Question Period Note: Accomplishments: Indigenous Services Canada

• We are delivering on a renewed relationship with Indigenous peoples, working together to improve quality of life and advance self-determination.

• We have made significant new investments resulting in:

• 126 school infrastructure projects completed;
• 365 water and wastewater infrastructure projects completed;
• Approximately $8 billion is being used to support Indigenous community infrastructure until 2026–2027;
• More than 770,000 requests for products, services, and supports approved under Jordan’s Principle.

• We will continue working together with Indigenous peoples towards closing the unacceptable socio-economic gaps.

N/A

If pressed on socio-economic gaps:

• Immense progress has been made to close socio-economic gaps in areas such as:

• The lifting of long-term drinking water advisories;
• The co-development of distinctions-based housing strategies;
• The advancement of Indigenous-led healthcare delivery;
• The recognition of jurisdiction in child and family services;
• Providing additional income assistance supports; and,
• A new fiscal relationship with communities.

• We know there is more to do, and we will continue this work in true partnership with Indigenous peoples.

Youth

• Every Indigenous child deserves the best start in life.

• This is why we are advancing:

• Budget 2016 investments and a new funding formula for K-12 education, which has resulted in a 52.1% national funding increase (2015-2016 vs. 2020-2021)
• Increased investments in First Nations language and culture programming and full-time kindergarten in on-reserve schools;
• A new distinctions-based early learning and childcare framework;
• Reform of the broken child and family services system through bill C-92;
• Increased funding for the First Nations Child and Family Services Program, almost doubling it to approximately $1.2 billion in 2018 19 to meet the immediate service delivery needs for First Nations children and families, including for prevention; and
• Over 227,000 Jordan’s Principle requests have been approved since 2015.

• $112 million was committed to support a safe return to First Nations elementary and secondary schools on reserve, providing First Nations with the flexibility to respond to operational and student needs as a result of the pandemic.

• We will not leave another generation of Indigenous children behind, ever again.

Education Infrastructure:

• With regards to education infrastructure, 48 schools have been completed or renovated and another 112 are in development.

• To support the building of schools, another 19 projects are underway, including 9 feasibility studies and 10 capacity development projects.

• These projects will benefit 224 First Nations communities and serve over 258,000 people.