Thank you for being here this morning on behalf of Health Canada.
The question I have for you may be general in nature but I would like to begin by saying a few words just to be clear. You said that the federal government supports linguistic minority communities, be they francophone or anglophone, in terms of health care. I come from the province of Quebec, where there are other francophone minority groups. I am referring to Indian reserves. Some Indian tribes—for instance, the Hurons in my area—live close to downtown and have access to services in French. The other Indian nations in northern Quebec which speak French are having some difficulty obtaining services in French. Although we are in the majority, we are still having a hard time accessing services. Can you imagine, there are Indian nations living close to Lake Mistassini!
Of course, it is an issue under provincial jurisdiction, but there is a minority group which speaks my language and is having a hard time obtaining health care service in French. That is not the case when people live in cities, however. Two major reserves can easily access services: the Huron-Wendat, in Quebec City, and the Aboriginal people in Kanesatake, in Montreal, because they are close to two big cities. When you go into northern Quebec or towards New Brunswick—there are a few Indian nations in Quebec near New Brunswick—things are different. We know full well that to be able to obtain services in one's own language—in their case it is French—leads to enhanced vitality in a community.
What is your goal in providing funding. How do you react?