Finally, I would like to take this time to put forth recommendations that will perhaps go a long way to making a difference with the new road map.
Number one, identify and support OLMCs with core multi-year funding, rather than short-term fiscally derived project funding.
Number two, for measurable impact, a holistic approach to organizational funding is needed. Multiple government departments with similar interests could contribute to one envelope, so that OLMCs could mount sustained, long-term initiatives in order to address systemic problems.
Number three, the road map in Quebec needs to be far more sensitive to the reality of multi-ethnic, multi-racial anglophones in Quebec. In Montreal, in particular, concerted inroads are needed into communities that speak English but are not of anglo British origin.
Funding of programs through the road map should somehow be evaluated or assessed with pre-determined measurable indicators to determine if they can receive repeat funding. I am not saying give everybody all the money they want, all the time, in every single instance. That's not what I'm saying.
Successful program models not only need to be kept in place when possible, but they should be considered for expansion, either to other groups in different regions willing to see if the model works there or to different target populations in one's area. Replicating success should be part of what the road map is all about.
To echo what you said, the road map needs to recognize the value of community research. It's not just university people who do research. We're not objects. We can do our own research. But we need the resources. One of the major caveats is that we don't fund research. It's very difficult, particularly with isolated unknown communities, to find the information, other than anecdotal, to really deal with what the issues are out there. Without research, there's quite a bit of, I would say, playing around before you hit on a model that's going to make a difference.
That's all I'm going to say. Thank you very much for listening to me this morning.