We were told we had a maximum of eight to 10 minutes.
In 2008, Simon Fraser University produced its first bilingual graduates. Prospects for those young people are enormous. Some have opted for French-language teaching positions, others have been recruited by the federal public service in bilingual positions. Still others have already chosen to pursue postsecondary studies in bilingual masters programs.
The federal government was right, in 2003, to invest in French second language and French minority language programs in British Columbia and must continue its investment because demand is growing. When we enter the province's schools, we ask students why they enrolled in an immersion program. The answer we most often get is, “because Canada is bilingual.”
Simon Fraser University wants to expand its supply of programs for the youth of British Columbia who have invested all those years in learning French. It proposes to establish another original program entitled French as a C.O.O.L. Option, C.O.O.L. meaning Curriculum in the Other Official Language. This initiative would target students enrolling in a variety of academic programs and wishing to continue improving their French-language proficiency.
We have outlined a few initiatives that have been put in place in a short period of time and which are now real successes in British Columbia. It goes without saying that ongoing and increased financial support from the federal government would make it possible not only to maintain, but also to enrich postsecondary programs in British Columbia. We also propose that financial support paid to Canadian students wishing to continue studying in bilingual programs be expanded. Simon Fraser University would be pleased to welcome students taking part in a bilingual pan-Canadian mobility program. Imagine students from the Maritimes, from the east and the rest of Canada coming to study in British Columbia in both official languages.
In conclusion, Simon Fraser University is proud to have developed the first French-language postsecondary education programs in British Columbia. It is thus becoming the most western university in Canada, in the network of university institutions, to contribute to the expansion of Canada's linguistic duality.
We thank you for your attention and we'll be pleased to answer your questions.