Good morning. I represent a region where there is a large francophone population and I have a good understanding of CBC's role in maintaining the francophone identity of francophones in Northern Ontario.
As I listen to this discussion this morning, what strikes me is the issue of the role it plays in maintaining and building a sense of identity, because no region or group wants to listen to somebody else's dialogue; they want to participate in their own dialogue. In our region, Radio-Canada plays a unique role for the isolated communities because they talk to each other: they hear their own people on the radio and they hear what's happening in the other little communities.
Sure, it's fine to hear the news from Montreal, but if all they hear is the news from Montreal, it's not going to maintain their community or their identity in any way whatsoever. It's the ability of Radio-Canada--in our region in the north, anyway--to have a dialogue among the various communities.
I'd like to ask you how you think that dialogue is taking place in other regions of this country in which there are francophone minorities. You gave the example of Saskatchewan. Are they maintaining that, or are we basically just sending out from Montreal and Quebec City one voice that's supposed to be heard everywhere?