INDU meeting 18 · 2025-12-01 — Committee Evidence — LegisWatch

Summary

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) met on December 1, 2025, to study productivity and capital flight, hearing from Natalie Knowles, a researcher with Protect Our Winters Canada, and Fred Meier, President and CEO of Red River College Polytech.

Natalie Knowles testified that Canada's outdoor recreation sector is an underappreciated economic powerhouse, generating $101.6 billion in annual economic activity and over one million full-time jobs, on par with industries like forestry and oil and gas. She argued that participation in outdoor recreation boosts workforce productivity by reducing stress and improving mental and physical health, which could save Canada between $3.9 billion and $23 billion annually in public health care costs. Knowles recommended that the government follow the U.S. example by creating a satellite account to report on outdoor recreation's economic impact and by investing in natural assets like trail networks to attract and retain talent, particularly in rural communities.

Fred Meier stated that colleges and polytechnics are critical to solving Canada's productivity crisis by providing job-ready graduates and conducting applied research with small and medium-sized enterprises, yet they receive less than 3% of tri-council research funding. He highlighted that polytechnics help businesses adopt technology quickly, citing a partnership with Magellan Aerospace that reduced production time and defects, and noted that the average age of polytechnic students is mid-to-late twenties, indicating a skills mismatch where students often come after other post-secondary education. Meier called for increased applied research funding, greater recognition of polytechnics as equal to universities, and policies that promote parity of esteem to better align education with labour market needs.

After the witnesses were dismissed, the committee resumed debate on a Conservative motion concerning the auto sector, which had been amended by the Bloc Québécois. The chair ruled that a subsequent Liberal amendment was in order, a decision that was challenged and upheld by a vote, so debate continued on the motion as amended by the Bloc.

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Witnesses · 2

Natalie Knowles

Researcher, Protect Our Winters Canada

Opening remarks

Thank you so much for having me here today to speak on behalf of Protect Our Winters Canada. This is a non-profit representing Canada's outdoor recreation industry. My name is Dr. Natalie Knowles. I'm POW's research and policy director, and I specialize in research related to outdoor recreation economies. I'm the co-author of a report released in 2024 that, for the first time, analyzed Canada's outdoor recreation economy. This sector is an underappreciated economic powerhouse, representing $101.6 billion in annual economic activity and over one million full-time jobs. The outdoor recreation sector stands above or at par with other major industries, including forestry, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas. However, this report underestimates the size of outdoor recreation to Canadians, because it was based on existing outdoor recreation sector reporting and doesn't include many key subsectors that millions of Canadians participate in due to the diversity of the outdoor recreation industry and the lack of coordinated economic impact assessments at the regional, provincial and national levels. Our outdoor recreation economy report for Canada shows that outdoor recreation…

Full testimony ↗

Fred Meier

President and Chief Executive Officer, Red River College Polytech

Opening remarks

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for the invitation to appear today. As the chair mentioned, my name is Fred Meier. I'm the president and CEO of RRC Polytech, which is Manitoba's only polytechnic institution. I'm joining you today from our Notre Dame campus in Winnipeg, which is located on Treaty 1 territory and the national homeland of the Red River Métis. In March 2024, Carolyn Rogers, the senior deputy governor of the Bank of Canada, focused a spotlight on the productivity crisis in Canada. It’s now widely recognized that our country is in trouble. As the president of a polytechnic institution, I want to share a perspective that doesn’t get the attention it should. Colleges and polytechnics provide the skills and credentials that drive productivity in virtually every economic sector in every region of our nation. Institutions similar to ours play a more significant role in countries around the world that are leading in productivity. Our collaborative applied research activities with industry partners advance innovation through adoption and the dispersion of technology. We’ve built incredible trust with business partners and have proven that we…