Frontier Centre

All across Canada, but particularly on the prairies, builders complain about shortages of skilled trades people, but there’s a vast pool of unrealized potential among First Nations youth.

Native reserves have a booming young population, and chronically high rates of unemployment.

Governments and the private sector often turn to immigration to fill such needs, but the answer could be right in our own backyard.

Obsolete regulations are one of the roadblocks that prevent this from happening.

Provinces regulate the number of apprentices that can be hired based on the number of existing journeypersons who are ticketed to work in the various trades.

These ratios require many companies to lay off apprentices or to leave positions vacant in many cases, for reasons that don’t make much sense.

Most provinces are moving to ease these restrictions, and governments should focus on things like safety standards instead of regulating the rate of entry.

Education requirements are also a problem.

Most trades require a high school diploma which Aboriginal young people may not have for a number of reasons.

Governments should introduce skills-based examinations as an alternative.

Steps like these would ensure that aboriginal young people can be a key part of the solution to the skills shortage in Canada.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

All across Canada, but particularly on the prairies, builders complain about shortages of skilled trades people, but there’s a vast pool of unrealized potential among First Nations youth.

Native reserves have a booming young population, and chronically high rates of unemployment.

Governments and the private sector often turn to immigration to fill such needs, but the answer could be right in our own backyard.

Obsolete regulations are one of the roadblocks that prevent this from happening.

Provinces regulate the number of apprentices that can be hired based on the number of existing journeypersons who are ticketed to work in the various trades.

These ratios require many companies to lay off apprentices or to leave positions vacant in many cases, for reasons that don’t make much sense.

Most provinces are moving to ease these restrictions, and governments should focus on things like safety standards instead of regulating the rate of entry.

Education requirements are also a problem.

Most trades require a high school diploma which Aboriginal young people may not have for a number of reasons.

Governments should introduce skills-based examinations as an alternative.

Steps like these would ensure that aboriginal young people can be a key part of the solution to the skills shortage in Canada.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The Idle No More protests were in reaction to Ottawa’s agenda when it comes to Aboriginal policy.

But there are a number of initiatives that First Nations can voluntarily opt into and benefit from.

The First Nations Land Management Act is federal legislation that allows bands to control their own land and resources.

In a similar vein, bands can be certified by the First Nations Financial Management Board.

It allows them to borrow millions of dollars at preferential rates.

First Nations can also be certified under the ISO 9001 program, an internationally recognized standard that makes communities more attractive to outside investors and businesses.

The Membertou First Nation in Sydney Nova Scotia is a good example of a band that has benefited from this.

Unfortunately, many First Nations are not even aware of some of these voluntary initiatives.

The bands that have followed such a path can now boast that the majority of their revenues come from their own initiatives, rather than relying on federal policy bureaucrats.

Rather than investing time and resources on initiatives that may ultimately be rejected, the government should do more to promote voluntary initiatives that will benefit First Nations.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

The Idle No More protests were in reaction to Ottawa’s agenda when it comes to Aboriginal policy.

But there are a number of initiatives that First Nations can voluntarily opt into and benefit from.

The First Nations Land Management Act is federal legislation that allows bands to control their own land and resources.

In a similar vein, bands can be certified by the First Nations Financial Management Board.

It allows them to borrow millions of dollars at preferential rates.

First Nations can also be certified under the ISO 9001 program, an internationally recognized standard that makes communities more attractive to outside investors and businesses.

The Membertou First Nation in Sydney Nova Scotia is a good example of a band that has benefited from this.

Unfortunately, many First Nations are not even aware of some of these voluntary initiatives.

The bands that have followed such a path can now boast that the majority of their revenues come from their own initiatives, rather than relying on federal policy bureaucrats.

Rather than investing time and resources on initiatives that may ultimately be rejected, the government should do more to promote voluntary initiatives that will benefit First Nations.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

More and more Canadians are prepared to pay a premium to buy food that is certified-organic.

They believe in good faith that an objective process ensures that the food is authentic.

They might be surprised to learn that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency allows any producer to use their organic labels as long as fees are paid and the paperwork is done.

The government does not require actual testing to ensure that the food is free of things like pesticide or growth hormones.

It was a similar story in the United States, but soon there will finally be random testing there to ensure that organic products are genuine and safe.

The American Consumers Union once performed random tests and discovered that one-quarter of organic food contained prohibited substances.

They urged the U S Department of Agriculture to introduce testing into the American organic program.

In Canada, the Food Inspection Agency ran tests in secret and discovered that almost half of the samples contained prohibited pesticides.

But they’re still not prepared to follow the American lead and require testing of organic food before giving producers a certificate.

Food that is certified-organic should be verified scientifically, and not sold as such just because the producer has paid a fee.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on agricultural policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

More and more Canadians are prepared to pay a premium to buy food that is certified-organic.

They believe in good faith that an objective process ensures that the food is authentic.

They might be surprised to learn that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency allows any producer to use their organic labels as long as fees are paid and the paperwork is done.

The government does not require actual testing to ensure that the food is free of things like pesticide or growth hormones.

It was a similar story in the United States, but soon there will finally be random testing there to ensure that organic products are genuine and safe.

The American Consumers Union once performed random tests and discovered that one-quarter of organic food contained prohibited substances.

They urged the U S Department of Agriculture to introduce testing into the American organic program.

In Canada, the Food Inspection Agency ran tests in secret and discovered that almost half of the samples contained prohibited pesticides.

But they’re still not prepared to follow the American lead and require testing of organic food before giving producers a certificate.

Food that is certified-organic should be verified scientifically, and not sold as such just because the producer has paid a fee.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on agricultural policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Personal income has increased more in Saskatchewan than in any other province over the past five years, and it has put tremendous upward pressure on the cost of housing.

The number of households in Regina and Saskatoon that qualify for a mortgage has dropped by 20%.

Personal income has increased more in Saskatchewan than in any other province over the past five years, and it has put tremendous upward pressure on the cost of housing.

The number of households in Regina and Saskatoon that qualify for a mortgage has dropped by 20%.

Ottawa has introduced Bill C-9, the First Nations Elections Act.

It comes in response to concerns expressed by First Nations in Manitoba and Atlantic Canada about rules governing the election of chiefs and band councils.

Among other things C-9 will allow First Nations to establish fixed election dates.

It also cleans up the nominations process for chief and council, and provides for penalties for those who break the rules.

The legislation extends the term for chiefs and councilors from two years to four.

This is seen as a positive move, enabling bands to better engage in long-term planning, especially when it comes to economic development.

With a two-year term, many councilors are perpetually worried about re-election.

These are some of the concerns identified by individual band members in the Aboriginal Governance Index which is put together each year by the Frontier Centre.

Elections are an important component of the survey.

Bands who work to ensure fair and open elections are often the ones who are ranked highest.

The provisions of Bill C-9 are voluntary. Bands must choose to opt in.

Hopefully that will happen in aboriginal communities on the prairies.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.

Ottawa has introduced Bill C-9, the First Nations Elections Act.

It comes in response to concerns expressed by First Nations in Manitoba and Atlantic Canada about rules governing the election of chiefs and band councils.

Among other things C-9 will allow First Nations to establish fixed election dates.

It also cleans up the nominations process for chief and council, and provides for penalties for those who break the rules.

The legislation extends the term for chiefs and councilors from two years to four.

This is seen as a positive move, enabling bands to better engage in long-term planning, especially when it comes to economic development.

With a two-year term, many councilors are perpetually worried about re-election.

These are some of the concerns identified by individual band members in the Aboriginal Governance Index which is put together each year by the Frontier Centre.

Elections are an important component of the survey.

Bands who work to ensure fair and open elections are often the ones who are ranked highest.

The provisions of Bill C-9 are voluntary. Bands must choose to opt in.

Hopefully that will happen in aboriginal communities on the prairies.

I’m Roger Currie. Join us again next week for more thoughts on the Frontier.

For more on Aboriginal policy, visit our website www.fcpp.org.