Evidence of meeting #12 for Official Languages in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was question.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mauril Bélanger
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the 12th meeting of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages. I am replacing the chair for a few minutes, at his request.
9 a.m.
Liberal
9 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mauril Bélanger
This morning, we are starting the study on the big, vast issue of immigration. We think it is useful and definitely pleasant to start by getting a statistical overview. Two experts from Statistics Canada are with us, Mr. Jean-Pierre Corbeil and Mr. René Houle.
Gentlemen, I hand over to you.
9 a.m.
Jean-Pierre Corbeil Chief Specialist, Language Statistics Section, Statistics Canada
I would like to thank you for inviting Statistics Canada to appear before you. I am here today with René Houle, Senior Analyst in the Language Statistics Section and co-author of the study "Statistical Portrait of the French-Speaking Immigrant Population Outside Quebec (1991 to 2006)".
I'm going to briefly present a number of elements. This will take about 10 minutes. Then we can answer your questions.
In September 2006, the Citizenship and Immigration Canada-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee launched the Strategic Plan to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities. The main objectives of this plan are to increase the number of French-speaking immigrants in francophone-minority communities and to facilitate their reception and their social, cultural and economic integration within these communities.
In June 2008, the Canadian government published the second Five-year Action Plan on Official languages, entitled "Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013: Acting for the Future." The Roadmap rests on two pillars: the participation of all Canadians in linguistic duality and support for official language minority communities. It provides for investment to be spread across five key sectors, including immigration.
On this subject, the Roadmap states that "[a]lIocating funds for research and data analysis will make it possible to better target issues related to francophone immigration outside of Quebec, and to address the various needs of the communities, the provinces and territories, and employers." In light of these objectives, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has commissioned Statistics Canada to prepare a statistical portrait of the French-speaking immigrant population outside Quebec.
This portrait published on April 6 presents information on the demographic, linguistic, social and economic characteristics of francophone immigration in French-speaking minority communities using data drawn from Canadian censuses from 1991 to 2006.
Before we began this research, Statistics Canada had to focus on how this analytical document would define the linguistic groups to be discussed. The question, then, was what criteria were used here to define what constitutes a French-speaking immigrant. Although there is no standard definition of who is a francophone, the statistical portrait produced by Statistics Canada on the French-speaking immigrants living outside Quebec is mostly based on the concept of the first official language spoken, which is now widely used as a criterion of linguistic definition in studies on official-language minorities.
The fact is that changes over the years in the composition of the Canadian population tend to call for a redefinition or expansion of the concept of francophone group or community insofar as a significant number of persons whose mother tongue is neither French nor English nevertheless use French either predominantly or on a regular basis in their daily lives.
Here are a few highlights. Overall, francophone minority communities outside Quebec received little benefit from the demographic contribution of international immigration, owing to the strong propensity of these immigrants to integrate into communities with an English-speaking majority. Moreover, the phenomenon of French-language immigration outside Quebec has become a matter of interest fairly recently, as has the question of its contribution to the development and growth of official-language minorities.
The francophone immigrant population outside Quebec is comprised of two groups: those who have only French as their first official language spoken and those who have both French and English. From a statistical point of view, the francophone immigrant population living outside Quebec is fairly small, both in absolute numbers and in relation to either the French-speaking population or the immigrant population as a whole. However, the relative weight of francophone immigrants within the French-speaking population has increased, going from 6% to 10% between 1991 and 2006, while their weight within the overall immigrant population has varied more moderately, and in 2006 it was, at most, less than 2%. By comparison, it is worth mentioning that the English-speaking immigrant population living outside Quebec was slightly less than 5 million people in 2006 and represented 22% of the overall English-speaking population, against 18% in 1991. The majority of francophone immigrants outside Quebec—70%—are concentrated in Ontario. Furthermore, two-thirds of French-speaking immigrants live in three metropolitan areas: Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver.
In Canada outside Quebec, the 76,000 immigrants having both French and English as first official language spoken in the 2006 Census, are slightly more numerous than the immigrants having French as the first official language spoken, who number almost 61,000. I've distributed some statistical tables that we could look at a little later.
In some cities, especially Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, this characteristic is more prevalent, with French-English immigrants outnumbering their French first language counterparts by almost two to one. The study prepared by Statistics Canada shows that the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of these two groups are sometimes quite different.
International immigration to Canada has undergone a rapid transformation in recent decades. Immigrants of European origin have tended to give way to immigrants from Asia, Africa and Latin America. In this regard, immigrants whose first official language spoken is French stand out from other immigrants in that a large proportion of them come from Africa. Thus, in 2006, Africans accounted for 30% of all French-speaking immigrants compared to 20% in 1991. The main change observed over recent decades was a sizable reduction in the proportion of immigrants of European origin, as their relative weight declined between 1991 and 2006, going from approximately 50% to 40% or less.
Outside Quebec, there are major differences in interprovincial migration patterns between francophones and non-francophones. Whereas francophones tend to settle in Quebec when they migrate within Canada, non-francophones tend instead to choose one of the other nine provinces, especially Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. In Quebec, the patterns are exactly the reverse: Quebec francophones, whether native-born or immigrants, migrate relatively little to the other provinces, whereas a much larger proportion of non-francophones leave the province.
Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the examination of the types of occupation in the four urban areas studied (Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver) reveals that native francophones tend to move to the remote suburbs more often than immigrants, which could mean an older settlement of the population among the French-speaking natives.
An examination of linguistic behaviours at home and at work among francophone immigrants who have settled outside Quebec shows that there is competition between French and English spoken at home and used in the workplace. Among French first language immigrants, about half report speaking French most often at home, while 32% report speaking English and 10% a non-official language. However, the use of French at home increases to almost 73% when people reporting speaking French regularly at home are accounted for, even though French is not their main home language.
Among immigrants for whom both English and French are the first official languages spoken, the use of French spoken at home is not very widespread, reaching 13%, even including the number of French speakers who report speaking that language at home on a regular basis, rather than most often.
The transmission of French depends on both the type of couple with children in their home and the context in which that language is used. French is firstly transmitted by couples in which both partners are solely French first language: in their case, the majority of minor children have French as their mother tongue, speak it most often at home and have it as their first official language spoken. The situation is entirely different for the other types of couples, where the transmission of English or a non-official language dominates. However, among couples formed by immigrants having both French and English as their first official languages spoken, 40% of children have French, alone or in conjunction with English, as their first official spoken language.
In conclusion, the analytical report prepared by Statistics Canada has, in some places, distinguished between immigrants for whom French is the only official language spoken and those who cannot be assigned either French or English as their first official language. In other places, it has redistributed the French-English category as the Treasury Board Secretariat does in applying the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations.
Whatever the variants used in the different parts of this study, it is difficult not to conclude, following a comparative examination of the two sub-populations of immigrants, that those with French and English as their first official language spoken differ as much in their characteristics and behaviours from immigrants with French as their only first official language as from the rest of immigrants (i.e., non-francophone immigrants).
Indeed, French-English first language immigrants share many more behaviours and characteristics with non-francophone immigrants than with French first language immigrants.
These results seem to suggest that inclusion of immigrants with a double first official language spoken in the francophone immigrant population is an issue that poses quite different challenges from those related to the integration of immigrants for whom French is the only first official language spoken.
Thank you for your time.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mauril Bélanger
Thank you, Mr. Corbeil.
Mr. Houle, do you want to add anything?
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mauril Bélanger
Thank you.
There's a lot of material there. And we're going to start our first round of questions.
Mr. D'Amours.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Don't worry, I won't be talking to you about translation this morning, but rather about immigration, and I'm pleased about that.
You mentioned a number of points. In my constituency, we have what we call the Carrefour d'immigration rurale. It was funded in 2005 so that it could lay a foundation enabling francophones living elsewhere than in Canada to settle in the rural regions.
Earlier you mentioned one point that provides food for thought. There are a lot of francophone communities across the country, and not necessarily just in urban regions. Many of them are in rural regions.
I have a question, and perhaps you can clarify the situation. Would that be because of a poor knowledge of the rural regions? Are the rural regions not promoted enough to francophone immigrants? That would explain why, when they arrive in Canada, they naturally head toward the larger centres that enjoy a higher profile. Don't think it's just because there are more shopping centres. Perhaps that can be explained as being the result of a higher profile or something else.
Is it the result of a lack of information or a lack of visibility? Do you have any information on that subject?
9:15 a.m.
Chief Specialist, Language Statistics Section, Statistics Canada
Your question is obviously very relevant. We know that the regionalization of immigration has been a major issue for a number of decades. Quebec in particular has tried on a number of occasions to regionalize immigration over the past 30 years, with variable and mixed results.
We are still trying to understand the reasons why immigrants settle in urban rather than rural regions. In general, immigrants believe they are more likely to be able to find a job in urban areas. Sometimes it's also a matter of reunification with members of their own community that encourages immigrants to settle in urban areas. We observe this particularly in the Ottawa region: we observe in particular that francophones are located in the eastern part of the city, whereas immigrants are much more concentrated in the downtown area and in Vanier, in neighbourhoods very close to the downtown area.
It's also very much a matter of networks that are already in place that can facilitate the integration of these immigrants. To give you a quick example, some studies have shown that the francophone members of the clergy in Ottawa play a central role in the integration of French-language immigrants who are members of their parish, through the support and services they offer them.
Rural areas are much more homogenous. The understanding of immigration issues is not the same and definitely not as acute as what you see in the urban areas.
9:15 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
We can manage to convince francophone immigrants to come to a rural community, but the other challenge is to keep them in the rural community. When these people who have come to settle in rural areas go elsewhere, is it to urban francophone communities or to anglophone communities, for various reasons? Do you know that?
9:15 a.m.
Chief Specialist, Language Statistics Section, Statistics Canada
I'll answer you in a somewhat simplistic way, even though your question isn't simplistic at all. We try to determine whether our community is francophone or not and where it is located. People often decide to immigrate for employment-related reasons, without there necessarily being any link with integration in a francophone community. The reasons that push them are first of all economic. Subsequently, if there is clearly a supply of services in French, they will more naturally tend to go there. We have observed that in Toronto.
9:15 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Even if it means going to an anglophone region.
9:15 a.m.
Liberal
9:15 a.m.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
Good morning, gentlemen.
Personally, I'm interested first and foremost in the halting and even reversing of assimilation and the loss of the French fact in Canada as a whole where assimilation is greater, with the exception of Quebec. We know that the closer you get to Quebec geographically, the less assimilation there is, and the more you move away from it, the greater assimilation is. Consequently, we understand why assimilation is not as strong for Franco-Ontarians near the Quebec border and for Acadians and francophone New-Brunswickers near Quebec. There is some, but it is not as strong.
My question is perhaps hypothetical. I don't know what has been studied statistically, but has the settlement of francophones in Canadian minority francophone environments outside Quebec had an impact on increased assimilation? Does that help combat assimilation and the loss of the French fact? Is there anything you can tell us about that?
9:20 a.m.
Chief Specialist, Language Statistics Section, Statistics Canada
Of course, everything depends on the geographic reference you use. At the provincial level, results may be different from those you'll get if you use a more regional scale. For example, in Saint-Boniface, Manitoba, a major effort has been made to welcome and integrate French-language immigrants. At the local level, they have achieved quite significant success.
However, survey results have shown that immigrants who settle in minority francophone areas are disadvantaged in the labour market if they do not know English because that happens. Consequently, there is nevertheless a fairly significant need to know both official languages in order to integrate, economically speaking.
I wouldn't say that immigration raises or lowers the assimilation rate. You clearly can't ask immigrants to do what francophones can't do themselves. Having said that, we have to pay attention to the way we define the issue of assimilation because we realize that a significant proportion of francophones speak English at home. On the other hand, French is regularly used in the home, which, in a way, may allow French to be used in the community.
The issue of assimilation is not necessarily clear. It doesn't just happen in the family environment; it also comes into play in the community. If there are community centres and centres providing services in the language, it will be possible to increase the importance and use of French.
9:20 a.m.
Bloc
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
I visited the Pavillon Gustave-Dubois at the École canadienne-française in Saskatoon last January. I must say that I taught there at one point. I left 10 or 12 years ago. However, I noticed that the school population included people who were francophone, even though they were not born in Canada. That is a very poignant example. I'm not talking about Saskatchewan as a whole, but about a place that I know well and where I went.
On the other hand, in the Pontiac region in Quebec, which is one of 125 constituencies in the National Assembly, French is losing ground. We even see that assimilation is doing its work. This issue is closer to me both politically and geographically. Earlier you talked about learning French in the case of people who used to use it but have forgotten it, as well as of new Canadians who want to learn it. However, it must not be forgotten that things often happen in English when people enter a workplace, at many locations in the federal public service, for example, or in private business, when you leave Gatineau and go to Ottawa. I'm not saying it's the same everywhere in Ottawa, but that's the current situation in a number of places.
Is there some way to coordinate efforts to enable these newcomers to retain or to learn French and to function, even though the labour market is mainly anglophone?
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mauril Bélanger
Mr. Corbeil, I'm going to ask you to keep the question in mind. We can come back to it later.
9:20 a.m.
Chief Specialist, Language Statistics Section, Statistics Canada
All right, you're a kind man.