Human Resources committee  Thank you. Mr. Chair and members of the committee, I thank the committee for this invitation, and I take this opportunity to acknowledge that we are gathered on traditional Algonquin territory. My name is Lyse Langevin, and I'm here today to represent Indigenous and Northern A

Human Resources committee  Budget 2017 builds on the historic investments of budget 2016, of which $416 million over two years was dedicated to housing. The dollars go to the first nations and they decide how they allocate it within their housing projects. These investments are addressing priorities of t

Human Resources committee  It is an interesting topic. The dollars are allocated to the first nations, and they are responsible for managing their own finances.

Human Resources committee  For the budget 2016 dollars, yes, there are mechanisms in the contribution agreements, for example, for a certificate of construction and so on.

Human Resources committee  That is correct.

Human Resources committee  Everyone, including first nations governments, supports transparency and accountability. Since last summer, we have been working with indigenous organizations, including the AFN, on ways to enhance mutual accountability. We're reaching out to community members and leadership thro

Human Resources committee  In terms of the budget 2016 money that was allocated to the various projects across the first nations on reserve, the contribution agreements, as I mentioned earlier, do have a requirement to have reporting against the outcome of the project, and it is monitored by the department

Human Resources committee  I have a kind of two-pronged approach to the answer to your question. In terms of what happens when we witness a project that didn't come back with a certification, the budget 2016 money just started now, so we're starting to see the end of these projects. I'll have to get back

Human Resources committee  We take accountability seriously. Our contribution agreements between our government and first nations do contain strong provisions, such as audit possibilities, to ensure the funds are used as intended.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'll take that question. Thank you very much. First nations manage fire protection services on reserve. They're responsible for making their specific decisions and their funding decisions under the annual core funding that INAC provides to them. Having said that, we work closely

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I have a general level that I can share with you today, and we could come back and give you the information per province. INAC provides, as part of its A-base, approximately $26 million a year for fire protection across the country. In budget 2016, $250 million was provided for

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  You are correct that the onus is at the local level. You're absolutely correct. The study that the aboriginal firefighters did identified four major initiatives that should be followed. We've endorsed their recommendations. There should be the creation of an indigenous fire mars

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There is no standard at this moment.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for the answer. That is why the institution of the fire marshal is really key, because it will drive the standard. It will have legislation to go with it that would permit the bands and the first nations to adopt the building codes and so on. That is why it is so key.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  In terms of assessment of comparability of responsibilities, I don't know that there has work done that way, except for the fact that the non-indigenous communities off reserve are under the chapeau of the provincial authority in terms of building codes and firefighting, whereas