Evidence of meeting #23 for Official Languages in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was yukon.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Régis St-Pierre  Acting Director General, Association franco-yukonnaise
Marlynn Bourque  Director, Education Sector, Association franco-yukonnaise

10:20 a.m.

Acting Director General, Association franco-yukonnaise

10:20 a.m.

Conservative

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

Yes. Does the Yukon territorial constitution recognize two or three languages? I'm talking about the territorial constitution, not the federal one.

10:20 a.m.

Acting Director General, Association franco-yukonnaise

Régis St-Pierre

The Yukon Languages Act recognizes French, English and the aboriginal languages. Yukon has no Inuit population, but it does have an aboriginal population made up of a number of nations that speak various languages.

10:20 a.m.

Conservative

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

Do they all have the same status territorially?

10:20 a.m.

Acting Director General, Association franco-yukonnaise

Régis St-Pierre

I don't want to speak for them. The act gives them all the same status.

The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney

Thank you very much.

That brings our meeting to an end. On behalf of committee members, I would like to thank you for your refreshing candour, which is not unlike the weather. We found the pot of gold this morning: the smallest francophone community in Canada. You practically deserve our applause, but I will leave that up to the discretion of committee members.

Some voices

Hear, hear!

10:20 a.m.

Acting Director General, Association franco-yukonnaise

Régis St-Pierre

You are all welcome in our community any time. Don't be shy. It's not cold in the summer; it's actually very nice.

10:20 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney

Thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.