THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Tuesday, June 4, 2024
The Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples met with videoconference this day at 9 a.m. [ET] to study the subject matter of those elements contained in Divisions 25 and 26 of Part 4 of Bill C-69, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 16, 2024.
Senator Brian Francis (Chair) in the chair.
[English]
The Chair: Before we begin, I would like to ask all senators and other in-person participants to consult the cards on the table for guidelines to prevent audio feedback incidents. Please take note of the following preventive measures in place to protect the health and safety of all participants, including the interpreters.
If possible, ensure that you are seated in a manner that increases the distance between microphones. Only use an approved black earpiece. The former grey earpieces must no longer be used. Keep your earpiece away from all microphones at all times. When you’re not using your earpiece, place it face down on the sticker placed on the table for this purpose.
Thank you all for your cooperation. Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather is on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation, which is now home to many other First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples from across Turtle Island.
I am Mi’kmaw Senator Brian Francis from Epekwitk, also known as Prince Edward Island, and I am the Chair of the Committee on Indigenous Peoples.
I will now ask committee members in attendance to introduce themselves by stating their name and province or territory.
Senator Arnot: I’m David Arnot. I’m from Saskatchewan.
Senator Hartling: Nancy Hartling from New Brunswick, on the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people.
Senator Boniface: Gwen Boniface from Ontario.
Senator Coyle: Mary Coyle, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Mi’kma’ki.
Senator Prosper: P. J. Prosper, Nova Scotia, Mi’kma’ki territory.
The Chair: Today we will resume our study on the subject matter of those elements contained in Divisions 25 and 26 of Part 4 of Bill C-69, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 16, 2024.
With that, I’d like now to introduce our witnesses: from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, or AMC, Marcel Balfour, Director of Policy and Legal Affairs, joining us online; from the National Family and Survivors Circle, Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, Chair, joining us online; and from the Union of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq, Jennifer Jesty, Emergency Resiliency Manager. Thank you all for joining us today. Witnesses will provide opening remarks of approximately five minutes, which will be followed by a Q & A session by the senators.
I’ll now invite Mr. Balfour to give his remarks.
Marcel Balfour, Director of Policy and Legal Affairs, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs: Thank you. Tansi. My name is Marcel Balfour. I am a citizen of the Norway House Cree Nation. I am here on behalf of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and relay her regrets that she could not attend.
I acknowledge that we are gathered today on the unceded unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
The AMC is a political and technical coordinating organization for 62 of the 63 First Nations in Manitoba. The AMC is mandated by its chiefs in assembly to devise collective and common political strategies and mechanisms for coordinated action by its member First Nations. The AMC was formed in 1988 by the chiefs in Manitoba to promote, preserve and protect the rights and interests of First Nations in Manitoba, ensuring that the spirit and intent of treaties made with the Crown are fully honoured and upheld.
The AMC has done a number of things in the area of missing and murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, including the final report, Families First: A Manitoba Indigenous Approach to Addressing the Issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The report significantly informed the AMC’s contributions to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, or MMIWG. This included advocating for the development and implementation of a missing persons alert system.
The AMC notes that the chiefs and councils often serve as the initial responders to cases involving missing and murdered citizens of their First Nations, regardless of that person’s residency status on- or off-reserve. This duty for leadership extends to supporting and assisting the affected First Nations of both on- and off-reserve citizens who may be missing or murdered — who may themselves be family members — and providing assistance in these areas.
Accordingly, First Nations chiefs and councils play a vital role in responding to these incidents and often offer ongoing care, support and advocacy. They know what needs to be done, including the need for equitably funded supports on reserve to prevent their citizens from going missing or being murdered, as they are directly involved in this ongoing crisis.
At the AMC, the Women’s Council is responsible for responding to missing and murdered women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals. The Women’s Council consists of strong First Nations women elected as chiefs or councillors. They — as well as the chiefs in assembly — have identified that responding to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA individuals must include men and boys.
At a minimum, services, supports, advocacy and federal and provincial government responses to the Calls for Justice must involve and be accountable to First Nations leadership. This is recognized in Indigenous Services Canada’s strategic plan to transfer services and programs to First Nations. This approach should apply in the development and implementation of an alert for missing citizens of AMC member First Nations.
The AMC chiefs in assembly have identified that the AMC take a lead in a regional First Nation response to the Calls for Justice. This approach is consistent with the final report of the national inquiry, which stated on pages 171 to 172:
Services and solutions must be led by Indigenous governments, organizations, and people. This is based on the self-determination and self-governance of Indigenous Peoples …
It continues, stating:
The colonial mindset by which Indigenous leaders ask for permission and the state gives permission has to end. Further, the exclusion of Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA people, Elders, and children from the exercise of Indigenous self-determination must end.
Where Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous governments have to work together to create solutions and deliver services, it must be in true partnership that respects Indigenous self-determination in all matters. Within this, we maintain that solutions should stem from Indigenous communities and Nations, and that these solutions must be prioritized and sustainably and equitably resourced.
I’m going to jump forward a number of pages because I was told I have only five minutes.
The AMC has followed up with the federal government, involving AMC member First Nations. I am pleased to share that just last week, the AMC met with a senior federal representative from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, or CIRNAC, and received a commitment to follow up.
Going forward, the AMC will continue to ensure that its member First Nations are consulted and looks forward to working with Canada to develop an alert that promotes healing, ensures safety and prioritizes all missing AMC member First Nations’ citizens.
In closing, the AMC recommends that the committee ensure that funding for consultation on the Red Dress Alert system involves AMC member First Nations, follows a First Nations‑specific approach designed and carried out by AMC member First Nations, includes consultations with AMC member First Nation citizens — residing both on- and off-reserve — and ensures that funding for consultation with AMC member First Nations is sustainably and equitably resourced.
The Chair: I now invite Ms. Hilda Anderson-Pyrz to give her opening remarks.
Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, Chair, National Family and Survivors Circle: Thank you very much. My name is Hilda Anderson-Pyrz. I’m a member of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and originally from South Indian Lake, Manitoba. I have been championing solutions to gender-based violence and the rights of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people for over 25 years. I am currently the Chair of the National Family and Survivors Circle, a non-profit organization incorporated in April 2023. It is led by Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse individuals who have lived experience and are impacted by the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls as well as gender- and race-based violence.
I join you virtually today from Treaty 6 territory and the homeland of the Métis people.
I would like to acknowledge the Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people who have been on the front lines for decades, fighting to have their rights upheld, fighting for justice and being instrumental to having a national inquiry in this country through their marches, advocacy and strength.
In the process of creating a Red Dress Alert system and in undertaking efforts to address missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals, or MMIWG2S+, it’s critical to be mindful that the systems we are working within are the very systems that caused harm and continue to cause harm to Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people.
In the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into MMIWG, it was stated:
The steps to end and redress this genocide must be no less monumental than the combination of systems and actions that has worked to maintain colonial violence for generations. A permanent commitment to ending the genocide requires addressing the four pathways explored within this report, namely:
• historical, multigenerational, and intergenerational trauma;
• social and economic marginalization;
• maintaining the status quo and institutional lack of will; and
• ignoring the agency and expertise of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.
It further states:
Addressing these four pathways means full compliance with all human and Indigenous rights instruments, as well as with the premise that began this report: that the daily encounters with individuals, institutions, systems, and structures that compromise security must be addressed with a new view toward relationships.
I raise these important reminders because I challenge this committee — and all those with legal and moral responsibilities to uphold the rights of Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people — to always be mindful that working together to end violence is about relationships and how to create safe, respectful and equitable space for impacted family members, survivors and Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people to directly participate as rights holders in systems that are still not safe for us.
Therefore, as the Red Dress Alert pilot project engagement funding is contemplated, it is imperative that pathways for safe, respectful and equitable space for impacted family members, survivors and Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people to participate as rights holders be implemented. We must see this as an opportunity to create or maintain meaningful and effective relationships in how we do the work together to end the violence against Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people.
We also look at the seven principles. A lot of that is provided in the notes. I don’t have a lot of time — I only have five minutes — but I wanted to amplify a few of the principles.
The first is a substantive equality and human rights focus. The $1.3 million for the Red Dress Alert pilot engagement must be viewed through the lens of achieving substantive equality, including addressing the historical and systemic disadvantages faced by Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. It should be aimed at upholding their inherent human and Indigenous rights. This funding should work toward closing the equality gap and ensuring their safety and dignity. As examples, this would mean a barrier-free funding submission process for grassroots Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ groups or organizations.
A second principle is that self-determined and Indigenous-led engagement activities should be led by MMIWG2S+ families and survivors of gender- and race-based violence, as well as Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.
The inclusion of families and survivors is critical.
Thank you. My time is up, but I submitted 10 pages, so you’ll have a lot of reading.
The Chair: Thank you very much.
I’ll now invite Ms. Jesty to give her opening remarks.
Jennifer Jesty, Emergency Resiliency Manager, Union of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq: [Indigenous language spoken]. Thank you. It is nice to see you.
I am the first Indigenous woman to become a member of the Fire Service Association of Nova Scotia and the first Indigenous woman to become an advanced care paramedic in Nova Scotia.
Imagine it’s a normal day like any other. You send your 14‑year-old daughter off to school. She’s being a rebellious teen, and rolls her eyes at you as you tell her you love her and watch her go out the door. Now school has ended, and you arrive home from work to find your daughter is not there. You phone the school, relatives and her friends, only to learn no one has seen her since lunchtime. You call the police, but they tell you that they are unable to send out an AMBER Alert until she has been missing for at least 24 hours. You have called her cellphone time and time again only to hear it go to voice mail for the hundredth time. Now frantic, you drive around the streets looking for her, asking anyone you know if they have seen her. Every answer is “no.”
You go home and spend a sleepless night pacing the floors. The feeling of helplessness is crippling. You continue to ask the police to do something — anything. Then, when all hope seems lost, someone will remind you that there is a new alert system in your community. You call the police and remind them the tool exists. The police contact the administrator of the system and ask if an alert can be sent, even though the system is fairly new.
You’re clinging to any hope or lead, praying that your daughter’s phone simply died or she is in a location with no cell service. You run every scenario possible through your mind and begin to prepare yourself for any possible outcome.
Your phone goes off, just like any other text message, and you see that it’s the alert for your daughter. You immediately have a sense of relief because now everyone will know she’s missing. You check social media and see everyone sharing a screenshot of the alert for your child. Then it happens: the knock on the door you’ve been dreading. However, instead of your worst nightmare coming true, there she is — your daughter — with the police, safe, sound and unharmed.
This was the exact scenario of the very first alert we sent through our very own Unama’ki Emergency Alert System. Our system had only been through a soft launch and the community through which we sent the alert only had 900 people registered. The police were in shock at how fast she was located after the alert was sent. They said, “You did in under an hour what we were unable to do in 24 hours.”
We chose to utilize Everbridge as our software provider. The reason we selected this company was for two major benefits — first, the alerts can be sent to all forms of communication at once, including phoning a land line; and second, the messages can be sent using a voice recorder, which means the alert can be sent out in our own language.
Since the official launch of our alert system in September 2020, we now have just over 4,000 people subscribed to our system across all five of our Mi’kmaq communities in Cape Breton. That number steadily increases as people are continually subscribing. We’ve sent out a total of 170 alerts and reunited 68 young people with their families because of it. Of those young people, 96% were located within the first hour of the alert being sent.
We’ve sent out alerts for missing persons, some a repeat of our first alert and some for those who have threatened self-harm. We’ve sent out alerts for road closures, which prevented people from being stuck on the side of the road when road closures were lengthy. The list goes on.
Our alert system was designed by Mi’kmaq, for Mi’kmaq, which allows us to make our own protocols. To date, not a single request for an alert has been denied, and every alert has been sent within minutes of receiving the request. At no point has anyone ever said, “Stop sending the alerts.” As a matter of fact, when there is something going on in the community, residents are quick to take to social media, asking, “Where is the alert?”
From day one, we’ve had overwhelming community buy-in and support. Although the police were not completely on board at first, over time, they have come to utilize the alert system on a regular basis. They no longer have to wait a set period before requesting an alert.
Our system was designed by us, for us, but we are now seeing a rise in non-Indigenous residents in the surrounding area registering to use our system. They now realize that our alert system provides critical information without delays.
At a time when we are all information hungry, especially when it comes to situations that might threaten our own personal safety, don’t we deserve to be informed in a timely fashion? What if it weren’t just another faceless person you didn’t know? What if that alert had saved your daughter’s life? Wouldn’t you want an alert system as effective as this one?
Wela’lioq, thank you.
The Chair: Thank you, Ms. Jesty. We’ll now move on to questions from senators.
Senator Arnot: Thank you, Ms. Jesty. My question is for you.
Since the Unama’ki Emergency Alert System has been very successful, what would be the essential elements of success for a Red Dress Alert system for Indigenous communities at the scale being proposed?
Mr. Balfour and Ms. Anderson-Pyrz, how do you see the Red Dress Alert system integrating into the existing legal frameworks to protect Indigenous women and gender-diverse persons? How do you see it being evaluated?
What additional policies do you think are necessary to complement the Red Dress Alert? I’m thinking about education in the K to 12 system or adult education. Thank you very much.
Ms. Jesty: The most important reason why our alert system is so successful is because it was easy. We didn’t complicate it. We didn’t ask for a lot of input. We kind of said, “Hey, we’re going to create this, and here it is,” and when we put it out into the community, we wanted to make the registration process very simple. We felt if we made it complicated — for example, if it were an app that had to be multiple pages long before you were able to subscribe — people weren’t going to do it.
We made our process a web link. You click on the link and fill in your basic information, your name — we don’t even ask for your address. Truth be told, we don’t even really need your name. If you want to tell us you’re Donald Duck, great. Just tell us what communities you want to receive the alerts for and how we can to contact you. Making it easy and accessible are two things that are very important.
Also, aside from allowing people to register on a web link through a QR code, we went to high-traffic areas during the week — such as the band office or the gas bar — to allow people to sign up with a piece of paper. We also took into consideration those who may be illiterate. Instead of giving the paper and saying, “Please fill this out,” we would ask them, “Would you like us to fill this out for you?” to ensure we’re being inclusive.
Senator Arnot: Thank you.
Ms. Anderson-Pyrz: I’m thinking in the context of the questions that were posed. We really must look at the justice system because we see a lot of violence within it toward Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people. There must be accountability mechanisms built into the justice system through policy and legislative changes in order to effectively create an environment where we feel safe and treated with dignity and respect within that system.
There must also be holistic wraparound supports within the Red Dress Alert because often, individuals who go missing are in vulnerable situations — often struggling with mental health issues, addictions or living in extreme poverty — which makes them very vulnerable. We need to ensure that there are adequate wraparound supports in this process.
Also, it must be national in scope and not just a one-off in order to be effective. I’ve done front-line work for a very long time and often see the problems with jurisdictional boundaries — the barriers that exist and how problematic that is in trying to create immediate action. We need to take a multi-pronged approach for the successful implementation of a Red Dress Alert. There must be substantial commitments that are long-term and sustainable.
Also, the remote, isolated geographical areas and the infrastructure they require must be taken into consideration in order to make this Red Dress Alert system a success. Thank you.
The Chair: Thank you, Ms. Anderson-Pyrz.
Mr. Balfour, anything to add?
Mr. Balfour: AMC’s approach is a First Nations-led. We’ve been looking at this with respect to the development of a Waabigwan Alert for missing persons of the 62 First Nations in Manitoba, which involves empowering First Nations with the ability to oversee and execute alerts. It will also necessitate the administration of essential mechanisms, such as policing and special operations units dedicated to searching for missing individuals. It would require establishing protocols for collaboration and information sharing between the police, First Nations authorities and external agencies, and these protocols would involve local law enforcement respecting First Nations’ data sovereignty and following the First Nations principles of ownership, control, access and possession, or OCAP. In extreme circumstances, this could include granting powers of authority to extend search efforts beyond cold cases.
Of course, this necessarily requires consultation with AMC member First Nations on- and off-reserve, and First Nations’ involvement and input are integral to decision making, policies and initiatives regarding missing persons alerts and ensuring that they are guided by the input and involvement of First Nations families.
Staff and police, of course, should be involved in the alert system and must demonstrate awareness, respect and consideration for the culture, beliefs, traditions and practices of First Nations as well. Thank you.
The Chair: Thank you, Mr. Balfour.
Senator Coyle: Thank you very much to all of our witnesses. I’m listening to each of you very attentively. This is an important issue that some of you have already worked hard to address, and it’s sadly not going away.
I have two questions, one specifically for Ms. Jesty and the other one for all three of you. The specific question is this: With respect to the Unama’ki Emergency Alert System, have communities or First Nations come forward to learn from what you’re doing? My second question, for all three of you, concerns the issue of on-reserve or in-community members and those members of your communities who are living in urban areas: What needs to be done to ensure that all First Nations people are covered and protected by these alert systems?
Ms. Jesty: I’ve been shouting this from the rooftops for quite some time now. I don’t understand why we are not utilizing a system like ours in every Indigenous community across this country, as well as non-Indigenous communities. Why doesn’t the Halifax Regional Municipality have it, or the Cape Breton Regional Municipality? The system has been very effective, and as I said, we have such amazing support and community buy-in.
So far I have assisted Lennox Island First Nation. I went and set up their alert system — exactly the same as ours. Within the first hour — and that is a very small community of roughly 400 people — we had 200 people register for the system. People want it. They want to be a part of it and be informed.
Two weeks ago, I returned from Miawpukek First Nation in Conne River, Newfoundland, having set up the exact same system for them, with the same results. Within the first three hours of putting it on social media and advertising it to the community, we had 300 people signed up for the alert system.
It’s catching on. I’m still trying to shout it from the rooftops and get this everywhere. I’ve said this many times: I’d be happy to assist any community that wanted to do this. In my perfect world, if I could go to every Indigenous community in this entire country and set this up, I would. It takes me about an hour to set it up. Everbridge has been phenomenal to work with, and every time I say, “I don’t like,” “I need,” “can you change,” they are more than willing to accommodate, making it easy to tailor the system to exactly what we need.
The Everbridge system itself is so technologically sophisticated that it can do everything but wash your dishes, but we didn’t need that. We needed something very basic and very simple to send out emergency information. That’s the only thing we utilize our system for. We don’t tell people when there is a bingo game or a wake. This is simply for emergency information only.
Senator Coyle: Thank you.
The Chair: Ms. Anderson-Pyrz, anything to add?
Senator Coyle: There are also the urban versus community-based responses.
Ms. Jesty: Do you want me to answer that one too? We have something called the Jane Paul Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia, which is basically for the vulnerable population off-reserve. I’ve gone to that centre and allowed people to sign up then and there. I brought the sign-up sheets. We have the QR code; they have free internet there for those who had devices capable of doing that. So we’re not leaving out that population.
The majority of our First Nations communities have the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as their law enforcement provider, but within Sydney it’s the Cape Breton Regional Police. I’ve met with both of those organizations multiple times to explain the process, to give them the phone number and say, “Hey, if you think someone is missing, call me and I’ll send the alert — it’s just that simple,” and to try to convince them it’s going to make their lives easier. Instead of waiting 24 hours, they can just send the alert. We can send it out within minutes.
The Chair: Thank you. Ms. Anderson-Pyrz, anything to add?
Ms. Anderson-Pyrz: On the on-reserve/off-reserve issue so that we all feel protected, as I mentioned previously, I’ve been working on this issue for about 25 years. I often see that there are inadequate supports and resources for Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people, both on- and off-reserve. To speak truthfully, a perpetrator doesn’t ask you if you’re First Nations, Inuit or Métis. When I was providing front‑line supports, we never asked victims or impacted family members if they were First Nations, Inuit or Métis, or if they were on- or off-reserve. We provided the service.
I often see a lot of barriers that exist because of the on-reserve/off-reserve element. I have witnessed a lack of supports and resources in urban environments. There is a constant need to adequately fund the non-profit front-line organizations providing those services. Some are doing amazing work, but they’re severely underfunded because you have a look at it from a holistic model of care. If someone has gone missing, there are often many factors that come into play with respect to their environments and the vulnerabilities. Often, it’s because of systemic failures and structural racism.
The Chair: Mr. Balfour, do you have anything to add?
Mr. Balfour: No, thank you. Everything that has been said totally makes sense and is true. To make this successful, awareness and education are essential both on- and off-reserve. Also, there must be a willingness for Canada and the provinces — at least from an AMC perspective, the Province of Manitoba — to work with First Nations. We have a little room to grow in that area, but I believe we can, especially with our first First Nations premier in Manitoba.
Also, the approach for working with police — sadly, the AMC has had to respond to ongoing issues, especially the searching of the landfill issue, but we are developing relationships that are more responsive with the Winnipeg police and the RCMP, which is a good thing.
Ultimately, it is about what Hilda identified, which is that this budget issue we’re talking about is not a lot of money, but it’s in the larger context of the Calls for Justice that must be funded and involve First Nations as well. I remember when I was elected as Chief for Norway House Cree Nation. When people voted for me — and the laws had changed so you could vote for people whether you lived off-reserve or on-reserve — they could vote for me, but I couldn’t do anything for them because we didn’t receive funding. Things have changed since then. With the Calls for Justice, reconciliation and the Calls for Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, now is the time to properly fund those elected leaders and allow them to be able to represent those voters, both on- and off-reserve.
Senator Boniface: Thank you very much for being here. I find this so interesting.
Mr. Balfour and others, if you want to respond with respect to implementation. After listening to Ms. Jesty, geographically, you’re in a perfect spot to start something like this.
Being from Ontario and thinking, like Manitoba, our fly-in communities are big cities — Thunder Bay comes to mind in terms of the missing from Thunder Bay; we all know the unfortunate outcomes of some of that.
As you visualize this money — it’s a limited amount of money, as you indicate — what does implementation look like in a province like Manitoba or Ontario? How do you interconnect it with other programs in place?
Mr. Balfour: I don’t have all the answers, but it’s an awesome question. That’s part of the question for the consultation and engagement with local leadership. There are awesome ways to move forward that my colleague has identified. It would be a little more unique, because a number of our member First Nations are remote and isolated as well. They will identify challenges. They should have a seat at the table and be involved in identifying how to move forward.
Senator Boniface: I’m thinking in terms of how far the money will take you now and how you continue that discussion later. As you said, $1.3 million is not a lot of money in terms of the size of Manitoba and what you might want to implement. Is it funded as a kick-off — the pilot, the initiative? What is your sense of how far it could take you? Is it consultation only? What is it?
Mr. Balfour: I’m clearly trying to make it obvious that First Nations must be at the table.
Senator Boniface: Absolutely.
Mr. Balfour: However, while consultation is great, we know what needs to be done. There are already successes that exist. At a minimum, a pilot totally makes sense.
I come from Norway House Cree Nation, which has a sad history regarding missing and murdered women, but there are also larger First Nations that have good existing people and services available to be able to explore how that might look.
For instance, I’m not speaking on behalf of one AMC member First Nation over another, but there are potentially ways to go a little faster and, at the same time, try a pilot as well as ensuring that First Nations are engaged, involved and consulted.
Senator Boniface: Ms. Anderson-Pyrz, with respect to the role of the province — the administration of justice, policing, et cetera — can you tell me what you see the role of the province being in this?
Ms. Anderson-Pyrz: The province has a major role in this because they support policy and legislative reform and provide funding. They have a major role to play with respect to implementation.
We obviously know that $1.3 million is not a lot of money. As an Indigenous woman, it often frustrates me that there is $1.3 million targeting the Red Dress Alert, yet the federal government has committed millions of dollars to auto theft, for example. That delivers a message to us as Indigenous women that our lives are not valued in this country.
Even in Manitoba, with everything that’s happened with searching the landfill and the former premier even campaigning on the bodies of Indigenous women, it’s a continuous fight for our survival every day.
The implementation must be — I always say this — circular in its approach, because we have to address many things when we’re implementing. It’s not only the Red Dress Alert; it’s recognizing the systemic violence that has resulted in the continuance of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people going missing.
I get frustrated, because it’s often looked at through a siloed approach, but it has to be a comprehensive approach involving all the different government departments. If you’re looking at it from a Manitoba perspective, it must involve justice, child welfare, housing and homelessness — all the different areas. It’s a very complex issue, which is why I get so frustrated. It’s not being looked at through the prevention lens as well as for supporting and ending the continual disappearance of women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people. It’s very complicated.
I often become concerned when we talk about pilot projects. Where do those pilot projects lead when we look at the implementation? We need them to be long-term, sustainable and models for other provinces and territories; it can’t be just a one-off, saying, “We funded this initiative and there’s a new elected government.” That’s a big risk to us as Indigenous women. We cannot be an item on a political campaign.
It’s our lives that matter. We’re disappearing, experiencing violence and being murdered at alarming rates. Even when you look at going federally with the national action plan and the implementation plan, there is a promise for a transformed Canada. We’re waiting for it as Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people, and we’re dying as a result of the lack of political will from the governments of this country.
Thank you.
Senator Prosper: Thank you to the witnesses for being here, sharing your stories and representing leadership. I’m grateful to have you here. I have two questions.
My first is for Ms. Anderson-Pyrz. You entered into substantive and systemic issues involving violence and discrimination, and you outlined a number of principles, one of which — you mentioned — has to encompass substantive equality and must have a human rights focus. I’m hoping you could expand on that.
My second question is for Ms. Jesty. It’s nice to see you all the way from Unama’ki. I want to recognize your leadership. As an elder once told me, leaders step forward. With respect to your Unama’ki Emergency Alert System, you provided some incredible data. You mentioned 170 alerts and 68 young people found.
Could you share a story about that? Second, you said that you developed your own protocols. I’m hoping you can expand on that as well. We’ll start with Ms. Anderson-Pyrz, please. Thank you.
Ms. Anderson-Pyrz: When we talk about principles like the seven from the national inquiry final report, in doing this work, I often observe that if people were to focus on those seven principles, we could be a lot further in this work. However, people often focus on the 231 Calls for Justice. When we’re looking at substantive equality and a human rights focus, there is a descriptor on how we can do this work.
Another principle is self-determined and Indigenous-led solutions. The third principle is inclusion of families and survivors. The fourth principle is a decolonizing approach. The fifth principle is recognizing distinctions. The sixth principle is cultural safety. The seventh principle is a trauma-informed approach. If we can apply all those principles to the work being undertaken, we will have transformative outcomes.
I’ve been doing this work for a long time — I was part of the inquiry process, the implementation and the Red Dress Alert — and I see that people are focusing on the “why,” and there is not enough focus on how to successfully implement the Red Dress alert or the 231 Calls for Justice. It becomes very frustrating.
I have often said to governments, “Why are you not promoting the seven principles identified in the national inquiry final report?” People would understand this better. When we look at the Calls for Justice, they’re being looked at through a very siloed approach as well, because often one Call for Justice will involve multiple federal departments, and it seems very difficult for them to understand that.
We see that right now because only two specific Calls for Justice have been implemented.
To be brutally honest, I am very frustrated with the lack of action, commitment and political will in implementing the 231 Calls for Justice and the Red Dress Alert. The lack of financial commitment — $1.3 million — sends a message to us as Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people that our lives don’t matter, our safety doesn’t matter and prevention is not at the forefront and the focus of the changes needed to protect us and keep us safe in this country.
When you look at “Search the Landfill,” the court process is currently happening in Manitoba, and I don’t like to name perpetrators but the serial killer in Manitoba thinks the justice system is a joke. He said he did what he did because he could get away with it. That sends a message. That should put this country on major alert — we have serial killers who are targeting us because they feel that the justice system is an epic failure in this country.
We need to take transformative action. We’re on fire in this country when it comes to protecting Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people. We need everybody to stop this fire from spreading.
It’s heart-wrenching, as an Indigenous woman trying to champion this change, to constantly see the resistance to implementing and adequately funding mechanisms and measures like the Red Dress Alert. That would save our lives. I think of my sisters, who are vulnerable, and these messages are reaching them — that the government does not care about us and will not commit substantive and equitable funding to protect us and save our lives.
The implementation can be meaningful and impactful, but there is a lack of political will and equity, which are needed to achieve this.
Ms. Jesty: I would like to go back to Senator Boniface for one second. Although I feel $1.3 million is not nearly enough money, as Indigenous women, we will always rise above, no matter what. We need to do the best we can with what we have. If it’s $1.3 million, let’s use it. Let’s do what we can. I want to mention that the system we’re currently utilizing costs us just under $10,000 per year. We can make it happen.
Why wait? Why are we still talking about it? Why aren’t we doing anything? I could make this happen in such a short period of time.
To go back to Senator Prosper’s question about protocols, I collected all five chiefs within our Unama’ki communities, sat down and said, “Guess what? I created this alert system. Here you go. Here is your user name and password, and here is how you use it.” Then we sat down and talked about protocols — “When will we send an alert? When will we not?” But the bottom line is that every situation makes its own rules.
We don’t have hard-and-fast rules where a person needs to be missing for a certain amount of time, or where if an already vulnerable person living on the street off-reserve goes missing today and again tomorrow, we won’t send an alert a second time. We’ve never said that because if it were your daughter, sister or mother, you would want everybody to do everything they could to find them. If that means sending out more than one alert for the same person, why not? When you think about it from a personal perspective, who would say no to that?
Senator Hartling: Thank you very much for being here. This is a very difficult thing to listen to because it’s going on and on, but I congratulate you, Ms. Jesty — and all of you — on the work that you’re doing.
I’ve been thinking about the question of gender-based violence in our country. It’s as if no one wants to pay attention to it, especially with respect to Indigenous people. It doesn’t make sense to me. It’s like what you said about cars: We’ll look for cars, but what about people?
Going forward, you mentioned, Mr. Balfour, boys and men getting involved. In the co-consultation or co-development of this, how do you folks see that working? We believe more men and boys need to step up on this. Yes, we’re doing the work as women, but we need some help. Can each of you talk about how you see that helping to co-develop this?
Ms. Jesty: Our alert system is not specific to missing women. Our alert system is for any emergency that could directly affect the health and safety of our community members.
We have sent out alerts for men, women and children, as well as elders who have dementia and have wandered. We’ve sent out those alerts. We’re not just sending them out for the missing people. We’re also sending out any alert that will directly affect the life and safety of our communities. Let’s say we need to evacuate our community because there is a wildfire coming. We have the ability right at our fingertips to send that alert out within minutes. And because it’s on your device, you’re getting that information no matter where you are. If you happen to live in Membertou but your family lives in Eskasoni and you’ve signed up for the alerts for both communities, now you’re finding out, “Oh, my gosh, Eskasoni has to evacuate because there is a wildfire, and my mother lives there.” Now you know, and you’ve known within minutes. There is no hesitation in our alert system, and that’s an absolute priority.
As you’re aware, we can get from one end of this country to another in less than a day. If somebody is abducted in Vancouver, they can be on a plane and across the country in the blink of an eye. Having a national system where alerts come through just as any other message on your phone, such as a text message, does — and it doesn’t have that heart-stopping sound that our provincial alert system does — now you’re getting the information. It’s at your fingertips. It’s at the ready. You can attach a photo if necessary. As I’ve said, with our alert system, people are taking that screenshot and sharing it to their social media. So you’re reaching far more people than just those subscribed to your alert system.
Mr. Balfour: I know that in trying to involve men and boys, the leadership, first coming from the AMC Women’s Council, was saying we can’t talk about this issue without involving men and boys. That has extended to the chiefs and assembly as a whole also recognizing the need to involve men and boys as part of the solution. So there are First Nations in Manitoba holding men’s gatherings. We will be having a regional one as well. It is about education and awareness, but it’s also about healing. That’s one of the main points that not only Grand Chief Merrick but also the AMC Women’s Council has identified, to be able to go forward and ensure they are not left behind and instead part of the solution.
Ms. Anderson-Pyrz: Just a point of clarification — I understand the question as you looking at it through a gender-based violence lens and at how men and boys can be part of the solution. Is that correct? Okay.
When we’re looking at it through that lens, we must provide opportunities for our men to heal and reclaim their warrior roles in our communities, standing up for us as Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people. They must decolonize themselves from the impacts of colonization and really look at their roles as fathers, caregivers, community members and grandfathers, because many of our men and boys have lost their way due to the impacts of colonization and often perpetuate violence against us in many different ways.
If we’re able to even create a model — when I was working on the front line, I was successful in obtaining funding to work toward developing a program called “Indigenous Men and Boys are Part of the Solution to Building Healthy and Safe Communities.” Unfortunately, I took on my national role and didn’t get to see that project come to fruition. But I had a big vision where we would develop mentorship programs, for it to be continuous in our community for men who were working on their well-being, coming from a safe place of being healthy, recognizing their behaviours and taking responsibility and corrective action to mentor other men and boys on how to reclaim their warrior roles. It would go on for generations because it would be about land-based healing and wellness as well as reclaiming our culture and identity. We have lost critical components of that and come from a place of trauma.
That is where that violence comes into play as well, because we not only experience a lot of violence as Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people outside of our communities, but also within our communities and even within different structures. So we have to ensure that when we have men and boys involved, there’s that opportunity for healing and wellness, and for them to really champion their roles as Indigenous men and boys. We all deserve a good life — and a safe life as well. There is a lot of healing and wellness that can take place for them to reclaim and end the violence as well. Thank you.
Senator Hartling: Thank you very much.
Senator Boniface: My question is a quick one. Ms. Jesty, I’m interested in the police role in your community. I wondered if, as you’ve expanded, you’ve been able to convince, say, the RCMP to take it on at a national level in terms of how they replicate too, so that within their own systems they don’t end up with a bunch of different approaches.
Ms. Jesty: In the beginning, when we first launched the system, I had meetings with the RCMP in all five of our communities — or all four that they’re represented in — and explained to them what our alert system is and how they could access and utilize it.
At first, they were very resistant. It was the same thing with the Cape Breton Regional Police — they were very resistant. They wanted certain protocols in place. I said, “But that’s not necessary. Just pick up the phone.” It doesn’t need to be protocoled to death. It doesn’t need to be structured. We’re talking about someone’s life. Why are you waiting?
But now it is a completely different relationship. They’ve realized how successful the system is, and it really makes their lives a whole lot easier.
Now that it’s so widely accepted among our RCMP detachments, it’s not going to be difficult to perpetuate that across the entire country. Our detachments will be able to talk about their successes, the ease of access, the quick response of the alert going out and how quickly the person is usually located.
So I’m hoping that especially — Eskasoni is our primary one. They call for alerts all the time. It used to be one or two that used to call, and they would be the Indigenous members, but now it’s gone beyond that. That detachment is very quick to call, and there is no waiting.
So, whether you call it a “missing person,” depending on what your definition of “missing person” is — I’ve said “the unlocated” — but every time that happens, we always involve the police because you really don’t know what the circumstances are going to be.
I’ve had people reach out to me through my personal Facebook, because they’ve now identified that this is kind of my thing. They’ll say, “Oh, my daughter is missing, my sister is missing. Can you send an alert?” “Did you call the police?” We’ve had many instances where the answer was either “no” or “yes, and they said there’s nothing they can do for me.” I then call the police and say, “Hey, could you at least go talk to the family?” Thankfully, they make this happen very quickly.
In the handful of instances where this has taken place, I’ve called the RCMP and said, “Hey, could you go speak with the family and get back to me?” And they do — within 15 minutes, a member has gone to the family. They’ve got the whole story. They’ve identified the person who does, in fact, need an alert. They call me, we send out the alert and the rest is history.
Senator Boniface: I hope we see it across the country. Thank you for your work.
The Chair: The time for this panel is now complete. It has been a very interesting discussion this morning, and I want to thank all our witnesses for joining us.
If you wish to make any subsequent submissions, please send them by email to our clerk, Andrea, within seven days. No, maybe we don’t have that time now with this. It has to be immediately, I guess.
I would now like to introduce our next panel of witnesses: from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Krista Apse, Director General, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Secretariat; from Public Safety Canada, Kenza El Bied, Director General, Policy and Outreach, Emergency Management and Programs Branch; and Adrian Walraven, Director General, Indigenous Affairs. Thank you for joining us today.
Witnesses will provide opening remarks of approximately five minutes each, which will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the senators. I now invite Ms. Apse to provide her opening remarks.
[Translation]
Krista Apse, Director General, Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Secretariat, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada: Good afternoon, my name is Krista Apse, Director General of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Secretariat at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. I would like to respectfully acknowledge that I am on the unceded traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg Algonquin people.
[English]
Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people continue to go missing and are murdered at alarming rates. Statistics Canada data shows that, despite only making up 4% of the Canadian population, Indigenous women and girls represent 28% of homicides perpetrated against women in 2019 and are 12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than non-Indigenous women in Canada.
In May 2023, the House of Commons unanimously backed a motion by MP Leah Gazan to declare the murders and disappearances of Indigenous women and girls a Canada-wide emergency, and called upon the government to fund a Red Dress Alert to notify the public when an Indigenous woman, girl or 2SLGBTQI+ person goes missing, and to request the public’s assistance to ensure they are located in a safe and timely way.
In December 2023 and January 2024, CIRNAC organized 16 pre-engagement sessions on the Red Dress Alert with Indigenous grassroots and distinctions-based organizations across the country to solicit preliminary feedback and discuss their views. Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, Chair of the National Family and Survivor’s Circle, from whom you heard today; Sandra DeLaronde, Chair of Manitoba’s MMIWG2S Implementation Committee; as well as MPs Leah Gazan and Pam Damoff led these sessions on behalf of the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.
Several recurring themes were identified, many of which were spoken to during the previous panel. The alerting system should contribute to a decrease in violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people. It should enhance safety in communities. It should respond to incidences of violence against MMIWG2S+ people. It should raise public awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people. We also heard about the anticipated obstacles primarily focused on the historically challenging relationship between law enforcement and Indigenous communities, as well as the existing systemic biases and racism toward Indigenous people.
In February 2024, the second National Indigenous-Federal-Provincial-Territorial Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, and Gender-Diverse People was held. The development of a Red Dress Alert was a key agenda item at that meeting. Discussions highlighted the need for a pilot to be led by Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQI+ people and communities, and for it to include wraparound services and supports for victims, families and survivors. The need for inter-jurisdictional collaboration, training for law enforcement and public education were all raised as crucial actions required for the successful implementation and maintenance of an alerting system.
Those partner perspectives are important to both the development of a pilot as well as its eventual implementation.
Budget 2024 proposed to invest $1.3 million over three years in a Red Dress Alert, to support Indigenous partners through grants and contributions as well as co-develop a regional pilot for a Red Dress Alert and an assessment following the conclusion of the pilot. The proposed funding provides for a pilot project over the next three years, including engagement for co-development, and Part 4, Division 26 of Bill C-69 provides the language to allow the flowing of this funding.
The funding for the engagement period would be provided to an Indigenous organization or organizations. This is very much in response to calls from partners that the alerting system must be Indigenous-led.
The provincial partner would be responsible for funding the implementation of a Red Dress Alert pilot.
As you may be aware, on May 3, 2024, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Manitoba’s Minister of Families announced a federal-provincial partnership to advance the Red Dress Alert pilot through co-development between Indigenous partners and the Province of Manitoba. Discussions on what this pilot will look like are ongoing, and the department is working to make the budget funding accessible to support the progress.
The Chair: Thank you, Ms. Apse.
We’ll now invite Ms. El Bied to give her opening remarks.
Kenza El Bied, Director General, Policy and Outreach, Emergency Management and Programs Branch, Public Safety Canada: Thank you, chair, for the opportunity to speak to you today.
Before we begin, I want to acknowledge the traditional unceded land on which we are gathered today, that of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people.
In my role, I am responsible for working with other federal departments and agencies, provinces and territories, national Indigenous organizations and other stakeholders to advance an integrated policy approach to all aspects of emergency management.
I am joined today by my colleague Adrian Walraven, Director General of Indigenous Policing in the Indigenous Affairs Branch at Public Safety Canada. He is responsible for the policy and delivery of the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program, or FNIPP, which provides professional, dedicated and culturally responsive policing to First Nations and Inuit communities.
[Translation]
I want to express our shared concern that Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit Indigenous persons and gender-diverse Indigenous persons continue to be at greater risk of abduction, homicide and other forms of violence. Together, we must do all we can to save lives, as we continue to work to end this national crisis.
[English]
As you know, the budget proposes to provide $1.3 million over three years to support, with Indigenous peoples, the co-development of a regional Red Dress Alert pilot project. The Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada is leading this important work, which includes taking the time necessary to consider jurisdictional considerations, Indigenous partner views — on things like the relationships between Indigenous communities and law enforcement — the wraparound services required and various models of alerts, including broadcast immediate, but also opt-in models such as through apps, websites or other means of communication.
[Translation]
Co-development with Indigenous partners to develop an alerting system is key to ensure that it is responsive to the needs and expectations of those who it is meant to support. It’s critical that we take the time to get this right.
[English]
I would like to speak to the role of Public Safety Canada in supporting officials from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada on this important initiative. Public Safety Canada’s role is twofold as it has broad responsibilities for community safety and, as part of its emergency management responsibilities, plays a coordinating role with provinces and territories in Canada’s National Public Alerting System. These functions are overseen by the Minister of Public Safety and the Minister of Emergency Preparedness respectively.
Public Safety Canada provides national leadership and coordination to help Canadian communities and stakeholders respond to crime, build community resilience, promote the safety and security of Canadian communities and institutions and support the provision of policing services to Indigenous communities. The department also works to strengthen national emergency management to help prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all-hazard events.
[Translation]
As the co-development process unfolds, and an alerting model or models are developed, we will support Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada officials as they work with provinces, territories and law enforcement partners to realize a system that meets the expectations of those it is meant to help. This includes helping with any engagement that may be required with Provincial and Territorial Officials Responsible for Emergency Management, and any questions that may come up with regards to the National Public Alerting System.
[English]
Along with our support for the Red Dress Alert initiative, the department is also committed to strengthening community safety initiatives and policing services across First Nations and Inuit communities. We continue to work with Indigenous partners, communities and organizations; provinces and territories; and others to help end the violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQ+ people. This includes continuing to support communities in the development of community safety plans; advancing the unique community safety priorities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis; and co-developing federal legislation recognizing First Nations police services as an essential service.
[Translation]
I am pleased to take your questions. Thank you.
[English]
The Chair: Thank you, Ms. El Bied. We’ll now open the floor to questions from senators.
Senator Coyle: Thank you to our witnesses for your statements and the work that you’re doing on this very important issue.
Director General Apse, I would first like to ask you about your testimony. You gave a good outline of various steps that have been taken — and the problematic aspects, obviously — the roundtable, the pre-engagement sessions, et cetera, and now the commitment for the regional pilot in Manitoba.
I’m curious about the work done to date — and I’m very supportive of the pilot project. We just heard incredible testimony in our last panel, in particular from Ms. Jesty about the Unama’ki Emergency Alert System. Is that something that has been studied in any of these sessions? If so, will there be anything going on in terms of looking at the results of that system and how that could influence this pilot?
Second, while the pilot is going on, will there also be an effort to look at success stories across the country to see what might be drawn from those that could be applied fairly rapidly in other locations, since this is urgent?
Ms. Apse: Thank you, chair, for the question.
The bottom line is that, yes, we did look at various examples.
Leading up to the pre-engagement sessions across the country, CIRNAC developed what I’m going to call an “engagement paper,” for lack of a better term. It was really to inform participants of the different alerting systems that are out there. Our colleagues at Public Safety are more familiar with the broadcast immediate, and we see some of that on our telephones when an AMBER Alert occurs. But there are other notification systems and the new Unama’ki Emergency Alert System is a mass notification system. In this engagement paper, we described these different systems, how they were run and some of their key elements, so that people could come to the table and talk about their preferences or views on what might work from their own perspectives.
So we did look at those. There are a few other examples we can share as well, and I’m happy to share the engagement paper with the committee so that you can also see that.
It was clear that while there’s a familiarity with the National Public Alerting System, there is also a desire to have something more local. We heard that from Ms. Jesty as well in terms of how that works in their community.
The second part of your question — I’m sorry, I should have written that down.
Senator Coyle: Well, while the pilot is ongoing — which is good, and a lot of eggs are going into that particular basket — will there be other ongoing efforts to promote some of these homegrown models?
Ms. Apse: I think we’re seeing that regardless now.
Senator Coyle: Okay. And are they supported —
Ms. Apse: And we’re seeing the connections between and among communities and groups who have these alerting systems. We’re seeing some of that happen organically. But in terms of how the federal government might promote some of those examples, we are doing that through the information sharing that I mentioned, in terms of what those examples are — more as ideas in that co-development — to hear from communities and organizations about what might work best.
Senator Coyle: Thank you. I have a final question. If there are a number of communities or regions that want to adopt a model similar to the Unama’ki model or one of the others that you’ve suggested, is there financial support there for both the community that’s developing it and the community that is helping them do so?
Ms. Apse: That’s something we want to discuss with both. The $1.3 million in Budget 2024 is for engagement. Regarding implementation, we would want to discuss that with the Province of Manitoba, along with how that can be supported in terms of capacity on both sides.
Senator Coyle: Thank you.
The Chair: Ms. Apse, would it be possible to get a copy of the engagement paper today? We’re on a tight timeline. That’s the only reason I ask.
Ms. Apse: Yes. I’m sure that our officials are watching, and they will immediately provide to you the French and English versions that we have.
The Chair: Thank you for that.
Senator Boniface: Thank you very much for being here. With respect to the $1.3 million, I want to be clear that’s $1.3 million over three years, so a little over $400,000 per year over the next three years. Am I correct?
Ms. Apse: Yes, but the funding profile in the first year is meant to be the majority of that engagement.
Senator Boniface: So, you’re front-loading the funding.
Ms. Apse: Yes.
Senator Boniface: Thank you.
In terms of the province implementation, this is always the trick in a federation, where the federal government dictates what they think is important — and this is incredibly important — and then it’s up to the province to implement that. When you do the level of government — the federal-provincial discussions — do you have every province on board for implementation of this?
Ms. Apse: The pilot is meant to be regional, so the important thing will be to have discussions with Indigenous partners, organizations within Manitoba as well as the Province of Manitoba to move forward on that piece.
I mentioned the National Indigenous-Federal-Provincial-Territorial Roundtable. There was clear participation from all provinces and territories in that. We’ve heard different levels of interest from different provinces in terms of what may be able to move forward. We’re open to having those discussions with other provinces and territories as well, to continue to move forward. I think we’ll learn a lot from the pilot in terms of what that can mean.
I will add one more thing before I close: What we heard through the engagement sessions was — and I talked about this before — the need to recognize the local nature of some of these things. I would extend that to unique technical and geographic differences and recognizing that we heard loud and clear the technological capability in the North isn’t necessarily there in the way that we imagined it to be.
Senator Boniface: Exactly.
Ms. Apse: We therefore need to have further conversations — not only with the North, but other rural communities where that would be the case. There is a lot of work to be done.
Senator Boniface: Are you saying that you can proceed with this without provincial input?
Ms. Apse: No, I think we would want to have the provinces and territories involved.
Senator Boniface: Do you need provincial funding for the ultimate outcome? That’s what I’m trying to get at, because I heard implementation with the provinces mentioned, but I don’t know what role they play.
Ms. Apse: The implementation that I referred to was the implementation of the pilot.
Senator Boniface: With Manitoba?
Ms. Apse: With Manitoba. That’s correct. In terms of next steps, we would want to continue those discussions with provinces and territories, and that funding would be to be determined.
Senator Boniface: I want to move to public safety, particularly with regard to the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program, which has issued a report this week. It has been chronically underfunded for many years. That’s acknowledged by everyone in terms of the notion of “essential service.” Will programs like this be built into the negotiations from the federal perspective to ensure that this becomes part of — from the law enforcement perspective — their provision of an essential service?
Adrian Walraven, Director General, Indigenous Affairs, Public Safety Canada: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much for the question. In terms of the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program, there are a couple of programming thrusts. There is a thrust that supports First Nation and Inuit-led policing services.
Senator Boniface: Yes.
Mr. Walraven: That was the subject of Budget 2024’s recent investment, and there was a lot of criticism from the Auditor General in her recent report in terms of the sufficiency of funding and how the funding is delivered. We also provide a thrust of funding where it supports the RCMP or other police with jurisdiction, to support —
Senator Boniface: I’m familiar with that.
Mr. Walraven: If we are looking at the nexus between the FNIPP, the needed supports for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and the alerting system we’re talking about today, we aim to integrate — in close collaboration with provinces and territories of jurisdiction — these conversations into our discussions, both with the RCMP and with the Indigenous police services that we support.
My most recent example is that we are in the process of renewing funding agreements with services in Ontario. We provide a flexible amount of money where we don’t necessarily demarcate that certain money has to be spent on certain things. That money, the conversations and the funding negotiations around the renewal of those agreements incorporate the need for policing services to work closely with the community and Indigenous-led organizations to have pre-emptive supports for addressing the subject matter we’re talking about today, but also to ensure that effective community policing and culturally appropriate policing help navigate this difficult issue between law enforcement and the concerned population.
Senator Boniface: Okay. I think if I rolled the clock back 20 years, I would have been told the same thing in terms of funding. The debate has been about what is essential. A flexible amount is good because people can set their own priorities. The dilemma for the federal government, Indigenous governments and the provinces is figuring out if everybody actually agrees on that framework in terms of what it’s going to be used for.
My fear is that we’re going to have the same discussion 20 years from now and say that the essential still hasn’t been fulfilled. Will you define “essential,” and will it include the Calls to Action and some of the issues around missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls?
Mr. Walraven: In our efforts to co-develop a concept for what could be federal legislation that would formally define First Nations and Inuit police services as essential services, there isn’t an elaborate definition.
Senator Boniface: That’s unfortunate.
Mr. Walraven: It’s essentially saying that if we are funding a First Nations or Inuit police service, it should be adequately funded to function as per provincial or territorial regulations and deliver effective results for the communities it serves.
As we navigate that — if I can inspire some confidence that things are changing — you can see over the last few federal budgets that there have been increased financial commitments. Provinces and territories are responding in kind at 48% with additional investments. We are having some very interesting discussions at present with the Manitoba government; that came up earlier this morning. As we work together with provinces and territories, you are seeing more money put on the table, with more flexibility with respect to how we allocate that money for Indigenous-led priorities. I’m confident that we will gradually see more improvement in terms of how law enforcement entities relate with communities and respond to their priorities for this important issue.
Senator Boniface: Okay.
The Chair: I have a quick question for you, Ms. Apse. Is the proposed funding of $1.3 million new funding or from an existing envelope?
Ms. Apse: It is new funding that was announced in Budget 2024. It’s not related to any previously announced funding.
The Chair: Thank you for that.
Senator Arnot: There is a lot of frustration felt regarding the lack of action on the MMIWG Calls for Justice, as voiced by the Assembly of First Nations, or AFN, chief yesterday. There needs to be a greater sense of urgency around moving on these ideas.
How do you envisage the integration of the Red Dress Alert system with the existing National Public Alerting System? What are the main strategic considerations with respect to those issues? How does Public Safety Canada plan to engage with Indigenous communities and other stakeholders to tailor the Red Dress Alert system to meet their specific needs?
Looking ahead, what are the plans to evolve the Red Dress Alert system to address emerging challenges and incorporate new technologies as we advance on this?
You’ve also indicated that one province, Manitoba, is ready to go, but what is the response in other provinces? It seems they might not be moving as fast as Manitoba.
Ms. Apse: I can begin, and I’ll invite my Public Safety colleagues to contribute as needed.
I, too, heard the frustration yesterday of the AFN national chief. Our minister responded in terms of the progress around the 231 Calls for Justice.
For awareness, yesterday was the five-year anniversary of The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Also, yesterday, the federal government published an annual progress report that shows the progress that has been made toward the Calls for Justice. I’m not telling tales out of school — the minister admitted there is much more work to do. Maybe I’ll just leave that there.
In terms of the links to the National Public Alerting System, that’s very much to be determined in our discussions with the province and Indigenous partners in the province in terms of the pilot itself. As the federal government, we are looking to hear from partners in terms of what kind of an alerting system would best match their needs. We heard from Ms. Jesty earlier. Theirs is a different kind of alerting system. It’s a subscription-based mass-notification alerting system, so it’s a bit different than the broadcast intrusive alerts we get on our phones for AMBER Alerts.
You asked about how we intend to engage. We have done some engagements, and I described those engagements as well. I will add a second document that might be helpful; I will give you all the paper. It is a summary deck that Ms. Anderson-Pyrz and her colleague Sandra DeLaronde presented to the National Indigenous-Federal-Provincial-Territorial Roundtable. It is a summary of the engagements that took place and the things we heard through those engagements.
The bottom line is that there is more work to be done in terms of discussing with partners exactly what this system will look like. What are the criteria? Who actually controls that trigger? Ms. Jesty described her role. That needs to be defined with partners in terms of what that preference might be. There were a number of other things, such as — I’m going to be operational here — that liaison between the actual alerting system and the wraparound services that already exist, and then identifying what additional wraparound services might be needed and how we put those in place through the federal and provincial governments — or local governments, in some cases.
So, a lot more work must be done in terms of engagements.
You asked about Manitoba being ready to go. The minister wrote to his provincial-territorial counterparts last fall and said that he intends to move forward with the pilot. Manitoba happened to be the first one to step up and signal a willingness to work with the federal government on this pilot. However, we’ve been engaged in discussions with other provinces and territories. There is a willingness to do some of this work.
Then, during our National Indigenous-Federal-Provincial-Territorial Roundtable meeting in February, we also heard from Yukon, Alberta and British Columbia about the progress they are making toward the 231 Calls for Justice.
So different provinces are doing different things, prioritizing what they see as their own priorities. Regardless, we are seeing progress across the country. Provinces and territories play an integral role in responding to the Calls for Justice.
The Chair: I don’t have anyone else on my list of senators who want to ask questions, so with that being said, the time for this panel is complete. I wish to thank you all again for joining us this morning.
We will now suspend briefly to allow us to go in camera.
(The committee continued in camera.)