Southern Tribal Council and Large/ Unaffiliated First Nation meeting

Mnjikaning First Nation, October 25, 2012

Irving Leblanc, P.EngActing Director – Housing & Infrastructure

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Bill S-8 Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act

• Introduced in first reading in the House June 19, 2012

• Expected to go into second reading and referred to committee this fall

• Another opportunity for witnesses to provide comments

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Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act

• As it’s predecessor Bill S-11, Bill S-8 is unacceptable in its current form

• First Nations were not consulted in its development.

• Bill S-8 will create new regulations and standards but does not provide First Nations with any resources to meet those new standards.

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Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act

Objection to section 5(3) regarding Aboriginal Rights • “For greater certainty, nothing in this Act or the

regulations is to be construed so as to abrogate or derogate from any existing Aboriginal or treaty rights of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 , except to the extent necessary to ensure the safety of drinking water on First Nation lands.” not a non-derogation clause

• Three regions initially indicated their support by Assembly of Treaty Chiefs recently rescinded their support.

FUNDING CUTS

• AFN analysis shared with the regions, template send out to PTOs for information

• All national and regional organizations in receipt of core funding in 2012-13 will have funding reduced

• Core funding will be reduced 10%Reductions in project funding starting 2013-14

• Tribal councils will fall under a Tiered approach• As of April 1, 2014 a revised funding formula will contribute

towards core funding or aggregate program delivery • Tribal councils will no longer be required to deliver the 5

specific advisory services

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Fire Inspections/Engineering Inspections

• HRSDC Labour Program will discontinue providing this service March 31, 2014.

• AANDC will take on responsibility• AANDC will work with AFN to develop options• Considering RFP for Standing Offer in the

interim• Other regions not as active as OFNTSC

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School Inspections

• Several regions have specific school inspection programs

• Schools are funded 100%• AANDC is looking into having this

program available for other regions• To work with AFN

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EC Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations• Same information from EC• Information on how to interpret the

regs• AFN had done an impact analysis

2009• And recommended Guidance Manual

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Housing

• Reductions in CMHC units nationally to 548 • AFN wants to meet with CMHC• Insurance issues on west coast• Lessees not able to get mortgages renewed

due to inability to get insurance• FNMHF evaluation

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Housing cont’d

• SoP- Habitat for Humanity• Whitehorse build on settlement

land• Looking for project on Reserve

land

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AFN/AAFN/Holmes Group Pilot Project• Progressing• Designs developed• Community based committee established • Regular meetings with partners, OFNTSC partner• AAFN working with Architect to develop FN

Sustainable Housing Standards• Funded by FNMHF• Look to utilize FNIHC in some fashion

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Other activities

• Resolution workplans• National First Nations Water Strategy• National Housing Strategy• Evaluation of FNWWAP, working group• Housing Roles and Responsibilities

(from Housing Policy Evaluations)

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Other Activities cont’d

• FCM Steering Committee – CIPP handbook

• Pikangikum Working Group – Social Action Group Toronto

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Emergency Management• FY 2010/2012 AFN H&I added EM to its

responsibilities with funding from AANDC EIMD• Areas looked at include Floods, Wildland

Urban Interface Fires, Civil Unrest and Protests, and Missing Persons

• advocate for more attention or resolution of the resulting issues from the emergency events.

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Senior Officials Responsible for Emergency Management (SOREM)• provided input in the Guidelines for Developing

Agreements for Emergency Management Services of On-Reserve First Nations Communities in Canada and the development of a Statement of Principles Concerning Emergency Management for Aboriginal Communities.

• AFN involvement will ensure the inclusion First Nations concerns are included in the development of these documents which directly affect them.

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•Notify the respective AFN regions, through the Regional Chiefs, with timely notifications on Emergency Issues which affect First Nations on both a regional and national scope.

•To further facilitate this process, AFN EIM will engage regional technicians to refine the Emergency Issues Management process within First Nations. These Technicians are part of the Housing/Infrastructure and Health Secretariat of AFN.

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Emergency Event Notifications

•Through Community Safety and Correctional Services’ Critical Infrastructure Branch, AFN EIM has been working with the Fire Strategy Working Group to examine the current status of fire protection for First Nations, to review and make recommendations for improvement.

• Fire assessments being completed in some regions

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First Nations Fire Strategy Working Group

First Nation Emergency Management Coordination

• AFN EIM will continue to develop its connections and networking to coordinate EIM efforts between the representative regions and organizations.

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In an effort to formulize Emergency Management in the respective First Nations regions, AFN-EIM envisions a cooperative group of Emergency Management Coordinators (EMC), Health, Water and Environmental Technicians brought together to share information such as Best Practices, Lessons Learned, Innovative and Successful strategies from their regions in resolving emergency events and issues.

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Development/Organization of First Nation Emergency Management Network (EMnet) Forum

EMNet• The AFN-EMnet body will propose strategies for a process, in

relation to the four pillars of Emergency Management:• Not a consultative group• information sharing• possible future capacity development and training for First

Nations for a Community Emergency Response Coordinator, • And research strategies for more ground level community

involvement through the participating members.

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EMNET

• AFN-EIM, with funding support from Public Safety Canada (PSC), hosted a Emergency Management Network Forum Oct 16-18, 2012

• 50 participants• Want to become an annual event• Developing ToR for the EMNet

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• AFN EIM is also working with the AFN Health and Social Secretariat to review and revise the current Memorandum of Understanding between the AFN and the CRC into a Statement of Partnership; with a view towards ultimately operationalizing the agreements.

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Canadian Red Cross (CRC) MOU

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Miigwetch

THANK YOU