Debates of Feb. 12th, 2007

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it saddens me to rise today to talk about Kashechewan again. As members are aware, Kashechewan has been in the news in the past week, with descriptions of the despair many young people are feeling in the community. Their school has been closed for months.

Along with the continuing worry of flood during the season's ice breakup, worry about the new location of their community, and worry over mental health issues, particularly among the young, the lack of a school creates more stress in the community.

Unfortunately, Kashechewan is not alone. In Attawapiskat, the elementary school has been closed for over a year because of a diesel fuel spill. The students are now attending at the remaining school in shifts.

In Manitoba, students from the Mosakahiken Cree Nation are waiting for a new school to be built after the old one burned to the ground in 2005.

In the Opaskwayak Cree Nation, the school is so overcrowded that it has 25% more students than it was built for.

In the Manto Sipi Cree Nation, two students had to go to Winnipeg and Thompson to attend high school. The students, Dwayne Ross and Sunshine Ross, went missing, and are still missing to this day.

If we look at the water situation, we can see that Kashechewan is not alone. We are not just talking about remote communities.

In my own community of Duncan, Cowichan tribes spend part of every year with contaminated water from their seven community wells and 33 individual wells. These residences are mere metres away from the municipal service in Duncan but cannot have reliable access to clean drinking water. It is all about infrastructure.

Those are just a few of the communities around the country that are waiting for help with their infrastructure.

This is the question I really have. Is it true that there is a shortfall in capital infrastructure money to provide basic services to first nations in this year, 2007-08, of $293 million, and that facilities operation and management dollars are underfunded to the tune of $82 million? That is a total of $375 million overall that first nations do not receive to provide basic services like clean drinking water, waste water treatment, and access to schools and community recreation.

Will the Conservative government commit to meeting this funding gap in the upcoming budget?

[Steven Fletcher, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is the government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars over and above what had previously been invested by the previous government.

The question deals with Kashechewan and the challenges the people face there, so I will focus my remarks on that particular situation.

I think all members of the House will agree that last year the people of Kashechewan faced a very difficult and serious set of problems. We said at the time, and we will repeat, the situation that existed before the government took office was completely unacceptable, and we have worked hard to ensure it does not happen again.

I am happy to report that one year later there has been significant improvements in the community, but we know the work is far from complete. That is why our government continues to work with the leadership of Kashechewan and the tribal council to find durable, long term solutions to the challenges faced by the people of Kashechewan.

We recognize that the problems faced by the community are both immediate and long term. We are taking action on both fronts. We have already made progress in many key areas. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada continues to work with first nations to ensure that the current community is sustainable in the short and medium term. Work has been done to repair housing and other key infrastructure in place.

As of August last year, all residents had returned to the community. I am happy to report that the problems with the community's drinking water have been alleviated as well. The drinking water advisory was lifted on June 26 last year. The water produced by the community's water treatment plant is safe and meeting provincial standards. Also the latest phase of automation of the water treatment plant is expected to be completed in the near future.

To date, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development has invested approximately $12.2 million in housing in Kashechewan and that includes $8.5 million to the tribal council for renovations to 60 homes and another $4 million for 35 mobile homes to be set up in the community as temporary accommodation. These can also be used as permanent, longer term housing if needed.

Most of the 42 homes damaged by the recent flooding have also been repaired and renovations to another 30 homes are almost complete.

The government is working with partner agencies on measures to make every reasonable attempt to prevent flooding and reduce the impact on the community if flooding does occur in the spring.

A working group made up of representatives from several federal and provincial departments and ministries, including Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Health Canada, Emergency Management Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources have formed a plan to prepare for possible flooding in the James Bay area first nations this spring.

In terms of other infrastructure to meet the needs of the community, a new jail and police detachment building have been in operation since September 2006. As well, an assessment of elementary schools has been completed, while both elementary and high school students are accommodated at the high school. We have agreed to cover the costs of repairs to the elementary school and to address the health and safety concerns. As of yet, we have not received a response from the education authority or the first nation.

Progress has been made in resolving--

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. member for Nanaimo—Cowichan.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I really did not get an answer to my question.

We are talking about Kashechewan as an example of serious problems with infrastructure and that is repeated in communities across the nation, and I mentioned a few. Part of it is schools have burned down, or they have been contaminated by fuel spills or water. In my own community Cowichan tribes people adjacent to a city cannot get funding for adequate infrastructure for water and sewer. What we have seen over a number of years has been a 2% cap on funding, which has perpetuated a serious infrastructure deficit.

Many of these communities across the country have not had sufficient infrastructure to begin with. We have heard horror stories from communities where there is a water plant in place, but there are no water lines to hook up the homes. We have certainly seen it in Kashechewan.

Again, will the 2% cap be lifted and appropriate funding be put in--

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health.

[Steven Fletcher, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I think the member would agree that the condition in which the previous government left the first nations across the country was deplorable and that work needed to be done.

I am happy to assure the member that the government is doing everything possible to ensure that the citizens in all first nations communities can exist in a safe and friendly environment.

I want to make it clear that INAC officials are reviewing the Alan Pope report of November 8, 2006, where he makes a number of recommendations on how to improve the situation on Kashechewan. We are looking at--

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. Unfortunately, we have run out of time for the adjournment proceedings today.

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24.

(The House adjourned at 6:39 p.m.)