Official Languages Committee on May 1st, 2008

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Thank you.

[Marie-Pierre Simard]

We in New Brunswick are privileged as concerns development, but that is because we work very diligently in that regard. However, we are seeing rising assimilation rates. The rate was 7% in 2002, I think, and it is now 12%. It's going up. As concerns daycare centres—given that you asked that question—there are very few in francophone communities, and as for rural communities, they don't even exist. And yet we are a rural province.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Thank you.

[Daniel Lamoureux]

In Nunavut, I would say yes, not because of the Department of Canadian Heritage, but because of the Department of Indian Affairs, which finally realized that its actual name was “Indian and Northern Affairs”, and has thus started, over the past few years, to carry out its mandate in this area like WED or ACOA. Things are going better because of that, there is more money in the community, also because of the trial that was brought and won by the Fédération franco-ténoise against the Canadian government and the Northwest Territories government. For these two reasons, yes, the community is doing better.

[Denis Perreaux]

Things are going well for us too. There are a few indicators. Obviously, the dynamics are different because we not only have a strong community, but a growing community thanks to interprovincial and international migration to Alberta. We are starting to see the injection of funding into the community, and French multinationals who are moving to Alberta. There is a great deal of capital investment on the part of francophones.

Mr. Chair, even as concerns the government, we are not satisfied with the current legislative framework, but there is a certain degree of will and recognition. Because there are a lot of people, it is unavoidable, we need services in French.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

We'll come back to that quickly later on, during the second round. I have specific questions for you.

[Lizanne Thorne]

In Prince Edward Island, it is definitely better than before the agreements, but our fear is that we have now created a need and a demand. We're seeing extraordinary growth in the early childhood sector, among students of elementary school age, but on the other hand, we are losing out because we are unable to offer the services people need to live in French. We are afraid that we will continue to suffer losses if we are unable to increase the level of services people need to live their everyday lives in French.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Perreaux mentioned earlier a provision that takes the needs of minority communities into consideration with regard to early childhood education. That seems to me essential, because assimilation starts at that age. If parents cannot send their children to school in French at a young age, then they start out on the wrong foot, with assimilation beginning very early.

Does this provision exist in Alberta?

[Denis Perreaux]

I don't know if the agreement still exists, but it is not the same formula as it was at the beginning. We felt that it was essential to have this provision in place at the outset, because it helped us approach the department. Once that was done, we had our foot in the door, literally, and we were then able to develop a solid plan. From then on, we made a number of gains.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Is there any provision in your province or in another province or territory? No?

[Daniel Boucher]

Do you mean concerning early childhood?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Concerning early childhood specifically. I'm asking the question because in my opinion, it's absolutely essential. Such a provision should exist everywhere. I also suggested, a year or two ago, that this provision be part of any agreement between the federal government and the provinces. I think that it should be systematically included to oblige the provinces to take this reality into account every time an agreement is negotiated with the federal government. I presume that you agree with that as well.

Mr. Perreaux.

[Denis Perreaux]

I apologize for interrupting, but I would go a step further because there are sometimes massive investments being made. For example, I'm thinking of the Royal Alberta Museum, to which the federal government contributed a significant amount. If there is no obligation to at least knock at the community's door to see what could be implemented there, then it's a problem... Obviously, for us, it is extremely important to educate the public about history and heritage, and therefore, this affects financing agreements as well.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

I have one minute left. I am going to ask a brief question. First, has the implementation of Bill S-3 and the fact that the government is now responsible before the courts changed anything in your community? And second, in your opinion, does the government consider you as partners and does it treat you with respect?

[Denis Perreaux]

In my opinion, Bill S-3 made little difference. There is a great deal of inertia, especially among public servants. As long as there is no clear direction coming from above...

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

And yet Bill S-3 was adopted two years ago.

Ms. Thorne.

[Lizanne Thorne]

It made a difference for us. We witnessed a change in culture among our public servants. They now consult us more often to find out what is meant by positive measures or if they can do more. For example, we are currently negotiating with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Unfortunately, we are a kind of training ground for this department. We train people so that they can work for that department. We reached an agreement with the department to have a senior official seconded to help us draw up a human resources renewal plan.

We are seeing more open-mindedness among public servants; they want to know how they can help us out. Unfortunately this does not exist in other provinces. It is not necessarily by providing funding but rather by negotiating different training agreements, secondments and so forth that community development can be fostered.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez.

Mr. Gravel.

[Raymond Gravel, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks to all of you. You have come out in force and I don't really know to whom I should direct my questions.

My concern is for elderly people. I understand that there is a lack of funding and that francophone communities are small. In your communities, do elderly francophones who live in homes or are ill have access to health care in their language?

[Daniel Boucher]

In some parts of Manitoba, some facilities are designated bilingual or francophone, especially those that provide services to seniors, like seniors' homes. We negotiated that aspect with the province several years ago, and it is going rather well, but we have other needs. Obviously, the aging population is growing and we will have to plan for those needs.

We created the largest francophone seniors' home in Winnipeg, called the Centre Taché and the Foyer Valade. It's really rather impressive for a city like Winnipeg. However, we need far more beds.

[Raymond Gravel, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Is it the same thing—

[Marie-Pierre Simard]

In New Brunswick, specialized health care services mainly developed in the southern, or more anglophone part of the province. So francophones must always travel to obtain services. Aside from being sick, they also feel financial stress from this.

We often get asked for support in obtaining a francophone seniors' home in a mostly anglophone region. Sometimes, they move francophones three hours away from their families, which is really inhuman, in my opinion.

Pursuant to the Official Languages Act, they must offer French-language services to all francophones who request them, but we know that is not always possible. For instance, I know someone in Saint-Jean who knew he was going to have an operation. He had to reserve French-language services on the given date, but you cannot always plan these things: there are emergencies.

When Bill S-3 was passed, the federal government slipped up, which I find unfortunate. I have yet to get over it and I don't know if I ever will. It's as though the right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing.

When this bill was passed, we won a case before the Federal Court to obtain RCMP services in French in all of New Brunswick. Then, the federal government decided to appeal that ruling. It should never have happened. However, we did prevail before the Supreme Court. That is even stronger.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

There was, back then, the Court Challenges Program.

[Marie-Pierre Simard]

At the same time, Bill S-3 was voted on. It was on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. The following Monday, the federal government decided to streamline border services, customs. The only francophone district in the Atlantic provinces was merged and it became an anglophone district.

S-3 may be working, but some people are not talking. When it comes to respecting the partners, I sometimes get the impression it is mandatory compliance. I won't elaborate any further on that, so that you may make up your own mind on the issue. Moreover, I would not want to take up Mr. Gravel's time.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

That was a very good question.