Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good morning. I'm happy to be here with you today, in Alberta. I'd like to congratulate the volunteers who work in the fields of education and health.
I am a Quebecker, from Lévis. There are a lot of things we take for granted, whereas you have to decide every morning to speak, live and die in French. That's why I admire you so much for the work you do, both with the media and in the community.
I understand this is the first time the committee has travelled in 25 years. That shows how strongly the members of the committee and our government, it goes without saying, feel about supporting the communities. I think you can always rely on that. We are listening intently.
I was listening to what my colleague, Mr. Simard, said earlier. I wonder why it took him 13 years to realize that it might be a good idea for the committee to focus on the advisability of supporting infrastructure for francophone communities. As an engineer, infrastructure is a bit of a no-brainer to me. After this trip, that will be one of the recommendations we can make together. That will be a significant gain, particularly for schools.
Now for my question. According to the statistics you provided—perhaps Ms. Devaney could comment—only 15% of those eligible avail themselves of their right to send their children to French-language school. I'd like to hear what you have to say about this. I find that number somewhat intriguing. It seems quite low to me, given the structures you are creating. Is it a problem of quality of education, or a problem of demand?