Official Languages Committee on Feb. 9th, 2011

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Tuyishime, this morning, I was particularly interested in health care issues. I had to stop because I didn't have much time left. And I'm going to be cut off again, since I'm sharing my time with my friend, Mr. Généreux. I am generous with him, in fact. So, I would like you to take this opportunity to complete the testimony you began this morning.

[Jean de Dieu Tuyishime]

I was saying that there are not enough health care professionals who are bilingual, and therefore able to provide services in French. I also note that we do not necessarily use existing resources to their full potential. For example, it is impossible to know who the health professionals are and where they are located. I think the first step should be to use available resources to the greatest extent possible, by identifying the areas where they are available and providing active services, which would allow people to know that someone is there and is able to serve them in French.

Furthermore, I think we should be thinking about ways of raising awareness within the community. According to a study that was done on this, Francophones who request services in French but do not receive them tend not to request them again. And, because services are only offered in English, they decide to just leave the NWT as quickly as possible. They prefer that to having to make another request for services in French. That is what has been observed.

We need to raise awareness among the French-speaking population, but that means making their request for services in French every single time. As we said, these are educated people who are bilingual to a certain extent. They think they are capable of receiving these services and understanding what is said. However, when they go in to talk about health matters, they may be nervous and upset and that can affect them. Under the circumstances, people may not necessarily understand everything they're told.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Tuyishime.

Mr. Généreux, I will turn it over to you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

In actual fact, you haven't been all that generous with your time, Mr. Galipeau. There is only one minute left.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Well, Mr. Bessette, there really is a lot of interesting information in your newspaper! I just learned that the NDP war room is already ready. Mr. Godin didn't tell us that. There is also an article in your paper about the Montreal Canadians where it says that they're running out of legs. And yet there is a picture of you with a Nordiques cap on your head. So you are in a conflict of interest when it comes to your hockey teams. Ah, ah!

[Alain Bessette]

I am from Laval University.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

I would like to come back to the idea of a common project that everyone would be part of. Earlier I talked about a place where everything would possibly be under one roof. I would like to hear your views on that.

[Sylvie Francoeur]

I think it would be an excellent idea. As far as we are concerned, there is a need. But Jean-François pointed out earlier that two projects were submitted to the federal government--

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

In what year?

[Sylvie Francoeur]

The first was submitted in 1994, I believe, and the other one in 2001.

[François Pitre]

In one case, it was around the year 2000, and in the other--

[Alain Bessette]

The very first was submitted in 1994 or 1995.

[François Pitre]

The other one was submitted around the year 2000.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

But do you think that the overall situation, the community and services have evolved? No?

[François Pitre]

It's not only about the community. For a project to be successful, it is absolutely critical that everyone be involved. If we are talking about a single desk for Francophones, all the groups—the government, the community, the school, and so on—have to be able and willing to work together.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Do you feel there is a desire to do that at the local level?

[François Pitre]

Possibly at the community level, but not on the government side.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

But it is the community as a whole that has to advocate and take up the cause--

[François Pitre]

Yes, but we need the support of the other party in order for it to work.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

I understand. But I do have the feeling that things have evolved.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Généreux. We will be able to monitor your progress by reading your weekly newspaper.

We move now to Mr. Godin, which will complete the second round.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When organizations cooperate, they can make things work. They did that in Sault Ste. Marie and it was very successful. By bringing all the organizations together, they were able to centralize their activities in a single place, where people can receive services from the municipal, provincial or federal governments. The Centre communautaire de Saint-Boniface is another good example of that. Services are grouped together under one roof. People don't have to go all over town to try and receive services. They only have one place to go to.

Ms. Dupont, I would like to talk about the daycare centre. We wouldn't want to keep you here all afternoon and not even talk about it. Are you from Kapuskasing or Temiscaming?

[Marie-Pierre Dupont]

Non, I'm from Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Your mike was off earlier when you said that. I just wanted to give you a chance to say where you're from.

I'd like you to tell us about how your daycare works and what kind of grant money you're receiving, if that is the case. We know that there is no French-language daycare centre in Hay River. What kind of difference does that make?

In your area, there is a French-language daycare. That means that, from a very young age, the children attend the daycare and then the French school, where the daycare is located. They stay in the same facility.

In Hay River, it's different. I would also like some feedback from our witnesses from Hay River on this. What difference does that make? If Francophones in Hay River are unable to put their children in a French-language daycare, they may have to have them cared for by Anglophones. Then they will get out of the habit of speaking French. By the age of six, if they haven't been to a French-language kindergarten, they won't go to French school. I would like you to address both situations.

[Marie-Pierre Dupont]

Demand for French-language daycare services is very high. There is a lot of intermarriage among families here; indeed, they form the majority. We are unable to meet the demand. Especially at this time of the year, the daycare is completely full.

At this point, the main problem is that the daycare cannot operate at full capacity because there is not enough staff. It would really be preferable to take fewer children. As you know, daycare centres and educational institutions are required to abide by a specific child-staff ratio. I would like all the spots to be filled, but I just don't have enough staff.

Of the seven people we had on staff in the last six months, four have left. Of those seven, two are early childhood educators. It's very difficult to provide adequate service.