are really smart with funding. We can stretch a dollar. We learn a lot from business and business could learn a lot from us. But when we're really smart with the money and things change, we end up getting penalized for that. That doesn't bode well for any of us.
I think we need funding for stability and for data collection, so we can really start to demonstrate return on investment. We need to move the dial collectively and collaboratively.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
Thank you so much.
Thanks, Kim, you must have heard my buzzer. Thank you so much.
I'm now going to pass over the last 90 seconds to Leah.
Leah, you have the floor.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Thank you so much, Chair.
My questions are for Mr. Bourbonniere.
You talked about the importance of mindfulness in your last testimony. You also spoke about the importance of relationship, and that just sounds so simple, but it's critical. I think it's one of the reasons you're such a hero—you're my hero—in the city of Winnipeg in seeing long-term sustainable change with people who are working through their trauma and their own harmful behaviours. Why are relationships and mindfulness so critical to what you do with others?
Outreach Worker, Ogijiita Pimatiswin Kinamatawin
I think there's a power in a kinship type of relationship. I'm in a position where I become an uncle, and that is an indigenous lens. In a good way I can scold my nephews when they are behaving poorly.
We had a men's group last night and it was very powerful. One of the men who came is now 37 years old. I started with him when he was nine years old. I've been with him on and off for 28 years. He pays it back. It's generational what we're doing. At this point we have grandfathers, and we have dads, uncles and nephews who we're working with.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
Your time's up. I'm sorry about that, Leah.
We could go on for two more hours just with this panel.
On behalf of all of us on the status of women committee, I would really like to thank Mitch, Lisa, Jodi and Kim. Thank you so much for bringing this incredible testimony to us today.
I'm going to remind everybody that our next meeting will be on Friday. We will have the honourable Marci len appearing with a few members of her staff. For our second panel, we will be welcoming the Immigrant Women Services Ottawa.
Thank you, everybody, for a fantastic meeting today.
Do I have agreement to end the meeting today? Can we adjourn? I don't see any problems.
The meeting is adjourned.