Mr. Speaker, let me first explain that the B.C. community development program the member mentions does not refer to a Human Resources Development Canada program.
The Community Fisheries Development Centre is a non-profit organization which aims to improve existing skills in fishing communities and support the development of new skills so that people displaced from fishing can find new or supplementary work.
The CFDC has delivered many of the government's programs and services to the fishing industry and industry workers in British Columbia. Local human resources development officials work closely with the CFDC on the design and implementation of both employment assistance and a job creation project. HRDC will continue to use the services of the centre as the need arises.
From the beginning, the role of Human Resources Development Canada has been to assist west coast fisheries workers adjust to the structural changes to their industry and the poor fishing seasons of the past two years. HRDC has used a strategic approach to address the challenges of the industry. Together with local community and industry partners in the fishing sector, the government has ensured that services offered met the individual needs of affected workers.
Over the past two years the government has committed over $22 million, funding 129 projects to assist over 3,600 people. While some of the reasons employment assistance is needed have changed from the previous two years, the government will continue to work closely with industry associations to develop and deliver both short term and long term interventions to help individual fishers and coastal communities.
Human Resources Development Canada will build on the work of the past two years to ensure that helping fishing industry workers remains a priority.
Let me assure the House that all projects have helped improve the employability of individual workers. Local officials have received very positive feedback from workers, unions and local communities about the value of the assistance offered by the Government of Canada. This was reflected in the recent report of the Community Fisheries Development Centre summarizing its work with Human Resources Development Canada.