AANO Committee Report

Recommendation 1:

That CanNor continue to work with territorial governments, Aboriginal leaders and other stakeholders in the North to develop, by the end of the 2011-2012 fiscal year, a formal mechanism for collaboration among federal, territorial and Aboriginal governments to ensure that its activities and programs are tailored to the unique needs of the North.

Recommendation 2:

Where applicable, that funding by the Government of Canada for infrastructure projects be provided through multi-year agreements.

Recommendation 3:

That the Government of Canada continue to work with its partners and stakeholders to facilitate the development of P3 proposals that are deemed viable for infrastructure development in the northern territories.

Recommendation 4:

That the Government of Canada provide support to northern communities and businesses, working in collaboration with territorial and Aboriginal governments to identify and facilitate the expansion of transmission grids in the North where they are most needed.

Recommendation 5:

That the Government of Canada develop a northern strategy for the increased production and use of renewable energy sources. Furthermore, the Government of Canada should continue to support pilot projects and demonstration activities, to better inform northern communities and businesses on the environmental merits and potential cost-savings of renewable energy.

Recommendation 6:

That the Government of Canada coordinate its efforts with its partners and stakeholders to better adapt northern infrastructure to climate change risks, ensuring that sufficient monitoring and reporting systems are in place to assess ongoing infrastructure performance.

Recommendation 7:

That the Government of Canada continue to support Industry Canada in the development of broadband in the northern territories beyond  the planned expiry of funding through Broadband Canada after  31 March 2012.

Recommendation 8:

That the Government of Canada, in order to satisfy the employment requirements in the North, continue to facilitate partnerships and continue to provide financial support to territorial and Aboriginal governments, businesses and communities to establish educational structures and training programs that attract Aboriginal students.

Recommendation 9:

That Human Resources and Skills Development Canada work with Aboriginal groups and each territorial government to assess the impact of their Aboriginal skills training programs to ensure that they are leading to improvements in the skills and employment prospects of Aboriginal peoples over time.

Recommendation 10:

That Human Resources and Skills Development Canada work directly with territorial governments and Aboriginal communities to co-develop a strategic plan for producing annual reports on the long-term performance of Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership and Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy, and report back to this Committee with their proposed strategic plan by October 2011.

Recommendation 11:

That the Government of Canada help support the Government of Nunavut to establish a full system of bilingual education, in English and Inuktitut, to enable a more labour-ready population in Nunavut. Furthermore, the appropriate funding arrangements to achieve this goal should be established through consultation and agreement between the Government of Canada, the Government of Nunavut, as well as Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, as the organization representing land claim holders in Nunavut.

Recommendation 12:

That the Government of Canada discuss increases in its long-term funding with territorial and Aboriginal governments in support of their early learning and early childhood development programs, to significantly reduce or eliminate waiting lists and facilitate the full participation of northern families in education, skills training and the wage economy.

Recommendation 13:

That the Government of Canada make it a priority to continue to work with territorial and Aboriginal governments and community organizations to develop and enhance essential programs supporting the economically vital traditional activities of Aboriginal peoples and other northerners, such as for hunting, trapping, fishing and gathering, as well as traditional arts such as carving and sculpting.

Recommendation 14:

That the Government of Canada continue to work with territorial governments and Aboriginal organizations to fund aboriginal student-training programs, through partnership with specific companies or industry sectors, and consider, along with the territorial governments an initial subsidy for training and wages conditional on trainee performance.

Recommendation 15:

That the Government of Canada, to reduce dependence on social assistance, continue to work with territorial and Aboriginal governments to offer conditional training allowances, especially in seasonal industries, that emphasize transition to long-term employment, and the connection between income and education.

Recommendation 16:

That the Government of Canada enhance its work with all three territorial governments, in concert with the three northern colleges, UArctic, and other relevant northern training institutions, to consider and develop options for increasing educational and knowledge capacity in the North.

Recommendation 17:

That the Government of Canada continue to work with territorial governments and northern Aboriginal communities to facilitate more targeted training programs and informational material for entrepreneurs on how to establish and maintain a business, particularly in those sectors designated as national priorities.

Recommendation 18:

That the Government of Canada enhance its work with territorial governments, educational institutions, and businesses to develop coordinated communication plans for educational and skills training programs and services available in the territories.

Recommendation 19:

To meet the continuing needs of housing in the North, the Government of Canada should consider extending new funding to the territorial and Aboriginal governments to significantly close the gap in core housing needs in the North.

Recommendation 20:

That the Government of Canada, to facilitate the development of the northern economy by attracting and retaining more skilled workers, consider enhancing the Northern Residents Tax Deduction to more fully compensate for the costs of living faced by individuals in the North, and consider a policy that provides universality to the travel portion of the Northern Residents Tax Deduction.

Recommendation 21:

That the Government of Canada, working with its partners and stakeholders, seek to resolve outstanding issues expressed by northerners on the delivery of nutritious foods under the new Nutrition North Canada program in a timely manner. Furthermore, as the new program becomes operational, the Government of Canada should produce a biennial public report that shows the impact of the new program on access to nutritious foods for northerners.

Recommendation 22:

That the Government of Canada work in partnership with Aboriginal organizations, territorial governments, and federal departments and agencies to expedite the resolution of all outstanding land claims and self-government agreements in the northern territories.

Recommendation 23:

That the Government of Canada identify and implement mechanisms, such as multi-year funding for contribution agreements, where possible, to ensure timely and adequate funding for the activities of Aboriginal communities in relation to their negotiations on self-government.

Recommendation 24:

That the Government of Canada, working in partnership with relevant organizations, which could include the Land Claims Agreement Coalition, outline concrete steps to resolve implementation issues, and seek to provide adequate resources to ensure effective transition and on-going implementation, to the agreement of all parties.

Recommendation 25:

That the Government of Canada work with Aboriginal organizations and industry to develop a template for the development of effective Impact Benefit Agreements, which could include a clarification of the roles and responsibilities of the parties.

Recommendation 26:

That the Government of Canada work with Aboriginal peoples and northern industry to ensure that a formal dispute resolution mechanism is established prior to the submission of a development proposal in the northern territories.

Recommendation 27:

That the Government of Canada work to enhance its current contracting policy to more effectively award contracts to businesses that achieve their Aboriginal benefits targets, as provided under the relevant land claim agreements, and provide more lead time in the bidding process to allow better preparation by northern businesses.

Recommendation 28:

That the Government of Canada work closely with territorial governments, local communities and Aboriginal organizations, with the goal of achieving the completion of land use plans.

Recommendation 29:

That the Government of Canada, to minimize the risk of failing to meet quorum for regulatory boards, stagger appointments and extend the term of existing board members, where possible, until new appointments can be made. As well, the Government should seek further enhancements to streamline the nomination and appointment process, to the satisfaction of all parties.

Recommendation 30:

That the Government of Canada work closely with territorial governments, local communities and Aboriginal organizations to resolve issues of funding by the end of the 2010-2011 fiscal year, to ensure adequate support for the increasingly demanding requirements of regulatory co-management boards in the North.

Recommendation 31:

That the Government of Canada work closely with territorial governments, local communities and Aboriginal organizations to provide regulatory bodies with sufficient support and training, including the development of federal-territorial-Aboriginal agreements and training programs.

Recommendation 32:

That Indian and Northern Affairs Canada should immediately develop and carry out a program to monitor cumulative impact in NWT. In so doing, INAC should work with Aboriginal groups to identify the information requirements of the co-management boards in the NWT for cumulative impact monitoring and provide a means of sharing this information among the federal and territorial governments, co-management boards, and Aboriginal communities.

Recommendation 33:

That the Government of Canada, as a priority, commit to work with the NWT and Nunavut governments, and with Aboriginal governments toward the achievement of full devolution agreements.

Recommendation 34:

That the Government of Canada explore more rigorous techniques to estimate expenditure need for the purposes of calculating the Territorial Formula Financing grant, including measures of relative living standards in the territories, before the next review of the Territorial Formula Financing program in 2012.

Recommendation 35:

That the Government of Canada continue to work with the territorial governments to improve the clawback provisions of the Territorial Formula Financing grant to better promote economic development.