Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, gentlemen, for coming such a great distance here today to advise us on these matters. You're the ones who do the work on the front lines, where it's most important. So we appreciate your taking the time to come here today.
Ms. Mendes pointed out that Quebec manages their own settlement services through an agreement with the Government of Canada. I think it's important to note as well that the Government of Canada provides Quebec with funds to do that. In fact this year it was given $226 million, and that will go to $234 million next year. There are also agreements with Manitoba and British Columbia. Some of the money you are able to use in British Columbia--about $22.9 million--comes from the federal government as well. We're pretty proud of that, so I thought I'd put it on the record.
Recently Minister Kenney introduced a pilot project to provide language training vouchers to encourage newcomers to use language training programs funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. They would allow Canadians to learn an official language at a settlement agency of their choice.
I wonder if you could each, starting with Mr. Tam, comment on what value that pilot project might add.