Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'm sorry. I don't know how to answer this question.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. It has happened to me quite a few times. I work full time. Most times I need to escort my grandmother when she's going to hospital. When I escort her, since she is not my dependant and is not eligible to be my dependant, I have to go on leave without pay.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. I'm the only one in the house with a job, so that takes a huge toll on our income.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The longest was three weeks.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. Most times, it's two days to a week.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It gets to a point where I wonder how I will be able to feed my children. How will I pay the bills on time? Who's going to look after them while I'm away? It's really hard, mentally, to be away and to have to worry about them. Who's going to feed them? Who's going to take care of

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  If escorts were paid, it would be less stressful wondering how we're going to get transportation. Most of the time, if there are no drivers, we have to pay for our transportation. If we were getting paid, we wouldn't worry so much about having food on the table, and being on leav

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I lost connection for a bit, so I did not hear the question.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No. I just turned it on.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It really takes a toll on the whole family when someone is sick, because there are no hospitals in most northern communities, so most people have to fly out. We end up having to look for someone to be with that person out of town, which leaves families and kids behind. Being away

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I can. It's really hard having to leave to be an escort, especially when you have kids and you have to leave them behind. You're bringing the patient to the appointments. If they need surgery, for example, you're preparing them for that. It requires a lot of time. It gets really

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I believe it would be better for people who are escorts to start getting paid, as going out of town for something medical is really stressful. Having to leave your children at home with someone and then being in a different city, having to remember appointments, taking them to th