Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I am replacing Yvon Godin, the member for Acadie—Bathurst, who is our usual representative on this Committee.
Mr. Castonguay, I would just like to say one thing. I do not agree with everything you have said, except with respect to your comments about Ottawa as the national capital. I think it is terrible that the City of Ottawa has no respect for the federal government or French-speaking taxpayers who built this city. It is not acceptable that the City of Ottawa has not been made officially bilingual. So, I fully agree with you on that.
However, in terms of the vitality of the communities, Ms. Lamarre's comments are a breath of fresh air. The reality in British Columbia, as I see it, is very similar to what she described. As you know, British Columbia is one of the only provinces where the Francophone population is on the rise. There is finally a school system in place. And when you visit these schools, you really see a Francophone rainbow. There are accents from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. It is remarkable. It is something that I have never seen in Quebec when I have been there. I lived in Quebec for 14 years—in Chicoutimi, Sherbrooke and Montreal. Yet I never saw the kind of Francophone diversity in Quebec that I see now in British Columbia. The immersion schools are overflowing. Parents often line up for an entire weekend to register their children at an immersion school. What does that mean? It means that all of these people are consumers of Francophone products—Francophone cultural products such as films, magazines and books. That is what contributes to Quebec's vitality in a major way. When there is a network in place outside Quebec, that contributes to the vitality of Quebec and Acadian cultural products. I think it is important to maintain and enhance the Francophone presence outside of Quebec.
Mr. Castonguay, you mentioned that in areas where there are Francophone post-secondary institutions, such as Sudbury, Moncton and Ottawa, the rate of assimilation is lower. That is a fact. These immigrants expand the Francophone community, where such institutions exist.
I have three questions. I would like to begin by addressing one question to Ms. Lamarre. First of all, in terms of French as a Second Language programs, what do you think can be done to improve the quality and quantity of such programs? French is often the second language of French-speaking immigrants.
Second, how can we enhance access to Francophone post-secondary institutions? There is no doubt that the availability of a Francophone post-secondary institution increases the Francophone presence.
Third, what other programs could be offered in order to continue to expand the Francophone presence and consumption of Quebec and Acadian cultural products? That is very important to our future.