Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Honourable senators, I rise today to speak about the incredible work of the Muslim community of Iqaluit’s Arctic Food Bank.

The Muslim community in Iqaluit numbers around 100 but has an impact on the city that far outweighs its size. Every other week, the mosque opens the doors to its food bank, serving those facing food insecurity with the support of the Toronto‑based non‑profit Muslim Welfare Centre.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Arctic Food Bank. This past Saturday also marked the beginning of Project Ramadan, an initiative of the Muslim Welfare Centre, led by Vice President Muhammad Iqbal.

For Muslims, Ramadan marks a time of spiritual renewal through fasting and charity. Project Ramadan serves as a way for Muslims to be of greater assistance to their communities during this period. Fortuitously, the start of Project Ramadan, in anticipation of the beginning of the month of Ramadan, came at a time of increased need in Iqaluit as the city’s only other food bank was forced to shut last week after the building froze.

Although I could not be there myself, I am grateful to my colleague Senator Salma Ataullahjan, who journeyed to Iqaluit with me five years ago for the official opening of the food bank and who last week braved minus 55 degree Celsius temperatures and the Arctic winter to attend the event. She was joined by Premier P.J. Akeeagok. Fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs and dried goods were distributed to 93 persons from different households. A team of volunteers led by Muhammad Wani prepared and distributed the packages, serving a total of over 237 adults and 170 children in need.

But it is the women of the Iqaluit Masjid who serve as the foundation of the food bank’s work — women like Selma, a single mother, who, along with her three children aged just four to nine, worked from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday evening to pack bags and then returned to the food bank Saturday morning at 9 a.m. to prepare for distribution.

Because of the tireless work of the dedicated group of volunteers at the Iqaluit Masjid Arctic Food Bank — the youngest being just four years old — hundreds of Nunavummiut are able to put food on the table this week at a time of high inflation and food insecurity.

Honourable senators, please join me in thanking the Muslim community and — on this International Women’s Day — particularly the women volunteers like Selma, who are tireless supporters, for their commitment to helping support their neighbours in crisis.

Thank you. Qujannamiik.

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: My question is for the Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications.

Senator Housakos, on February 7, the CBC announced their intention to become a digital-only format. While they have clarified that they are “not abandoning anyone who’s watching on traditional television or listening on traditional radio,” it still does raise for me, from a rural region, questions about the timing of making such an announcement now given the serious issues around broadband and connectivity throughout rural and remote Canada.

Senator Housakos, given your experience on this file, can you share with us whether or not you have any concerns with this announcement?

Hon. Leo Housakos: Thank you for the question, Senator Patterson. It is a very timely and legitimate one.

I do have concerns, and all Canadians should have concerns because at the end of the day, we saw the CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada come out and acknowledge — and it’s interesting that right in the middle of the heated debate on Bill C-11, she acknowledged, for all intents and purposes, what many of us have been saying for a long time — that traditional broadcasting is declining quickly. The announcement she made is that there is a plan over 10 years for CBC to transform into a digital platform rather than a cable broadcaster.

However, if you look at the licensing obligations of CBC/Radio-Canada, they are a national cable broadcaster supposedly responsible for providing national regional news and local news serving rural and remote regions of the country. Clearly, they’ve been subsidized to the tune of billions of dollars over a number of decades to provide that service. As they cut their obligatory licensing responsibilities, they are taking funds from taxpayers and putting it in a digital world, developing their digital platform, which is clearly not their mandate. I am concerned, and Canadians should be concerned.

I am also concerned why the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the CRTC, isn’t taking steps to reel CBC/Radio-Canada in and to remind them of their licensing obligations. I’m equally concerned as to why the minister and the ministry have not imposed the fines and penalties that CBC is due to be imposed upon when they breach their licensing responsibilities.