Yes, I totally agree with you.
Evidence of meeting #46 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 yellowknife.
Evidence of meeting #46 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 yellowknife.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Yes, I totally agree with you.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Ms. Zarac talked about the Commissioner of Official Languages. I would like to continue along the same lines.
When you refer to the Act, you are talking about the federal Act and section 23, are you not?
4:50 p.m.
Chair, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
Yes.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
If I'm not mistaken, you did not ask the Commissioner of Official Languages to comment on your demand. You have brought your case to court, but you did not ask the Commissioner of Official Languages to comment on it.
4:50 p.m.
Chair, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
No, because education is within provincial or territorial jurisdiction.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
I agree with you. However, Part VII of the Official Languages Act and sections 41 an 43 state that the federal government has a responsibility to promote the two official languages. That being the case, perhaps the gymnasium would be paid for.
4:50 p.m.
Chair, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
That's a good idea.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
I am just giving you ideas that you should explore. You could even ask the Commissioner of Official Languages to present his views on this. These are your rights, and one has to hope that it wouldn't take two years for him to give you an answer. I'm sure he will read our “blues” and understand what I'm saying here.
Some people have lodged complaints. They said they had been waiting for two years to receive an answer to their request. We certainly hope that doesn't happen to you. I suggest that you go and see the Commissioner of Official Languages. He is an officer of Parliament who reports to Parliament. His role is to act as a watchdog with respect to official languages. You cannot preserve your language if you are not entitled to education and training. Part VII of the Official Languages Act and sections 41 and 43 do involve responsibilities, just as section 23 of the Charter does.
These are just some ideas.
4:55 p.m.
Chair, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
Thank you.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
On that note, I would like to thank you for appearing before our committee. As a member of Parliament, it makes a difference—and my colleagues will probably agree—when you actually visit a region, see for yourself what the distances represent, learn about the communities, visit the facilities and see for yourself what is missing. We have an Official Languages Act that talks about equality for the two language groups. But equality cannot exist if there is not the same infrastructure or the same services.
I also want to congratulate you on the work you're doing. It's almost a mission. There is a reason why some people decide not to stay here. After a while, they are burnt out; they say to themselves that they don't need this and they go somewhere else. The population is constantly turning over. So, I want to commend those of you who have been living here for a number of years.
Whether the government is conservative, liberal or new democrat, it makes no difference. Every government has a responsibility towards its citizens, including the aboriginal people. First Nations people tell us that all they want is to preserve their language. As an Acadian, I understand what that means. It's a constant battle. We have been in Canada for more than 400 years now, but we're still fighting. Other people don't have to fight. Services are offered to them automatically. So, I commend you once again and want to extend my thanks.
4:55 p.m.
Chair, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
Thank you very much as well, Mr. Godin.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
Are we allowed to applaud?
Thank you, Mr. Godin. We are going to wrap up now. Mr. Bélanger, would you like to make a comment?
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a few brief comments to make. I understand the $900,00 is almost enough money to pay for a gymnasium. However, there would have been no need to spend that money if the appropriate authorities had taken their responsibilities. I presume that the territorial government has probably spent more than $900,000 in legal fees. That could have helped to pay for a gymnasium. Let's not forget that.
With respect to using the courts, it is unfortunate that people have to go to court in this country. I have experienced this myself, Mr. Généreux. That's why I wanted to comment on it. My mother went to court in Ontario to secure the right to manage our educational institutions. Had that not happened, we would never have had our own high schools or had an opportunity to manage them. I learned on the street that we have to assert our rights before the courts because governments, and it doesn't matter which ones—I agree with Mr. Godin—conservative, liberal or otherwise, do not respect the Constitution of this country. I commend you and encourage you to keep going, even though it has cost you a fortune. It's a price worth paying to defend your rights.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
Thank you, Mr. Bélanger. I don't think there could be a better way to end this meeting. I would just like to add my own grain of salt--
4:55 p.m.
A voice
Oh, oh!
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
Acting as Chair and having little opportunity to speak in committee helps to develop one quality, which is the ability to listen to others.
Today we very much had the sense that there is a great deal of effort, determination and abnegation on your part in the face of adversity and what might be compared to a Northern wind. For us, it is evidence of what we see in Ottawa, which is that the communities are the engine of development in the educational sector. These struggles have been led by the communities, and not by governments, who have been using the tools we discussed earlier. We also sense a certain fragility in these institutions, which have kept going through the struggles of some, out on the periphery of our country. Your work is even more heroic for that reason. Thank you.
That brings to an end this meeting and the work of the committee in the Far North. Thank you for your participation.
The meeting is adjourned.