Official Languages Committee on Dec. 4th, 2012

[Jean-Luc Racine]

I don't know what you mean.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Surely, you want to be part of the festivities in 2017. You want our report to highlight how you could contribute to the actual celebrations, isn't that right?

[Jean-Luc Racine]

Yes, and we also want to contribute to the preparations leading up to the event.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

I understand. You want to celebrate in 2017.

[Jean-Luc Racine]

Yes.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

What do you want to do in 2017?

[Jean-Luc Racine]

Do you mean what we would do, tangibly speaking?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Yes. What kind of festive events do you propose?

[Jean-Luc Racine]

I mentioned them. It would involve some sort of mechanism to highlight the numerous contributions. We mentioned a national anthology, the videos showcasing the contributions of Canadians and the seniors' summit. We believe that would be a wonderful undertaking. Naturally, we prefer initiatives that bring together different generations, where people have the opportunity to engage with one another, with a special focus on 2017.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

I thank you.

[Éric Dubeau]

On our end, it's a matter of strategy or choice. The government needs to adopt a strategy underlying its desire to really make 2017 a memorable occasion. I'm sorry to say our ideas are a bit less concrete than those of our colleagues.

To be able to unveil a series of new works, to be able to broadcast and display them for Canadians and others to enjoy, the time to commission them is not April 1, 2017. That would create major logistical challenges between April and July 1st.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Do I still have time left?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

A minute.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

The government hasn't yet put any kind of lead-up structure in place for the anniversary in 2017. It likely will. Have you thought about how you could play a role in that structure?

[Éric Dubeau]

We already articulated that we would be eager to contribute to such an effort or structure, whether that involves sitting on a committee or some new body, or taking part in consultations undertaken by such a body.

We believe the celebrations should be put on by and for Canadians. If the government agrees, it would have to bring representatives of official language minority communities to the table. So why not solicit members of the arts and culture community and Canada's French-speaking community through that committee as well?

That is my response.

[Jean-Luc Racine]

I was going to say more or less the same thing. I think some sort of consultation process involving Canadians and continuing on until 2017 is necessary. That would produce the best ideas and the best suggestions. I would also echo what Mr. Dubeau said.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Okay, thank you.

Mr. Wilks.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Thanks, Mr. Chair, and my thanks to our witnesses today.

In our last hour, the Commissioner of Official Languages was here and he spoke on the importance of some of the stuff that John Ralston Saul had commented on in Reflections of a Siamese Twin, namely, that it was suddenly understood that francophone and anglophone reformers had to cooperate. It seems to me that we Canadians tend to cooperate for major events such as Expo 67 or the Olympic Games in Vancouver, because we feel that there's this importance to show our spirit.

Mr. Dubeau, how do you think we can transfer this enthusiasm that we show during these major events to everyday life in Canada? That, I think, is the trick. We're really good at doing a two-week stint, but can we hold it for 365 days a year? That's what I'd like to hear from you.

[Éric Dubeau]

My answer is going to be disappointing, and I apologize.

We have a saying, crises bring people together. It's easy to rally Canadians around a cause they perceive as critical. It's also possible to bring them together for a memorial or celebration. We see arts and culture as a key strategy, a key piece in bringing people together day to day. I think we would do well to further shine the spotlight on our success stories, our best practices, our triumphs and the interdependence of Canadian society. We should emphasize just how diverse we are through our creativity and culture, in the broadest sense. Turning that idea into a reality hinges on building more gathering places.

I spoke before about tangible measures and the importance of a concrete investment in infrastructure and first-rate technology. I think it's essential to provide opportunities for people to come together. In that respect, I'd say our society is a bit lost today. Arts and culture opens up a number of doors. An establishment, whether it's the NAC or a local cultural centre, gives people a place where they can gather while appreciating and celebrating others. We need to find ways to support these establishments and to ensure the working conditions are conducive to their mandate.

That is the bare-bones answer I can give you in 30 seconds.

[Simone Saint-Pierre]

I would say there are artistic endeavours all over the country. Every corner of the country has something to offer, in our francophone communities alone. I am sure you would find artistic endeavours happening 365 days of the year, more or less anywhere in the country. As Ms. Bateman pointed out earlier, it might be possible to get into the habit of bringing those various endeavours together using social media, as part of the celebration.

One thing is for sure, Canadian values are already being celebrated through artistic and cultural activities year-round. And we could certainly do a better job of that with a bit more funding to mark the anniversary of Confederation.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Thank you very much.

Go ahead, Mr. Racine.

[Jean-Luc Racine]

I was going to say, that, at the end of the day, our proposals include initiatives that will stand the test of time.

Our example of intergenerational projects funded through the New Horizons for Seniors program alone proves that point. Even if the funding disappears, those endeavours will last forever. The summit proposal is a first step. What we want to see after that are other summits that will bring together the three communities we talked about. That would be the ideal. If things go well in 2017, why not do it again afterwards?

Experiences that takes us farther into the future, not just to 2017, will provide the foundation.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Excellent.

Mr. Racine, you spoke of the importance of recording the history of seniors, and we're all going there, some of us sooner than later.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Don't look at me.