Official Languages Committee on Feb. 7th, 2011

[Marie-Ève Owen]

No, because it's managed by the Ministry of Education.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

No. Well, perhaps I will direct the question to Mr. Bourcier: when the Yukon French Language School Board has full powers and full control over its budgets, will Dawson have its school?

[André Bourcier]

We discussed this several years ago, just before the program began in Dawson. We went to talk to the parents in Dawson. We asked them how many of them there were because, under section 23, we need names. We told them that if they were interested, we would start a program immediately. We could do that. But we couldn't promise them a school immediately.

At the time, there were 15 or so children who were prepared to look at that. So, we asked the parents to think about it. We told them that if they made the request, we would do it, because this was something that fell within our jurisdiction. We were going to establish a French first language program there.

Since then, we have continued to talk to the parents in Dawson and it's still the same thing. The day when there are enough of them, we will obviously open a school in Dawson.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I'm picking up the pace now because I have very little time left.

Are health care services available in French in Dawson?

[Julie Leclerc]

There are resources on paper.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Only on paper.

[Julie Leclerc]

There may be a number you can call, but very rarely. Those are the kinds of situations that arise.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

You say there is a number you can call. So, if people have a health issue, they can call a 1-800 number somewhere. Is there someone available who can answer in French? Do they have to use an interpreter?

[Sylvie Geoffroy]

As a general rule, the person who takes the call will call an interpreter, particularly if it's a night call for an emergency. It's to cut back on emergency services. So people can call and explain their symptoms. After that, they decide.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Yes, we're familiar with that.

[Sylvie Geoffroy]

Generally speaking, you talk to an interpreter. The times that we have used that service, the interpreter didn't understand what was being said. So they mistranslated everything. Because we're bilingual, we were aware of it. So we had to pass them.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I have one last question. Perhaps I could receive your answers at a later date, on paper, if necessary.

Has any consideration been given to an agreement with another territory or another province which provides such a service and could offer it in French when the call comes in? Yes or no?

Has there ever been a Caisse populaire here in Whitehorse that provided service in French? Have you ever considered a plan of that kind? Yes or no?

And this is a comment, rather than a question, about the Dryden plan. Actually, we had taken steps to include--

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

That's all the time we have, Mr. Bélanger.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

-- clauses for the linguistic communities.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

We will move on to Ms. Guay.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

I'd like to come back to Dawson, since my colleague was unable to complete his comments.

You said you had 15 students the first year, and after that, you had 40.

[Marie-Ève Owen]

The first year, we had seven students, and then 24 after that. Thanks to all the resources and administrative support we received, we really had an opportunity to expand. Since then, the program has been cut back.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Was it the school board that decided that?

[Marie-Ève Owen]

No, it was the Ministry of Education. No, actually, it was the school administration.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

For what reason?

[Marie-Ève Owen]

I couldn't say. It was an administrative decision.

So, the program was cut back and continues to be cut. However, there is now a new process underway to see whether parents and the community would be interested in a new intensive French program, something which currently exists in New Brunswick. So, we are going through a process to see whether the community would be interested in a different type of enriched program.

And if that doesn't work, we will do something else, because there really is a need.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

You have to continue to fight.

[Marie-Ève Owen]

The major demand is for early childhood education centres. Everyone wants them, even Francophiles.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

You don't have any Francophone day care centres?

[Marie-Ève Owen]

No.