Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Forgive me for being late. I am truly sorry. There was not only one death but two, in a plane accident.
Thank you for having me and for giving me the opportunity to speak to you. I have only been working for the Fédération des parents francophones de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador for six months. The most important area we have been working very hard on is early childhood. Last year, we had the privilege of opening the first francophone daycare here, in St. John's. We now like to open more, whether home daycares or daycare centres.
As Ms. Josée Dalton stated earlier we have problems retaining staff and finding staff who speak French. It is extremely difficult. We need to establish partnerships with other provinces that have resources. The problem is keeping these people. These are big challenges. My feeling is that we need considerable support from the provincial government, from Heritage Canada, and from the school boards. It is truly fantastic to see the effort the whole community is making to give our children access to francophone and anglophone cultures.