Official Languages Committee on Dec. 12th, 2006

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I have a comment to make. We have now been discussing this issue of funding, among others, for several weeks now. Our understanding of the issue is of course improving, because of what you have been telling us and what you have specifically been doing. However, it highlights the failure of the government to meet its obligations to francophones outside Quebec. That is what is worrying me.

In my view, no matter who is running the government, it has a duty to maintain what has been accomplished thus far. If something completely ridiculous was done by a previous government, then of course the government can exercise its prerogatives to change things. However, there ought not to be wholesale changes that threaten entire communities for purely ideological reasons.

We, the members of the committee, in such an instance have a duty to send a very clear message, which is to say that the continued existence of francophones outside Quebec is being threatened by unilateral actions on the part of this government. I am extremely worried about this and I understand why you are equally worried.

Cutting the lifeline to organizations here and there may hurt, but then perhaps there were certain problems that made it necessary. However, at the moment, everything is being cut; it's widespread and it's absolutely inadmissible. We, those who were elected by local populations, need to inform people that we have our hands tied because we have a government that does not listen, that does not consult and that does whatever it feels like, and that is not why people elected us or elected the machinery of government in general.

I want to assure you that as far as we are concerned, we are going to tell people about what you have told us and will make sure that our local communities know as well, so that they too can see just how untenable the situation is.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you.

Mr. Lemieux.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

We are listening to you. We are sitting on this committee that has travelled for the first time in 25 or 26 years. This was done under our government, and we toured Canada to speak to people in the communities. I find the comments that we just heard rather extreme.

Mr. Bourbeau, I think that your federation has a critical role to play, particularly in the field of cultural events. I would like to know how you deal with local events and performances.

Where I live, for example, there is L'Écho d'un peuple, which is a big show. It is a lively presentation of our heritage. The show has been going for three or four years now, but last year was difficult.

I would like to know how you are going to support a show like L'Écho d'un peuple? What are you doing to promote it and to ensure that shows like this can continue?

[Pierre Bourbeau]

I will give a two-part answer. For us, working with events on the scale of L'Écho d'un peuple is one of the components of our future vision. The FCCF will have to find a way of working more closely with everyone involved in large-scale cultural festivals and events.

However, we need to have the means to do so. I am going to assume for the moment that it is more the Franco-Ontarian community and the province than the cultural federation as such that are providing support to L'Écho d'un peuple. I want that to be very clear: our ability to establish a network of all the major cultural events in the country is part of our vision for the future.

Now, on a smaller scale, we are working very closely with what is called the presenter's dimension. There is a presentation network in the West, in Ontario and in the Atlantic provinces, and we are working closely with these people in order to be able to make economies of scale, so that artists products can gain wider audiences, not only at the local, regional and interprovincial levels, but throughout all of Canada.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

The network is important. I think that for a few events or shows, the organizers find themselves somewhat isolated. A network is necessary in order to be able to identify what worked well here and worked well there. These are things that we would like to do here.

[Pierre Bourbeau]

We have a good example of this in Ontario. The FCCF depends on strong provincial structures. Ontario cultural centres existed before the Assemblée des centres culturels de l'Ontario. Unfortunately, the association no longer exists. It continues its work in the form of an issue table, simply because it did not receive the resources it needed and the volunteers burned themselves out with all the work they were doing. There is no doubt whatever that a direct link with 33 cultural centres is not as strong as it was before.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you, Mr. Bourbeau and Mr. Lemieux.

The final question will be asked by Mr. Godin.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would like first to clarify a number of facts. Our committee did not travel thanks to the Conservative government. It was decided upon by the members of the four political parties represented in Parliament during the 39^th Parliament. We are a parliamentary committee, and not a government committee.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Did I say that?

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

You said it other words.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Yes, sir, you said it. So you're going to have to go to confession.

In British Columbia, we were told that we needed to give culture and the arts a chance. I think that you just said so and it is important. We should also give them an opportunity to communicate with others, to be able to perform elsewhere, particularly to help the smallest communities that do not have an opportunity to have access to the arts, culture or shows in their own language, etc.

What have you got to suggest?

[Pierre Bourbeau]

Mr. Godin, I hope that I will be able to answer your question. When it is suggested that an official languages program for culture be established, it is specifically in the sense of strengthening all of the provincial arts and culture structures.

We are very much aware of the fact that they have an enormous amount of positioning work vis-à-vis their government, their Ministry of Culture, their province's arts council and their municipality. They must also forge strategic ties with the majority anglophone environment. We know very well that the arts and culture are an excellent tool for establishing constructive ties with the anglophone majority.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Look, for example, at the infrastructures of performance venues. I recall that in Caraquet, a performance hall had just been built. It had a real impact in the community.

[Pierre Bourbeau]

It's absolutely wonderful.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

That is when the community can get involved. It gives young people a place to go. They don't have to go to Montreal.

[Francine Brisebois]

I would like to comment as the director of a cultural centre. When you work in a community to develop and maintain the vitality of the francophone community, you need to work long hours, promote culture, educate people and make sure young people are integrated into our communities so that they can develop in French.

Cornwall too, among other places, needs a cultural and infrastructure centre. There are infrastructure problems and problems with everyday resources. There was discussion of volunteers and of integrating volunteers. Well, I am a volunteer working at a cultural centre. I am the executive director of a cultural centre that has existed for 45 years, and that operates on only $25,000 per year. Even before beginning to work, I have to be able to figure out how to maintain the vitality of my francophone community, determine why and for whom I am working, how we are going to survive, pay the telephone bills and pay for the liability insurance.

The fewer services there are in the francophone community, the fewer will be the number of people who use them and grow. This is important from the standpoint of performances. There was discussion of culture, but what is the definition of culture and of the vitality of francophone communities? That happens in the field and vitality is something that happens in the local communities.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Thank you, Ms. Brisebois.

Mr. Godin, it is unfortunate, but our meeting is now over. We will thus have to suspend our work for a few minutes. I would then ask the committee members to return to discuss committee matters.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

We are now resuming our work. The first subject is Mr. D'Amours' motion.

Do you wish to discuss this motion?

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Chairman, I would like to discuss this motion.

As you know, over the past few weeks and months, we discussed the status of official language communities within the committee. When we were in Sudbury, the question was raised by the editor and chief of the newspaper Le Voyageur. I was not aware of this matter until then.

In order to assist the official language communities, Canada Post contributed funds that allowed for a variety of things, including for publications mailed to receive a subsidy to lower the cost of mailing out newspapers and magazines.

It is definitely very important to our communities, because they are often located in rural areas and do not necessarily have much money. If the subsidy is no longer paid by Canada Post, it would mean one of two things: either we would have to stop publishing, and hence eliminate some services to the people, or else increase costs, which would mean that people would have to pay more for access to the publications.

That is then the subject of my motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Do you have any comments?

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Can he read his motion?

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Yes, I can read it. I move that the Standing Committee on Official Languages recommends that the government maintains the funding provided by the Canada Post Corporation for the Publications Assistance Program for rural communities and official language communities.

[The Acting Chair, Liberal, Raymond Simard]

Mr. Chairman, I would like to move an amendment. I don't know if it is logical, but at the end of the motion where it says: “...for the Publications Assistance Program for rural communities and official language communities,” I would move that we ad the words "living in a minority community."

I believe that this is important. Otherwise, if no amendments are made, it applies to all francophones and all anglophones in the country. The amendment makes it clear that it applies to francophones outside Quebec and anglophones in Quebec.

In my view, the following should also be added: “and that the report on the adoption of this motion should be prepared by the Chair of the committee in the House as soon as possible.” I also believe that it is important to report to the House on it. I would therefore move this amendment to Mr. D'Amours' motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Guy Lauzon]

Are there any comments? Discussion?

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chairman, we are in favour of adopting the motion as amended, including the suggestion about reporting it to the House. It seems fully acceptable.