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Results: 1 - 15 of 50
View Gary Vidal Profile
CPC (SK)
Thank you.
I have probably one final question. COVID-19 magnified the realities of some of the jurisdictional quagmires around indigenous people in urban settings. You and I have had the conversation many times about friendship centres and the funding. It took some time to kind of make it through the community support funding process for the urban indigenous folks. Friendship centres offer a variety of services that are as diverse as the communities they serve. I know that friendship centres are looking for a longer-term commitment so that they can plan for their future, invest in infrastructure, make sure they have commitments to programs that are ongoing, and make good, efficient decisions.
Is there anything going on with any of the budget work or the estimate work that would provide that long-term commitment for friendship centres that serve urban indigenous people?
View Randall Garrison Profile
NDP (BC)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I too want to thank the witnesses for being with us, especially during National Nursing Week and also Indigenous Nurses Day. I want to thank them, obviously, for the work their members have done over the last 15 months, but also for the work I know they'll do when the rest of our society moves on from the immediate COVID crisis and the impacts are left to their members to deal with.
I want to start with a question, Ms. Nowgesic, about services and supports available to indigenous seniors who live off reserve. In my riding, more than half the indigenous population is urban and off reserve. Certainly, I've heard a great deal, especially during Covid, about the lack of services for those seniors.
View Rachel Blaney Profile
NDP (BC)
Thank you, Chair.
Minister, I also have some serious concerns around indigenous housing and the fact that we still don't have a comprehensive indigenous housing strategy for Canada. We know that the member for Nunavut did a housing tour in her riding. It was absolutely horrifying to see the reality—people living in substandard housing, mould, overcrowding—and the many, many challenges that those communities are facing. The NDP is calling for an urban, rural and northern indigenous housing strategy that is governed and led by indigenous peoples and housing providers. This is different and unique from the distinction-based indigenous housing strategy that this government likes to talk about.
How long will these communities have to wait to see housing that is actually reasonable, where we don't see the overcrowding that's across Canada, and that is really led by those communities? That includes rural and urban communities on reserve and off reserve, and of course the northern communities. How long will they have to wait?
When will there be a comprehensive strategy that starts to actually deal with this profound challenge that these communities are facing? It's absolutely horrific.
I'm wondering if you could talk about that.
View Brad Vis Profile
CPC (BC)
You mentioned earlier the challenges that band members had in accessing housing off reserve. Generally, where do band members from Sts'ailes go when they're not living on your traditional territory? What are some of the first-hand challenges you've heard about?
View Gary Vidal Profile
CPC (SK)
Thanks, Cathy.
I have a couple of questions, and we'll see if we can get to two. I'll get to the first one first. It's for the National Association of Friendship Centres folks, Christopher and Jocelyn, if you would.
I was in Ottawa last week and I raised with Minister Miller the concern about a lack of data, especially as it relates to urban indigenous people. This is also something I raised at this committee way back in April, and Christopher, you talked about even the jurisdictional wrangling that goes on with the people you folks represent.
Our suggestion is that it's time for a coordinated effort, especially as it relates to the rollout of a vaccine strategy. I also raised the point that I think vulnerable people and communities must be a priority as we consider how this happens. My question for you is actually quite simple. Has your organization or have you, in your engagement with the government, been able to be involved in discussions around the lack of data or the rollout of a vaccination strategy as it effects urban indigenous folks?
View Rachel Blaney Profile
NDP (BC)
Thank you so much.
Mr. Sheppard and Ms. Formsma, we've heard clearly, and our offices have had conversations with you, about the resources that are needed and the fact that the minister's office is often referring people to friendship centres, and they don't necessarily have the capacity to address those issues. I'm wondering about how that works, and if you could expand a little on what that experience has been like for you during the pandemic.
View Gary Vidal Profile
CPC (SK)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. At the two-and-a-half-minute mark, please transition for us, if you want.
I have one quick question for Mr. Sheppard and Ms. Formsma. It's around the community support funding. The original round of community support funding included $15 million for urban indigenous. I know there was some concern at the time about the recognition of the need. Another $75 million was added to that sometime after that. My question goes beyond that. When we get to the next round of the community support fund, out of about $300 million, about $160 million of that was for an application-based process.
It actually closed just yesterday, if I'm not mistaken. We're well into the second wave, and the application process closed literally yesterday. There was another announcement yesterday of some more money under the community support fund. I don't know how that will roll out.
I'm looking for your comments in regard to the application process. Was it burdensome or helpful? I'm just wondering how you felt about that process.
View Sylvie Bérubé Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My question is for Mr. Sheppard.
In the spring, you mentioned that the friendship centres were not involved in the national urban indigenous agenda and that Canada needed to start looking at them as partners.
In the context of the pandemic, how has the federal government mobilized friendship centres to adopt urban indigenous-friendly approaches?
View Sylvie Bérubé Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My question is for Minister Miller.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the council of Gespeg has taken the necessary measures to reduce the impact of the crisis on its members. However, like many other communities in similar situations, the community of Gespeg was shut out of government support programs.
That is still the case, so should the government introduce programs that fairly and more effectively address all the needs of communities, to give all indigenous people access to supports?
View Leah Gazan Profile
NDP (MB)
Thank you, Chair.
My first question is for Madame Nicolet. You indicated briefly in response to the questions from Madame Chabot how friendship centres support urban indigenous people in securing safe and affordable housing. I concur. I think the funding amount is grossly inadequate.
I know that your organization has done a lot of advocacy on prioritizing an urban indigenous housing strategy as a way to end homelessness and housing insecurity. In fact, you're quoted as saying, “The absence of any reference to urban indigenous communities in the national housing strategy constitutes a barrier to ensuring [that] the needs of urban indigenous people are rendered visible across government.”
Can you expand a bit on that, briefly? I have a few questions and limited time.
View Leah Gazan Profile
NDP (MB)
Yes, that's perfect.
Thank you so much. I wish I had a lot of time, and unfortunately I don't.
Madam Camille, since the announcement of the national housing strategy in 2017, the federal government has promised an urban, rural and northern housing strategy. However, there still is no strategy. In my riding, 70% of individuals experiencing homelessness are indigenous and over half were in child welfare.
Given that those experiencing homelessness are mostly indigenous, why do you think the government keeps failing to prioritize the human right of housing for indigenous people?
View Louise Chabot Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you.
You mentioned the migration of members living off-reserve, which accounts for 20% of the need.
What problems or challenges does this cause?
View Adam Vaughan Profile
Lib. (ON)
Right.
In terms of your building projects, have you ever built housing outside of your reserve?
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