Official Languages Committee on May 29th, 2014

[Anne Hébert]

Undervalued

…is a key word, I think.

The anglophone community tends to think that the francophone community is asking for handouts. Knowing that the francophonie and bilingualism are economic advantages is already a big step toward a solution. In New Brunswick, we have commissioned studies from consultants to determine the economic contribution of the francophone community in certain regions that are mainly anglophone, but that have a large francophone population, such as Miramichi, Fredericton and Saint John.

We published the results of the study, which showed that more anglophone entrepreneurs in the Miramichi region had started providing services in French because they recognized that a large part of their business was coming from the francophone community. Therefore it is important to know that in order to create positive effects and change the communities' perception or one another.

[Maurice Chiasson]

I would like to add something because I am also from New Brunswick.

Anne spoke a little earlier about the situation in Moncton. I think that it's a good example of a region in New Brunswick that has focused on bilingualism and, over the years, has managed to develop a flourishing economy. Of course, there were some stakeholders from the linguistic majority, but the minority of francophones and Acadians played a major role in the community's development.

If I may, I would also like to talk about another example, this time from Manitoba. I am thinking of Saint Boniface and Winnipeg, where an event like Centrallia took place a few years ago. This event brought together businesspeople from around the world and took place in three languages: English, French and Spanish. It was under the leadership of the francophone community that this kind of initiative and networking event for businesspeople from around the world was made possible.

We sometimes have the impression that the francophone community is begging. I don't think we see its economic impact. However, we are seeing it more and more. One indicator makes me think that the francophonie and wanting to speak French are advantages, particularly when we look at the actual number of Canadians from the majority who can now speak or hold a conversation in French. So there is a cultural advantage for an individual who can speak two or three languages and there is also an economic advantage in our communities.

As Mr. Antunes mentioned, one dollar invested in the francophonie by the federal government basically has a return of $1.05. That is an interesting quantitative indicator. In the context of globalization, I think that every country should capitalize on its diverse cultural realities in an increasingly competitive world.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Mr. Nicholls.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Antunes, you talked about data and data analysis, saying that the data you've been using was from 2001 to 2006. Is the data from 2011 and the analysis that could be done on it really sufficient, given that the census form has changed? Would it cause difficulties for analysts?

[Pedro Antunes]

Yes, frankly, we have had some issues with a lot of the data we use on a regular basis in terms of compatibility and making sure the data looks the same.

In terms of the population data, we'd be okay, but to get a sense of...especially the community study we did and how that has evolved from 2006 to 2011, that might be a little tougher, because it drills down a little more.

As I mentioned, we haven't had a chance or the resources to pull the data and have a look at it, so it's hard for me to comment specifically, but there may be some difficulties, for sure.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Allain, you talked about the importance of supporting the development of a green economy. Clearly, your organization is enthusiastically supporting the emergence of this sector. I entirely agree with you in terms of the importance of developing this major economic sector.

However, the Conservative government is slow to move toward a green economy. If the federal government had a strategy for developing the green economy, would it not be easier for your organization to support this emerging sector?

[Louis Allain]

That is a very good question. Clearly, I am in no position to make announcements because it is not up to me to do so.

Right now, we have the wind in our sails. We took this turn five years ago. At the beginning of my presentation, I said that, in 1996, prosperity was the watchword in Manitoba. The idea was to encourage our communities to take charge of their lives, especially in terms of the economy that was very focused on the primary sector, in order to further develop the secondary and tertiary sectors.

For the past five years, we have been developing a more sustainable model that hinges on the environment and the social sector in addition to the economy. This has allowed us to have a firsthand experience at the provincial level in doing the greenhouse gas inventory and helping our communities develop structuring and mobilizing projects.

Under the previous building Canada plan, we contributed to 14 projects. In some cases, projects amounted to about $8.6 million in 2008. If we look at the leverage effects, the return is between 1% and 14%.

The green economy is now in the same place as the Internet was in the 1980s. We do not want to miss this turn. Today, we have become almost the only show in town in Manitoba to support rural municipalities in particular. These municipalities had been forgotten and were not part of this major movement or trend, which is often very urban or suburban in nature. In this way, we are able to bring innovation to the market and to support our entrepreneurs by placing them in a strong position. We can also allow our municipalities to develop projects that can be used as models elsewhere. Projects may include the co-generation of electricity by using geothermal energy or biomass in the central heating systems of universities, and so on.

All our communities have projects based on these opportunities, especially for the treatment of sewage, compost and waste. They are economic champions compared to other communities. We are now the leaders in this field in Manitoba.

The project that will be supported by the federal government through the Western Economic Diversification program will affect four western provinces, but I am not able to make announcements. That is not my job.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Thank you.

Do I still have time, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Go ahead, quickly.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Okay.

I have a question for all the witnesses about the emerging sectors, particularly the green economy and the creative economy.

Does the federal government have a role to play in promoting those sectors? Do minority communities have something to gain from getting involved in emerging sectors, given that this is the economy of the future?

[Louis Allain]

I would like to answer and then give the floor to Mr. Antunes, Maurice and Anne.

This major turn is not to be missed. RDEE Canada has a working group that is looking into the issue. This is the Green Economy working group. RDEE already has a lot of expertise and an entire information-sharing system. We are working with leading partners, including the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, which is sort in charge of the greenhouse gas inventory, in order to ensure consistency across the country.

In addition, RDEE is well positioned, thanks to this group that works with very good partners from outside, people like the ones here. ICLEI's head office is in Winnipeg. We have people who work abroad and here, locally. I am referring to Green Manitoba, from the province of Manitoba, and Western Economic Diversification Canada.

Systemically speaking, this issue of a green economy is really very complex, but this expertise ensures that francophones are now able to play a leading role, not only in their own communities but also in their neighbouring communities because many of these projects are regional in scope.

When we talk about bringing innovation to the market, we are securing a good position for the entrepreneurs and the young people of La Broquerie, for example, the people Maurice referred to. In fact, they have signed major agreements because of Centralia. We are also thinking of La Coop fédérée du Québec and that is all linked together.

I think development really means to be able to establish good structures to support our regions and our municipalities and to be able to play with the big guys.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Mr. Daniel.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, witnesses, for being here.

My first question is for Madame Hébert.

You noted, in May 2012, in the Telegraph-Journal, that 70% of your members had listed the skilled worker shortage as the biggest obstacle to economic development in New Brunswick.

You also said:

We're in an economy right now where we have to move away from a seasonal economy. I'm not saying we should move away from natural resources, but we have to be more innovative and try to come up with ways to move to a year-round workforce.

My question is, given that there is such a high level of illiteracy in New Brunswick, what is your strategy to bridge between the current situation and the future one that you're looking for?

Hopefully the others can intervene on that after you have answered.

[Anne Hébert]

This is done on a number of levels. New Brunswick currently has a number of initiatives.

One of the great advantages is that we have been able to convince the government that there was a problem with access to the workforce. Actually, for a long time, New Brunswick was considered a province where the unemployment rate was the greatest challenge. It took us a while, a decade, to convince the governments that access to the workforce was a challenge. Studies showed that the level of education was making it difficult for people to access existing jobs. This has finally made people understand that the issue was twofold. EI recipients want jobs and companies are looking for people, but the people available are not suited for the jobs available. That is why there are a number of provincial initiatives, such as a collective project where we want to educate people on the importance of lifelong learning from cradle to grave. The department has taken initiatives on post-secondary education, training and employment, and we are putting initiatives in place to deal with specific problems.

Federal initiatives are problematic. The federal government has put in place a program—I don’t remember the name—to train employees and it is sort of the same across Canada. However, at provincial level, our initiatives have been tailored. The purpose of our initiatives is not only to help companies provide training to people without jobs, but also to provide training to people with jobs to make them more qualified to increase the productivity of the company, to contribute to modernization, and so on. So we are working at various levels.

We are aware of the problem. It is rather complex, but all the departments are working toward the same goal.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Thank you.

Mr. Allain, is that the same in your community? It's illiteracy and lack of education, and the skills levels of the francophone community, or the minority community, that is preventing them from getting some of the better jobs and the better opportunities.

[Louis Allain]

We are rather fortunate with the situation in Manitoba. In fact, we drew inspiration from New Brunswick under Mr. McKenna's government. When CDEM was born, we saw bilingualism as added value.

I am very familiar with the situation in schools and I can assure you that our young people are highly coveted by the province and the federal government, which is the largest employer. The level of educational attainment is very high, according to the local results to the PISA tests.

Once again, we used New Brunswick's model and the research of Mr. Landry and Mr. Allard. Generally, the our young people, both in English and in French, are just as successful as their unilingual anglophone counterparts, if not more successful. Based on my personal experience, I can say that there have even been cohorts in our schools with elite international students from South America and Europe in particular. So Manitoba's education is doing pretty well.

The literacy we are most interested in is economic literacy. We have played a leading role in this area by helping our schools bring forward entrepreneurship. We have actually talked about this earlier. In Manitoba, we start that at a young age, in co-operation with the Franco-Manitoban school division and increasingly with immersion schools. There is strategic preparation for entrepreneurship when the kids are at a formative age, in grades 5, 6, and 7. We develop micro-business projects. Later, as they continue on to high school, we make sure to have entrepreneurship projects for professionals. Often, we make those projects fun, so that young people are well prepared to meet the challenge of becoming the next generation of entrepreneurs.

It is very important that communities take charge of these issues.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Mr. Godin.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Whenever we talk about the economy of northern New Brunswick and employment insurance, it bothers me a little. I think people know how I feel about this.

Moncton did not succeed just because Dieppe, Moncton and Riverview learned how to work together. Frank McKenna encouraged call centres to set up shop in Moncton. We know that he favoured Moncton. He encouraged the call centres of companies like Xerox and Royal Bank to establish themselves in Moncton. Former premier of New Brunswick, Bernard Lord, prompted CIBC to come to Fredericton. Frank McKenna encouraged Air Canada to come to Saint John, New Brunswick. The company was looking for francophones in the northern part of the province to take them to work in these cities. It was recruiting our people. That is what happened in the southern part of the province, which is known as the “golden triangle” and includes the cities of Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton.

If northern New Brunswick had a francophone hospital and university, the way Moncton does, and if it had an airport, things would be different. Northern New Brunswick does not even have a real airport. We are still fighting to get an airport.

Mr. Williamson says that it is not the government’s responsibility to do this work. New Brunswick has done a very good job in the southern part of the province compared to what it has done in the northern part. This region has been forgotten. In addition, the federal government has reduced the employment insurance benefits for seasonal employees, which has led them to move to the southern part of the province.

That is the reality of the economy in New Brunswick. A nice little boost is good, but there was no boost for northern New Brunswick. The government pushes people to settle in the southern part of the province, and the rest of Canada tells us that, if any people are left, they should take the plane and go work in Fort McMurray, Alberta. We have many hard-working people in my region.

I come back to the same question. What could we do to fix the situation in northern New Brunswick? There are people who finished high school and have to go work elsewhere. The screws have been so tightened in northeastern New Brunswick that the region has been suffocated.

The committee members are wondering how we can help people in those regions instead of just asking them to take charge of their lives. Yes, they can take charge of their lives, but they need the tools to do so.

How do you feel about all this? If you don’t agree with me, please feel free to let me know.

[Maurice Chiasson]

I actually come from northern New Brunswick. In fact, I grew up in your riding. You talked—

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Before we go any further, I would like to point out that our good leaders, people like Mr. Losier and Aldéa Landry, also moved to Moncton. They did not stay in our region to contribute to its development.

I will now give you the floor back.

[Maurice Chiasson]

I agree that there is an impact when a government supports the establishment of big businesses in certain regions. Just think of what happened in the southeastern part of the province, in the Moncton-Fredericton-Saint John triangle. This reality cannot be denied.

I might repeat myself, but I think that, generally, in communities—and I think this is also true for the northern part of the province—we must maintain the entrepreneurial culture and entice people to start a business.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I agree.

[Maurice Chiasson]

I see that there are some fine projects in the Acadian peninsula, in Shippagan, Tracadie, Caraquet and Lamèque, among others. Young people have started businesses and, with the Internet, they can remain in the northeastern part of the province, and make a living.

I also want to talk about a rather interesting trend that I have noticed in a number of communities over the past few years. I am talking about activities that encourage young people living in urban centres to come back to their communities. I am specifically thinking about initiatives such as “Je reviens! J'y reste!”, in New Brunswick.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

“Je reviens, j'y reste”, or I leave.

[Maurice Chiasson]

Those kinds of initiatives make it possible to get the young people. Young people who want to pursue post-secondary education may well find themselves in an urban centre, whether it be in the southern part of the province or in large cities such as Montreal and Toronto. That is the reality. We then have to bring those people back to their communities.

A number of initiatives have been taken in Quebec—I forget the name of the program, in Quebec, that makes it possible to bring young people back to their communities—and the models that have been developed have been picked up by some provinces and territories. The goal is for communities to get back the young people who left their regions a few years ago and to show them that they can live comfortably there, economically speaking, which means that they can find jobs there. Once again, let me stress the need to make people realize that they can start their own businesses.

In terms of your comment, you are right. When the government takes measures to support the establishment of major businesses in the communities, whether we like it or not, that attracts people. I agree with you on that. That being said, measures could be taken to help individuals create their own jobs in rural areas.