Hon. Mary Jane McCallum: Honourable senators, once again I rise today to speak to Motion No. 12, which constitutes an order of reference for the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources.

As is indicated in the motion itself, I would like this committee to undertake a study on the cumulative impacts of resource extraction and development, and their effects on environmental, economic and social considerations.

My interest in studying this matter in depth came from this committee’s previous study of the highly contentious Bill C-69, known as the environmental Impact Assessment Act.

Through the months-long study of this bill during the last Parliament, we were able to hear — in a highly limited way — from various stakeholders and community members of the impacts of resource extraction and development. This included both the benefits as well as the negatives. However, as the focus of this committee study was the legislation at hand, the discussion remained highly technical and limited to the scope of that specific bill. As such, it is my hope that the committee would now use the time before us to study and report on the larger issue at play, which is the concept of the impacts resulting from resource extraction and development.

Honourable senators, as a result of Bill C-69, there are many Canadians across the country who feel we have reached a breaking point as a nation. We saw it through talks of Wexit and Saskatchewan wanting to be a nation. This divide and this disconnect is likely still felt between the West and the rest of Canada. With this societal issue boiling over, I feel it is up to us as senators to take an unencumbered, neutral look at this massive issue to try to make sense of it all.

I am aware, as is everyone here, that it is virtually impossible to go into the study of such a contentious subject matter without any personal bias or prior-held individual points of view. On the contrary, I think these are a good thing, as those points of view are largely shaped from our connections to the regions we are from and the people we serve. It is these points of view, those which are reflective of the people of Canada, that are required to give voice and, in turn, understanding through sober second thought to this complex issue which continues to fester as an open sore, wounding the unity of our great country.

I believe in the importance of full transparency, openness and honesty when giving my thoughts on any issue before the Senate, whether in committee or the chamber itself. As such, I will quickly highlight where it is I am coming from on this matter.

From the perspective of my region and the people I serve, this study would allow a closer look to be taken as to how resource extraction and development have impacted rural and northern communities — my interest naturally being those Indigenous communities and peoples throughout Canada and largely in Manitoba.

Through my decades of work as a health care professional within the rural and remote communities in Manitoba, I have always been aware of the impacts that resource extraction and development have had in these areas and the people. Much of the work I have done in my time as a senator to date has touched on this issue as well, either directly or indirectly.

In my role as a senator, I have had the chance to visit many communities that are facing fallout from resource extraction and development in their areas. The communities I have visited and continue to work with are not just located in Manitoba but are found across the country.

Without getting into the nitty-gritty, I have heard from and seen communities from coast to coast who face serious health issues related to land, water and air degradation, who face health concerns from the toxins released during extraction and development that inevitably make their way into our ecosystems.

There are communities that have documented high levels of rare cancers due to their proximity to the oil sands, uranium mines and pulp mills. These include cancers of the blood and lymphatic system, biliary tract cancers and soft tissue cancers. There are sustenance concerns as the surrounding flora and fauna are killed off or forced to relocate.

There are physical safety concerns due to the influx of workers and the creation of man camps. There is an undeniable correlation between the presence of these man camps and an increase in violence, sexual assault, prostitution, sex trafficking, alcohol and drug addiction and blatant racism and sexism of some workers as well as company policies.

Then there are concerns that relate to logistics. As an influx of workers come into a community, they strain the local resources and infrastructure, which are then forced to operate beyond their capacity. This is further exacerbated by the shadow population, a subset of the community’s population who had left in search of work but now return en masse to gain employment through this new opportunity. This means the already inadequate health and social services most Indigenous communities receive plummet to further levels of inequity.

However, for me, these concerns are also balanced in part by the issues I have heard and would like to address from the people of Alberta, who have serious and valid concerns about yo-yoing employment rates and the continuing presence of orphan wells, including the soaring cost Albertans will have to incur to reclaim and restore the remaining sites.

Honourable senators, within this study I see value in providing an understanding of the policy and technical barriers that exist in applying nature-based climate solutions to many of these substantial issues. These barriers are highlighted by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in the paper entitled Finding Common Ground, which states at page 6:

These barriers include: a lack of policies that recognize, and hold responsible, the main players responsible for ecosystem emissions; the challenges policymakers encounter in considering nature-based solutions as mitigation options; and shortcomings in GHG accounting methodologies which may not fully capture the emission reduction potential of such solutions.

Honourable senators, despite this Indigenous collective perspective, I genuinely hope to obtain a balance wherein all concerned groups receive equal consideration through this proposed study. This is why I rely on your voices and inputs to help us achieve that through this committee study. For my part, I would like to ensure that the voices of Indigenous peoples, environmental groups and industry are heard equally.

As a reference to why I am stressing this point, I would like to highlight the numbers surrounding lobbyists on the aforementioned environmental Bill C-69. It has been reported that over 80% of lobbyists in the Senate on that bill represented industry. By contrast, 13% of lobbyists represented environmental groups and only 4% represented the Indigenous perspective. Moreover, this 4% was accomplished by just one very determined community, Fox Lake Cree Nation in my home province of Manitoba.

The reason behind this discrepancy in representation is fairly straightforward. Industry simply has a greater capacity in both infrastructure and funds to mobilize their voices in efficiently getting their message out to Ottawa. They have every right to do so. However, many Indigenous communities do not have the capital required to travel here with such relative ease, but they should also have the ability to have their voices heard equally.

Honourable senators, it is with this in mind that I am hopeful that balance, neutrality and mutual respect will rule when considering this order of reference. As I have indicated, I have my concerns and opinions on this issue. I would expect each of you do as well. I would like it noted that I welcome and respect your concerns and insights, whether they echo mine or whether they are reflective of the other side of the coin. It is my hope that this balance — both in the opinion of senators as well as witnesses heard by committee on this study — will allow us to paint a fulsome picture for all Canadians on the current climate surrounding this contentious issue.

Further, my hope is for a final report that will be fully reflective of all points of view. This will allow all Canadians to see their voices in this report as well as the differing opinions that they might not be inclined to acknowledge otherwise. With a balanced final report and any recommendations that flow from it, my final hope would be for a resulting balance, equity and understanding in public policy moving forward. Furthermore, I believe that this study could also help to inform the upcoming review that is due to be taken on Bill C-69.

Honourable senators, the final matter I would like to address is the question of why I am putting this order of reference forward now before the committee itself is reconstituted. I would like to allay any concerns on this by saying my rationale is purely in taking a pragmatic approach. As we have all experienced in our time as senators, when a committee gets rolling with government legislation, it can turn into a runaway train very quickly. One day you get referred a government bill and four months later Parliament is set to adjourn just as that same bill finally clears your committee. This often leaves in its wake the skeletons of private members’ bills and orders of reference that were left behind so that the government legislation could take priority, as it should.

Colleagues, we are in a rare situation right now where our Order Paper is relatively barren and our committees, not reconstituted yet, will be a tabula rasa when they are reconstituted. Rather than have that precious time wasted with cancelled meetings and empty agendas, I believe we should embrace the gift of time and have this order of reference ready and waiting to act on should the committee be re-formed. It is my belief that an issue of such critical importance and of such consequence to our country today is deserving of study and debate by the many minds in this chamber. As we continue to see, problems dealing with natural resources and land remain the top issue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups and people, resulting in confrontation and fraught relationships.

If we, who are here to be representative of our regions and the people within them, will not undertake a balanced and thorough study on this matter, then tell me who will.

It is said that if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. It is with this thought that I appeal to all senators to choose to go far with sober second thought, and to go together on this issue of national importance. Thank you.

Hon. Mary Jane McCallum: Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to my Motion No. 11, which asks that the Senate of Canada call on the federal government to adopt anti-racism as the sixth pillar of the Canada Health Act.

This request for the sixth pillar comes from several sources across Canada, and I’m speaking on their behalf. This appeal first came to my attention through an open letter addressed to many people, including myself, from Josée G. Lavoie, Professor at the University of Manitoba; Mary Jane Logan McCallum, Professor at the University of Winnipeg; Annette J. Browne, Professor at the University of British Columbia; and Emily Hill, Senior Staff Lawyer, Aboriginal Legal Services.

The Brian Sinclair Working Group was led by Dr. Barry Lavallee and included the aforementioned individuals. This group was formed in response to Brian Sinclair’s death in the emergency room of a Winnipeg hospital, as well as the questions this raised for health care, the justice system, Indigenous People and the province of Manitoba. In the book, Structures of Indifference: An Indigenous Life and Death in a Canadian City, by Mary Jane Logan McCallum and Adele Perry, they state at page 1:

At the core of this story are thirty-four hours that passed in September 2008. During that day and a half, Brian Sinclair, a middle-aged, non-status Anishinaabe resident of Winnipeg, Manitoba’s capital city, wheeled himself into the emergency room of the Health Sciences Centre (HSC), the city’s major downtown hospital, was left untreated and unattended to, and ultimately passed away from an easily treatable infection. This, we argue, reflects a particular structure of indifference born of and maintained by colonialism, and one that can best be understood by situating this particular Indigenous life and death within their historical context.

They continue:

. . . this archive reflects the precarious position of Indigenous people with respect to Canadian health care and justice, and how problematic this is for the care with which cases involving untimely deaths of Indigenous people are handled. . . . we find that the inquest served to obscure the violence of colonialism . . .

Colleagues, for those who experience racism, it is exhausting to repeatedly state that racism exists in Canada. For Canadians who have never experienced racism, whether systemically or via personal affront, it is easy to deny its existence and thus be difficult for some to understand. For others, it remains a regular practice in their lives as is evident in the cases of Brian Sinclair and Joyce Echaquan.

For Indigenous peoples and people of colour, the threat of racism is always there. As I was preparing a presentation on racism to students at the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba, I realized I had never lived a day without the thought of racism popping into my head. Will I meet it in the street, the store, the plane, the hospital or in the Senate today? Will I see it in the eyes, the mouth, the body language? Sometimes we say to ourselves, “Not my day today,” knowing that although we did not experience racism that day, many other First Nations, Métis, Inuit and people of colour will have. It is egregious when one knows, “It’s my day today,” but does not know whether today’s act of racism will result in one’s death.

It is unconscionable that some people feel they have the right to take the life of an Indigenous person or another person of colour, doing so openly and without fear of repercussions, all because of skin colour.

In his book entitled The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power by Desmond Cole, he states:

It has taken me most of my life to even grasp the connection between my struggle as a Black Canadian and the struggle of Indigenous peoples on these stolen territories.

He goes on to say:

British Imperialism, which led to the colonization of both Canada and Sierra Leone, produced me, and informed the stories I’m about to share with you. So when I talk about Black and Indigenous solidarity as necessary for our future survival —

 — and the whole world —

— I’m not speaking in metaphors. I’m asking us to honour the history and struggles of our ancestors as we grapple with the aftermath.

For many of us, as Black and Indigenous collectives, it has taken most of our adult lives to embrace our skins, our ancestry and this struggle against racism.

Honourable senators, when a society is racist, racists can assume a power that, within a just society, would not be theirs. Those who are the targets of racism see it for its clear pathology — though such clarity has historically not been enough. Little children knew it when they ran away from residential schools. Mothers knew it when their children were torn from their arms. Young men knew the system was against them when police officers sent them walking along frozen highways in the middle of the night. Brian Sinclair knew it when he sat patiently in the emergency waiting room, overlooked again and again until his death.

What of the many, many missing and murdered women? Are they not women as we are, each and every one of us women? Are they not deserving of protection? How many of them would have been saved had our institutions been available, open and understanding of their struggles?

One truth we know is that racism goes across all Canadian institutions. In his book Racial and Ethnic Policies in Canada, author Gurcharn S. Basran states:

Racism has been practised systematically by the Canadian government and people in general from the very beginning of Canadian history. . . . It has been institutionalized throughout our history. It has been directed mainly against non-white populations in Canada.

At page 11, he states:

Racism is not random, unique or idiosyncratic behaviour on the part of individuals. It is systematically developed, diffused and used to meet the needs and interests of certain groups in Canadian society. Institutional racism is an important part of Canadian history and is closely related to our system of production, distribution, and control of economic resources. In other words, racism is an important part of our economic structure and political reality.

Honourable senators, in the 2019 final report into the Public Inquiry Commission on relations between Indigenous Peoples and certain public services in Québec: Listening, reconciliation and progress, Commissioner Jacques Viens states that it is “impossible to deny” Indigenous people in Quebec are victims of “systemic discrimination” in accessing public services. He said improvements are needed across the spectrum, including in policing, social services, corrections, justice, youth protection, mental health services and school curriculum to properly reflect the history of First Nations and Inuit in the province.

About this report, Quebec Premier François Legault stated:

There are many worrisome things in the report and we need to change the way we provide services to Indigenous people in Quebec.

Although this report is specific to Quebec, its findings are certainly applicable to all corners of Canada.

Honourable senators, more recently, the events of September 28, 2020, which ultimately took the life of Joyce Echaquan, are not new. Ms. Echaquan, an Indigenous woman, mother of seven, member of the Atikamekw community of Manawan, died on that day, strapped to a hospital bed, pleading to her nurses for help as they made racist remarks and ridiculed her. It is not enough that atrocities of racism in our country exist, but that they exist within the very institutions that were meant to heal peoples, not kill them, is appalling.

Ms. Echaquan was a victim of interpersonal violence. She died begging Canadian health care workers to do for her what they were trained and paid to do. More so, she died of systemic violence. She died in the care of people who were located within a space that allowed such behaviours to continue unabated.

With racism, there is nowhere else to go. Hospitals staffed by racist people are hospitals nonetheless. Indigenous men, women and children go to them for help knowing all along that these institutions do not value them. Joyce Echaquan went to the hospital knowing that she would not be treated well. She went in that final time, her family said, saying they were horrible to her in there. “One day, they will kill me in there,” she said.

Colleagues, the Canada Health Act lists the conditions that provincial and territorial health insurance plans must respect in order to receive federal cash contributions. The five conditions that deliver insured services include public administration, accessibility, comprehensiveness, universality and portability.

Comprehensiveness is defined broadly to include medically necessary services “. . . for the purpose of maintaining health, preventing disease or diagnosing or treating an injury, illness or disability . . . .” How can comprehensiveness and racism exist simultaneously?

Universality means that provincial and territorial insurance programs must insure Canadians for all medically necessary hospital and physician care. Are there then two types of universality, one treatment for one group and another lesser treatment for others? Does public accountability for the funds spent for insured services take into account the differential and unequal treatment of different groups of people? How can health care be accessible and universal when people are afraid to go to the health centres because of racism?

In order to right these wrongs done in the name of the Canada Health Act, institutional racism must be addressed. Instead of looking at skin colour as a deficit, Canadians need to look at the unique histories, realities and struggles of Indigenous peoples, Blacks and other people of colour, so they do not continue to be pushed out of the dominant systems, whether it be health, justice, education, economics, et cetera.

Honourable senators, concerted action at the highest level of influence and authority in Canada is required to disrupt institutional racism in the Canadian health care system. As members of the Senate, it is our moral and legal obligation to stand and to act in supporting the fight against racism.

Imagine Joyce Echaquan, during her immense suffering, finding the strength to hold out her phone. What was the story she was trying to convey through the phone? She refused to be a victim. She was strapped to the bed, but her soul and spirit were standing tall. She was a catalyst for change. She didn’t want others to continue to go through what she did. As a woman, I’m certain her last thoughts were with her family, especially her children. Women have always fought for a better future for their children. She was no different. She has paved our way.

I urge you, colleagues, to join me in support of this motion. Thank you.

(On motion of Senator Dalphond, for Senator Bernard, debate adjourned.)

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator McCallum, seconded by the Honourable Senator LaBoucane-Benson:

That the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources be authorized to examine and report on the cumulative positive and negative impacts of resource extraction and development, and their effects on environmental, economic and social considerations, when and if the committee is formed; and

That the committee submit its final report no later than December 31, 2022.

Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond: I have a question for the sponsor of the bill.

[English]

The Hon. the Acting Speaker: Senator Housakos, would you take a question?

Senator Housakos: Absolutely.

[Translation]

Hon. Robert Black moved second reading of Bill S-227, An Act to establish Food Day in Canada.

He said: Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to Bill S-227, An Act to establish Food Day in Canada, which seeks to establish the Saturday of the August long weekend as Food Day in Canada.

First, I would like to thank my colleague the Honourable Senator Diane Griffin for tabling this bill on my behalf in the Senate last week.

I have risen on a number of occasions to highlight the important role of our local farmers, producers and processors, and the roles they play in ensuring Canadians have access to safe, nutritious and affordable foods. The food day in Canada act represents an opportunity to celebrate those same farmers, producers and processors, and to highlight and appreciate the diverse and nutritious food products that we all have access to.

At the outset, I would like to pay tribute to a great “agvocate” whom many of my colleagues on the Agriculture and Forestry Committee will remember: Anita Stewart, a founder of Food Day Canada. Anita was a food activist, a cookbook author and the first Food Laureate at the University of Guelph. She was a champion of local food and the stories behind that food. Sadly, Anita passed away last year at the age of 73 after losing her battle with pancreatic cancer.

While I’ve introduced the food day in Canada act to establish a national day, the first Food Day Canada was born from Anita’s concern for beef farmers during the 2003 bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, crisis. That year, she organized what she called the world’s longest barbecue, where she invited her network of friends, farmers and chefs to share their recipes using Canadian beef.

It evolved into what we know now as Food Day Canada, where Canadian food is promoted, celebrated and shared across this country.

I had the privilege of collaborating with Anita on a number of occasions and found her to be a staunch supporter of the Canadian agricultural industry. Her spirit and passion for Canadian cuisine from coast to coast to coast and the people who grew, harvested and cooked it was unrivalled. Anita was a trailblazer who made a tremendous impact on the health and well-being of our Canadian food system. She will be missed by all who knew her, and her memory lives on in the legacy of her recipes, her family and Food Day Canada.

Her legacy of celebrating Canadian cuisine is part of the reason I have chosen to introduce this bill. She inspired me and many others with the way in which she loved Canadian ingredients, recipes and dishes. I hope that by establishing a food day in Canada, Canadians for generations to come will have the opportunity not only to learn about the many foods grown and produced in Canada but also about Anita and the way she honoured Canada through food.

Today, Food Day Canada embodies a celebration of Canadian culture, cuisine and ingredients. Farmers, chefs and restaurateurs and organizations from coast to coast to coast honour this annual event each summer.

While things weren’t quite “normal,” due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we still saw a huge outpouring of support for Food Day Canada this past summer. Chefs from leading establishments such as Jason Bangerter from Cambridge’s Langdon Hall and Anthony Walsh of Oliver & Bonacini participated as friends of Food Day Canada. Restaurants big and small from across the country, including Champlain Restaurant at Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City; Fauna, just a few blocks away from Parliament Hill on Bank Street here in Ottawa; Toronto’s award-winning Canoe; the Yellow Door Bistro in Calgary; and Vancouver’s Forage all highlighted local cuisine in honour of Anita and Food Day Canada.

Individuals also had the opportunity to sign the Food Day Canada pledge to shine a light on Canadian food and farming. I proudly took that pledge to cook and eat like a Canadian. In addition to many individuals supporting Food Day Canada by taking this pledge, 47 iconic landmarks, including the clock tower in Charlottetown, the Elora Gorge near my home in Wellington County, Niagara Falls, the CN Tower, Halifax’s city hall and Calgary Tower were lit in Canada’s red and white to honour our farmers, fishers, chefs and home cooks.

As many of you know, I have been involved in the agricultural arena for most of my life. I am proud that Canadian farmers are known to be among those who produce some of the safest, highest-quality food that feeds not only our country, but the world.

In fact, the Canadian agricultural sector is one of our nation’s oldest industries. Today, agriculture and agri-food in Canada represent a multi-billion-dollar annual business and a vibrant network of farmers, their farm families and workers, as well as many agricultural organizations.

From coast to coast to coast, our agricultural community is busy producing top-quality food products. We are known worldwide for potatoes from Prince Edward Island, beef from Alberta, maple syrup from Quebec, peaches from Ontario, wine from British Columbia and wheat from the prairies, among many other things. Canada is a leader in agriculture, and will continue to be, with the right support.

At this time, I must express that I was extremely disappointed again this year by the lack of attention to Canadian agriculture in last week’s Speech from the Throne. The government frequently speaks about its commitment to agriculture, yet the sector never seems to make the cut into their top priorities.

I am incredibly disheartened to share that the term “agriculture” was not mentioned a single time in this year’s speech. To me, this is unimaginable given not only the importance of agriculture in the daily lives of each of us and all Canadians, but also the way in which food security and sovereignty have been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, agriculture is intrinsically connected to so many other areas that have been highlighted by the government as priorities, most notably their focus on the effects of climate change and the environment. Farmers are stewards of our land, and they must play a role in our fight against climate change. In fact, farmers often face the brunt of climate change, as Canadian agriculture suffers greatly from the effects.

For example, the frequency of extreme weather events has doubled since the 1990s. There has been an increase in floods, droughts, forest fires and storms that, unsurprisingly, interfere with planting and harvest and disproportionately affects farms of all sizes. We have seen over the past few weeks just how devastating the effects of extreme weather can be, as floods ravaged British Columbia’s agricultural heartland, destroying lives and livelihoods.

Time and time again I have highlighted the way in which farmers have risen to the challenge of addressing climate change. Many have already introduced greener methods of farming. However, they are rarely acknowledged for doing so, or supported in any way.

Canada’s agricultural community knows they have a critical role to play in preserving ecosystems and resources, as well as in minimizing the environmental impacts of their activities through the implementation of beneficial agricultural practices. In order to be truly successful in their fight against climate change, Canadian agricultural producers and food processors will need the government’s support in transitioning their operations to be more sustainable, and they will also require the government and the public’s support while they seek to change decades-old and decades-long practices and procedures.

It is clear that agriculture plays a major role in Canada. And, in spite of facing unimaginable challenges over the past few years — from the issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, to widespread destruction by extreme weather — our farmers, producers and processors remain resilient. I am confident that this industry will continue to play an important role, especially in the post-pandemic economic recovery. The only thing they need now is our support. We can start showing our support here in the red chamber by establishing food day in Canada.

As I’ve mentioned, food day in Canada calls attention to our agricultural industry and the pride we share in growing food. Canada is one of the largest producers and exporters of agricultural products in the world. From the huge wheat fields and cattle ranches in Canada’s prairies to the field crop, dairy, fruit and vegetable farms across the country, our farmers, producers and processors have something for everyone.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen our nation come together in support of one another, including in support of Canadian-made food. I have been delighted to see the interest in learning where, how and who grows our food skyrocket in the past months.

I am confident that, if we choose to establish food day in Canada, Canadians from all walks of life will have the opportunity to learn more about the bountiful foods that are grown in our soils and the many types of livestock that are raised on our farms. This day will give Canadians, young and old, an opportunity to thank the farmers who put food on our tables each and every day.

Honourable colleagues, food day in Canada is a national event for all Canadians to join together in celebration of our food and the people who make it happen, from farms to our forks. I am hopeful that this speech is just the first step in establishing a national celebration of our agricultural community.

This past summer, I found myself in Ottawa over the August long weekend. I took the opportunity to celebrate Food Day Canada that Saturday evening by visiting restaurants that showcased local ingredients. That said, how you celebrate food day in Canada every summer is up to you — visit a local restaurant, create your own mouth-watering moments, or get inspired by some delicious Canadian ingredients. Just make sure to have fun and show your pride for the local Canadian food that we enjoy.

Honourable colleagues, you know I am, and always will be, an “AGvocate.” Agriculture is what I know best and will remain my primary focus as long as I serve Canadians in the red chamber.

I know that it was always Anita’s dream to have a national day established. She worked tirelessly over the course of her life to highlight not only the wonderful food and ingredients that are grown in Canada, but also the farmers, producers and processors responsible for it. I hope you will take this opportunity to recognize the hard work of our agricultural community by establishing and celebrating food day in Canada with me.

I hope that we can send Bill S-227 to the Agriculture and Forestry Committee for further review, pass it in this chamber and then send it to the other place in quick fashion.

Thank you, meegwetch.

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): I should thank Senator Dasko for her mention of our wonderful B.C. wines, but I know Canada should be proud of its wine industry. Thank you, Senator Black.

(On motion of Senator Martin, debate adjourned.)

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator McCallum, seconded by the Honourable Senator Dean:

That the Senate of Canada:

(a)acknowledge that racism, in all its forms, was a cornerstone upon which the residential school system was created;

(b)acknowledge that racism, discrimination and abuse were rampant within the residential school system;

(c)acknowledge that the residential school system, created for the malevolent purpose of assimilation, has had profound and continuing negative impacts on Indigenous lives, cultures and languages; and

(d)apologize unreservedly for Canada’s role in the establishment of the residential school system, as well as its resulting adverse impacts, the effects of which are still seen and felt by countless Indigenous peoples and communities today.