Official Languages Committee on Dec. 6th, 2006

[Louise Aucoin]

Yes. It's really made vitality possible...

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

We're gradually heading toward 2008, and the action plan will expire. How do you see the next step? I suppose we should engage in a planning exercise. Do you anticipate continuity or changes in the action plan, particularly in your...

[Rénald Rémillard]

A number of associations of French-language jurists have been in existence for a long time, including Ontario's, AJEFO, which has been around for nearly 25 years. Five years ago, the network of associations of French-language jurists was operating on a much smaller scale because it had very few resources. The action plan has given it increased vitality and made it possible to retain people and attract people interested in access to justice, rights advocacy and moving things forward. That was much less the case before the action plan.

Financial resources will be necessary in order to move on to the second level. We've increased awareness through, among other things, a practitioner's guide, which was considered a priority. I don't want to go into all the details. We've gotten to a certain level, and if we stop, we'll fall back. What we want is to move on to the next stage.

We've made progress, jumps of two or three stages, but, if we can make another jump over the next five years, we'll be able to reach a high level of development in the administration of justice, which will benefit all Francophone communities in Canadian society.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Thank you.

Do you want to make a brief comment?

[Léo Robert]

Yes, I'd like to add something.

I'm not speaking on behalf of the CCS, but as a Francophone who lives here, in the field. As a Francophone, I'm tired of being treated like a problem for all governments. I'm tired of being a problem; I want to be a solution. I want to become part of the solution.

We could take advantage of the plan's extension, if it is extended—which I very much hope—to really create an attitude. We want to work with the community, with Francophones. Who is in a better position than we are to know our own needs? We also want to be treated like normal people, like adults who can contribute to the solution. We have a major contribution to make. Listen to us.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Thank you, Mr. Robert.

Now, as regards the newspaper La Liberté, you said you were going to lose at least $25,000 with Canada Post. That's a lot for a small newspaper.

Is it a provincial paper or only a Winnipeg paper?

[Sylviane Lanthier]

La Liberté is a paper with a provincial mandate; it has circulation of 6,000 copies. Half of our readers are in Winnipeg, and the other half are scattered across Manitoba. For us, Canada Post is the only possible way to distribute the paper.

When we say $25,000, Mr. Godin, that's based on the PAP's $100,000 contribution to La Liberté in 2004. So, if one-quarter was withdrawn, because that's the share of the sub-agreement with Canada Post that was withdrawn from the program, that means that $25,000 in additional postage would have to be paid for the newspaper. That's an enormous amount for us.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

In Sudbury, there was... I don't remember the name of the newspaper.

[Sylviane Lanthier]

It was Le Voyageur.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Le Voyageur, yes.

The newspaper's officers told us that they had an agreement with Collège Boréal to ensure that young Francophones read their newspaper and got used to it for the future. In a sense, that's one way of [Inaudible—Editor].

[Sylviane Lanthier]

We already have that type of agreement.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

You have that too?

[Sylviane Lanthier]

Yes, we already have that. We have an agreement with the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine. Every week, we offer two pages of content on students' activities in the schools. We call that the “Dans nos écoles” pages. That automatically enables all the families that have children in a French school to subscribe. That's been in place in our paper for four or five years.

The paper is also investing a great deal in this project. Our agreement with the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine doesn't come close to covering costs, and we're very much aware of that.

We also have the Journal des jeunes, a monthly publication inserted in the paper that's intended for young people and provides news written in a way that young people can read. The Journal des jeunes has subscribers. It's distributed by mail outside the province, and we have customers scattered across Canada: teachers subscribe to it and use it as a basis for their teaching.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

If we said we could understand why Canada Post had given money to a company like Maclean's magazine or other companies, that wouldn't be right because those publications are able to survive on their own.

Would you say there should be special Canada Post programs, particularly for the communities that need a newspaper in their language?

[Sylviane Lanthier]

I can't speak for Maclean's because I don't know its budget.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

I can't speak for Maclean's either, but that simply appeals to...

[Sylviane Lanthier]

The Francophone minority newspapers, whether or not they're for profit—because there are both kinds—definitely aren't in enormous markets that enable them to make enormous amounts of money. We're not making millions of dollars in profits every year. Financial flexibility is generally quite small, and those of us that have to be distributed by Canada Post Corporation, since that's the only solution, definitely need distribution support.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

Thank you.

Mr. Gagné, I don't know whether you can answer this question. We saw that, in Edmonton, for example, a health system had been put in place to help people who didn't speak the other language. They had translators. Do you have any here?

[Charles Gagné]

Yes.

First, at Hôpital général Saint-Boniface, where there is a language bank, they do simultaneous translation in some 60 languages in one year. That's somewhat a reflection of the nature of Winnipeg.

However, we note that, with heightened immigration, a lot of old stock Franco-Manitobans are functionally very bilingual. If they go to an emergency room or health service and don't get service in French, the health service obviously takes precedence and their conversation will essentially be conducted in English.

A lot of immigrants don't speak English. In health situations, their presence in the community creates a demand that we weren't really experiencing perhaps five years ago.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

What kind of programs have you put in place to assist new immigrants arriving in Canada?

[Charles Gagné]

That field isn't part of my expertise, but the Société franco-manitobaine and the Province of Manitoba have signed partnership agreements to take in Francophones.

I don't know whether anyone's a little more familiar with the question. Daniel Boucher could definitely tell you more about that.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

All right. He'll be coming soon.

[Charles Gagné]

If there's one way to integrate Francophone newcomers to Manitoba, it's definitely in the healthy field. In the institutions where I work, a large segment of the labour force consists of newcomers who speak French, which francizes our community and adds a somewhat distinctive feel.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Yvon Godin]

One comment comes to mind. If you can translate 60 languages, perhaps you can help us promote Canada's two official languages. We're only asking for two.

Mr. Simard.

[Raymond Simard, Liberal, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to point out the presence of the representatives of the Commissioner of Official Languages and Canadian Heritage employees. We're privileged in Manitoba. These people really take their responsibilities to heart. We haven't really talked about the role that government officials play in this matter. So I'd like to point out their presence this evening because I think it's important.

Mr. Robert, earlier you talked about...