THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
OTTAWA, Wednesday, April 29, 2026
(29)
[English]
The Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples met this day at 6:48 p.m., in room C128, Senate of Canada Building, the deputy chair, the Honourable Margo Greenwood, presiding.
Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Greenwood, Karetak-Lindell, Pate, Sorensen and Tannas (5).
Participating in the meeting: Sara Fryer and Allison Lowenger, Analysts, Library of Parliament.
Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, the committee continued its examination of the government response, dated March 21, 2024, to the committee’s twelfth report (interim), entitled On the Outside Looking In: The Implementation of the Cannabis Act and its Effects on Indigenous Peoples, tabled in the Senate on June 14, 2023, during the First Session of the Forty-fourth Parliament.
WITNESSES:
JFK Law LLP:
Sara Mainville, Managing Partner (by videoconference).
Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke:
Tonya Perron, Chief (by videoconference).
Thunderbird Partnership Foundation:
Carol Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer.
As an individual:
The Honourable Dan Christmas, former senator (by videoconference).
It was agreed that, notwithstanding usual practice and pursuant to rule 12-17, the committee be authorized to hold today’s meeting without a quorum, if necessary, for the purpose of receiving and publishing evidence, provided that three committee members are present.
Sara Mainville and Chief Tonya Perron each made a statement and answered questions.
At 7:25 p.m., the committee suspended.
At 7:30 p.m., the committee resumed.
Carol Hopkins and the Honourable Dan Christmas each made a statement and answered questions.
At 8:25 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.
ATTEST:
Sébastien Payet
Clerk of the Committee