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.
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.
3:05 p.m.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
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
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.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
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.
3:10 p.m.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
You really have to want to be a Francophone outside Quebec. I have two children. One lives in Montreal, and the other, in Ottawa. They were born here and they went to the French-language school, but when they entered high school, I sent them to Pointe-au-Chêne.
3:10 p.m.
Bloc
3:10 p.m.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
No, there is no university. We have a college, but it doesn't offer any programs in French.
3:10 p.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
There is a college, but it doesn't offer university level courses. It's like a CEGEP, basically.
3:10 p.m.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
Not even. They would have to take distance courses provided by an accredited school. That's the problem.
3:10 p.m.
Bloc
3:10 p.m.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
But there again, if you don't have a tutor, it's difficult.
3:10 p.m.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
Distance education is not easy.
3:10 p.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Yes, I can certainly understand that and I don't think it's very effective either.
3:10 p.m.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
There is no tutor, so--
3:10 p.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
I sincerely hope you will be able to secure a French-language daycare centre so that you can continue your different [Inaudible--Editor].
3:10 p.m.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
There is one in Yellowknife; but not in Aklavik.
3:10 p.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
And you don't have one either. So, you need to have one. The distances are so considerable and the territory is so huge that it simply isn't possible to concentrate everything in one place.
3:10 p.m.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
In Yellowknife, there is an immersion program.
3:10 p.m.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
It's 1,000 miles every time.
3:10 p.m.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
I wish you the best of success and I hope things will work out. I would like to make a quick suggestion as a member of Parliament. I have been through six elections. I was elected for the first time 17 years ago. I suggest you do a little more promotion and that you try to have at least one Francophone member in the NWT legislature who will support your cause. You can campaign--