Thank you, Mr. Chair, you are most kind.
Mr. Smith, I want to join my colleagues in welcoming you to this committee.
As I listened to you speak, I wondered if your own personal history would have taken a different turn had your father purchased a home in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, where you would have truly experienced immersion in a neighbourhood that may not be exclusively francophone, but certainly is to a large degree. I do not exclude this possibility for the future. You know that rental availability in Montreal East is good, and you're always welcome.
There are two things about your testimony I find disturbing. First, I agree with Mr. Mauril Bélanger. The Court Challenges Program enjoyed a high degree of autonomy, precisely because the board of directors was highly autonomous. Of course, this does not exclude the program from the process of accountability, as it is publicly funded; nonetheless, the program is highly autonomous. The program sought to promote the quality and rights of citizens living in a minority situation. In addition, nothing prevents anglophone minorities in Quebec from making applications for future funding.
That being said, I understand that there is a basic principle driving you. You are saying that no public funds should be set aside for an issue such as language promotion. Your association is entitled to its opinion. Ms. Folco is right in saying that it isn't possible to give both French and English equal status in North America. Had this program not existed, communities, and in particular, French-speaking communities outside Quebec, would never have enjoyed some of the successes they have had.
There is one aspect of your personal history that I find even more troubling, which is what I am trying to understand. Like you, I am not convinced that the solution lies in placing both francophones and anglophones in common linguistic structures. I don't think this would be desirable. Notwithstanding this, in the neighbourhood of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, in the second half of the school year, sixth-grade pupils have the option of studying in an intensive English immersion program. English, math, humanities, and other subjects are taught in English, and these young people have a very good experience. We want people to be bilingual. Mr. Chong talked about having a third language. This is possible for the most talented among us, but mastery of two languages is already quite a challenge.
One thing about your personal history is bothersome to me. I am trying to understand, and to do so with all due respect to you as a citizen. It would seem that there are several possibilities for people living in Montreal to become fully immersed. Frankly, I do not see how you could have missed out on opportunities to learn French. If one were to leave the West Island or downtown Montreal, and go for a stroll in other neighbourhoods, it would be easy to become involved in community volunteer programs, for instance. You certainly have a lot to offer, and people could certainly benefit from your services. I find it disturbing that you are telling this committee that after having lived many years in Montreal, you had little opportunity to become accustomed to French. I am sorry to hear that, although one can choose to be unilingual; there is no constitutional obligation to be bilingual.
In terms of becoming fluent in a second language, can you acknowledge that in a major city such as Montreal, there are fair chances to do so, and one need not resort to integrating schools?
In addition, are you willing to consider that the Court Challenges Program was an autonomous and worthwhile program, from an objective standpoint, one whose reports are available? Would you also be willing to consider that an association such as yours could possibly benefit from such a program?