Official Languages committee  In our case, that is quite easy to determine, because we organize activities and carry out projects that we ourselves developed. Whether we are talking about the Clin D'Oeil Child Care Centre or our newspaper, Les Nouvelles, we have worked very hard to do the feasibility studies, to get funding and to get the process going.

Official Languages committee  You are quite right, Mr. Godin: we have to get our priorities right. We have to ensure that there is proper funding for community organizations. We suffered a great deal because of the sponsorship scandal and the fact that some programs were poorly run. To some extent, we became suspect.

Official Languages committee  I will make my answer as brief as possible. Core funding of $60,000, you know... What we need is $86,000 to keep up with inflation and have the same purchasing power we had in 1985. We wanted to be realistic, but when I heard what Mr. Grenier was saying earlier, I don't think that was realistic.

Official Languages committee  There is no doubt that in our community there are competent people who want to work for francophone community organizations. The only reason we cannot hire them is because we cannot pay them. These people have the right to work full-time and to lead a normal life. In some cases, we benefit from their expertise when they work for us on a volunteer basis, but the fact remains that without adequate funding, it is almost impossible to benefit from their services on a full-time basis.

Official Languages committee  O.K. In conclusion it is essential that we find a solution to increase the provincial envelope so that local organizations, grassroots organizations which have their ear to the ground, are well integrated, know the needs and work with the bone and sinew of their communities, can have stable funding that will allow them to operate appropriately and with structure.

Official Languages committee  Good morning. I hope the fact that we are talking over the phone and not able to see one another is not a bad sign for the future of Franco-Ontarian community organizations. I hope that I am not speaking to you from beyond the grave, because we learned yesterday that the Superior North regional ACFO, in Sault Ste.

Canadian Heritage committee  None directly. If we prepare a project, sometimes we'll get some funding. That's the only way we get it.

Canadian Heritage committee  I was born in Quebec, but I've lived my entire life in Hearst, Ontario. What was special about Hearst was its economic vitality. It was one of the small towns in Canada where there was the largest number of millionaires per capita. For example, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was one of the banks that had the biggest deposits in Canada based on population.

Canadian Heritage committee  That's not the case in Timmins, but it is in Hearst and Kapuskasing. We didn't have a community health centre. We were supposed to have one, but we didn't get it. It's working well in Témiscamingue. We suggested to the government that we join forces with Témiscamingue. We don't want to spend money for nothing.

Canadian Heritage committee  That's what we have to fight day after day. If we had the time for it, we could easily work together with the networks.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes, and if we're given the funding, we'll be able to meet the challenge. Thank you.

Canadian Heritage committee  No. They didn't come to Timmins. As I said, Timmins is about three and a half hours north of Sudbury.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes, for sure. Now, if we have to come to Ottawa, we'll come, because if we can talk directly to the committee— You know, it's a first. It's the first time in 20 years that the grassroots organizations can talk directly to committees. I thank you for the opportunity to discuss these things and for you to know exactly what's going on, because that's really political efficiency.

Canadian Heritage committee  Super.

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you, Mr. Abbott.