Official Languages Committee on Feb. 9th, 2011

[Rachelle Francoeur]

You saw my colleagues.

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

That's right. It was your son's birthday.

[Rachelle Francoeur]

Yes.

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

Do you have a youth centre or similar facility where young people can get together? First of all, do you have access to space or a facility?

[Rachelle Francoeur]

We do, in fact. There is a youth centre, but it is managed by a Christian charitable association, if I'm not mistaken. The young people who go there are primarily Anglophone.

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

And you don't have anything like that for Francophones?

[Rachelle Francoeur]

No. That doesn't prevent us from going there, nor does it mean that young people want to go there.

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

How is it possible to bring them together when you organize activities—I'm thinking of the CDs you made—and want to make them aware?

[Rachelle Francoeur]

For example, there was a “white night” last weekend at l'École Allain St-Cyr. It was a chance for young people to get together. Otherwise, we obviously have to rent schools or other facilities. Although we have priority access to l'École Allain St-Cyr, the fact remains that, for certain events, we have to find other venues.

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

Language is part of culture. You focused a great deal on culture earlier. As a Francophone, I know that if there was just language and no culture, it wouldn't work.

Do you receive any funding?

[Rachelle Francoeur]

Your--

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Please be sure that your headsets are not close to an open microphone.

I circulated some DVDs, including the Sexo Quiz DVD that I would like to get back.

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

Yes, we'd like to see it. Mr. Godin isn't interested.

[Rachelle Francoeur]

The Sexo Quiz is very funny. You're going to like it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Yes. I definitely want to listen to the new Sexo Quiz. It addresses topics of interest to me.

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

It may interest our children.

[Rachelle Francoeur]

The five vignettes are on YouTube.

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

They're on YouTube. That's good to know.

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

We'll have a look at them tonight.

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

How can you work with young people if you have no facilities? In places where they have youth centres, young people can get together every night. In your case, that is probably impossible. I don't know whether you are able to invite youth to get together once a week, say, in a specific place?

[Rachelle Francoeur]

Right now, I am working with students at l'École Allain St-Cyr. The students and I have to go to William MacDonald School, however, because l'École Allain St-Cyr has no facilities and no gymnasium. I do this during my off-hours, once a week.

In addition, the youth committee gets together once a month. As I mentioned earlier, we receive project funding. So, there is not necessarily any specific time or place for us to get together.

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

Are the parents able to provide some financial assistance so that you can organize extracurricular activities aimed at these young people?

[Rachelle Francoeur]

Yes, the Parents Committee at l'École Allain St-Cyr sometimes provides money. However, that money is obviously divided up among several people. And it isn't always easy for the parents either. I think they are already asked to make major financial contribution as it is, because of all the activities their children are involved in. At some point--

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

--they reach the saturation point.

[Rachelle Francoeur]

Yes.