Official Languages Committee on Feb. 9th, 2011

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.

On the agenda

Development of Linguistic Duality in Northern Canada

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Alain Bessette Manager, Éditions franco-ténoises, Aquilon et la Société Radio Taïga

François Pitre Chairman of the Board of Directors, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

Justin Carey President, Association franco-culturelle de Hay River

Simon Lepage Vice-President, Association franco-culturelle de Hay River

Jean de Dieu Tuyishime Director, Réseau Territoires du Nord-Ouest Santé en français, Fédération Franco-Ténoise

Sylvie Francoeur Executive Director, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

Marie-Pierre Dupont Garderie Plein Soleil

Suzette Montreuil Chair, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

Marie Coderre Executive Director, Culture, Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife

Rachelle Francoeur Coordinator, Jeunesse Territoires du Nord-Ouest, Fédération Franco-Ténoise

Marc Bilodeau President, Association des parents ayants droit de Yellowknife

Philippe Brûlot Superintendent, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

4:25 p.m.

Executive Director, Culture, Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife

Marie Coderre

Yes, that's life!

We are organizing a youth film festival in partnership with the Montreal International Children's Film Festival. We received money from the SAIC, which still had some left over. We submitted the application in November. I called them this week to say that we are getting the project underway and would like to know whether it had been accepted or not. They told me it had been approved by the committee, that it was now on the Minister's desk, but that they could not confirm it 100%.

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Who are you talking about?

4:25 p.m.

Executive Director, Culture, Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife

Marie Coderre

The SAIC.

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

The SAIC.

4:25 p.m.

Executive Director, Culture, Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife

Marie Coderre

I will probably be receiving a cheque on March 31. The event will already be over and I will have incurred certain expenses. I find that absolutely unbelievable.

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

I want to come back to April. We are now in the month of February. When you talked to them last week, did they say that they need more time, that they have to wait until April or that you don't meet the criteria? Did they give any reasons to justify this delay?

4:25 p.m.

Executive Director, Culture, Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife

Marie Coderre

No, they simply said there were very pleased to have received my application.

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Well, that's just great!

4:25 p.m.

Executive Director, Culture, Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife

Marie Coderre

The main problem is medium-term planning. I'm not even thinking about the long-term; even planning in the medium term is impossible. For the time being, I don't even know whether I'm going to be able to re-hire my colleague on April 1. If all my projects are accepted at the same time, I'm going to have my back against the wall. That is my main concern.

As regards the federal applications, there is one other factor that I find rather amusing. We are asked to submit biennial applications. That's fine; I did that. However, for programming applications, they ask us to increase costs by 10% in the second year. However, the amount always stay the same. For the last five or six years, we have been receiving $73,500. I don't understand why we should still be receiving $73,500 in 2012-2013, if we increase our expenses by 10% and it's always 10%, then another 10%, and so on.

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Thank you very much.

Ms. Montreuil, I know that Mr. Bélanger already talked about court challenges. I want to go one step further.

In terms of money, what percentage have you received for this case through the Court Challenges Program? You said it is costing you a fortune. If you are receiving money under the Court Challenges Program, it should not be costing you a fortune. However, you did make the comment that this is costing you a lot of money even though you receive money under that program.

Can you tell me approximately what percentage of the money you received under the Court Challenges Program?

4:25 p.m.

Chair, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

Suzette Montreuil

I would just like to clarify that there are two court cases. The first began through the APADY. At the beginning, there was money under the former Court Challenges Program.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

You're talking about the old program.

4:30 p.m.

Chair, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

Suzette Montreuil

After that, approximately two years ago, the school board agreed to pay the rest of the costs associated with that court case. At the time, the Court Challenges Program no longer existed.

We submitted an application to the Language Rights Support Program, or LRSP, and received $125,200. That even exceeded the maximum, because they recognized that, in terms of admission rights, it really was the new legislation that was in effect. That program is different. It is aimed more at negotiations, but because we were referring a new issue to the court, we did receive financial assistance.

As for the other case, it is specifically the school board fighting the government with respect with the school in Hay River.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

I understand, but what percentage of the money did you receive from the program?

4:30 p.m.

Chair, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

Suzette Montreuil

Ten per cent.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

You only received 10%. So that's why it costing you a fortune.

4:30 p.m.

Chair, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

Suzette Montreuil

Yes, exactly.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

In the previous case, under the former Court Challenges Program, what was the percentage? Do you know?

4:30 p.m.

Chair, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

Suzette Montreuil

It was managed by the APADY. I don't know the figure.

Do you know?

4:30 p.m.

Superintendent, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

Philippe Brûlot

No. I couldn't say.

4:30 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

All right. We will find that out.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney

Thank you very much, Mr. Godin.

We are going to complete the first round with Mr. Galipeau.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would like to thank all of you for coming to meet with us today.

I would like to know how many students in the Northwest Territories are considered to be rights holders?

4:30 p.m.

Chair, Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

Suzette Montreuil

It depends on your interpretation. Do you mean strictly based on the definition of rights holders under section 23?

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON

Yes.