Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss Bill C-5.

My name is Jeff Cyr. I'm the founder and managing partner of Raven Outcomes, an indigenous-led fund manager and private capital investor focused on investing in the well-being of indigenous communities by transforming how capital flows into meaningful initiatives and projects. We finance outcomes, not just programs, ensuring every dollar is tied to measurable results in areas such as housing, clean energy, health and employment.

Our model is grounded in accountability and self-determination. Indigenous communities lead every stage of the process: defining the problem, co-designing the solution and implementing the project. Funding is provided up front by private and philanthropic capital; governments only pay once independently verified results are achieved, like lower energy bills, better housing and improved employment. In essence, outcomes finance is a results-based investment strategy that empowers indigenous leadership and community-driven solutions.

Raven Outcomes was created in response to a clear message from communities. We know what works; we just need funding to respect our ways, and you've heard a bit of that today and in the previous panel.

As Canada's first and the world's only indigenous-led outcomes fund, we were built to address this need and are committed to consultation, partnership and the inherent right of self-determination. In considering Bill C-5, I echo the words of National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak, who stated Monday before the Senate committee of the whole that “Deep consultation involves a two-way exchange of information sharing accompanied by substantive dialogue.”

Through our work at Raven Outcomes, we have seen first-hand how consultation and partnership with individual indigenous communities not only leads to better outcomes for these communities, like jobs and economic development, but can also ensure the government achieves its own goals, such as accelerating the development of major national projects. The government's duty to consult is essential. We firmly believe that better outcomes will be achieved when governments and project proponents engage with indigenous communities early in the process. By partnering from the outset in collaboratively developing community-driven outcomes, projects can align both local priorities and national goals. Meaningful engagement and community input into agreed-upon outcomes is absolutely critical.

Early involvement also enables work to begin at the community level while broader approvals are under way, ensuring time is used efficiently. We're not waiting for two years or five years; we are starting work now and demonstrating the government's immediate commitment to fulfilling its duty to consult. This approach can lead to the government meeting its goal to expedite national projects, a goal that we fully support, but this can only be done with deep and meaningful dialogue with impacted communities and agreed-upon outcomes to benefit each community.

The Carney government has stated that it is committed to advancing economic reconciliation through reforms that enable indigenous-led initiatives and address the long-standing inequities. Appropriate consultation and partnership, as in the outcomes finance model that we use, can ensure that indigenous communities see real economic and social benefits at the local level while being part of national efforts.

Through our work with indigenous nations such as Peguis First Nation, Brokenhead Ojibway Nation and others where we have done direct investments this year, we have seen that when communities are empowered to identify and address their priority issues and see real benefits, it creates positive ripple effects for all Canadians by driving greater investment in both the indigenous and broader Canadian economies. That's why we're working to scale a new model of investing through a proposed national indigenous outcomes fund—a smarter, more accountable way to deliver on national priorities in true partnership with indigenous communities.

Thank you for your time, and I'm happy to respond to questions.