Official Languages Committee on Dec. 4th, 2006

[Yseult Friolet]

I haven't seen any funding for capital investment under the Action Plan for Official Languages. The provinces have to agree with the federal government on education. At the time of the Mulroney government, among other things, funding was paid to the schools for capital investment. So it's feasible.

There are Francophone associations everywhere. Mr. Watters talked about those that we represent and that have built child care centres or after-school services, among other things. In some places, the infrastructure already exists. This isn't a matter of duplication in a city where there's already a child care centre or a given service. The board is expanding; it's expanding across the province. So people want preschool services and child care centres to be provided near the schools. That's very important.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

That component could be added.

[Yseult Friolet]

I think that's essential for the future of Francophone communities. At least that's the case of ours, in British Columbia. I don't know the situation in the other provinces. However, I imagine that all the child care centres in New Brunswick are already operational. This is really still an issue for us.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

I'm not prepared to say that they're all operational. We have the same problem in Moncton. There was a conference at which 70 people were interviewed, solely on the subject of child care centres. People want adequate child care centres and qualified staff who are properly paid.

I'd like to go back to immigration. Mr. Nawri, who has been very quiet until now, could speak on this subject.

With all due respect to Quebec, I consider myself a French Acadian Canadian, not a Francophone outside Quebec.

Because of the number of Francophones in Quebec, the government has decided to set up immigration services there. They're part of Immigration Canada. It's a bit like the Canada Pension Plan. In Quebec, it's a pension plan managed by Quebec.

One of the problems with Francophone immigration is that a way has to be found to help the other provinces of the country. When they invite immigrants to come here, the people from the Quebec immigration offices, whether in Africa or in France, encourage them to come to Quebec, not to the rest of Canada.

How are we represented elsewhere? I've visited many countries, and I've gone into the Canadian embassies. I've seen that people don't speak a lot of French there. In some cases, there isn't even a brochure in French. I've filed complaints on the subject at each embassy where there weren't any services in French.

I'd like to hear what you have to say on that subject, please.

[Jamal Nawri]

That's a very important question. It's true that Quebec's presence in the embassies around the world is very important, at least in the Francophone countries. The brochures found there concern Quebec much more than the other provinces.

Our action plan provides a little more information to people through the Internet and overseas recruitment missions. Last year, the province took part in a mission to Paris and Nice, in France, in order to spread information on Francophones outside Quebec, particularly those in British Columbia. There's talk of conducting another mission this year, but we haven't yet determined where it will go.

We lost a little ground when the federal government signed an agreement with the province containing a Francophone clause. Everyone interprets that Francophone clause in his own way, which rekindles the debate over the number of Francophone immigrants arriving in Canada. We can't determine their numbers because we only count those who apply to settle in British Columbia, whereas all those arriving in other provinces and who wind up in British Columbia aren't counted.

We think that, if the Francophone communities offer French-language services, immigrants will go and settle there. If there's a French-language school, they'll attend it. Francophone immigrants will use those services, and then we'll be able to show the number of people using them.

However, before giving us money so that we can provide those services, the province is asking us how many people would use them. That's a problem. The province moreover is getting involved in this issue. The interpretation of official languages under the federal-provincial agreement is very important.

For our part, we think we should first create the services, which will then enable us to demonstrate the number of Francophone immigrants requesting them.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Thank you.

We can do a fourth round for members who have questions to ask.

Mr. Murphy.

[Brian Murphy, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

I have a brief and direct question.

Mr. Gagnon, you're Chairman of the Association des juristes d'expression française de la Colombie-Britannique. I'm your counterpart in New Brunswick.

Is your association opposed to the decision to cancel the Court Challenges Program?

[Pierre Gagnon]

The case is already before the courts. Is that correct? So I'm going to avoid commenting on it.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

I have a point of order. This is the only parliamentary committee where you're entitled to comment on that decision. Since it's not a criminal case, you have a right to comment on it.

[Pierre Gagnon]

I'll be brief. Before proceedings were even instituted, the Association des juristes d'expression française de la Colombie-Britannique expressed its support for the Court Challenges Program.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

You have some time left.

[Brian Murphy, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Doucet from the University of Moncton in New Brunswick filed suit against the government. We'll obviously have the opportunity to intervene officially.

My question is very simple: do you have a plan for that?

[Pierre Gagnon]

I'm aware of the actions taken in that regard. These kinds of decisions are taken more at the national level. Our association is a member of the Fédération des associations de juristes d'expression française de common law. These decisions are made at that level.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Mr. Blaney.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Ms. Friolet, you mentioned that the Dion Plan contained good measures, but that there were also deficiencies. What additional measures would you like to see the most? What would you like us to add to the plan?

[Yseult Friolet]

I insist that we call it the federal government's Action Plan for Official Languages because that's important. Mr. Dion pushed it, but now it's up to your government to ensure that the official languages are everywhere.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Yes. Now it's up to our government.

[Yseult Friolet]

What this plan shows isn't new. Just refer to section 41 of the Official Languages Act. It starts from there.

Here's what we did with this plan: we targeted departments in order to help Canadian citizens living in a minority setting. Here it's Francophones; in Quebec, it's Anglophones.

We were talking about immigration and health and so on. Of course, this push has enabled us, in immigration, for example, to continue our immigration in French, because we never could have done so without this initiative. That's very important. We also thank the federal government for the announcements it's recently made in that regard.

There's something else that's very important: RésoSanté. We're going to be hearing about that later. The initiative in the Action Plan for Official Languages concerning the health sector has enabled our province to develop the delivery of services in French in that area. I believe you're going to come and meet us this afternoon; that was in fact planned.

It also made it possible to support Simon Fraser University, which agreed to develop French-language services for the graduates of our immersion and French program schools, but also for people who, like me, want to continue studying or developing French.

These are three very important areas in the life of a citizen.

It should be added—I repeat—that the support fund managed by Canadian Heritage has been frozen. We received an 11 percent increase in 2005-2006, but we asked for a lot more. We would like that $30 million fund to be increased to at least $42 million. Our shortfall in order to continue the work amounts to $1.2 million.

I understand there must be priorities, but we're in the vanguard—you said so, Mr. Blaney—and we need the federal government's support. Until the provincial governments become like those of New Brunswick, Manitoba and even Ontario, we'll need a French-language services act.

It's very important that you, as the federal big brother or federal grandmother, support the provinces in their work to provide French-language services.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Thank you, Ms. Friolet.

Ms. Brunelle.

[Paule Brunelle, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

That's a very good argument. Bravo, madame!

Let's continue the discussion a little. In immigration, is British Columbia the province that takes in the largest number of immigrants? That's the question I'm asking myself.

What could we do to have a more effective strategy for integrating these many immigrants into the Francophone community?

[Jamal Nawri]

I believe British Columbia is the number two destination for immigrants. As the provincial premier said, our objective is to be the number one destination in the country, and we're not very far from becoming that, especially since the 2010 Olympic Games are a major contribution.

As I said earlier, regarding the second part, perhaps we could clarify that wording relative to the agreement. We could say that French-language services should be the following, and then enumerate them.

However, that should also be done by the Francophone community at all levels. We're talking about taking immigrants in and orienting them from their arrival. However, as soon as they're in the Francophone community, they also have to be welcomed into the Francophone community and integrated socially, economically and culturally.

The schools also need funding so they can take in these immigrants and, in some instances, provide some children with remedial instruction. They mustn't be turned down, since they are the rights holders for these services. Something should be done for the schools that are so much in demand for this.

Resources should also be made available to the Francophone community to take these immigrants in.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Thank you.

A little earlier, Ms. Théorêt-Poupart, you referred to the problem in the Northwest Territories. The federal government is trying to make decisions, and it's hard to provide French-language services in the Northwest Territories. Could you tell us more on that subject? I know you say that the Francophone community in the Yukon is small, but you're nevertheless there. What challenges are you facing?

[Marianne Théorêt-Poupart]

I have two actual examples to give you. In 1988, the Yukon passed the Languages Act. That act provides that the territory isn't bilingual, that it's Anglophone, but it recognizes that Canada is a bilingual country and wants to contribute to the advancement of French and Aboriginal languages. I don't know whether I mentioned it to you earlier, but that act stipulates that the federal government undertakes to provide 100% funding to implement French-language services. The federal government is responsible for that. So we're having trouble getting French-language services.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Did you check to see what the new act could give you? For example, section 41 of Part VII is now binding rather than declaratory. It's no longer declaratory, but rather binding.

[Marianne Théorêt-Poupart]

Ms. Beaudoin, our executive director, said that we still had a lot of work to do. We'll see what happens as a result of this new name. We have a lot of expectations now that it's binding rather than declaratory.