Official Languages Committee on May 13th, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to this 17th meeting of the Standing Committee on Official Languages.

This morning, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3), we continue our study of immigration as a development tool in official language minority communities. It is our pleasure to have with us two groups of witnesses.

This morning we are hearing from Mr. Daniel Cayen, from the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie. Mr. Cayen is Assistant Deputy Minister at the Office of Francophone Affairs, Government of Ontario. Welcome. We also have the Director General, Francophone Affairs Secretariat, of the Government of Manitoba, Mr. Guy Jourdain. Welcome.

We're going to start with the representatives of the Government of New Brunswick, Ms. Monique Drapeau-Miles, who is Executive Director of Population Support, Population Growth Secretariat, at the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour of New Brunswick. Welcome. She is accompanied by Mr. Mario Boisvert, who is an Immigration Program Officer at the Population Growth Secretariat.

Ms. Drapeau-Miles, I invite you to make your opening speech.

[Monique Drapeau-Miles, Executive Director, Population Support, Population Growth Secretariat, Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, Government of New Brunswick]

Mr. Chairman, committee members, thank you for this opportunity to present New Brunswick's achievements with regard to immigration as a development tool in official language minority communities.

As a result of bilingualism and its cultural wealth, New Brunswick is an exceptional place. As it is the only officially bilingual province, special efforts have to be made to maintain the linguistic balance as its population increases. That is why francophone immigration is a priority for New Brunswick.

I'll start my presentation with an overview of the agreement reached with ACOA, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and partnerships enabling the Government of New Brunswick to support the vitality of the Acadian and francophone communities. I'll continue with a presentation of the current situation and finish by telling you about future steps.

The Government of New Brunswick is deploying dynamic strategies to promote francophone immigration. As a result of the Canada-New Brunswick Agreement on Provincial Nominees, we have a mechanism enabling us to increase the economic benefits of immigration. Our recruitment initiatives in francophone countries have produced promising results, but we must step up our promotional and recruitment activities. Much remains to be done.

We won't be able to take advantage of recent successes if we do not continue recruiting while we build our institutional infrastructure. New Brunswick has designated demographic growth as a cornerstone for our future. The government has introduced a demographic growth strategy and has undertaken to increase the number of immigrants to the province by at least 5,000 a year between now and 2015. It has also made a commitment to preserving New Brunswick's linguistic profile among recruited immigrants.

To better attract, recruit, integrate and retain francophone newcomers, the provincial government has developed a program based on the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality. The provincial program provides for a number of strategic activities designed to increase the number of francophone immigrants. In September, AOCA signed a $10 million agreement with the Government of New Brunswick to support francophone immigration. This involves approximately $2 million a year over four fiscal years. The agreement signed with ACOA will support and strengthen efforts made to bring francophone immigrants to New Brunswick.

Taking a larger number of francophone immigrants into the francophone community helps maintain the gains made in those communities, while affording immigrants an opportunity to contribute. To do this, our involvement in the Roadmap is stepping up actions taken to facilitate recruitment and immigration, particularly by supporting francophone immigration to New Brunswick.

The province's objective is not just to increase the number of francophone immigrants, but also to facilitate their intake and integration into our communities. Our plan takes into consideration all initiatives carried out as well as the status of existing services. The purpose of the plan is thus to better equip the francophone communities to enable them to fully play their immigration role.

Our settlement framework entails four major long-term objectives: increase the number of francophone immigrants; reinforce the francophone community's ability to attract immigrants; facilitate the economic integration of newcomers into our francophone communities; and, lastly, facilitate newcomers' socio-cultural integration. These objectives will be achieved through specific activities: supporting promotion of the province in francophone markets and enhancing New Brunswick's appeal among francophone immigrants; implementing settlement assistance services in the francophone regions; involving employers and the business community, as well as local economic development agencies; and, lastly, improving promotion and recruitment activities.

Through greater recruitment efforts, we anticipate an increase in provincial nominees and temporary work permits. Our recruitment and promotion efforts will also target international students attending or considering attending the Université de Moncton and the province's community colleges. A promotional kit will be designed and distributed to international partners, New Brunswick's ambassadors and the Alliance française. Candidates with working holiday visas will be recruited in France, Belgium and Switzerland. New Brunswick wants the francophone regions to have settlement capacity. The objective is to ensure that the communities have the necessary tools to address the issues relating to diversity and multiculturalism in the regions, both rural and urban.

In regions where there is no settlement assistance service, the communities, through the program, will be able to offer newcomers services similar to those provided by the urban centres. To secure community commitment, it is important, first and foremost, to involve community leaders and stakeholders in establishing a local immigration and multiculturalism committee.

The provinces are working in cooperation with the municipalities, the regional economic development agencies, the existing community agencies, community leaders and, as necessary, other funding agencies to create local immigration and multiculturalism committees focused on the creation and oversight of immigrant services agencies.

The goal is to create regional resource centres for immigrants, in partnership with community stakeholders. The agencies in Fredericton, Moncton and St. John will also receive support to improve existing services. Since the Roadmap promotes a joint approach by the various partners and helps consolidate existing networks, the Government of New Brunswick is currently developing an integrated approach.

The government has also signed a partnership agreement with the Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick to enable it to: encourage its members to take part in local francophone immigration and settlement committees; establish a working group of francophone community immigration stakeholders to consult stakeholders and gather their opinions on francophone immigration; and take part in the francophone immigration and settlement working group chaired by the Demographic Growth Secretariat, consisting of representatives of the SANB and the federal and provincial governments.

This agreement signed with SANB will enable the government to pursue these strategic objectives: increase the awareness of the Acadian and francophone community of the wealth of the province's cultural diversity and of the opportunities afforded by immigration; the opportunities for newcomers to better grasp the socio-political and cultural context in which they find themselves; and joint action by community stakeholders and the Government of New Brunswick to promote the introduction of settlement and integration activities.

After the agreement was signed with ACOA, a steering committee was struck by the Demographic Growth Secretariat to oversee the project's direction and progress. It includes other stakeholders concerned by francophone immigration, such as ACOA, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Department of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women Canada, Service Canada, Intergovernmental Affairs, the provincial Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour and the Regional Development Corporation.

The Demographic Growth Secretariat is currently examining proposals for the fiscal year that meet the objectives of the agreement reached with ACOA. Two immigrant reception centres are now open: the Centre de ressources pour les immigrants operated by the Association multiculturelle, Chaleur de Bathurst region, and the Centre d'accueil des nouveaux arrivants de la Péninsule acadienne, in Caraquet.

The regions of Madawaska—Victoria and Restigouche—Chaleur are establishing their own immigration and multiculturalism committees. They intend to offer immigrant resource centres in those regions soon. As for the Southeast—Kent region, the Secretariat is working with local community leaders to optimize available resources to assist immigrants who have chosen to settle in those regions.

In the three urban centres of Fredericton, Moncton and St. John, there are funds for existing immigrant services agencies and francophone social services agencies so they can improve their settlement assistance service for francophone newcomers.

Now let's look at the next steps. The goal isn't just to increase the number of francophone immigrants in the francophone communities, but also to facilitate their intake and integration in those communities. In cooperation with service providers and the federal government, the Government of New Brunswick will be adopting measures to ensure optimum integration of francophone newcomers, while facilitating the implementation of and access to French-language services.

The government will step up its efforts to recruit francophone immigrants and to promote New Brunswick as a preferred destination. Documentation designed to improve services provided to francophone immigrants will be updated.

A promotional support program will also be set up to offer a new source of funding in addition to the federal government's program for non-profit organizations, professional associations and other stakeholders so they can pay travel expenses incurred when they represent New Brunswick employers in activities organized outside Canada for the purpose of recruiting francophone immigrants. We will continue to ensure that the francophone regions of New Brunswick have settlement capacity. In addition, we will be assisting immigrant service agencies in improving their program delivery and support for newcomers.

In conclusion, it is no easy task to reverse declining population. The government cannot do it alone. In addition, special attention must still be given in New Brunswick to maintaining linguistic balance.

I have just described for you the process designed to step up our efforts to recruit francophone immigrants and to build the necessary infrastructure to promote their social and economic integration. However, to increase francophone immigration, it is essential that all interested parties take part in the process in order to attract and welcome francophone immigrants.

The role of the government of New Brunswick is to facilitate and coordinate these efforts, but all interested parties must contribute so that those efforts are successful.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much, Mr. Drapeau-Miles.

We'll continue with Mr. Guy Jourdain.

Mr. Jourdain, go ahead, please.

[Guy Jourdain, Director Executive, Francophone Affairs Secretariat, Government of Manitoba, Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie]

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages. My name is Guy Jourdain. I am the Executive Director of the Government of Manitoba's Francophone Affairs Secretariat and with me is Daniel Cayen, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Government of Ontario's Office of Francophone Affairs.

Today we are representing the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie—which I will simply call the conference in the rest of my remarks—at the request of our two respective ministers, namely Mr. Greg Selinger, Premier of Manitoba and Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs, and Ms. Madeleine Meilleur, Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs of Ontario. Both, of course, are members of the conference.

We would like to thank the Standing Committee on Official Languages for the invitation to the conference to delegate representatives to appear before it today. We consider this invitation as an important acknowledgement of the conference's role as a key player in the area of Canadian francophonie.

Since francophone immigration is a major theme within the Canadian francophonie, the conference is pleased to note that your committee is undertaking a study on immigration as a tool for the development of official language minority communities. The conference has been devoting continuous efforts to the issue of francophone immigration for almost two years. We would like to touch on the following themes with you today: first, the conference's comprehensive vision with respect to the issue of francophone immigration to Canada; second, the need to strengthen intra-governmental and intergovernmental relations with regard to francophone migration; third, the key role of civil society in the area of francophone immigration; and, fourth, the contribution the conference wishes to make to the future of francophone immigration to Canada.

Before going to the heart of the matter, I'd like to say a few words about the conference. It is an important intergovernmental forum that promotes dialogue and cooperation among the federal, provincial and territorial governments regarding the Canadian francophonie. It consists of the ministers responsible for the Canadian francophonie from all provinces and territories of Canada as well as the federal minister responsible for official languages. I should make clear that we are here today strictly on behalf of the governments of the provinces and territories, with the exception of Alberta, which abstains from taking a position on this matter in the current circumstances.

The conference ministers work in a concerted way to advance issues affecting the Canadian francophonie and take action to foster its development. To fulfil the conference's mandate, the ministers meet annually to focus on various topics and to take measures conducive to strengthening the Canadian francophonie.

I would now like to move on to the first theme that I identified earlier, the conference's comprehensive vision on the issue of francophone immigration to Canada. The substance of the conference's actions with regard to francophone immigration draws from the report it produced in 2006 entitled, Canadian Francophonie: Issues, Challenges and Future Directions. I believe a copy of that report was submitted to the clerk. It presents a summary of the principal issues, challenges and future prospects for the Canadian francophonie, based on consultations held throughout the country with provincial and territorial governments, as well as with many francophone organizations at the sectoral, local, provincial-territorial and national levels. The report proposes priorities for action in the immigration sector, among others. The conference believes that francophone immigration is an element essential to the vitality of the French fact in Canada and is of crucial importance to the Canadian francophonie as a whole.

Francophone immigration has become an essential avenue for the demographic growth of the Canadian francophonie. Governments must, therefore, develop public policy and concrete strategies in this area that focus on the ultimate goal of ensuring the ongoing development of the Canadian francophonie.

It is important to point out that, in recent years, significant progress has been made throughout the country with respect to francophone immigration. Thus, a number of governments are already supporting numerous initiatives that testify to the importance of francophone immigration. Furthermore, you will have had the opportunity to hear from witnesses from certain provincial and territorial departments responsible for immigration, including the New Brunswick department, this morning.

Today, the conference wishes to highlight the progress that has been made and emphasize the need to continue efforts that are already underway. To this end, aligning actions among all government players with a stake in this issue is absolutely necessary. It is from this perspective that the conference sets its priorities for action in this area. Lastly, we wish to point out that Quebec, which has a general policy that it will not appear or be represented before federal committees, has a specific agreement with the federal government with respect to immigration.

Now I would like to address the second theme, the need to strengthen intra-governmental and intergovernmental relations with regard to francophone immigration. At a federal-provincial/territorial meeting held in Vancouver on September 23 and 24, 2009, conference ministers affirmed the importance of the issue of francophone immigration to Canada and pledged to play a strategic role in this area. In one of its actions, the conference encourages increased cooperation between the federal, provincial and territorial governments with respect to francophone immigration. We believe that more concerted action on the part of the various governments on this issue will foster the development of synergy in their efforts.

During the past year, the conference partnered with the National Metropolis Pre-Conference on Francophone Immigration in Canada to organize an initial meeting of representatives from federal, provincial and territorial governments, francophone communities and the research community to increase dialogue and discussion in this area.

During the pre-conference, discussion topics included: the roles and responsibilities of the various levels of government working in this area; the roles played by non-governmental organizations and local partners in recruiting, settling and reintegrating francophone newcomers; and, lastly, ways to promote the creation and maintenance of strong francophone networks in Canada.

In particular, the pre-conference allowed conference members to build stronger ties with public servants from immigration ministries and at a pan-Canadian level. In doing so, the conference positioned itself so that its members can more effectively perform their role of catalyst within their respective governments and promote a strengthening of intra-governmental relations in the area of francophone immigration.

Similarly, it is important to point out that the Strategic Plan to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities launched by the federal government in 2006 proposes, among other things, essential elements that favour aligning policies and programs aimed at immigration and francophone communities. The conference generally agrees with the main outlines of the strategic plan and considers it a valuable tool for fostering cooperation among the governments themselves, on one hand, and between governments and civil society, on the other.

I would now like now to move on to the third theme, the key role of civil society in the area of francophone immigration. As we are speaking of civil society, we must say that, while governments have a crucial role to play, the role of communities occupies just as important a place. Specifically, the contribution of civil society is essential to the development of public policy. Ongoing dialogue with communities as well as among the various governments is crucial in order to develop strategic directions and to advance the issue of francophone immigration. In particular, communities have a strategic role to play at every step in the development of reception, retention and integration structures for recent immigrants. Ongoing dialogue with the community as well as among the various governments is crucial in order to advance the issue of francophone immigration toward orientations and measures that meet real, clearly-defined needs.

I am now going to move on to the fourth and final theme, the contribution the conference wishes to make to the future of francophone immigration to Canada. In light of the remarks that we have already made, the conference desires increased cooperation between governments, focused on action strategies that aim to better align government efforts in the area of francophone immigration to our country. This is where the conference intends mainly to focus its action.

The conference has made a contribution in bringing together major players from the francophone immigration sector and in creating a positive dynamic. The conference and the various stakeholders should capitalize on this positive dynamic to achieve progress without delay. The conference intends to exercise a role of leadership and influence in the area of immigration. During their next meeting in Yellowknife on June 22 and 23, conference ministers will continue their reflection with the goal of setting definite directions for action on this issue.

On behalf of the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie, I would like to thank you, ladies and gentlemen, members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, for having invited the conference and allowing it to share its position with you.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

We thank you for being here.

We'll begin our first round of questions with Mr. D'Amours.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thanks to all four of you for being here before us.

Is it possible that Minister Arseneault is Chair of the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie?

[Guy Jourdain]

The Chair of the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie at this time is Minister Yamamoto from British Columbia.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

That's good.

I'm going to start with Mr. Boisvert and Ms. Drapeau-Miles.

Ms. Drapeau-Miles, you talked about some issues involving immigrant students and the Université de Moncton and the community colleges. You said your goal was 5,000 persons between now and 2015. Does that mean 5,000 francophone immigrants between now and 2015?

[Monique Drapeau-Miles]

We were talking about 5,000 immigrants in total.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Of those 5,000 immigrants, is there a specific percentage of francophones that you would like, or are you just thinking about immigrants in general?

[Monique Drapeau-Miles]

We're talking about 5,000 immigrants, but we always want to ensure there is a linguistic balance in New Brunswick.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

You mentioned certain places, such as Bathurst and the Acadian Peninsula. I'll come back to Mr. Jourdain and Mr. Cayen in a moment, but we are considering the entire issue of rural francophone immigration. Let's talk about the Carrefour d'immigration rurale in Saint-Léonard. Do you have any ties with them? If I'm not mistaken, these are francophones in a rural area.

[Monique Drapeau-Miles]

We have ties with the Carrefour d'immigration rurale in Saint-Léonard. I mentioned that when we developed the settlement plan, we took existing services into consideration. Currently, in the Madawaska-Victoria region, that is to say Edmunston and Grand Falls, there a coalition of community stakeholders exploring how to expand services and to work with existing services. There was even a meeting with some 20 stakeholders, I believe, who said how the offices could supplement what the Carrefour d'immigration rurale de Saint-Léonard is offering. There was a meeting this week—I believe it was on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I haven't heard the results of that meeting, but I can send you the information.

That coalition includes the Université de Moncton, Entreprise Madawaska, Entreprise Région Grand-Sault, the Edmunston Chamber of Commerce, the Edmunston reception committee, the Saint-François-de-Madawaska reception committee and the regional office of the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour. The towns and various communities are represented. There's a real desire to improve services in that region, not just in the municipalities. We also want to serve the rural regions. It must not be denied that many francophone communities in New Brunswick are first of all rural. The purpose of taking part in the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality is really to target those regions.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

So what you're telling me about is at the provincial level. However, our study concerns immigration in the official language communities. In our case, these are francophones outside Quebec and anglophones in Quebec. In your case, we want to know what the province is planning to do for francophone immigration to New Brunswick.

I'm going to go a little further. Perhaps Mr. Jourdain and Mr. Cayen can speak. We're talking about a major situation. The same is true in New Brunswick when it comes to francophone immigration. People first go to a place where there are work, services and opportunities for advancement. The rural communities are all experiencing the same thing; this is not just a matter of immigration. In general, people who live in these communities are having trouble with all that. The first choice among immigrants is to target these areas and these needs before deciding where they will settle. They often won't go to small centres, small villages, because something will be lacking, just as something is lacking in the rest of the population.

We're wondering what the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie is going to do. Is it going to take measures to try to provide more assistance to francophone immigrants outside Quebec in settling in small communities? Will it show that there are employment needs? Will it show that there is a need for resources to be offered in those regions? Will the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie also be working a little in this area?

[Guy Jourdain]

I'm going to try to answer your question, Mr. D'Amours. However, I would like to make a few preliminary remarks perhaps to summarize the essential aspects of my presentation.

With regard to the ministerial conference's role in the immigration issue, I see that somewhat as a three-legged stool. Here I'm borrowing the expression of Hubert Gauthier, whom you no doubt know very well. The three legs of that stool are as follows. There's intergovernmental cooperation, that is to say cooperation between the federal, provincial and territorial governments. There's intra-governmental or interministerial cooperation, that is to say the francophone affairs network, to which Daniel Cayen and I belong, and the immigration departments. The third leg or third element is significant participation by the community agencies of civil society in this matter. We play a role of leadership, influence, as a catalyst and ambassador to encourage our governments to advance and make progress on francophone immigration.

With respect to your question more specifically—

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Jourdain, please answer quite quickly because I would like to give all parliamentarians time to speak. However, I can ask you to hold your answer and come back to it later.

[Guy Jourdain]

I'm going to give a very brief answer.

In general, you are absolutely right in saying that francophone immigrants settle in the major centres or metropolitan regions.

As I said earlier, the conference would be entirely prepared to play a role as ambassador and to encourage stakeholders so that more immigrants settle in the rural areas. However, we don't have any specific measures to recommend in that regard, but we are prepared to work in that direction.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

We'll continue with Mr. Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

I read the ministerial conference's summary on the presentation made in 2006. I note two very important points. In it, they note common issues and challenges affecting francophone communities across Canada.

I'm going to mention those two points to you. Mr. Cayen and Mr. Jourdain, since you are the representatives of that organization today, I'd like to hear your comments on this point. They mention “a precarious and uncertain demographic future, which raises serious concerns”. This is one of the factors appearing in your document. The other is “an increasingly fragile perception of identity and feeling of belonging, along with linguistic erosion”.

Could you clarify your thinking on those matters?

[Guy Jourdain]

Yes, certainly. You're entirely right to say that these are findings by the ministerial conference. We talk about this idea of precariousness or erosion. We've developed a strategy and a set of measures designed to correct these problems and challenges. Major axes have been determined, including the entire youth sector, the issue of building a strong identity among youth and the entire matter of economic development in using the added value of bilingualism in our communities to break into national and international markets. Immigration is, of course, one of the main factors in somehow renewing our communities.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Cayen, do you have anything to add on this point?

[Daniel Cayen, Assistant Deputy Minister, Office of Francophone Affairs, Government of Ontario, Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie]

No.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

All right. Two factors concern me regarding the exercise you are conducting, a laudable and appreciated exercise. And that is the entire issue of newcomer orientation. You say that people mainly go to Winnipeg, for example, in the case of Manitoba, or that they mainly go to the major centres or to Toronto, in the case of Ontario. In Quebec, 80% of immigrants go to Montreal. I'm from Gatineau. It's the fourth largest urban centre in Quebec. As you can understand, that's roughly 4% of the remaining 20% and it's still the same issue. This is a North American phenomenon. It isn't anything new. You'll understand that the day we manage to attract people to the other regions, we'll have taken a major step and we'll heartily congratulate the person who has found the solution.

That said, let's talk about schools. One of the factors is the education of children in French. When newcomers come to the country, do you draw the distinction for them between schools for students whose mother tongue is French and immersion schools, which are assimilation schools if French is your first language—so anglophones can learn French, not for francophones to go there and waste their time? Do you inform newcomers of that difference?

[Guy Jourdain]

I can't give you an answer for Canada as a whole. I don't know what's going on in the field in each of the provinces and territories. However, I can answer you with regard to Manitoba. I believe the representatives of Francophone Hospitality came and testified before you last week. Francophone Hospitality offers an absolutely fantastic assistance and support service and ensures that the children of immigrants and refugees are registered at francophone schools, not immersion schools.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

So an effort is being made in that area.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.