Federal Election Coverage

Electors across Canada will have the chance to vote for their Member of Parliament in the September 20 federal election. In Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou, there are five declared candidates from the major parties, with Sylvie Bérubé of the Bloc Québécois running for re-election.

Advanced voting takes place September 10-13. Local poll locations or information on how to vote by mail is available at elections.ca. The Nation reached out to all the candidates to ask them personal and policy questions so voters can be better informed going to the polls.

Sylvie Bérubé – Bloc Québécois

Please tell us a bit about yourself for voters who may be unfamiliar.

I grew up in Lebel-sur-Quévillon and lived in Senneterre for 15 years. I live in Val-d’Or and have four children. I studied at Collège de Rosemont and at Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue. I have worked for more than 30 years in the field of health, at the Centre de santé et de services sociaux de la Vallée-de-l’Or and at its successor organization, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, in positions related to project management, information security and human resources management. I was a member of the Board of Directors of the Centre de santé et de services sociaux de la Vallée-de-l’Or from 2012 to 2015. I was also Director of the Social Committee of the Val-d’Or Hospital and Director of the Val-d’Or Taxibus Corporation. In November 2019, I was appointed my party’s critic for Indigenous Affairs. In addition, on March 12, 2020, I was elected Deputy Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

The coronavirus pandemic upended a lot of life and created challenges for communities and institutions across the board. What is your evaluation of the government’s response and what if anything would you have done differently?

I am aware that the pandemic was something new for everyone. I was on the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee and at the beginning of the pandemic we began a study on Covid-19 to find out what the needs of Aboriginal people were and how best to proceed to protect Aboriginal communities. I brought ideas and suggestions following the testimony of experts and representatives of Indigenous communities.

The pandemic is still with us, but we also need to think about the future and have an economic plan.

Recognizing the clear link between the spread of Covid-19 and health conditions for First Nations in a nation-to-nation relationship, the Bloc Québécois proposes to the government to:

· Pass legislation implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;

· Deploy a five-year plan to build 8,000 units for First Nations in Quebec;

· Enact framework legislation to replace the First Nations Policing Policy. This framework legislation will address the underfunding of Aboriginal police forces, which is the source of high staff turnover, lack of training and the ever-decreasing proportion of Aboriginal police officers in these police forces;

· Deploy resources to perpetuate Indigenous languages, culture and traditions in daily practice.

This past year saw mass graves of residential schools uncovered nationwide, while in Quebec there were scandals about racist treatment in healthcare. As an elected leader, what would you do to deal with issues like the legacy of residential schools and ongoing racism?

In the wake of the unanimous motion developed with Indigenous representatives that the Bloc Québécois pushed through on the last National Indigenous Peoples Day, the Bloc will continue to press the federal government to ensure that communities have all the resources they need to lift the veil on the historical reality of residential schools and to force churches to open their archives. The Bloc Québécois will also ensure the predictability and sustainability of funding for programs that allow residential school victims to heal, such as the specially designed Health Support Program.

A majority of Canadians want climate action, with an Angus Reid poll showing climate change as the top concern for Canadians this election after record heat and fires. What is your vision for how Northern Quebec and the country deals with the challenge of climate change?

The Bloc Québécois will support the transition to green energy by proposing massive investments in green innovation, technological change and research and development in all regions of Quebec. The Bloc Québécois wants to propel a green recovery that creates wealth through Quebec’s entrepreneurial fabric, supported by our know-how and innovation. The Bloc Québécois will amend the Carbon Neutral Act to include the Canadian government’s 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets to require it to meet them. The Bloc Québécois will defend Quebec’s environmental sovereignty so that Quebec’s stricter laws and municipal by-laws apply on our territory.

We are proposing green equalization to impose the polluter-pays principle and reward the efforts of the provinces that are effectively fighting climate change.

Also, the Bloc Québécois will propose federal funding to counter shoreline erosion.

Finally, the Bloc Québécois proposes to redirect Quebec’s share of the sums invested in fossil fuels to Quebec’s clean energy and our research centres, while maintaining the necessary funding for the transition from fossil fuels in western Canada. Canada is going the other way: not only have fossil fuel subsidies not decreased under the Liberals, but they have also increased beyond the Stephen Harper era!

What do you think are the main issues for the Cree communities of Eeyou Istchee and what would you do about them if elected?

Like many communities, the Cree communities face several challenges such as lack of housing. To address the various problems experienced by communities, the Bloc Québécois will ensure that the federal government fully implements the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in its jurisdictions. We believe that the application of the right to internal self-determination, as well as the inherent right of Indigenous Nations to self-government, are the keys to the full development of each of them.

The deployment of the UN Declaration must be accelerated so that it can transform the reality on the ground. Thus, the Bloc Québécois proposes to renovate the Comprehensive Claims Settlement Policy from top to bottom, both to take into account the Declaration, but also with the aim of creating an independent entity that would deal with these claims. Such a body would expedite the processing of applications and put an end to the conflict-of-interest situation in which this policy places the federal government.

Is there any other message you’d like to leave for voters?

The Quebec nation has always sought to maintain nation-to-nation relationships with Indigenous communities. For decades, the Bloc Québécois has demonstrated that it is an ally of Indigenous peoples. It will always act accordingly, respecting their inherent right to self-determination.

Every nation that wants to exercise its right to self-government will find an ally in the Bloc. The Bloc will promote co-management of resources with Indigenous peoples.

In five years, the Indian Act will celebrate its 150th anniversary. The Bloc Québécois never wants to have to celebrate 150 years of racism. That is why the Bloc Québécois aspires to make this law inoperative.

The Bloc Québécois will work with Indigenous nations on the federal stage to strengthen and guarantee their inherent rights.

Working with Indigenous peoples, it will ensure that the federal government fully implements the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in its jurisdictions.

Ultimately, this approach is aimed at abolishing the Indian Act.

The Bloc Québécois will ensure that Indigenous Nations receive their due and will put pressure on the federal government to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

Lise Kistabish – Liberal Party of Canada

Please tell us a bit about yourself for voters who may be unfamiliar.

I am an Anishinabekwe – an Algonquin – from the Abitibiwinni First Nation in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Daughter of an Anishinabe mother and an Algonquin-Cree (Waskaganish) father.

For the past 25 years, I have been working mainly in management positions within the First Nations public administration. In addition to my professional experience, I have been an entrepreneur and a consultant specializing in strategic planning and project management.

I was the Executive Director of the Atikamekw in Wemotaci, then in the Algonquin community of Kitcisakik as coordinator of special files and acted as Executive Director of the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council.

I was able to demonstrate my ability to bring together diverse interests to achieve a concerted approach. Very early in my career I discovered a marked interest in administration, among other things, by working for the Fédération des caisses populaires Desjardins de l’Abitibi, as part of the team responsible for setting up credit unions in the Cree territory.

I undertook university studies in business administration at the Université du Québec, first in Chicoutimi and then in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and will complete the program as well as the short graduate program in public management in an Aboriginal context at the École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP) in 2019.

As a young person, I experienced poverty and I am still very aware of the importance of food and financial security. As the Director of the Training, Employment and Social Development sector of the Pikogan community, I have continued to work actively to help community members improve their lot and provide for their families.

I have the ability to bring together the various socio-economic actors in the region with the objective of promoting dialogue and collaboration.

Our government has been proactive in its management of the pandemic for the communities in the territory among others.

Supported the Canadian Red Cross and other nongovernmental organizations with $150 million over two years in building and maintaining a humanitarian workforce to provide surge capacity in response to Covid-19 outbreaks and other large-scale emergencies.
Invested in a $4 billion one-time top-up to the Canada Health Transfer in March 2021 .
Invested $19 billion in the Safe Restart Agreement in July 2020.
Invested over $2 billion in the national Covid-19 response through the Fall Economic Statement.
Created the Immunization Partnership Fund, a $64 million investment, to support efforts to increase vaccine acceptance and uptake among Canadians and reduce vaccine preventable disease.
Launched the Vaccine Community Innovation Challenge to inspire creative methods to encourage vaccination at the community level.
Established the Pan-Canadian Vaccine Injury Support Program, a no-fault vaccine injury support program for all Health Canada approved vaccines, in collaboration with provinces and territories.
Provided over 29.3 million rapid tests to provinces and territories to date (as of July 2, 2021).

Our government recently provided an additional $320 million for Aboriginal-led, survivor-focused and culturally appropriate initiatives and investments to help Aboriginal communities respond to and heal from the ongoing legacy of residential schools. In addition to what is being done so far, I would like to:

Foster reconciliation and healing of peoples: By promoting lateral goodwill and inclusion among Peoples, I wish to put in place concrete ways to counter the effects of residential schools so that First Nations can begin to heal and regain their identity;

Improve the quality of life of Aboriginal women and girls: Several recommendations were issued following the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls, and I am committed to ensuring that this issue remains relevant and that the proposed measures are implemented;

Participate in the reform of the Indian Act: Working with First Nations, I want to propose a comprehensive reform of this outdated law for Aboriginal Peoples.

Together, in a concerted manner, we must find solutions to climate change, especially in Northern Quebec. Solutions and initiatives are being put forward to counter the effects in urban areas, but they are not systematically applied to rural or remote regions, not to mention that they do not always respect cultural traditions, such as hunting and fishing in Inuit and Cree territories.

What do you think are the main issues for the Cree communities of Eeyou Istchee and what would you do about them if elected?

First Nations need concrete action in terms of funding for overcrowded housing. The Liberal Party of Canada and the Cree Nation signed the Cree Nation Governance Agreement 2017 and amended it to allow for private home ownership and find creative ways to address overcrowding. In urban areas, access to housing for low-income families is critical.

The Liberal housing plan, “A Home for Everyone”, will:

Make it easier for people to own their own home; help renters become homeowners.
Build more housing; give cities the tools to accelerate housing construction. Build and renovate more affordable housing.
Protect your rights (buyers’ bill of rights).

Training:

Prioritize First Nations structures to enable appropriate training for community members.
Have adequate funding to implement culturally and linguistically appropriate training programs and infrastructure.

Economic:

Allow for an optimal economic recovery for the region’s businesses and thus participate in the development of Quebec. We must give our local businesses the means to develop, to supply the North from the region and to support organizations in their challenge of labour shortages.

Entrepreneurship:

Develop businesses and partnerships according to the model advocated by isolated communities, in order to meet their needs and participate in their autonomy.

The challenges in health are great. I would like to:

Expand virtual health care services (access to online doctors and nurses).
Increase access to health care for rural and underserved communities.
Improve medical clinics in rural communities in the territory.

Is there any other message you’d like to leave for voters?

The people of the territory deserve to have better representation in the House of Commons, and I am that dedicated person who will make a difference and improve the quality of life for the community members and residents of the territory of Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou.

To advocate and give a strong voice to the region by sitting at the decision-making table within a strong Liberal government.
Advance reconciliation efforts with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.
Continue to work together to end OHIP-19 and build a stronger, healthier Canada for all.
Defend the interests of businesspeople and citizens and ensure that the entrepreneurial communities of the Vallée-de-l’Or and Northern Quebec are well represented.

Pauline Lameboy – New Democratic Party

Please tell us a bit about yourself for voters who may be unfamiliar.

Pauline lived on Fort-George Island until the age of 7 when the community was relocated to the mainland which is now known as Chisasibi. The relocation of the village was crucial due to the hydro-electric megaproject known as the James Bay Hydro Project. From this project, the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement was founded.

Politics have always been in Pauline’s environment.

In her youth years, she was the Vice-Chairperson for the Chisasibi Youth Council. She believes giving the youth a chance to excel in everything they do by providing them with the space to learn and room for growth is the best practice. She’s been involved in many local committees and has co-founded the Chisasibi Cancer Support Group.

She served a five-year term as a Councillor for the Cree Nation of Chisasibi. She has learned a lot during her term from governance to social issues. She is eager to represent and determined make a positive change for Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou territory at the federal level by creating partnerships within the riding.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Université du Québec d’Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT). She obtained a diploma in Health and Social Services Management at McGill University; and has a certificate in Aboriginal Literacy Education from McGill.

Indeed, the coronavirus did put a stop to our daily routines and has given us a complete makeover to life as we know it. It has brought some families closer and has damaged others. I am satisfied with the way our leadership has controlled the situation. However, I would have put more emphasis on developing and bringing mental health support on the territory. The Covid funds that we received were spent on creating employment and not enough on creating awareness on mental health, let alone the effects of Covid on one’s mental health. We are not out of the woods yet and we can still provide this awareness, one step at a time but we must take that first step.

As a leader, I will bring forward and will continue to talk about our reality: “the colonial and genocidal effects” of the residential schools, not to mention the inter-generational impacts it has on our children and grandchildren. The discovery of the mass unmarked graves only shows how our history is still very present, and the leadership has made minimal to no effort to reconcile with the First Nations and Inuit. Once again, our issues are swept under the carpet.

As a leader through consistency, I will ensure our concerns and issues brought forward in the past and future are heard and made known federally. As for the ongoing racism, we need to educate our neighbours about what racism is. It is not a hidden factor that every Nation experiences racism. But it is through healthy dialogue and the continuous communication that we will be able to cohabit the territory where everyone will benefit.

Forestry companies and lithium mines need close monitoring as they are big factors in destroying the land. We are contributing to the problem. We all have the responsibility and due diligence as civilians to continue in being the protectors of our land and environment. We must minimize and adapt our current lifestyle to using more sustainable and eco-friendly products.

We certainly need to educate and bring awareness of our reality that is currently affecting every human being on planet Earth, by offering information workshops on how each of us can contribute to reducing global warming.

Northern communities feel more the impacts of climate change and we will invest more funding into infrastructures so they can withstand the change. Not only will we invest but we will also help and improve existing programs but also develop new ones in the First Nations and Inuit communities. We will also invest $500 million to encourage Indigenous initiatives to protect the environment.

What do you think are the main issues for the Cree communities of Eeyou Istchee and what would you do about them if elected?

First and foremost, one of the main issues is the recognition and acknowledgement of who we are as a Nation and the work that we have done to be where we are. An understanding of our culture and the challenges we face need to be addressed. If elected, I will continue to raise awareness on the following: social issues (systemic racism and discrimination), economic development (working together as cohabitants), reconciliation, and LGBTQ2S+. We are in 2021 and we, as human beings, should have already surpassed these issues.

Steve Corriveau – Conservative Party of Canada

Please tell us a bit about yourself for voters who may be unfamiliar.

I was born in 1967 and raised in a Catholic environment in Val-d’Or. Both my father and mother were from the region. I only have one brother who lives in Quebec City.

After high school, I went on to Jonquière to study journalism and I ended up working two years for a couple of radio stations and weekly newspapers in the region.

In 1995, after one year of preparation, I decided that I wanted to know more about my country, so I went on a tour of Canada from Newfoundland to British Columbia in a pair on rollerblades. It took six months from April to October, and I came back just in time to vote NO in the Quebec referendum.

In 1998, I went back to school to complete a professional degree in tourism, and I had been working in that field until the pandemic arrived in March 2020 and, like many other Canadians, I lost my job. I still have not got it back. That brought me to a deep reflection on what my future would be like and that’s when I decided that, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I wanted to get involved and serve the hard-working population by running for office as a future Member of Parliament for the magnificent riding of Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou.

No government anywhere on the planet could have predicted what happened. At first, I thought what our federal government did was a minimum to help all Canadians and even the Conservatives approved in the House of Commons most of the original expenses that came to save the country.

But then after a couple of months, it was crystal clear that this Liberal government was improvising by creating a deal with a foreign Chinese institution to get quick vaccines! But in the end, that company failed us, and it slowed us dramatically compared to other countries.

And then, it was the handling of border management that was totally unacceptable. To have been working in a travel agency for the past two decades, Canada should have stopped all flights coming not only from China and Asia but also from Europe because when they finally made a decision, the virus had left Asia for Europe. The government response was way too slow to ensure security for all Canadians which has to be priority number one.

To say the least, it was a horrible year on top of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many Canadians had from little to no idea of what happened in the past regarding the residential school systems, but when the reports came out, the government had no choice but to admit the facts. What happened was totally unacceptable but how can we now get through this by showing support and comprehension? By listening to those who suffered is certainly one step forward but then education might be the key if we want to move towards reconciliation. It will be a long process but a necessary one to maybe one day be granted forgiveness and reconciliation from those who were deeply affected by the deaths.

There is racism in Canada. Systemic racism has different meanings depending on the experiences of different people. For our leader, racism is at zero tolerance. However, we cannot generalize and blame entire groups. As prime minister, he will examine our institutions and programs to eliminate racism where it exists. There is racism, but Quebecers, Eeyouch and Canadians are not all racists.

Let me start by saying that climate change does exist as we can see and feel various weather phenomena happening in alarming numbers not only here in Canada but across the globe.

The Conservative Party of Canada proposed a clear and ambitious plan back in April with obtainable targets to reduce GHG by 30% before 2030. There is no point of having a higher target if it is unreasonable to obtain it.

What do you think are the main issues for the Cree communities of Eeyou Istchee and what would you do about them if elected?

Our housing crisis is really something that I felt when I went to visit all the Cree communities these past weeks. Decisive action must be taken to ensure that more families have access to their own places to live. Economic and prosperous development managed by Cree people is also a must in my mind. I strongly believe that anyone desiring more independence will be pleased with a Conservative government because we have shown in the past that we do not have an “Ottawa knows best” attitude, because we prefer to assist any Canadian who wants to achieve economic growth instead of telling them what to do and how to do it with federal money.

Finally, it is time once and for all to work hand in hand with the Quebec government and the Cree Nation Government to find the proper finances to complete those access roads going into the various coastal and inland communities with durable asphalt to ensure that these roads will be paved and safe for all those (workers and families) travelling because there are still way too many accidents happening every year.

All of these are urgent matters, but I believe they won’t be efficient until a true and open process of reconciliation is put forward.

Is there any other message you’d like to leave for voters?

Well, I am a true, passionate and honest man who only wants to best for all Canadians and when I say all, I mean it. That is why, the week after my nomination as candidate back in April, I offered a position to Jeremy Polson from Ouje-Bougoumou to be part of my team. I want to specify, not to work for me but with me because when elected on September 20, Jeremy is coming with me to Ottawa to fill the position in my office. He will be my eyes and ears across the Cree Nation so that when something happened, we will be the first to know and take necessary actions when they are promptly needed.

Didier Pilon – Green Party of Canada

Please tell us a bit about yourself for voters who may be unfamiliar.

I’m a full-time CEGEP student in Chibougamau. I am also a part-time cashier at the Maxi grocery store. It is there that I discovered I loved talking to people about the different problems our communities face. This newly discovered aptitude of mine led me to join the Green Party of Canada in early 2018. Ever since then, I’ve always pushed for progressive change in our riding.

The coronavirus has been hard on so many people financially, including myself as a student. While we worked in tough and harsh conditions at our workplaces, the billionaires and CEOs of the world saw their wealth increase by trillions upon trillions of dollars. They absolutely need to pay their fair share of taxes. Unfortunately, under Trudeau that won’t happen. The Liberals, Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois already voted against a proposed wealth tax on the country’s ultra-rich while so many of us were struggling to make ends meet. The NDP wants to tax the ultra-rich, but their proposed 1% tax on the ultra-rich simply won’t be enough to give back to the people, especially in the current state the economy is in. We deserve better! It is absolutely disgraceful that politicians in Ottawa side with massive corporate interests instead of us, the people!

Those situations were absolutely revolting to the point where it made me almost sick to my stomach. The ancestral territories and traditions of Canada’s Indigenous peoples will always be at the core of Green priorities. How Trudeau and past governments have utilized Native lands for profit (especially with Trudeau’s infamous pipeline) is absolutely shameful and we must make them accountable! Give more power to local Indigenous governments all across our riding’s territory.

As for the Joyce Echaquan situation, the abusive healthcare workers must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for their disgusting, vile and racist actions. Any worker who takes care of citizens (like healthcare workers) should be psychologically tested and have some rigorous implicit bias testing done before they get the position they are seeking. Ottawa’s apologies are far from enough to address all the massive injustices currently facing our communities, we need concrete action!

No region in the country feels the effects of the climate emergency more than us, up here in the North. Thawing permafrost and record-breaking temperatures in our cities and villages prove this assessment. I think there’s two dimensions to solving the climate crisis and transitioning to a green economy. One is us as people and the second are massive corporations.

We, as people, need to educate ourselves about the impact our everyday decisions have on the planet. We also need to be motivated to act. Let’s denounce the big polluters. They absolutely need to pay not only their fair share of taxes, but also for the damage they’ve caused to our communities. We, the taxpayers, won’t bail them out if the Green Party comes into power; these rich corporations will pay for all the trouble they’ve caused. The revenue from this could then be allocated to more sustainable initiatives like new infrastructure and renewable energy.

What do you think are the main issues for the Cree communities of Eeyou Istchee and what would you do about them if elected?

Access to decent housing and healthcare are big issues. That’s where the Green Party comes in. We propose in our platform massive spending to encourage new affordable housing initiatives and also in healthcare, to make mental, dental and eye healthcare more accessible. After all, our human rights should not be sold to massive industries for profits.

Is there any other message you’d like to leave for voters?

The Green Party of Canada has the best platform not only for the region, but also for the people. Thanks for reading and I hope you’ll consider voting Green this time around. Be the change you want to see in the world!

Federal Election Coverage

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