Thank you for inviting us to appear before you. I am very honoured to represent the francophone community generally in our country. And I am particularly happy to represent my wonderful community in the Yukon. We are a growing, dynamic community.
Our place in the larger community is undeniably very important and well-recognized. In the Yukon, there is a favourable perception of francophones and they are encouraged. In recent years, an official francophone community day has been set aside. On May 15, we celebrate the francophone community in Yukon. This special event is an indication of how welcome we feel in our territory. We have proven that we are growing all the time.
Moreover, over the past 35 years, the French-speaking population has doubled. More and more anglophones are learning our language. We see that in the immersion programs for young people. There are courses given in French in the territory. Territorial government employees and other people living in the Yukon frequently learn French. The community appreciate that very much. We regularly have a good turnout for our activities, including many anglophones.
I am proud to say that we offer many activities on a regular basis and that we are firmly established. Of course, we appreciate the government's support, because without it, we will have a difficult time continuing to build on our foundation. I will turn the floor over to my colleague, Mr. St. Pierre, who will provide you with the details. Personally, I have only been a member of the board of directors since November. However, I have been in the Yukon for 21 years. My children grew up in French and are completely bilingual, and I am proud of that as well. I hope that future generations will be able to grow up in French, because francophones have been a very visible presence in the Yukon from the beginning. Francophones opened up routes in the Yukon from the earliest days of our settlement there. Their descendants did not stay, so we are currently working on increasing the number of francophones currently living in the Yukon. We are quite an outstanding example in this country.
We hear some things from the outside, but in our community, we see the great success we have achieved. I am very proud to continue living as a francophone, because my roots are in Quebec, where I grew up. I am also very proud to live as a francophone at the other end of this country, to take part in all sorts of wonderful activities, and to have my children attend a French-language school. This flexibility makes all the difference in our lives.
I would like to thank you for supporting our development and to invite you to come and see for yourself what is going on in the Yukon, if you have an opportunity to do so.
I will turn the floor over to Mr. St-Pierre, who has some more technical details for you. Once again, I would like to thank you for your invitation.