Vance Badawey

[Indigenous Affairs, February 8th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Nunavut for raising this very important issue. I would like to acknowledge, first of all, that I am speaking from the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin and Anishinabe people.

We understand that historic wrongs have harmed Inuit elders. We are working extremely hard to build a new type of relationship with all indigenous peoples across this great nation, one that is built on recognition of rights, respect and partnership.

The Government of Nunavut holds jurisdiction over health care and this includes long-term and continuing care. The federal department, Indigenous Services Canada, works very closely with Nunavut officials to ensure that they have the resources to address the health care needs of Nunavut.

The government supported Nunavut in managing health care costs during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing $238 million in funding. This included funding to help the health care system as a whole and funding to directly support Inuit communities. Transitioning into the postpandemic period, this government is committed to continuing to provide health support to the Government of Nunavut and its people. For the year 2022-23, the federal government has allocated $47 million to health care funding for Nunavut.

The federal government also provides funding that directly helps elder Inuit through a program called first nations and Inuit home and community care. Indigenous Services Canada has a 10-year Nunavut wellness agreement in place with the Government of Nunavut that provides over $87 million to support home and community care services. This includes special enhancements funding that supported the response during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program was co-developed with Inuit and first nations partners. It provides services on reserve and is based in the community. It supports people with complex care requirements, inclusive of palliative and end-of-life care, and their caregivers. This allows them to stay in their homes and their communities for as long as possible. Through the program, first nations and Inuit people of all ages are provided essential health care services. This includes vulnerable seniors and those living with disabilities and acute or chronic illness.

On top of the home and community care program, officials in my department will be working with Nunavut partners to co-develop a distinctions-based indigenous long-term and continuing care framework to ensure that residents can receive services closer to home. This is part of an overall effort to improve health care for indigenous people by providing culturally relevant programs and by working to eliminate racism against indigenous people in the health care system. The goal is to ensure that health care is culturally safe and inclusive across the country.

The federal government also provides support for mental health programming and services in the north. For example, for 2021-22, we allocated $24.6 million toward mental health in Nunavut.

This government is responding to the health care needs of elder Inuit and other indigenous people in the north. We know that there are difficulties, and we want to avoid the need for elders to leave home to receive the care they need. We are working closely with indigenous and territorial partners to improve health care in the communities of Nunavut in order to better meet the needs of each and every community.

[Health, January 31st, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I would like to once again thank the member for Nunavut for her question.

While territorial governments are responsible for the delivery of health care in the territories, we continue to work together to ensure Inuit have access to culturally safe supports and services.

We have made additional investments in response to the confirmation of unmarked burials at the sites of former residential schools, and $107 million was announced in August 2021 to expand access to cultural and emotional mental wellness supports related to intergenerational trauma. This is on top of the $330 million provided through budget 2021 to renew access to trauma-informed supports and crisis line services. Budget 2022 renewed this investment, providing over $227.6 million over two years to maintain these supports and build upon the services funded through budget 2021.

We continue to support indigenous partners and communities to meet their needs as well as their priorities.

[Health, January 31st, 2023]

Madam Speaker, this day is an opportunity, an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health, not only a day, but a week, a month and years ahead. It is a chance for all of us to talk about our work and focus on what needs to be done. I would like to thank the member for continuing this conversation.

The member rightly mentions that suicide has had devastating impacts on families and communities in Nunavut. We know these high rates are linked to a variety of factors, including the impacts of colonization, discrimination and the loss of culture and language, but we also know the way forward. The way forward is to address the disparities in the social determinants of health and help people find a sense of hope and belonging.

That is why, on October 6, the Government of Canada and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami announced $11 million in new supports to help strengthen the implementation of the national Inuit suicide prevention strategy. This funding comes from budget 2022 and builds on previous investments in budget 2019.

The national Inuit suicide prevention strategy was launched by ITK in 2016, and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight its work. The strategy is an Inuit-led, evidence-based and globally informed approach to reducing suicide among Inuit and Inuit Nunangat. It focuses on six priority areas for action: creating social equity, creating cultural continuity, nurturing healthy Inuit children, ensuring access to mental wellness services for Inuit, healing unresolved trauma and grief, and mobilizing Inuit knowledge for resilience and suicide prevention.

ITK and Inuit land claim organizations are taking a holistic Inuit-specific approach to suicide prevention and focusing on systemic changes, early intervention, and support. The new funding that was just announced will support them in that hard work.

We are also working in close partnership with the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated to respond to the mental health wellness needs of Inuit in the territory. Through this partnership we are contributing more than $242 million over 10 years to the Nunavut wellness agreement for community wellness initiatives. In 2021-22, $24.6 million in funding was allocated to the Government of Nunavut, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and community organizations for mental health wellness teams and other mental wellness services. As one final example, and a strong example, I might add, of our strong partnership, I am pleased that construction is slated to begin this year on the Nunavut recovery centre. An enormous amount of planning, design and coordination has gone into this project since it was announced just a year and a half ago.

Once again, we are looking forward to continuing our work in partnership with the Inuit.

[Indigenous Affairs, January 31st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I send my deepest condolences to the family and the entire community for the loss of the young girl due to a fire incident in Peawanuck.

Minister Hajdu spoke with Chief Hunter on Sunday to express her condolences and confirmed that Indigenous Services would be able to coordinate supports for this particular community. We will provide more updates as more information can be confirmed and as officials continue their discussions with the community.

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 30th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, insofar as Indigenous Services Canada, or ISC, is concerned, the response is as follows.

With respect to part (a), ISC continues to support the Okanagan Indian Band with the addition to reserve of the former Canadian National Railway corridor lands bisecting Duck Lake Indian Reserve No. 7. Canadian National Railway is currently the registered owner of the lands in fee simple, and Canada has previously provided Canadian National Railway with a draft agreement of purchase and sale to support the transfer of lands to Canada for the use and benefit of the band. Negotiations around the purchase and sale agreement are ongoing between Canadian National Railway, the Okanagan Indian Band and Canada.

With respect to part (b)(i), since the parties are in confidential negotiations on terms of land instruments such as permits under the Indian Act, it is not appropriate for the department to comment.

With respect to part (b)(ii), the Okanagan Indian Band continues to work to resolve third party interests, including property rights required by telecommunications providers, electrical transmission and distribution services, sewer utility interests and access agreements for on-reserve developments. The Okanagan Indian Band has taken the lead on these negotiations and has the support of legal and technical experts working to satisfy additions to reserve requirements. Canada has offered to support the band with its negotiations and has assisted with providing template documents.

With respect to part (c), there have been no meetings or briefings on this project with the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations or the Minister of Indigenous Services Canada since November 1, 2021.

With respect to part (d), the last communication between ISC and the Okanagan Indian Band regarding the addition to reserve was sent on November 15, 2022. The email communication was regarding the City of Kelowna replacement sewer permit that is currently being reviewed by the respective legal counsel of the City of Kelowna, Canada and the Okanagan Indian Band as a requirement of the additions to reserve process.

With respect to part (e), it is difficult to estimate timelines for completion, as completion of the addition to reserve is subject to the readiness and willingness of third party interest holders to terminate or negotiate and execute federal replacement interests with the Okanagan Indian Band. This is an ISC British Columbia region priority file, and the department continues to work in collaboration with the Okanagan Indian Band to complete the addition to reserve.

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 30th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, insofar as Indigenous Services Canada, or ISC, is concerned, the response is as follows.

With regard to part (a), the mental wellness program of ISC does not have targeted funding specific to recreational activities. As such, recreational activities are not part of the reporting requirement for mental wellness program funding recipients.

ISC’s mental wellness program provides annual funding to support first nations and Inuit access to mental wellness services to reduce risk factors, promote protective factors and improve associated health outcomes. This includes mental wellness promotion; substance use prevention and treatment; life promotion and suicide prevention; crisis response services; harm reduction; and emotional and cultural support services.

ISC funds mental wellness services that include the following.

A network of 45 treatment centres, as well as drug and alcohol prevention services, in the majority of indigenous communities across Canada began in 1975-76. Many treatment centres have reopened with reduced occupancy due to local public health measures. However, many centres are finding alternate ways of delivering services, including virtual approaches.

A network of 71 mental wellness teams, which began in 2013-14, serves 359 first nations and Inuit communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic region, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon.

Access to mental health counselling and emotional and cultural support services has been provided to former students of Indian residential schools, beginning in 2007-08, and federal Indian day schools, beginning in 2020-21, and their families, and those affected by the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, beginning in 2018-19. Services include access to cultural and emotional supports, professional counselling services for individuals and families, and assistance with the cost of transportation services to access counselling services and/or cultural supports.

The Hope for Wellness helpline began in 2016-17 and offers immediate help to all indigenous peoples across Canada. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offers counselling and crisis intervention.

Access to harm reduction measures, including naloxone, and funding for wraparound services at 72 opioid agonist therapy sites began in 2017-18. Opioid agonist therapy involves taking opioid agonists such as methadone or buprenorphine-naloxone to prevent withdrawal and reduce cravings for opioids. Wraparound services work to address underlying or associated issues through counselling and traditional practices.

With regard to part (b), funding for the mental wellness program has increased from an approximate annual amount of $325 million in 2015-16 to $580 million in 2021-22. An off-cycle amount of $107 million in 2021-22 to expand trauma-informed supports to all forms of trauma increased this investment to approximately $687 million in 2021-22. Funding is allocated to communities based on priorities and needs established through regional partnership structures and decision-making processes.

[Questions on the Order Paper, December 13th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, the total amount spent to resolve the long-term drinking water advisories, or LT DWAs, is as follows. It should be noted that for many LT DWA projects there are other community infrastructure projects that are also needed to support access to clean drinking water.

Since fiscal year 2016–17, and as of September 30, 2022, approximately $491 million has been spent on 105 projects that have resulted in the resolution of LT DWAs affecting public systems on reserve in first nations communities. This includes targeted funding spent on infrastructure repairs, upgrades and new construction projects. It does not include operations and maintenance funding or funding spent on operator support and capacity building to address LT DWAs. This includes spending on all infrastructure projects to address LT DWAs, including short-term and long-term solutions.

This amount can be broken down by fiscal year, or FY, as follows: FY 2016-17, $45,531,280; FY 2017-18, $65,197,302; FY 2018-19, $98,797,065; FY 2019-20, $125,652,108; FY 2020-21, $96,541,971; FY 2021-22, $47,105,175; and FY2022-23, to September 30, 2022, $12,249,853. Regional operations’ regional infrastructure delivery branch information is used to calculate the amount spent on long-term drinking water advisories, which his updated quarterly by regional operations’ community infrastructure branch and regional infrastructure delivery branch to track this information.

In response to part (b), the overall cost of a water or waste-water treatment project varies by community and is based on specific infrastructure needs, such as treatment plants or distribution systems. The average cost associated with lifting an advisory, to date, is approximately $3.6 million, excluding operations and maintenance costs. Indigenous Services Canada, or ISC, is unable to provide the median cost associated with lifting an advisory because many advisories have been addressed by more than one project, including both long-term and short-term solutions, while some projects address more than one advisory. Additionally, some advisories have been reissued and may have been addressed under an ongoing or new project. Operations and maintenance costs also vary based on the complexity and variability of community water and waste-water systems.

With regard to part (c), of the long-term advisories lifted so far, three projects addressing three LT DWAs in Lake Manitoba, affecting the band office system, Jordan’s principle building system and the public system, have had the lowest cost to date at a total of $238,000; and a project addressing seven LT DWAs in Shoal Lake #40 affecting the first nation’s previous pumphouse systems had the highest cost to date at $33 million.

With regard to part (d), ISC provides funding for on-reserve public water and waste-water systems to first nations communities. First nations are responsible for the planning, design, procurement, construction, and operation and maintenance of on-reserve infrastructure, and the department does not engage, influence or interfere, as a standard practice, in the design or procurement of products or services. Funding for products and services is provided directly to first nations through the department’s regional offices and first nations award contracts to suppliers, contractors and service providers. ISC does not hold or share this third-party contract information.

[Firearms, December 8th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity, as well, to thank the Bloc, and in particular its MPs, those who are on the committee and the one who brought the motion forward. I thank them for that, and I also thank the NDP.

The key here is that we work together with different organizations and different members of the House to ensure, once again, that we get those dangerous weapons off the streets.

[Firearms, December 8th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, today Liberal members of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, alongside the Bloc Québécois and the NDP, requested two urgent meetings to be held immediately.

The premise behind this is to work together with the Bloc and the NDP. Unfortunately, the Conservatives continue to be part of the problem versus being part of the solution.

The mission here is to get guns off the street—

[Retirement Congratulations, December 1st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I am both saddened and happy today to stand in the House and recognize the contributions and the retirement of Port Colborne resident Barbara Butters.

First elected to city council in 1997, Barbara went on to serve six terms as a city councillor before adding another term as a regional councillor representing the great people of the city of Port Colborne. While we will miss her wisdom and her service, we also want to wish her and her husband Larry, our city’s Santa and Mrs. Claus at this time of year, the very best in her retirement.

Barbara Butters has been an inspiration to anyone who has had the honour of working with her and spent a lifetime setting an example for anyone wishing to serve their communities. Barbara has always been a genuine, loyal and caring individual and a great Canadian. It was an honour to work with her and a privilege to call her a friend.