1. Since January 1, 1957, what total loans have been made by the federal government In the province of Saskatchewan, for the purpose of building limited dividend projects for senior citizens?

2. What was the location of each project, the number of units provided for, and the amount of the federal loan in each case?

Answer by: Mr. Bourgel, Parliamentary Assistant, for the Minister of Public Works:

(1) Since January 1, 1957, 16 loans totalling $3,221,073 have been approved for limited dividend companies for the purpose of building limited dividend projects, for senior citizens, in the province of Saskatchewan.

(2) The location of each project, the number of units provided for, and the amount of the N.H.A. loan are:-

Hostel

Self-con- bed-accom- Amount of

Location tained units modation loanAssiniboia .. 48 48 $367,214Balcarres .. 14 14 114,724Carnduff ... 20 20 185,296Estevan .... 24 24 212,508Kamsack ... 20 20 186,864Macklin .... 10 - 55,152Maple Creek 20 20 179,739Meadow Lake 20 20 185,083Middle Lake 30 - 147,888Ponteix .... 16 16 139,708Shaunavon . 20 20 179,110Swift Current 74 74 582,475Tisdale .... 18 16 158,085Unity 20 20 184,000Wadena .... 16 16 155,870Watrous .... 20 20 187,357TOTAL 390 348 $3,221,073

Mr. Thatcher:

1. What is the present population of Indians in Canada, by provinces?

2. How many Indians were in receipt of relief rations or the equivalent from the federal government as at January 1, 1955 and January 1, 1956 (a) by provinces: (b) by Indian agencies?

3. Has the department a tangible program to remove Indians from federal relief rolls and place them on the Canadian labour market?

4. If so, how many Indians across Canada were so placed during the calendar year 1956?

Answer by : Hon. J. W. Pickersgill (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration):

1. Indian population by provinces as shown

in the 1954 census of Indians:

Alberta

British Columbia .... . . 31,086

Manitoba

New Brunswick . . 2,629

Northwest Territories . . 4,023

Nova Scotia

Ontario

Prince Edward Island . . 272

Quebec

Saskatchewan

Yukon

2. (a) January 1, January 1,

1955 1956

Prince Edward Island 40 20New Brunswick 624 459Nova Scotia 452 451Quebec 2,690 2,282Ontario 2,923 3,178Manitoba 2,047 2,009Saskatchewan 2,624 2,911Alberta 872 861Northwest Territories . 201 275British Columbia 3,254 3,139Yukon 414 367(b) Agency January 1, January 1,1955 1956Maritime region Miramichi 246 274Kingsclear 90 99Tobique 288 86Eskasoni 252 259Shubenacadie 200 192Prince Edward Island 40 20Quebec region Abitibi 1,273 958Bersimis 39 30Caughnawaga 239 202

Questions

Jeune Lorette 5 4Maniwaki 10 14Pierreville 88 62Pointe-Bleue 101 84Restigouche 178 179Seven Islands 300 300St. Augustin 418 430Timiskaming 39 19Southern Ontario region Cape Croker - -Caradoc 174 138Christian Island .... 47 64Golden Lake 152 154Moravian 2 2Parry Sound 39 31Simcoe - -Rice and Mud Lakes - -Sarnia - -Six Nations 21 13St. Regis 265 200Tyendinaga 76 90Walpole Island .... 13 17Saugeen 4 6Northern Ontario region Chapleau 43 40Fort Frances 111 124James Bay 284 305Kenora 70 75Manitoulin Island .. 425 640Nakina 700 886Nipissing 10 7Port Arthur 63 67Sault Ste. Marie .... 127 103Sioux Lookout .... 297 216Manitoba region Clandeboye 380 349Dauphin 282 279Fisher River 153 265Nelson River 190 108Norway House 777 717Portage la Prairie .. 78 93The Pas 187 198

Saskatchewan region

Battleford 841 711Carlton 146 145Crooked Lake 166 163Duck Lake 374 563File Hills-Qu'Appelle 688 660Touchwood 105 120Meadow Lake 112 118Pelly 154 418

Miscellaneous

Includes Wood Mountain reserve No, 160, Maple Creek reserve No. 160A and Moose Woods (White Cap) reserve No. 94, administered directly by Saskatchewan regional headquarters 38 13

Questions

Alberta and N.W.T. region

Athabaska 103 118Blackfoot 6 3Blood 41 2Edmonton 76 43Fort St. John 12 8Fort Vermilion 348 510Hobbema 6 4Lesser Slave Lake .. 135 76Peigan 5 7Saddle Lake 77 33Stony-iSarcee 63 57Fort Norman 77 122Yellowknife 124 153British Columbia region Babine 372 298Bella Coola 49 85Cowichan 865 1,004Kamloops 71 62Kootenay 94 91Kwawkewlth 52 50Lytton 261 225New Westminster ... 75 154Nicola 75 81Okanagan 90 77Queen Charlotte .... 137 -Skeena River 106 112Stuart Lake 463 451Vancouver 15 55West Coast 464 335Williams Lake 65 59Yukon 414 3673. Yes. Indians are given assistance to prepare them to take their place in the labour market. Training in academic, technical,commercial and trade subjects is available

and Indians are encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities.

In co-operation with industry, the national employment service and other federal, provincial and municipal government agencies, Indians are assisted in obtaining employment.

In addition, a labour placement program for Indians in urban areas is being developed.

4. 2,940. In addition employment was found for many other Indians who were not receiving relief assistance at the time of placement.

Mr. Thatcher:

Mr. Chairman, I say that if this bill doubled the payments, the C.C.F. would immediately say they should be trebled; and if the bill said the benefits should be trebled, the C.C.F. party would contend they should be quadrupled. It is always so easy for a party which has no responsibility of office, and which will never be in power, to promise the moon-to advocate the proverbial "pie in the sky."

I have always been amazed at the complete lack of financial responsibility which so many of the socialists from Saskatchewan seem to possess. For instance, in a speech made a couple of weeks ago, the hon. member for Assiniboia made suggestions which, if the government had adopted them, would have meant additional expenditure this year alone of $2,250 million.

Mr. Thatcher:

They irritate others by their failure to make constructive suggestions. By their continuous prophecies of gloom they have antagonized members from other parts of this country, and, I think, they have injured the prestige and welfare of the province of Saskatchewan. Mr. Chairman, the socialists have cried "wolf" so often in this house that when they do get up and advocate anything, hon. members from the rest of Canada are automatically suspicious and immediately hostile. Their initial reaction is to do the opposite of what is advocated by the socialists.

I would respectfully suggest that if there were a few more Liberal members from the prairie provinces we could do a great deal more for the western people.

Mr. Thatcher:

They either cannot comprehend economics or they don't want to.

In the years ahead, this bill is going to cost the taxpayers in all parts of Canada a good many millions of dollars, but it is a major step forward in providing the grain growers in the prairie provinces with a basic minimum of security. I say again, Mr. Chairman, that this is one more illustration of what Liberal supporters from the prairies, by working with their colleagues from other parts of Canada, can do for the grain producer. They work as a team. If they use reasonableness, if they use co-operation and a spirit of give and take, they can usually

Prairie Farm Assistance Act persuade their colleagues from elsewhere in the country to bring in legislation which is beneficial to western Canada.

It has been my experience that not only can the socialists do very little for the western farmer, but usually they actually hurt his cause by their persistent nagging with regard to anything the government does, whether good or bad.