Official Languages Committee on Nov. 22nd, 2011

[Rénald Rémillard, Executive Director, Fédération des associations de juristes d'expression française de common law inc.]

There are a number of lawyers' associations, that take on different forms depending on the province. Sometimes it's a task force. Other times, there is constant communication through which, for example, they identify a particular problem in a province or region. These are unfortunate problems or situations that they try to resolve through remedial measures so that they do not reoccur. The provinces and the lawyers' associations work differently. It depends on the province, the relationships, etc.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

In your responsibilities—

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Time is up.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

We're being interrupted because of time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Mr. Gourde.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I'd like to thank the witnesses for being here this morning. Their testimony is very important. I'm going to ask just one question, but I'd like an answer from the three organizations.

You work hard in your communities, and you have implemented strategies. How has the Roadmap managed to support you in your strategies and actions, and how does it support you in the actions you want to take in future? How has the Roadmap had a positive impact in the context of this initiative?

[Régis St-Pierre]

Thank you for your question. As we have already made our presentation, I will answer you briefly.

The Roadmap really helped us target our actions. In 2008, the Roadmap and its major fields of action, which you call "areas", was presented. We developed an overall development plan and we identified our areas. Our areas for intervention correspond exactly to the Roadmap's areas for action, since they were the most important areas for our population: work with youth, work in education and economic development. It's important to have a good, well-paid job.

In that connection, we've just launched the new Web Direction Yukon website, which calls out to workers around the world. A Franco-Yukon team is currently in Europe to find skilled workers in the mining sector, for example, an area where current demand for workers in northern Canada is very great. These actions are being taken as a result of the needs of the community and its structure, organizations such as the ones we have back home. We have to be able to deliver joint, coordinated services to the public.

To do that, it is essential to make some kind of progress. We talk a lot about foundations, especially in the north. We've talked about associations of lawyers. However, there are a lot of things that we don't have. We don't have lawyers associations, we don't have this vehicle for distributing information. And yet it's important, as Prime Minister Harper said, that all the provinces and territories have them. If you deleted the word "territory" and replaced it with "province", there wouldn't be any difference. It's important to have these associations across the country.

The Roadmap has helped us considerably in creating this national force everywhere, as has been said, from sea to sea, to sea. It should not be forgotten that there's one in the north: the Arctic Ocean.

Thank you.

[Roger Paul]

As I said earlier, the Roadmap has definitely helped the Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones, which works in partnership with all francophone communities in Canada.

I referred to the report. The Roadmap has clearly helped us in carrying out a number of years of work. It was central to that work. For now and the future, the Roadmap enables us to determine the orientation for the next five years. We're not talking about implementation; we're discussing this.

The education summit will be held in Edmonton in April 2012. All community stakeholders are invited to attend to talk about education. This event will be held thanks to the Roadmap. Yesterday the decision was made on the theme of the summit, "Toward the Community Citizenship School". The idea will be to determine how to involve Canadian citizens in all communities to assist each other and ensure our continued existence and vitality.

The Roadmap has also enabled us to function as a tripartite committee, that is to say with the federal, provincial and territorial representatives at the same table. I believe this example is very consistent with Mr. Godin's question on the study on the development of linguistic duality in the north. It seems to me that, if there were tripartite committees everywhere, that would promote collaboration. It is these kinds of implementation projects that the Roadmap has enabled us to carry out. We talk about them in a very positive manner. We of course hope there will be another Roadmap.

Lastly, I have been asked to invite you personally to the summit that will be held in Edmonton in April 2012. You will be receiving a letter of invitation on this matter. We will be meeting to discuss education orientations for the next five years. You are cordially invited to join us to talk more about the francophone community's education orientations and priorities. We would very much like you to be with us.

[Yolande Dupuis, Past-President, Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones]

Now we're sharing resources. We have a national teaching resources strategy. As a result of the work done by the members of the tripartite committee, the provinces and school boards can now work together more efficiently.

[Rénald Rémillard]

In justice, the Roadmap has enabled us to focus on what I call emerging clienteles. Seniors are a growing population, as are newcomers. In the field, the lawyers associations are receiving increasing requests from people dealing with real, genuine problems. If a man or a woman has a legal problem concerning leasing or family law, for example, we try to find solutions. We provide those people with information. We have been able to rely on that to a considerable degree, to access training and information that have enabled us to approach these emerging groups. Consider family mediation, for example. A number of years ago, we heard that there was a shortage of mediators. Consequently, measures are now being taken in an attempt to increase these services to francophone litigants in a number of provinces.

With regard to training for provincial and territorial stakeholders, a lot of initiatives have been carried out in recent years. Now there are new training programs and programs that are much more developed. We've talked about distance training. We see that universities and colleges are increasingly open not only to training for stakeholders once they are in the system, but also for people who are in the system and who are studying to become part of the system, immersion students, for example. There are a lot of training possibilities. We've made a lot of progress in a few years.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Mr. Bélanger.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I too would like to thank you for being here. More than that, I want to thank you for the work you are doing. You're working very hard with our communities. I encourage you to continue, even though there may be darker clouds on the horizon.

I'll try to be brief, and I hope you will be as brief as I am in answering. First, is Yukon doing well with the legal action?

[Jean-Sébastien Blais]

The judgment has been rendered, and the ball is currently in the Yukon government's court. The Supreme Court has not decided to dismiss the appeal. The government will appeal the judgment, and it hopes to win. Judge Ouellette has rendered a judgment that could set a precedent in Canada. I believe he put his finger on many problems, including the problem of infrastructure which our students need in order to be well equipped. For the moment, the government is going ahead with the appeal.

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

Have you received any financial assistance from the Canada Court Challenges Program?

[Régis St-Pierre]

The school board has the lead on this file. We had obtained funding from the former Court Challenges Program, which has been maintained.

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

All right.

On the matter of child care facilities in the schools, I entirely agree with you. I hope there is an increase in funding, granted either under an eventual judgment or by future conventions or agreements. It goes without saying that, when there's a demand, it has to be met.

Where things seem to me to be a little less clear, more vague, is with regard to the health transfer because the report could not be written. What is the role of the Société Santé en français in Yukon?

[Régis St-Pierre]

In the Yukon, the Société Santé en français acts somewhat as it does across the country. It manages funds that are transferred for networking. In health, it's mainly the provincial and territorial governments that offer front-line services, and that's where the situation is most problematic.

I don't know whether I've answered the question. I wanted to be very brief.

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

Do you have a report, some kind of document on the subject that you could share with us?

[Régis St-Pierre]

On the Société Santé en français?

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

On the health issue only.

[Régis St-Pierre]

Yes. The Les EssentiElles network and the PSC, Partenariat communauté en santé, network produce documents. They concern health, but only with regard to partnerships. We also deal with the health training aspect. It's the Yukon government that delivers health services. In her report, the Auditor General of Canada wrote nothing about health services in French.

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

We can check the report.

With regard to the Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones. I'm delighted to see you have managed to bring the three levels together. The matter of future agreements and what could be included in them is a concern for me.

In your view, is the money currently transferred being well and entirely used in education in the official language minority communities?

[Roger Paul]

As you are no doubt aware, this is a key issue in Yukon. We're talking about a fiduciary obligation of the provinces and territories. That will be discussed in the Court of Appeal.

We of the Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones are conducting a cross-country tour to discuss the Roadmap and the importance of priorities, setting those priorities. We know that education is a provincial and territorial jurisdiction. However, it seems to me there should be a way to sit everyone down at the same table and to reach an agreement. Earlier we were talking about the tripartite committee, within which there is agreement. There should be a way to invite the school boards to the table.

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

I just asked you whether you thought the money was currently being well used.

[Roger Paul]

If we're talking about Yukon, that does not appear to be the case.