Allow me to give you a few examples among others.
In Winnipeg, Manitoba, as a result of intervention by the Conseil communauté en santé with the Minister of Health and Winnipeg Regional Health Office, the new birthing centre that has just opened in Saint-Vital, a Winnipeg neighbourhood, will be designated bilingual and will offer services in French to the francophone population of that neighbourhood. I must tell you that, without the influence of the Conseil communauté en santé, I'm not sure we would have had bilingual services at that centre.
In my region, a rural area southwest of Winnipeg, a financial contribution of approximately $30,000 by the Société Santé en français in 2005 helped mobilize the entire community of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes and get the provincial government involved in the construction of a community health centre. After the project was developed, with the support of the CCS network and Société Santé en français, the local community responsible for the project held a fund-raising drive in the community and generated $1.7 million. Then the provincial health department paid out $800,000 for the construction of the Centre Albert-Galliot, valued at a total cost of $3.3 million.
The Regional Health Authority Central Manitoba Inc., our authority, then took over by making available resources such as two nurses, one nursing assistant and a nurse practitioner, who are supported by four physicians.
The centre offers a number of health services in areas such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nutrition, mental health and public health, chiropractic, massage therapy and access to telehealth for online medical consultations and via telephone conferencing.
With regard to the use of new technologies, the CCS network gathered various partners together to develop francophone programming with Telehealth Manitoba. Last year, four video conferences were offered and reached eight francophone communities, thus enabling francophones across Manitoba to take charge of their health without having to go to Winnipeg.
Closer to here, in eastern Ontario, the Société Santé en français and the Réseau des services de santé en français de l'Est de l'Ontario, the RSSFEO, helped to develop the FrancoForme program with the cooperation of the University of Ottawa's Institute of Cardiology.
It's intended for any Franco-Ontarian who presents with one or two risk factors for heart disease and who has previously had cardiovascular disease. Recruited by their family physicians, participants have access, via telephone consultation over a period of three months, to the advice of an advisor who assists them in improving their physical condition, nutrition, stress management and other risk factors.
We could continue in this manner for all regions of the country but do not have the time to do so. And that's not to mention the numerous initiatives that have not required financial support but have received technical or professional support from the network.
We have created close collaborative ties with the provincial and territorial health departments and have enjoyed excellent cooperation by Health Canada, as was emphasized in the annual report of the Commissioner of Official Languages.
We should also mention an appreciable contribution from the Government of Quebec, which has been seconding two executive managers since 2004. Their expertise has been of invaluable assistance to us.
As you can see, the achievements are impressive. We have established a solid foundation. We are proud of having mobilized hundreds of partners, health institutions, professionals, community agencies and training institutions that have taken all kinds of initiatives in all areas.
We feel we have started a movement that is making real changes, but that movement is not complete it is still fragile and much remains to be done.
To implement health in French in a sustainable manner, we still need action based on the three initial components, that is to say, the network, training and projects that put sustainable mechanisms or structures in place.
In closing, we would like to emphasize that the progress we have made can also serve as a model for other communities. It can help better adapt our health systems to the growing diversity of Canada's population.
It should also be emphasized that very often the services we put in place in regions also serve anglophone clienteles because they are bilingual services.
Thank you.