LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA
THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON PRIVATE BILLS
Monday, June 11, 2012
LOCATION – Winnipeg, Manitoba
CHAIRPERSON – Mr. Ted Marcelino (Tyndall Park)
VICE-CHAIRPERSON – Ms. Melanie Wight (Burrows)
ATTENDANCE – 11 QUORUM – 6
Members of the Committee present:
Hon. Mr. Swan
Ms. Blady, Messrs. Caldwell, Dewar, Ewasko, Gaudreau, Graydon, Marcelino, Smook, Mrs. Stefanson, Ms. Wight,
APPEARING:
Hon. Jon Gerrard, MLA for River Heights
Mr. Reg Helwer, MLA for Brandon West
Mr. Jake Harms, Legislative Counsel
PUBLIC PRESENTERS:
Bill 212–The Apprenticeship Recognition Act
Ms. Tanya Jakob, Apprenticeship Manitoba
Mr. John Bobbette, Winnipeg Technical College
Bill 300–The Jewish Child and Family Service Incorporation Act
Heather Leonoff, Jewish Child and Family Service
MATTERS UNDER CONSIDERATION:
Bill 208–The Remembrance Day Awareness Act and Amendments to The Public Schools Act
Bill 212–The Apprenticeship Recognition Act
Bill 300–The Jewish Child and Family Service Incorporation Act
Bill 301–The Young Men's Christian Association of Brandon Incorporation Amendment Act
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Clerk Assistant (Mr. Andrea Signorelli): Good morning. Will the Standing Committee on Private Bills please come to order.
Before the committee can proceed with the business before it, it must elect a new Chairperson. Are there any nominations for this position?
Mr. Gregory Dewar (Selkirk): I nominate Mr. Marcelino.
Clerk Assistant: Mr. Marcelino's been nominated. Are there any other nominations?
Hearing no other nominations, please, Mr. Marcelino, will you take the Chair.
Mr. Chairperson: Good morning, everyone. Our next item of business is the election of a Vice-Chairperson. Are there any nominations?
Mr. Dewar: I nominate Ms. Wight.
Mr. Chairperson: Are there any other nominations? Ms. Wight has been nominated.
Hearing no other nominations, Ms. Wight is elected Vice-Chairperson.
This meeting has been called to consider the following bills: Bill 208, The Remembrance Day Awareness Act and Amendments to The Public Schools Act; Bill 212, The Apprenticeship Recognition Act; Bill 300, The Jewish Child and Family Service Incorporation Act; Bill 301, The Young Men's Christian Association of Brandon Incorporation Amendment Act.
How long does the committee wish to sit this morning?
Hon. Andrew Swan (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Chair, I suggest we sit until the work with these four bills is complete.
Mr. Chairperson: Any other suggestions?
Some Honourable Members: Agreed.
Mr. Chairperson: Agreed.
We have a number of presenters registered to speak today, as noted on the lists of presenters before you.
Before we proceed with presentations, we do have a number of other items and points of information to consider.
First of all, if there's anyone else in the audience who would like to make a presentation this morning, please register with staff at the entrance of the room.
Also, for the information of all presenters, while written versions of presentations are not required, if you're going to accompany your presentation with written materials, we ask that you provide 20 copies. If you need help with photocopying, please speak with our staff.
As well, I would like to inform presenters that in accordance with our rules, a time limit of 10 minutes has been allotted for presentations, with another five minutes allowed for questions from committee members.
Also, in accordance with our rules, if a presenter is not in attendance when their name is called, they will be dropped to the bottom of the list. If the presenter is not in attendance when their name is called a second time, they will be removed from the presenters list.
Prior to proceeding with public presentations, I would like to advise members of the public regarding the process for speaking in committee. The proceedings of our meetings are recorded in order to provide a verbatim transcript. Each time someone wishes to speak, whether it be an MLA or a presenter, I first have to say the person's name. This is the signal for the Hansard recorder to turn the mikes on and off.
Thank you for your patience. We will now proceed with public presentations, and, as you might imagine, I am a brand new Chair, so you have to bear with me. Thank you.
Mr. Chairperson: I will now call on Tanya Jakob of Apprenticeship Manitoba.
Do you have any written materials for distribution to the committee?
Ms. Tanya Jakob (Apprenticeship Manitoba): Just my notes.
Mr. Chairperson: Please proceed.
Ms. Jakob: Thank you. My name is Tanya Jakob, and I'm with the community relations unit at Apprenticeship Manitoba. On behalf of our unit, and Apprenticeship Manitoba as a whole, we are more than delighted to hear that the apprenticeship recognition week is being considered. This is a fantastic idea, and we thank you all for your work in bringing this bill forward.
Apprenticeship training and certification is vital to our province not only by contributing to our economic growth within our own communities, but also to Manitoba's economy as a whole. Certified journeypersons are trained to industry standards and have a certain pride and passion for their trade. However, the majority of the public is unaware of the process for certification and the dedication of our tradespeoples often goes unnoticed. Skilled trades are in demand and shortages are being felt not only in Manitoba, but also across Canada. There has never been a more crucial time to work collectively to promote apprenticeship and encourage more employers and individuals to get involved.
Apprenticeship training and certification in the trades is promoted through various outreach initiatives such as web, social media, publications, our presentations and various events, and partnerships. However, we all know that more needs to be done.
We remain challenged each day by the various myths about the images of the trades, including the trades being those dirty jobs, the jobs that are too physically demanding, or that they're not for women. The trades are not seen as a good career path in comparison to university or they are not believed to require strong academic foundation for entry into them or success within them. Even though these are some of the misconceptions, these are the misconceptions that impact not only our youth, but also our parents, our educators, and our publics.
Apprenticeship offers valuable programs and incentives that more people should know about. For example, our High School Apprenticeship Program, most commonly referred to as HSAP, offers high school students the ability to get a head start on their apprenticeship while still in high school. This translates into both high school and apprenticeship credit based on the numbers of hours worked. And students make money, because they are employed.
For the employer, this gives them a chance to tap into a market at a younger age, moulding them to their company standards. And especially for those rural and northern communities, this may also mean that those youth remain in their home communities to continue apprenticeship with that same employer after high school. It's good for the employer's bottom line and it's also good for the economic growth of our smaller communities.
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It's one of the best times to be an apprentice. For the first year–for a first-year apprentice, on average they can earn anywhere from $15,000 and up, and have the ability up to receive up to $2,000 annually from government incentive programs. Since they pay roughly about a thousand dollars per year for tuition, books and supplies, it's an affordable education in comparison to other more costly post-secondary options.
For employers, they, too, can tap into a healthy suite of tax incentive programs to hire apprentices or certified journeypersons.
An apprenticeship recognition week held the first week of November would be complementary to several other initiatives currently offered, including the Apprenticeship Awards of Distinction gala dinner, which publicly honours the outstanding contributions that employers, journeypeople and instructors make.
It also complements the National Skills and Technology Week in which Skills Manitoba participates with various trade-based events targeting youth.
Also, Manitoba's Career Week is often held the first week of November, and it would also complement apprenticeship recognition week.
With all these events during this time frame, what a fantastic opportunity to build on these programs, turning all eyes on trades and technology careers, apprenticeship and certification, thus raising the profile amongst employers, youth, teachers, parents and the media.
Our Premier (Mr. Selinger) and the Minister of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade (Mr. Bjornson) have noted that the current government is committed to expanding our economy and investing in the education and training to help young people get the skills that they need to build that bright future here in Manitoba, and this bill certainly supports this goal.
Apprenticeship Manitoba, in the last year, has doubled in the number of apprentices engaging in apprenticeship, and we know our stakeholders appreciate the support the program has received thus far to continue to make great things happen.
Apprenticeship recognition week provides a vehicle to showcase apprenticeship and certification in the trades and what it's all about. It's an ability to educate our youth, teachers and parents on the benefits of working in the skilled trades sectors. It's an ability to educate our employers about the benefits of hiring and training apprentices, as well as educating the public about the importance of trade credentials and certification.
If accepted, this bill would be a first in Canada and position Manitoba as a leader in recognizing and promoting the skilled trades. It would encourage other jurisdictions across Canada to follow suit, and, in fact, several other provinces have already contacted Apprenticeship Manitoba inquiring about the creation of a similar bill in their jurisdiction. We are very proud to be able to lead by example already.
On behalf of Apprenticeship Manitoba, thank you for your continued support and for consideration of the establishment of an apprenticeship recognition week held the first week of November. Thank you.
Mr. Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation.
Do members of the committee have questions for the presenter?
Thank you for sticking around.
Mr. Dave Gaudreau (St. Norbert): Thank you very much, Tanya, for coming out and presenting for that–I'm glad that Apprenticeship thinks it's a worthwhile effort. I know this–an apprentice–a one-time apprentice myself, I think it's a really important thing to recognize that and show the children that there is a different path that you can take, and that path can lead you to anywheres. You can see I'm sitting here as an MLA now, being a journeyman welder myself at one point. So it's fantastic. Thank you so much.
Floor Comment: Thank you for having me.
Mr. Dennis Smook (La Verendrye): I'd just like to thank Ms. Jakob for her words and continue on what you're saying, because I truly believe that trades are underrated in this–all over the place, and just keep it up, because we need to get more apprentices involved.
Floor Comment: Definitely, and we've seen that happen. I mean, showcasing the pride in the skill trades is definitely starting to turn heads. Apprenticeship Awards of Distinction is that–one event that's held, actually, during that first week of November, and we're really seeing that difference that that event is making for new people coming up into considering the trades and then seeing the pride and that passion that's out there.
You know, you leave that gala dinner just feeling that sense of awe and wow, and, I mean, they're building Manitoba, and that's what it's about. And we need to do and to showcase more of that, and I think that will help and inspire youth a lot farther, so.
Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): I just wanted to say thank you for what you're doing, promoting apprenticeships, and good work.
Floor Comment: Can't do it without your support either, so.
Mr. Chairperson: That's Ms. Jakob.
Ms. Jakob: Thank you.
Mr. Chairperson: Are there any other questions from the committee?
Seeing none, we now call on Mr. John Bobbette–if I pronounced that correctly–president of the Winnipeg Technical College.
And before you proceed, do you have any written materials, sir, for distribution to the committee?
Mr. John Bobbette (Winnipeg Technical College): No, I don't, Mr. Chairman. Just a brief oral presentation.
Mr. Chairperson: Please proceed with your presentation.
Mr. Bobbette: Thank you, Mr. Chairperson, members of the committee. My name is John Bobbette, I'm the president and CEO of Winnipeg Technical College. Like to thank Dave for the invite this morning.
And on behalf of Winnipeg Technical College, we applaud our government, its officials, the apprenticeship board and all the individuals who work at strengthening, delivering and certifying the thousands of skilled apprentices in this province and across our country.
We support this bill and all the efforts that are being made to increase the awareness and reduce the barriers that prevent employers from accessing skilled workers in timely, efficient and effective manners. There has never been a more critical skills shortage in our country, and recognizing that our apprenticeship system needs good 'stewardsit', reform and investment, is part of a key provincial and national skills training strategy. Apprentices are the foundation of a healthy economy. Skilled workers that have nationally recognized credentials are in demand, always.
We often talk about the roles that colleges and universities play with applied and theoretical knowledge, and as a province and a country, we invest billions of dollars in these institutions. However, I would say that the work we do with our apprenticeship training process and the services, is highly undervalued and requires and deserves the same types of investments as other forms of education and training. We need to do more in this area.
There is much work to do to improve our systems. We must continue to change, adapt, invest and look at new and innovative ways to energize our young men and women, to increase the awareness in the great opportunities that exist through trades training.
One quick story: I talked to a young man coming out of a high school, level 1 welding program–Dave, you'd appreciate this. He's got an opportunity to make $49 an hour. I congratulated him on his accomplishments and I thanked him. And he said to me, Mr. Bobbette, I appreciate that, but I'm moving to Alberta to accept a same–a similar job, for $97 an hour.
Now, I don't know about you folks, but that's probably more than I make in a year. This is incredible; he's 18 years old, level 1, coming out of a secondary school program. These are the stories that need to be told to parents, to educators, to government and all of our communities. Trades provide great incomes, high demand and lead to a wonderful future.
Bill 212, The Apprenticeship Recognition Act, proclaiming apprenticeship recognition week, is an important step to increasing the profile of our apprentices.
Congratulations to all of you who have taken the time to recognize our apprentices and to put forward this bill. Thank you for the great work you're doing. We appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Mr. Chairperson: Please stick around for a while, please, sir.
Floor Comment: My pleasure.
Mr. Chairperson: Do we have any questions from the members of the committee?
Mr. Gaudreau: Thank you very much, John, for coming out and presenting. Forty-nine dollars an hour is actually more than what I make, so, that's a pretty impressive salary.
I'm glad to hear that you guys are supporting this and I think it's really important. Actually, my son, next year, will be going through the HSAP program to Winnipeg Technical College, through the mechanics one. So, you know, having a father who's a tradesperson, I think it opened up the window that university isn't the only option, that there are other ones. So, I'm really happy that he's going to be going there and taking that on. So thank you so much for supporting it and great work–[interjection]
Mr. Chairperson: Mr. Bobbette. Mr. Bobbette? Do you have a reply to that, or none?
Mr. Bobbette: Sorry, Mr. Chairman. Well, Dave, I think it's more stories like yourself and your son's that need to be told.
You know, we are out in the schools, we are trying very hard to inform parents and let individuals in our community know that trades training is fundamental and the opportunity to get young men, young women, new immigrants involved in these trades–it's incredible. And anything we can do is value added.
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The–maybe just one other thing. I just returned from a world congress conference in Halifax. There was over 26 countries represented and everyone from every country is talking about what they can do to get skilled tradespeople into their countries. We're not talking about university degrees. I understand university degrees; it's a system; I respect it; it has its place–college diplomas. But everyone in–at the congress was talking about trades training. So this is a wonderful opportunity. We are ahead of the curve.
Mr. Cliff Graydon (Emerson): Thank you for your presentation today.
The member from St. Norbert has raised very good points that we do need skilled tradesmen and it's important that they get recognized throughout–not just for one week, but throughout the year.
I might add, just on a personal note, that I took my apprenticeship in 1965. That was before you were born, I believe. However, I took that in British Columbia because it wasn't available any place else. It was the model that was used in North America to set up the apprenticeship training and has been copied in United States and in Canada.
And so I commend you for the work that you do and that we do really need a lot more properly trained tradesmen. So thanks very much for your presentation.
Floor Comment: Thank you, I appreciate that.
Mr. Gerrard: Thanks very much for your presentation.
I wonder if you could elaborate a little bit more about the current 'chunding'–funding shortfall and what needs to be done in this area?
Mr. Bobbette: Yes, I know that there is much work being done right now on apprenticeship reform. I think our systems need to, obviously, adapt to today's standards.
The honourable member just mentioned he took his trades training a while ago in BC. Employers need more flexible training systems. There are institutions like Winnipeg Technical College who have capacity to train young men and women. Some of the funding barriers exist between working out partnerships with business, industry and apprenticeship board and institutions like our own.
You need to integrate the system more and capitalize on the capacity that's out there. For example, we have some very rigid systems around, maybe it's only looking at one institution to do a specific apprenticeship training, and that funding is tied up, obviously, as the government wrestles with a number of funding issues. We need to get more contributions not just coming from the government, but institutions like our own and, also, say, the employers need to be part of the solution.
But I think it's all there, all the pieces. But the funding doesn't necessarily flow smoothly and there's lots of obstacles in our current apprenticeship system, and the system needs to take a real hard look at streamlining some things. Those are some of my opinions there.
Mr. Smook: I just want to thank Mr. Bobbette for his presentation and I fully agree with his words. And I'm just hoping our present government continues to talk to the experts to make our apprenticeship program the best in Canada.
Floor Comment: Indeed, thank you.
Mr. Chairperson: Thank you very much for your presentation.
Bill 300–The Jewish Child and Family Service Incorporation Act
Mr. Chairperson: I will now call on Ms. Heather Leonoff, president of the Jewish Child and Family Service.
Before you proceed, do you have any written materials for distribution to the committee?
Ms. Heather Leonoff (Jewish Child and Family Service): I do not, Mr. Chairman. I just have a written–a statement to make.
Mr. Chairperson: Please, proceed.
Ms. Leonoff: Thank you very much.
As president of Jewish Child and Family Service, I'm very pleased to have been granted this opportunity to participate in our democratic process by appearing before this honourable committee this morning to speak in favour of the proposed Jewish Child and Family Service incorporation act.
I would like to begin my–begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to Sharon Blady and Heather Stefanson for moving and seconding this act. I would also like to thank Jon Gerrard, Minister Howard and Bonnie Mitchelson for their kind words in support of the bill during second reading. Your collective words brought tears to my eyes. I was so proud of our organization and the respect shown to it by our provincial legislators. I would also like to thank Jake Harms and Christina Wasyliw for their willingness to be of service, their hard work and professional advice in the preparation of this act.
The first Jews to settle in Manitoba arrived towards the end of the 19th century. Those who immigrated in those early days, including my great-grandparents who arrived in 1892, were fleeing the pogroms of their native Russia. Arriving in this province, they found safety, acceptance and the freedom to raise their families in accordance with their religious and cultural practices.
By 1912, the Jewish population of Manitoba had grown to 10,000. While community members had always looked after each other through individual acts of kindness, in 1912 the community leaders came together to establish a social service network to assist those in need. That year, 100 years ago, the community undertook its first project and established a Jewish orphanage in a small home on Selkirk Avenue in the heart of the North End. Within a few years, with over 60 children to care for, there was need for a much larger residence, and in 1917, the community raised over $100,000 in just two weeks to accomplish this goal. I am pleased to advise that the provincial government of the day contributed $10,000 to that cause, establishing a partnership with the Jewish community that continues to this day.
As the years passed, the Manitoba Jewish community continued to put in place numerous social services to assist its families, including family support programs, free loan societies, immigration and resettlement services. The need for services magnified at the conclusion of the war when Canada opened its borders to the survivors of the Holocaust, many of whom were children whose families had perished at the hands of the Nazi regime.
Sixty years ago, in 1952, with many war orphans to look after, our Jewish community leaders determined that the best way to care for our most vulnerable members was to establish Jewish and child–Jewish Child and Family Service as an umbrella organization. They brought together over 20 Jewish agencies that offered a range of services to individuals, families and children, and sought the incorporation of our organization through a private act of the Legislature.
Our 1952 act begins with the words that our community leaders prayed that JCFS would be incorporated and that their prayers were granted. I do not know if our modern drafters, Jake and Christina, would favour such language today, but I believe that that word "prayer," truly reflected the depth of caring of the 30 men and women listed in that act who petitioned the provincial Legislature for the authority to care for their own.
The government of the day, under the leadership of Premier Campbell, created JCFS as a fully mandated, child welfare agency, a gift from the province to our community that we have treasured for these 60 years. As a mandated agency, JCFS has been able to keep our children and families connected with their religious practices and traditions.
Our agency served as a model when the Province recognized the value of culturally appropriate child welfare services and established the Aboriginal child welfare agencies. Today, JCFS works closely with these Aboriginal agencies and draws on our 60 years of experience to provide advice and assistance on how best to keep children connected to their culture and heritage in situations where there are challenging family issues.
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JCFS has grown over the past 60 years. Today, our services range from support to seniors to help them live safely in their homes, addictions counselling, support to those facing mental health challenges, poverty reduction programs and spiritual counselling. In addition, our immigration and resettlement services have helped over 4,000 new Manitobans settle in this province in the last decades from such places as the former Soviet Union and Argentina.
Our volunteers, which number over 100 at any given time, assist in a myriad of ways, taking people shopping, serving as big brothers and big sisters, making hospital visits, and providing transport to doctors' appointments.
We are greatly appreciative of our Jewish community members for their ongoing financial commitment. Our community raises more than $700,000 each year in support of our efforts. Last month, we held an anniversary gala and raised almost three-quarters of a million dollars towards our endowment fund.
We are also very honoured to partner with the Province of Manitoba in the fields of child welfare, immigration and resettlement, and mental health services. We are humbled to be trusted with these precious tax dollars.
Two thousand and twelve is a double anniversary for the Winnipeg Jewish community. We celebrate 100 years of Jewish social services that began on Selkirk Avenue with the first orphanage, and we celebrate JCFS's 60th year as a provincially incorporated agency. As an anniversary present to ourselves, the board of JCFS determined that our incorporation act should reflect what we truly are and what we strive to be in the years to come.
Our 1952 act, with its antiquated language, did not reflect the broad range of services that the agency currently provides to both the Winnipeg Jewish community and the community at large. While our roots are with the protection of children, our present reality is a full range of services across the lifespan. Our new objects reflect that reality. Our new objects, as well, reflect our agency's commitment to work within the broader community, to make available our expert staff to help wherever we can.
Tikkun olam is one of the mitzvoth that our Torah tells us is an obligation of all Jews. It means to do your part to heal the world. Bill 300 better reflects the Winnipeg Jewish community's commitment to fulfill this mitzvah, and we are greatly appreciative of the government's efforts in that regard, and we hope that you will pass our bill and allow us to continue to serve our community. Thank you very much.
Mr. Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation.
Ms. Sharon Blady (Kirkfield Park): Good morning, Heather, and good morning, Emily Shane. It's so wonderful to see both of you here. It's–I don't want to speak for the honourable member for Tuxedo (Mrs. Stefanson), but I think in some respects, it has really been a humbling and a pleasure–a pleasurable experience to do this, to be asked to shepherd through this legislation on your behalf, because it has been the opportunity to get another deeper glance at the work that you do and the work that the community does. And so it's been very, like I said, inspiring, humbling. Thank you so much to you both for being here, and thank you for allowing us to be a part of this very significant celebration on both accounts.
And I have to say I am just thankful for the work that you do, not only as an individual organization for the community that you serve specifically, but what you do for the larger community, because your work, your collaboration, your compassion, go beyond the communities and the individuals that you serve directly and do really enrich and nourish the rest of the community.
And you're leaders in so many respects, especially in the area of culturally appropriate care. Having taught in social work previous to this and taught in nursing, one of the key areas that I taught was about how to make sure that care providers provided culturally appropriate care and what that means and how that can be a crucial part of any kind of healing or growth process, whether it's through social work services or medical services. And so to know that the model that I ended up teaching, and which was, again, part of the Aboriginal Child Welfare Initiative, was founded from the goals and the values and the beliefs is very important to me.
And so thank you so much for the work that you do. Thank you for including us in the process and for doing your best and doing an amazing job at your part in healing the world. So thank you.
Floor Comment: Thank you. Thank you very much, and thank you for all you've done for us. It's really been a wonderful experience.
Mrs. Heather Stefanson (Tuxedo): I, too, want to echo the statements or the sentiments made by the member for Kirkfield Park.
And I, too, want to say that it's been great to be a part of this process along with you, and welcome Emily Shane, as well, who is with us here. But thank you so much, to you, and you mentioned in your presentation how proud you are of the things that have been accomplished by Jewish Child and Family Service, and I think that you should be very proud as an organization for everything that you have done for members of the community. And you set a very good example for how things should be done, and so thank you for all that you do. And thank you, again, for being here today and presenting at committee.
Ms. Leonoff: Thank you for all you've done for us.
Mr. Gerrard: Thank you so much, Heather, for what you're doing, and I think what you've done in showing how to provide culturally sensitive assistance is really vital. And your work with the Aboriginal communities in, you know, extending that into other areas is very important. Thank you.
Mr. Chairperson: [interjection] Ms. Leonoff.
Ms. Leonoff: It's something–sorry, it's something that we care very much about, and we're very, very proud to have that partnership with the Aboriginal agencies. It's been great for us. And yesterday, we had a wonderful presentation by one of the youth from Norway House who has just come back from Israel, and was talking about the similarities between the Aboriginal experience, and some of the cultural genocide, and the Jewish experience. And his trip to Israel was a major eye-opener. It was wonderful hearing from the young people of that community, and their chief school to have–I believe, it's 300 of their young people go to Israel over the next 10 years to share that experience. We do have similarities, and we're proud to be able to do our part to help a little bit in the healing.
Mr. Chairperson: Thank you.
Floor Comment: Thank you.
Mr. Chairperson: And that concludes the list of presenters I have before me.
Are there any other persons in attendance who wish to make a presentation? Seeing none, that concludes public presentations.
In what order does the committee wish to proceed with clause-by-clause consideration of these bills?
Mr. Swan: Yes, Mr. Chair, I suggest we just proceed numerically. I don't think we're in for a very long meeting.
Mr. Chairperson: Is that agreed? [Agreed]
Mr. Chairperson: Does the bill's sponsor, Mr. Graydon, have an opening statement?
Mr. Graydon: Yes, I do have a brief opening statement, and it will be a bit of a background on why I brought the bill forward.
This bill, 208, was prompted by the last Remembrance Day service I attended. You see, my family was freely engaged in the last war. My mother's family had 10 kids of which seven were involved in the military, some overseas, others here at home. My mother worked at the Portage air base in the air force. On my father's side of the family, there were four children of which two went overseas with the Canadian military. One uncle joined at 16 years of age by lying, and was gone for five years with no contact with the family. He was reported missing in action and walked home one day. These are the stories that my children don't know. They did not attend a Remembrance Day service last year; I can assure that that won't happen again, but it was a wake-up call to the fact that there was a huge generational disconnect. And also, I found it striking that the veterans are dying at a rate of 50-plus a week and that the average age is 87 years. This would only make the disconnect more obvious, and many of our young people and our new immigrants to this province do not have a direct link to the veterans. New immigrants have come to this province and this country because we have a stable government, the freedom of speech, assembly on religion without fear of persecution. However, many Manitobans do not realize the price that has been paid for these freedoms.
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Remembrance Day awareness week is not to glorify war, but rather to remember and honour human sacrifices for the freedoms we enjoy today. These sacrifices continue to this day, and human life continues to be the cost of these battles. We pause on Remembrance Day to reflect on the high price of 'confluct'–on conflict while at the same time recognizing the supreme sacrifice so many made in the pursuit of peace. Let us remember and learn and inform future generations of our history. Let us be grateful for our way of life and the freedoms that should not be taken for granted.
And I'd like to thank all the members on both sides of the House that spoke in favour of this bill.
Mr. Chairperson: We thank the member.
Does any other member wish to make an opening statement on Bill 208?
Mr. Swan: I can just confirm that the NDP caucus is certainly in support of this bill, and I know that there are many, many schools across Manitoba that make sure that Remembrance Day is properly recognized, but for those that haven't got there yet we're certainly supportive of what this bill could do.
I'm lucky enough in my own area to be responsible for one half of Valour Road. Of course, Valour Road is really one of the most amazing stories of Canadian bravery in the First Wold War. Three young men of Pine Street all won the Victoria Cross, and every year I'm quite privileged to join the students of Clifton School as we walk down to the Valour Road plaza and have really a very meaningful service.
Clifton School is a school with a very high percentage of new Canadians. Sometimes that can be a bit of a surprise when we find a bagpiper to lead my Filipino constituents down to Valour Road. But I had a chance just a couple of weeks ago to join with the students of Clifton as well as veterans of the three regiments that were involved as we dedicated plaques at that spot.
And the teachers made it very clear that students will not just come down there once a week–or once a year for Remembrance Day, but they're effectively going to adopt that space. So if they see litter or if they see anything that isn't quite right, those young students who come from many places in the world are going to really adopt that area as their own, and I think that's just a great example of what can happen when teachers and principals are interested and I certainly hope this bill will generate those kinds of stories across our province.
So I want to thank the member for Emerson for bringing this forward.
Mr. Chairperson: Does any other member wish to make a statement?
Seeing none, clause 1–pass; clauses 2 through 4–pass; preamble–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill be reported.
Bill 212–The Apprenticeship Recognition Act
Mr. Chairperson: We now proceed with Bill 212.
Does the bill sponsor, Mr. Gaudreau, have an opening statement?
Mr. Gaudreau: I just want to highlight that what our presenter said before how important this is that we recognize apprentices throughout the province and that we also make people aware of apprenticeships being a great opportunity as a career and, you know, letting the youth know that there is a different career path that they can take.
So I'm glad that I'm able to sponsor this bill and have it go–have it, hopefully, go through.
So thank you very much.
Mr. Chairperson: Sorry–we thank the member.
Does any other member wish to make an opening statement on Bill 212?
Seeing none, clauses 1 through 3–pass; preamble–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill be reported.
Bill 300–The Jewish Child and Family Service Incorporation Act
Mr. Chairperson: Bill 300, we call on–we will first hear a report on the bill from Jake Harms, Legislative Counsel, in accordance with rule 158(1)
Mr. Jake Harms (Legislative Counsel): As requested by subrule 158(1) of the rules of the House, I now report that I have examined the Bill 300, The Jewish Child and Family Service Incorporation Act, and have not noted any exceptional powers sought or any other provision of the bill requiring special consideration.
Mr. Chairperson: We thank Legislative Counsel for that report.
Does the bill's sponsor, Ms. Blady, have an opening statement?
Ms. Blady: Yes, I do, again, a very brief one.
I–again, it's been a pleasure to work on this, and I think, as was mentioned earlier, I think this was an opportunity in sponsoring a private bill where we got to come together. It was, I think, a wonderful opportunity, and I would say, Ms. Leonoff, that Heather, you–your organization, in many respects, inspired us all.
This was a case of community coming together; this was a case of people coming together across different sides of the Chamber for the greater good. So, again, I think it speaks to the kind of work that you do that–it gave us the opportunity to do something that we don't always get the chance to do in this line of work, that too often we are literally put in oppositional categories, and it was nice to be able to be co-operative, to be collaborative, and again, so thank you for that gift.
And again, the modernization of the act, while it has significance on an anniversary basis and personal and sentimental and other reasons, I think most importantly, it does demonstrate how much Jewish Child and Family Service has evolved and will continue to evolve. So I'm sure somewhere on the horizon, at another significant date, there will be someone else sitting in this Chamber down the road, celebrating in the same way, and I look forward to that legacy. So thank you so much.
Mr. Chairperson: We thank the member.
Mrs. Stefanson: Yes, just very briefly, again, just to thank both Heather and Emily for being here today and Heather for your presentation. To all those that have been involved in the drafting of this bill, and it is in somewhat of rare occasions that we would get together on bills in this–in the Chamber, and so this was–it was great to be able to work with members opposite on this legislation, and obviously a very important one and very proud and happy to have been involved. Thank you.
Mr. Chairperson: Does any other member wish to make a statement regarding Bill 300?
Seeing none, clause 1–pass; clauses 2 through 5–pass; clauses 6 through 8–pass; clauses 9 through 11–pass; clauses 12 through 14–pass; clause 15 through 17–pass; table of contents–pass; preamble–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill be reported.
Bill 301–The Young Men's Christian Association of Brandon Incorporation Amendment Act
Mr. Chairperson: We now proceed with Bill 301, and on Bill 301, we'll first hear a report on the bill from Jake Harms, Legislative Counsel, in accordance with rule 158(1).
Mr. Harms: As required by subrule 158(1) of the rules of the House, I now report that I have examined Bill 301, The Young Men's Christian Association of Brandon Incorporation Amendment Act, and have not noted any exceptional powers sought or any other provision of the bill requiring special consideration.
Mr. Chairperson: We thank Legislative Counsel for that report.
Does the bill's sponsor, Mr. Caldwell, have an opening statement?
* (10:50)
Mr. Drew Caldwell (Brandon East): Mr. Speaker, I am just very pleased to be able to assist, along with my colleague from Brandon West, the Brandon family YMCA, in their continued evolution of building a strong and vibrant community in the city of Brandon. This legislation will provide for the YMCA to continue with their very good work in expanding their operations in Brandon, and really does put some flesh to reality today. Thank you.
Mr. Chairperson: We thank the member.
Does any other member wish to make an opening statement on Bill 301?
Mr. Reg Helwer (Brandon West): I'm pleased to support this legislation. It's something that we need to do to modernize the Y's act and enable them to move forward in their construction, so we're very happy to see it moving along.
Mr. Chairperson: Does any other member wish to make an opening statement on Bill 301?
Seeing none, clauses 1 through 4–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill be reported.
I understand there is a motion for the refund of fees with regard to this bill.
Mr. Caldwell: I move
THAT this committee recommends that the fees paid with respect to Bill 301, The Young Men's Christian Association of Brandon Incorporation Amendment Act, be refunded, less the cost of printing.
Mr. Chairperson: Shall the motion pass? Hang on.
It has been moved by Mr. Caldwell
THAT this committee recommends that the fees paid with respect to Bill 301, The Young Men's Christian Association of Brandon Incorporation Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi constituant en corporation « The Young Men's Christian Association of Brandon », be refunded, less the cost of printing.
Shall the motion pass? [Agreed]
The hour being 10:51, what is the will of the committee?
Some Honourable Members: Committee rise.
Mr. Chairperson: Committee rise. Thank you.
COMMITTEE ROSE AT: 10:51 a.m.