Hon. Marc Miller, P.C., M.P., Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations: I know where he was going, Madam Speaker.

This is a complicated question, and clearly the issue of devolution is top of mind. I would say, as an update, that there has been some strong progress in the last little while. I don’t like to put the cart ahead of the horse, but we’re close on a number of elements.

You mentioned earlier the work that we’re doing with the Inuit-Crown Partnership. One of those was the Inuit Nunangat Policy to make sure that we are actually putting our best foot forward and reminding ourselves internally in the government of our relationship with Inuit, as opposed to Inuit spending the time re-educating others — whether it’s the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, lands and resources or the Department of National Defence — of their obligations and treaty obligations.

When you fold into that the discussion about the territory, and particularly Nunavut, it gets a little more complicated. It is fraught with, obviously, internal politics, and respecting those relationships where the government has to tread a careful path when it comes to creating new areas. I don’t think anyone is in any disagreement with creating protected spaces, but it’s something that has to be done in the spirit of respectful engagement. I don’t think any voices should be left unaccounted for when it comes to that, but you do often see departments tripping over themselves.

Hopefully, if there’s a success or a measure of success of the new Inuit Nunangat Policy that came into effect only a few months ago, it will be whether the departments that aren’t seized of Inuit relations all the time actually respect what is in that policy.

Senator McCallum: Yes.

Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond: Welcome to the Senate, minister. My question is about Bill C-29, which was introduced in the House of Commons just before the summer recess. This bill responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action 53 to 56. The purpose of the bill is to have the government monitor and implement the commission’s Calls to Action. This includes Bill C-15, which aims to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

How do see you this new council and government action working together to implement the UN declaration? Will this council be a sort of oversight body for government activity?

Hon. Marc Miller, P.C., M.P., Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations: I am very concerned, not only as a Quebecer or a Canadian, but as a human being. I don’t like to talk about it publicly too much, but I’ll break the rule.

I talk to Joyce Echaquan’s husband, Carol Dubé, fairly frequently. During the election campaign, I saw an individual who was seriously hurting, a man who was very deeply wounded as a human being. I find it really distressing to see that kind of reaction. Obviously, he feels that way because he misses her, but it’s also because of the denial of reality that all Indigenous people encounter.

That is something that I have never felt upon entering a hospital. I never felt an icy fear, the fear of discrimination or even death in this case. There’s work to be done, and it is up to the federal government to continue investing in the health care system to combat systemic racism. Denying the problem won’t make it go away. In fact, it will keep happening. It is happening all over Canada.

This problem exists even in provinces where things are going a little better, such as British Columbia. Recognizing that there’s a problem is a first step. Eradicating it is another. One need only look at the Viens commission report and the coroner’s report to see that this problem has yet to be solved. An election campaign isn’t going to change things.

Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Minister, I want to come back to the aftermath of the atrocious death of Joyce Echaquan two years ago at Joliette hospital. The coroner found that her death was accidental, but that racism and prejudice were contributing factors. The death of this Atikamekw mother of seven children and its consequences have came up again during the election campaign with an obvious lack of sensitivity.

Beyond this controversy, I’d like you to comment on the divide between Indigenous people and the Quebec government concerning the acknowledgement of systemic racism. As you are a Quebecer and minister responsible for this issue, what is your assessment of the progress made in the way Indigenous people are treated in the Quebec health care system? Are you concerned or not?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: It’s one question, and you have 60 seconds to ask the question. We are now moving on to Senator Pate.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Thank you. Mr. Minister?

Hon. Marc Miller, P.C., M.P., Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations: Thank you, senator. I’ll give you a partial answer. I don’t know what the status of the response to your report is. However, I’m happy to look into it.

I don’t know if I agree with the recommendation to transfer it to Crown-Indigenous Relations — not that I don’t think our team could do a good job at it, though. My reflection is one that is vested in thoughts about your rights and your people’s rights, which is one that had to be crystallized by going to the Supreme Court. You can ask yourself why, if it is a right, do you always have to go to the Supreme Court to enforce it? That’s immensely frustrating for most of your people who have a right to exercise a moderate livelihood as entrenched in both Marshall decisions.

My reflections on the efficiency and efficacy of the initiatives of the Government of Canada to respect those rights are ones where we need people to do their jobs and to look at things not necessarily in a commercial way or in a way that is based simply on a sole set of factors or based on the Fisheries Act, but ones based in the language of rights and respect of treaties. Whether we can do it or DFO can do it is less important to me than actually doing it right and working with that department in particular to make sure that those rights are respected. We’re not there yet and that is frustrating for most of the communities trying to exercise a moderate livelihood. That’s not to say that work hasn’t been done in the past 20 years that has been able to affirm a number of those rights, but we’re not there yet. I get how that’s frustrating. I welcome the report and I hope to contribute to the response as it comes up.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Thank you, Mr. Minister.

[Translation]

Hon. Mary Coyle: Honourable senators, today I rise to honour and celebrate Dr. Sheldon Currie, one of our Antigonish hometown heroes, son of a coal miner and homemaker from Reserve Mines, Cape Breton, renowned writer of novels, short stories and plays, long-time fiction editor of The Antigonish Review, beloved St. Francis Xavier University professor, active community volunteer, devoted family man and now member of the Order of Canada.

Colleagues, the Order of Canada acknowledges the outstanding achievements and contributions of individuals who enrich the lives of others, and the ever-humble and gifted Sheldon Currie has certainly done his share of enriching. I first met Sheldon when we both worked at St. Francis Xavier University, but I got to know him better when he joined our book club.

When our group was reading one of his novels, I’ll never forget his response when we asked who his literary influences were and he said, “Dick Tracy.”

Honestly, there’s not a hint of pretense with this literary icon. That down-to-earth authenticity is probably what attracted actress Helena Bonham Carter to want to play, “that snot-nosed girl” in the film Margaret’s Museum based on Sheldon Currie’s novel, The Glace Bay Miners’ Museum.

Ever an insightful social commentator, Sheldon Currie said:

The internment of Italians during World War II prompted me to write the novel, Down the Coaltown Road, and the play Anna. The arrest and internment of Italians took place under my nose when I was a kid, without my knowledge. The arrest and internment of innocent people is a recurring event in our society and therefore something we should keep an eye out for and if possible prevent.

This summer, our audience was well entertained by Theatre Baddeck’s brilliant production of Sheldon Currie’s playful yet poignant play, Lauchie, Liza and Rory. I had the good fortune of seeing it in an earlier version, as well as his play Two More Solitudes, at Festival Antigonish in the late 1990s. Lauchie, Liza and Rory was also produced by Mulgrave Road Theatre in 2004, which toured Nova Scotia and played at the Magnetic North Theatre Festival in Edmonton. It was nominated for five Merritt Awards and was awarded the Merritt for the best play by a Nova Scotia playwright that year.

Sheldon Currie has also written other works of literature, as well as articles on our colleague, accomplished novelist Senator David Adams Richards.

Honourable colleagues, please join me in congratulating Sheldon Currie on becoming a member of the Order of Canada and also saluting at the same time his formidable sidekick, Dawn Currie.

Thank you.

Hon. Lucie Moncion: Honourable senators, on September 25, we will mark Franco-Ontarian Day. It is a very important day for our community as we proudly celebrate our language and culture. This year, I would like to highlight the contribution of a great Franco-Ontarian, whose legacy is that of a more dignified francophone community.

Gisèle Lalonde, a remarkable member of Ontario’s francophonie, passed away on July 27 at the age of 89. Gisèle dedicated her life to improving the lives of francophones, whether in education, health or the community.

At the age of 32, she was elected as a school commissioner. In this English-dominated environment, she was the only francophone woman at her first school board meeting. Today’s French-language school board system in Ontario exists in part due to Gisèle Lalonde’s determination.

Ms. Lalonde was involved in municipal politics from 1985 to 1991, when she served as mayor of the City of Vanier.

However, it was in 1997 that Ms. Lalonde really made a name for herself, when the Conservative government of the day decided to close the Montfort Hospital, Ontario’s only French‑language teaching hospital.

As president of the SOS Montfort movement, she rallied the troops and organized a historic event on March 22, 1997, bringing together over 10,000 people from francophone communities across Ontario to demonstrate at the Ottawa Civic Centre. I’m sure you all remember the “Montfort, fermé, jamais!” rallying cry. That was 100% Ms. Lalonde, and it became a call to arms for all Franco-Ontarians.

Gisèle Lalonde was the architect of the court case against the Government of Ontario, a battle she won on December 7, 2001, when the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled on the constitutionality of francophone minority rights. Thanks to Gisèle Lalonde, the Montfort Hospital will never be closed. Since then it has doubled its size and the services it offers.

Ms. Lalonde was on the board of the Association des conseils scolaires publics de langue française de l’Ontario and helped create the Centre franco-ontarien de ressources pédagogiques, which produces educational material distributed across Canada and around the world.

Gisèle Lalonde was awarded many distinctions and honours in her lifetime. The list is a long one, but I want to name just a few. She received an honorary degree from Sudbury’s Collège Boréal and honorary doctorates from Saint Paul University, the University of Ottawa and Laurentian University. She was a member of the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario, and the Ordre des francophones d’Amérique. She was presented with the Key to the City of Ottawa and the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne’s Prix Boréal. There is also a high school in Orleans named in her honour.

Thank you, Gisèle, for everything you have done. Our francophone community is faring better thanks to you.

Thank you for your attention.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Shokohalzaman Omidwar, Manouchehr Karbalaei-Sadegh, Anna Ramsey and Ben Ramsey. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Omidvar.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

Hon. Lucie Moncion: Honourable senators, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the Senate, I will move:

That the papers and evidence received and taken and the work accomplished by the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration relating to the study of the Long Term Vision and Plan from previous parliamentary sessions, be referred to the Committee so that it may then authorize the disclosure of certain presentations prepared for the committee to Public Services and Procurement Canada and the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.

[English]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 27, dated November 23, 2021, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Plett, regarding breakthrough cases of COVID-19.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Honourable senators, pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on December 7, 2021, Question Period will begin at 3:20 p.m. today.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 26, dated November 23, 2021, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Plett, regarding COVID-19 testing of essential workers and truck drivers at the Canada-U.S. border.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 29, dated November 23, 2021, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Plett, regarding flights in Canada with COVID-positive passengers.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 30, dated November 23, 2021, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Plett, regarding virtual care and mental health tools for Canadians.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) tabled the reply to Question No. 40, dated November 23, 2021, appearing on the Order Paper and Notice Paper in the name of the Honourable Senator Plett, regarding seizures of fentanyl — Public Safety Canada.