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

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC

I understand, and the reason I ask is not that I'm in favour of private schools. I ask the question simply because it has not been asked thus far.

So, there are two small schools.

February 9th, 2011 / 3:05 p.m.

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

François Pitre

Yes, there is l'École Allain St-Cyr and the Hay River school.

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC

As for CED Canada, I can't get over the fact that it isn't any more developed than that. Yet the program has been in place for a long time.

3:05 p.m.

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

François Pitre

First of all, they didn't realize the distances that were involved. There are three time zones here. It is practically impossible to travel from Iqaluit to Whitehorse in the same day. These are things they forgot about when they set this up. Setting up an office in Iqaluit is all well and good—it's close to Ottawa—but there is nothing to buy, everything is taken, and there is no room to set anything up. Maybe it should have gone elsewhere in the meantime.

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC

Here as well, in Yellowknife, we were told--

3:05 p.m.

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

François Pitre

Here they have offices, but over there, they didn't have any at all, because Nunavut became an independent territory in 1999.

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC

I find that extremely worrisome. As you know, we will be making a report when we return to Ottawa. We have learned a lot in a short span of time. I think we will be able to present a unanimous report. In any case, we will be discussing these issues. And we will also be talking to the federal government about this, because it makes no sense that you do not have access to these basic services. In my opinion, it's unacceptable.

As a Quebecker, I can tell you that even Anglophones in Quebec are treated better. They have their own institutions, their own schools and their own hospitals. They can live their lives in their own language without the slightest problem, whereas here, you have to fight tooth and nail, as the saying goes.