Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Welcome to our committee, Minister.
I think that for any Canadian, but especially for me, it's quite interesting that a member from British Columbia is asking questions in French of a minister who was also originally from British Columbia. Last week, witnesses from the Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada and from the Association de la presse francophone appeared before us. We spoke about the Olympic Games. Having had the experience of being right at the heart of the games, in West Vancouver and in Whistler, I remarked how amazed I had been by the influence of the French language. We asked questions on this issue. Mr. François Côté, secretary general at the Alliance, said the following in response:The Franco Médias project was a success across the board. It was an absolutely fantastic project, both for the communities concerned and the participants. It was an extraordinary experience for the participants who, probably for the only time in their life, were able to attend the Olympic Games and cover them in a different manner. They covered the sporting activities, but it was much more than that. It also involved the daily life of folks from British Columbia [...]
Mr. Potié went on to say the following:
I'd say the same thing. Based on what our members and the participants and coordinators on-site said, it was a tremendous success.
Minister, how can we ensure that this success story helps promote the French language in the various media, among students, and the general public?