QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Indigenous Services
Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School
April 30, 2019
Minister O’Regan, welcome. Thank you for being here this afternoon. It’s regrettable that you’ve had to give some answers amid some tittering and muttering. We can usually do better than that.
I’d like to ask a question about progress in housing students at the all-Aboriginal Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, known as the DFC, in Thunder Bay. You’ve been travelling a lot as part of your mandate but you have not yet been able to visit DFC. You will recall, though, that six of the seven Indigenous students whose deaths are described in Tanya Talaga’s acclaimed book Seven Fallen Feathers were DFC students. Those deaths were the subject of a coroner’s inquest that, almost three years ago, recommended safe, affordable housing for students who must leave their homes to go to high school in Thunder Bay.
Minister, your department funded a feasibility study to determine options for new DFC educational facilities including a new student residence. That study is expected this spring. Once you have the feasibility study, what is a realistic timeline for announcing tentative estimates for funding? And, Minister, can you involve DFC students directly in the planning in some way?
I thank the honourable senator for the question. I would acknowledge that it was my predecessor who had the pleasure to welcome students from DFC here to Parliament Hill. She was touched by the stories and aspirations shared by the students including their desire for a new school and, indeed, for student accommodation. We are committed to being a champion for these students. We have encouraged partners to ensure the students’ perspectives are reflected in the feasibility study which, as the honourable senator acknowledged, is ongoing. We look forward to working with them to complete the study. We will lay out the best path forward for educational facilities and that will best meet the needs of Indigenous students in the city. Certainly, everything that we have been doing and everything that has been initiated under my tenure was attempted in conjunction with those Indigenous peoples who are directly involved. We will continue their co-development style of management.
