Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you to our guests today.
I don't know whether you know, but I'm a Franco-Albertan, a francophone by birth. Now I'm a member from Toronto. I appreciate the comments by my colleague Mr. Galipeau, who referred to Mayor Van Brabant. I knew him very well.
Ms. Nolette, you talked about francophones by birth and francophones by choice. One of the challenges for the francophone communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and elsewhere in the country is to know how mother-tongue francophones can remain francophones by choice. I'm pleased to see the Gallic spirit is still alive on the Canadian Prairies, but I believe the magic potion for a francophone by birth to remain a francophone by choice consists of arts, culture and heritage.
Having health and education services managed by the provinces, for the most part, is a good thing. However, for someone to have the pride and courage to remain francophone and to speak French at home, in the community and in business, the community has to intervene, supported—at times, but not always—by the government, to ensure that arts, culture and history remain implanted in those communities.
Moreover, these are areas where the federal government can play more of a direct role and where it has less of a need to go through the provinces and municipalities.
Could you talk about the measures the federal government can adopt in this regard?