They say that our Franco-Ontarians leave the province to go elsewhere. On the one hand, that's unfortunate for us. On the other hand, it shows that the system and life in French are good. Our citizens can go and work internationally. We don't necessarily need to retain them. Instead we should ensure we continue to cultivate this dynamism. That's our youth. More often than not, many stay home. We have to continue, even though we know that some will go elsewhere. Our challenge is to encourage them as much as possible to contribute to their community, without however preventing them from developing elsewhere. The idea is also to maintain everything that has enabled young people to grow and develop in their language, become proud of their language and carry on their profession. We clearly need these young people in Ontario. Efforts are being made in that area, but we also must not penalize them. It is the strength of the system that enables people to become international citizens.
On November 17th, 2011. See this statement in context.