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Results: 91 - 105 of 262
Christiane Fox
View Christiane Fox Profile
Christiane Fox
2021-04-29 12:12
I'm sorry; it's nine. Nine is the answer. It's here.
View Philip Lawrence Profile
CPC (ON)
Thank you very much.
I want to go back to you, Ms. Fox, in the line of questioning we were on.
We had the pledge to have all drinking water advisories done initially by this spring. What is the recalibrated goal, now that the government has acknowledged that obviously we won't be achieving that goal?
Christiane Fox
View Christiane Fox Profile
Christiane Fox
2021-04-29 12:13
As I mentioned, there are 33 communities that still have 52 long-term drinking water advisories. We're going to continue to work very closely with them.
What we're looking at in the short term is what kind of progress can be made over the next few months, especially taking into account the spring and summer construction. Obviously, with COVID still very present in a number of communities, we're looking to see what can and can't be done and what types of security measures could be put in place by way of rapid testing and other types of supports that we could provide, if communities decide that they want to proceed with construction or maintenance.
I can tell you that we remain committed to it. I can tell you that we have an action plan for each of the 33 communities, but it would be premature for me to put a time frame on this today, given that we're still living in the midst of COVID.
I really want to make sure that we have conversations with first nations and that they tell us when they feel that it's the right time to adjust or fix or build, or whatever process and step they're in.
View Philip Lawrence Profile
CPC (ON)
Thank you, Ms. Fox.
On the bigger scale, as I discussed with the AG, we were at 43% being at high or medium risk. Will we, in the next five years, get down to zero? Everyone here wants to get to zero, and I know probably you most of all want to get there.
We need to know for the indigenous communities out there when we will be at zero for high- to medium-risk situations.
Christiane Fox
View Christiane Fox Profile
Christiane Fox
2021-04-29 12:14
First of all, it might be helpful for the committee to know that in terms of the risk rating, we look at very specific points for the risk rating of a system: the water source, the system design, the system operation and maintenance, the operator training and certification, and the record keeping and reporting. Those are the high-level metrics by which we measure a high-risk or a medium-risk system.
As we look at the recommendations of the OAG and at the budget investments over the last cycles, we have to see how we address these so that we bring the number down.
The high-risk number has come down. High risk right now is at about 15% of projects, and you noted the 43% figure for high and medium. As we look at long-term solutions and not interim solutions, we see fewer projects of a high-risk nature. As we look at more funding for operators and maintenance and they're active in the communities, we again reduce the risk factor.
We'll continue to monitor.
View Philip Lawrence Profile
CPC (ON)
Thank you.
I'm concerned. I understand that your intentions are good, but words like “commitment” and “engagement” and “investments” don't cut it for people who right now cannot get clean water. We need commitments in terms of times and deadlines, etc.
On that note, I'd like to cede the rest of my time to Ms. Ashton for her questioning, as I think it's been great and critical.
View Niki Ashton Profile
NDP (MB)
Thank you very much to my colleague for that.
My question is to the Auditor General. I want to raise the issue of Red Sucker Lake.
Red Sucker Lake has a water treatment plant that was constructed in 1995. We know that the infrastructure in Red Sucker Lake First Nation to deliver dependable clean drinking water is simply not where it needs to be. In fact, when Red Sucker Lake was dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak before the end of December, it took the Canadian Forces to come in and identify clearly that having only one water truck to service the community was not only not adequate but was actually contributing to making people sick with COVID-19.
These are catastrophic implications. The AG report referred to how, in many cases, ISC seemed to rely on short-term solutions such as water trucks—and not enough of them—to solve water advisories. What we saw with Red Sucker Lake is that this is not what's needed.
What is keeping Indigenous Services Canada from making the investments necessary to ensure that communities don't have to rely on unsafe water practices, as in the case of Red Sucker Lake?
Karen Hogan
View Karen Hogan Profile
Karen Hogan
2021-04-29 12:17
I acknowledge that when so many communities have to deal with short-term and long-term drinking water advisories and all these temporary measures, they lose confidence in their water system, and that is definitely something that needs to be reversed and addressed.
All I can tell you is what we found in our audit, which showed the department's lack of the ability to meet its commitment. I linked it to the lack of a regulatory regime and issues with the funding formula, and hence inappropriate funding to those communities.
Your more pointed question, as to why it has taken so long to address those matters, will have to go to the department.
View Niki Ashton Profile
NDP (MB)
Let's turn it to the department.
In the case of Red Sucker Lake, why has it taken so long—and frankly, the presence of the Canadian Forces—to say that what they're facing is downright unsafe?
Christiane Fox
View Christiane Fox Profile
Christiane Fox
2021-04-29 12:18
In situations like Shamattawa and Red Sucker Lake, in COVID we have been working in lockstep with community leadership to support them during this pandemic. As you noted, COVID has pointed to the lack of housing and some of the other socio-economic gaps that exist.
We are committed to working with Red Sucker Lake and Shamattawa and to using these investments to address long-term solutions for the community.
View Kody Blois Profile
Lib. (NS)
View Kody Blois Profile
2021-04-29 12:19
Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to the witnesses for their testimony today.
Obviously, this is a very serious situation. It has a lot of legacy, as we know from the Auditor General's report. I look to exhibit 3.2 in the hopes that we are making a difference. I know that's cold comfort to communities that don't yet have access to clean drinking water, but there has been marked improvement. Our hope is that we can continue with this work to be able to get there.
My first question is to Ms. Fox.
Help me understand the role of Indigenous Services Canada as it relates to the operation and the actual capital on indigenous communities. I know some indigenous communities use own-source revenue. They have some of their own operations internally. Is the expectation that the federal government provides 100% of the necessary capital, or is there some working partnership there at all?
Christiane Fox
View Christiane Fox Profile
Christiane Fox
2021-04-29 12:20
Thank you for the question.
I think it's really important to flag what the role of Indigenous Services Canada is. The role is actually to work with leadership of indigenous communities to make determinations about what they need to support their communities.
Sometimes water is at the top of that list, for very obvious reasons. Sometimes there are other priorities. It could be a school construction build or a housing project. Rather than sort of dictate, we have to listen and ask what those priorities are that they have identified.
Yes, there may be some communities that say they would use own-source revenue to do various types of infrastructure, but I think our commitment to first nations communities for water infrastructure is that we can provide 100% of the capital. We can provide that 100% for O and M to allow them to do those projects in the quickest way possible and from a long-term perspective, but it is a partnership, so the decision can't come from our department. The decision has to come from the first nations leadership.
That's how we guide our work. It's for eventual full transformation.
View Kody Blois Profile
Lib. (NS)
View Kody Blois Profile
2021-04-29 12:21
Okay.
I want to take you to exhibit 3.3, Ms. Fox, where we have somewhere between 15 to 20 long-term advisories that have been in place for 15 years or longer, if I read the graph correctly.
Intrinsically, to me this is not necessarily just a money issue. This is capacity. This is geography. There are a whole host of things. I know that even in my own riding in Nova Scotia, there are communities that, because of colonization, were located in areas and terrains that were not desired. Is it fair to say that in some of the communities, part of this issue with some of these long-term advisories is actually finding quality water to provide to the community, or is it just the infrastructure? Can you speak to that a little bit?
Christiane Fox
View Christiane Fox Profile
Christiane Fox
2021-04-29 12:21
I think there are real complexities with some of these systems. It does not take away from the importance of doing it and for the quick action that is required to address them.
Where a first nation community is located in the country will have an impact on the water source, the availability of contractors, the availability of people to get up there. There's a different scale. There are some that are probably easier in nature than others, but absolutely there are different levels of complexities.
View Kody Blois Profile
Lib. (NS)
View Kody Blois Profile
2021-04-29 12:22
I want to go to paragraph 3.38. I think you might have touched on this with Mr. Lawrence, but it's just so I'm sure.
At that point in November 2020, there were 60. There was a commitment to try to eliminate at least 33. Did I hear that 27 have been eliminated since November 2020? Is that fair?
Results: 91 - 105 of 262 | Page: 7 of 18

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