I know it.
Evidence of meeting #42 for Official Languages in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was yukon.
Evidence of meeting #42 for Official Languages in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was yukon.
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
The solutions you mentioned, particularly if there are synergies, may be particularly promising.
Perhaps I could hear one or two comments on that point.
Mr. Bélanger, I believe you wanted to speak.
11:30 a.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Yes, I have three or four points to make.
First of all, Mr. Chairman, I would like to submit the Canada-Yukon agreement on services to the clerk. It is in English and French and includes Annex B, the strategic plan. It has been delivered to me. I also have a document to submit to the committee that is in English only. It is a summary of Yukon's requests to the Canadian government concerning health. It makes for quite interesting reading, but it is in English only. It's dated February 2011 and goes back to 1993. It's an interesting story.
I wouldn't want us just to brood over this. I want to offset what Mr. Galipeau previously said. Looking at the last issue of L'Aurore boréale, I noticed that it contained advertisements in which Canadian Heritage, Health Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada were involved. It would be interesting to ask the managers of L'Aurore boréale, if we have the opportunity to meet them, if they feel they get a fair share of the Canadian government's advertising.
According to the evidence we heard from the deputy minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada last week, we are assured that the media of the minority language communities receive their fair share of advertising. He pays special attention to that. We'll see.
I'd like to hear briefly from Mr. St-Pierre on the refusal to allow him to take part in the bipartite negotiations in a tripartite committee.
Can you provide us with a bit of an explanation on that subject?
11:35 a.m.
Co-Executive Director, Association franco-yukonnaise
Yes, I'll be brief.
Before the Languages Act, we obviously had a strategy, and the francophone community was part of that strategy together with the Yukon and federal governments. That was even before 1988. The model we had developed, we called it the Yukon model, and we wanted useful, used and useable services. We had funding. Then we developed models that were accepted by UNESCO for interracial relations. So there was a certain synergy.
Services have obviously changed. It was said that there had to be a progression toward equality. That's what the act was about. So we worked hand in hand until the day when there was no more progression. From that point we were told that there had to be a real action plan, a real implementation. That was a minimum. Lastly, for reasons that we cannot necessarily explain—because I can't speak on the government's behalf, although I can speak on the community's behalf—it was decided that that would no longer be done. Perhaps it was because we had gotten a lot bigger. We're a strong presence in the community, we had organized activities—
11:35 a.m.
Co-Executive Director, Association franco-yukonnaise
As I mentioned, that was in the early 2000s. There has really been a change.
11:35 a.m.
Liberal
11:35 a.m.
A voice
The day care centre?
11:35 a.m.
Co-Executive Director, Association franco-yukonnaise
I believe the day care centre has given a little... We definitely sit on a lot of committees together with that centre, but I won't speak on its behalf. I know that, a little later today, you'll be able to put certain questions to representatives of the school board. I believe they even talk about it in a paragraph in their presentation.
However, I can talk to you about early childhood. We offer family literacy services through AFY, and reports have been provided. It must really be understood that Yukon is very different from other regions. And when the federal government puts programs in place, it must understand that specificity.
For example, we had to fight so that three individuals could appear here today. And yet, at AFY, we are the newspaper, we publish it, and we are the economic development sector as well. I saw that you accepted two individuals for the Northwest Territories. The situation in Yukon is different.
11:35 a.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
You had to fight for three people to appear here? I don't understand.
11:35 a.m.
Liberal
11:35 a.m.
Co-Executive Director, Association franco-yukonnaise
Just at the start. Even the form states two representatives per organization. Whether we manage culture, health, seniors, economic development of the newspaper, the model is unique. That doesn't fit into the government's boxes. That's often the way it is. We're told that we don't fit into the government's boxes. We made a request, but we had to fight. The first answer that we got was: no, it's two persons per organization.
11:35 a.m.
Co-Executive Director, Association franco-yukonnaise
If I had been allowed six people, perhaps we could have had six.
11:35 a.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. St-Pierre, are you saying that we in the committee aren't fair? No, I—
11:35 a.m.
Co-Executive Director, Association franco-yukonnaise
I'm not saying you're not fair, but we're completely different from elsewhere. I saw the NWT list. For example, you had CDETNO. CDETNO is RDÉE TNO; RDÉE Yukon is the AFY. We're a hybrid model. We decided to concentrate, to consolidate our energy, to develop a Yukon model somewhat different from what is done elsewhere in the country. But depending on the model, on the form, it says two persons per organization. We understand that.
11:40 a.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
I have two brief questions. With regard to immigration and integration services, is that done in English only?
11:40 a.m.
Co-Executive Director, Association franco-yukonnaise
Currently, if a citizen is admitted to Canada in accordance with Citizenship and Immigration Canada standards, he is entitled to receive intake, support and linguistic services. He will be directed to the Multicultural Centre, which offers services in English only.
11:40 a.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Is there a francophone or bilingual organization that could provide the services in French?
11:40 a.m.
Co-Executive Director, Association franco-yukonnaise
Yes, at AFY, we offer services up to—
11:40 a.m.
Liberal