Our government shares the concerns that are being spoken of in the House this morning. When you stop and think about the importance of providing culturally safe services that are low barrier to individuals, these are investments that need to be made upstream.

Yes, investments are being made in corrections facilities by increasing the amount of services and supports; transitional housing when individuals come out of the corrections system, but we have to look upstream. We have to look and see what needs to be done in the communities and provide the services where the individuals live, and that’s exactly what we did. The $90-million investment put 54% of the dollars and created 7,000 treatment spots, the majority of which are in northern Ontario. Why? Because we need to deliver supports and services before individuals resort to situations that get them into corrections facilities. We’ve done that in Sioux Lookout, in Thunder Bay, in Sudbury, in Timmins—and the list goes on and on.

We will continue building continuums of care for individuals that are culturally safe and appropriate as close to home as we possibly can.

I want to thank my friend for the question. I’ve toured a lot of facilities all over Ontario, and it has been an eye opener for me to see the investments that we made in the facilities to meet the cultural needs of Indigenous peoples there, such as the smudging spaces, the sweat lodges and the teaching lodges.

Mr. Speaker, it has been my honour to meet so many native inmate liaison officers, the NILOs, who are absolutely critical to the chaplaincy and the well-being of those facilities. It has been my honour to meet Elder Cam Goodman in Thunder Bay where I’ve seen for myself.

This is important to our government, and we will continue to act.