Official Languages Committee on Nov. 17th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Mr. Galipeau, go ahead, please.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thanks to the witnesses for being with us today. I'm particularly impressed by the clarity of your comments, Mr. Couture. I have every hope that you will be a good lawyer and a good leader, even though you're missing your class this morning.

As regards the documents submitted to the opposition this morning, you may perhaps be interested in knowing that the government members didn't receive them. We didn't receive the final document or the draft. That's not a criticism, but when the opposition members receive a better quality document, it will be useful for government members to receive it as well.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I sent it to everyone at 4:48 yesterday afternoon.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Thank you. I would point out to you that I didn't interrupt the member for Ottawa—Vanier.

Mr. Vaillancourt, do you know that there has been a 40% increase in funding under the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality?

[Denis Vaillancourt]

I know there have been increases, but I'm not aware of the most recent one.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

This week, I announced 38 new projects, a number of which concerned various components of the AFO. Were some of them unacceptable?

[Denis Vaillancourt]

No. We entirely agree on the projects announced. They're part of the initiatives that contribute to the development of the francophone community. Those initiatives are definitely very much appreciated.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

You didn't know there had been a 40% increase. I assume the branches haven't been informed of the situation either.

Give me a piece of advice. How can the government communicate more effectively with the organizations representing minority francophones so that they can be aware of what we are doing together?

[Denis Vaillancourt]

In my written remarks, we mentioned means of communication, government sites that would provide more information on contributions and emphasize improvements. There are tools of that kind. You should communicate in a targeted manner with the groups that represent the provinces and with other groups in order to increase our understanding of those things.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

I was raised in Ontario, in a part of the province where French is generally spoken poorly. I am naturally grateful to my family and to certain institutions for the guidance they gave me. One of the institutions that was very important for me in developing my language was Radio-Canada, which I have been watching and listening to with pleasure for 60 years. However, I see that it is increasingly "Montreal-centric". I believe that what Radio-Canada has given me over the decades is now less accessible to francophones who are facing the same challenges as I had to deal with when I was young.

Mr. Couture, of all the francophones you know in the nine provinces where francophones are in the minority, how many watch and listen to Radio-Canada and feel represented by the image presented to them?

[Alexis Couture]

I can tell you that I get up every morning at 6:55 so I have the time for the 7 o'clock news on Radio-Canada and I've done so since my second year. I haven't always been a typical young man.

I can talk about Acadia in particular.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

At what time do you listen to Radio-Canada? Do you get it from Moncton?

[Alexis Couture]

At 7:00 a.m., in Moncton.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

And you were in Moncton in second year too?

[Alexis Couture]

I was living in Nova Scotia at the time. I subsequently lived in Quebec City.

In Acadia in particular, Radio-Canada has made a significant effort to improve its regional presence over the past decade. Its programming is regularly one of the most listened to and most watched in radio and television. Obviously, one can only deplore the Montreal-centric nature of certain branches of Radio-Canada, but I have to applaud its efforts in the area of new technology. For example, the tou.tv site enables my girlfriend, who is currently in France, to watch Radio-Canada programs when she wants. Smartphone apps also let you watch Radio-Canada, which is her favourite, wherever you are in the country.

I nevertheless believe that Radio-Canada should make a bigger effort to reach out to young people by offering content more consistent with their reality. In my mind, that means putting more young people on air. That's not impossible to do. There are communications and journalism schools across the country and young people who would be very interested in taking part in a weekly Radio-Canada program. There's enough content across the country to do it in French. I could only applaud that kind of initiative.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

I intervened personally with regard to a CRTC decision that had prevented a community radio station from being established in Ottawa. The minister asked the CRTC to redo its homework. Ultimately, we have a francophone community radio station in Ottawa.

What is the situation regarding francophone community radio that young people can listen to elsewhere in Canada?

[Alexis Couture]

French-language community radio stations grew out of a project of the Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française in the late 1980s. We're very close to that network, particularly the Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada. I worked at a radio station, and I know they're doing an excellent job of reaching young people and offering programming suited to young people across the country.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Mr. Trottier, go ahead, please.

[Bernard Trottier, Conservative, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thanks to our guests for coming to meet with us this morning.

My name is Bernard Trottier, member for the Toronto region, more specifically Etobicoke—Lakeshore. I'm very happy the AFO representatives have come here this morning because Ontario, as you know, is the province with the largest minority francophone community in the country. It's also an enormous province with a great deal of variety.

Mr. Vaillancourt and Mr. LeVasseur, could you describe the specific challenges of the Ontario regions? For example, you're aware that the city of Toronto has no specifically francophone concentration, neighbourhood or suburb. It's not like in Ottawa. The challenges of northern Ontario also aren't the same as those of Ottawa or Toronto. There's southern and northern Ontario. Perhaps you could provide an overview of the various challenges and possibilities for the francophone community in the province.

[Denis Vaillancourt]

Thank you. I'll begin and perhaps my colleague can continue.

Having worked in education across the province, I can say that you are entirely right about Toronto. There is obviously a greater concentration of francophones in eastern Ontario today, which makes some things easier. However, from the moment you move away from eastern Ontario, that is to say beyond Renfrew or Kingston, you get into remote communities. I often like to say that French-speaking Ontario represents, in the province, all the characteristics of the minority of Canada as a whole. There are remote areas and areas where there is a high concentration.

I often like to say that the francophone community in the greater metropolitan Toronto area is like a rural francophone community. Even though it's a large community, the francophones there are isolated, hence the importance of networking, of creating occasions and of expanding the francophone area in order to promote the language.

There is another kind of isolation in Windsor. One of the main projects of the Assemblée de la francophonie is to create networks, opportunities to work together and to get to know one another, to go home and be proud of who we are and to take our place.

There are initiatives virtually everywhere, but the challenge of distance and isolation remains intact, even in Ontario, where there is a large francophone community. There are francophone areas in the northern part of the province. Hearst, for example, is a dynamic community. Some people call it "Little Quebec", but we say that they're Franco-Ontarians. They've been established there for a number of generations now. There is a francophone cultural, community and economic life there. All those people are contributing to the vitality of their community.

There are examples in Kingston and Penetang, in particular. I'm thinking of La Clé d'la Baie and the AFNOO in Thunder Bay. There are francophone organizations that are becoming partners of provincial governments, and sometimes of the federal government, in providing services in both languages and serving the francophone community.

As regards accountability, these communities have helped meet certain challenges. There are always challenges, in particular the challenge of keeping this area alive.

We were talking about community radio and Radio-Canada. There are weaknesses at Radio-Canada, as my colleague mentioned. I live in eastern Ontario, and when I visit Toronto or Sudbury, I see that local stations really reflect Ontario and are part of everyday life. Although I'm little older than my colleague, I wake up to Radio-Canada. Here in eastern Ontario, Radio-Canada serves both sides of the river, and they may have forgotten us. That's the challenge we're facing.

To go back to the Franco-Ontarian dynamic, we're dispersed and diversified, given the origins of our community. Bringing us together and expanding the francophone space remains a challenge. Our communities are alive and creating events. A whole range of events has been promoted through investments by Canadian Heritage, in particular. The federal investment under the Roadmap has had a domino effect: the Government of Ontario has also become accountable through certain initiatives. We're creating promising partnerships to expand the francophone space and promote linguistic duality.

[Gilles LeVasseur]

Mr. Trottier, I'm a native of Toronto. As a Franco-Ontarian, I understand your question. In the case of those who live in areas where there isn't this francophone linguistic enclave, we must remember first and foremost that there is the educational environment.That starts with child care centres and then moves on to the schools and, later on, to our social network. So you absolutely have to understand that the investment in education is essential for our community.

If we ultimately do not always want to be forced to come here and talk about the Roadmap, it will be have to be understood at one point that Franco-Ontarians want their rights, as they currently exist, to be entrenched in the Constitution. This can be done jointly by the federal government and the province of Ontario, but at one point we'll have to sit down and ask ourselves whether we can include those rights in the Constitution. That's the minimum protection we need to be able to move on to the next step.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

All right, thank you.

Ms. Michaud, go ahead, please.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you very much.

Welcome to you.

I must also compliment you, Mr. Couture. We're roughly the same age. Without wanting to boast, I would say that we're a good reflection of everything youth can accomplish and the positive effect we can have on the political system. So I encourage you to continue your work. Perhaps we'll be colleagues one day. Who knows?

A lot of meaningful topics have been addressed today, but I believe it was Mr. Galipeau who opened an interesting door. We talked about Radio-Canada.

Mr. Vaillancourt, you mentioned that one of your objectives was to ensure the advancement, vitality and presence of French in Ontario. Can you tell me about the importance of Radio-Canada and how it will help you with regard to the advancement and visibility of French?

[Denis Vaillancourt]

Radio-Canada has been a partner of the Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario on a number of occasions. The hosts of the provincial programs are always in attendance at our annual meetings. Radio-Canada is a partner in the promotion of cultural activities in various places, whether it be in eastern Ontario or in Sudbury from its local station.

Radio-Canada is a preferred instrument and partner. We have examples of various cultural activities, such as the Ontario Pop competition sponsored by Radio-Canada, for example. One of my sons took part in it. It's an initiative of the Sudbury station that was picked up by Radio-Canada in Ontario. It's an annual event.