Evidence of meeting #18 for Official Languages in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was seniors.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Louise-Hélène Villeneuve  President, Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne
Jean-Luc Racine  Director General, Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada
Dorothy Williams  Program Director, Black Community Resource Centre
Gemma Raeburn-Baynes  Partner, Black Community Resource Centre, and President, Playmas Montréal Cultural Association
Manon Beaulieu  Director General, Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON

Will you share that with us?

9:40 a.m.

Program Director, Black Community Resource Centre

Dorothy Williams

Okay.

I think we need to get that kind of guideline.

The only thing we get back is—

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON

I have to stop you, because I'm running out of time.

I just want to tell the chair that—I don't have time to explain all of this, but unfortunately the second part of the meeting is business—because a colleague, whom I'm hoping we'll see before Christmas, at least, is not here, I won't be bringing up the motions again, Mr. Chairman.

Merry Christmas to you all!

9:45 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Michael Chong

Thank you.

Monsieur Lauzon.

December 6th, 2011 / 9:45 a.m.

Conservative

Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would also like to thank all the witnesses for being here this morning.

I will start by asking Mr. Racine a question.

Mr. Racine, you spoke about VON Canada in Alberta. Could you please explain how this project works?

9:45 a.m.

Director General, Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada

Jean-Luc Racine

The project is for family caregivers. I can simply tell you that VON Canada has had a program in English for several years. It is deployed in the communities. They developed…

9:45 a.m.

Conservative

Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON

A program of services?

9:45 a.m.

Director General, Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada

9:45 a.m.

Conservative

Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON

Is it at home, in homes?

9:45 a.m.

Director General, Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada

Jean-Luc Racine

Yes, it's to support family caregivers. Perhaps Ms. Beaulieu can help me answer the question.

Training is given to family caregivers. We help them because it isn't easy to take care of someone at home who is losing their faculties. The project is used to support family caregivers to help them provide proper care. Unfortunately, that's all I can tell you.

One thing is certain: this project is leading us to a much more significant project. That's the good news.

9:45 a.m.

Conservative

Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON

Would you like to add anything, Ms. Beaulieu?

9:45 a.m.

Director General, Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne

Manon Beaulieu

Yes. The VON is the Victorian Order of Nurses for Canada. As you mentioned, it's a service that's offered at home. The reason we connected with this organization is that we discovered, a little by chance, that there were people from minority communities who were unaware of the resources available in French. The Victorian Order of Nurses can provide services and have expertise in psychological support, and so on. So that's why it's important to develop the network and ensure that all francophones in Canada are aware of the available resources. So we don't have to reinvent the wheel.

9:45 a.m.

Conservative

Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON

What should a francophone who is sick at home do if he or she needs this VON service and there is no French-speaking nurse?

9:45 a.m.

Director General, Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne

Manon Beaulieu

Through the VON, we established contact with the Canadian Caregiver Coalition. When we spoke with the representatives of that coalition, we mentioned the need for francophone employees both in the agencies and among the volunteers who help people with cancer or any other kind of illness and who need care. That's why we are working with them, so they are increasingly aware that they are not always able to provide services in the language chosen. So we also want to try to make the VON aware of the importance of having employees who speak French to respond to the needs of these francophone individuals who need nursing care at home.

I lived in a rural community where there are couples who are basically separated because the person who is ill can no longer receive care at home. Patients must move to another community 15 or 20 miles away from their homes. It may not seem far to us, but for elderly people who need to take their car and do the trip in the winter, on the roads in Manitoba, it doesn't work. We need to provide better services at home.

9:45 a.m.

Conservative

Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON

This happens to anglophones as well.

9:45 a.m.

Director General, Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne

Manon Beaulieu

Yes, it happens to everyone.

9:45 a.m.

Conservative

Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON

Mrs.Williams, I find your organization very interesting. There are a couple of things you mentioned. Do you not have charitable status?

9:45 a.m.

Program Director, Black Community Resource Centre

Dorothy Williams

No, we don't.

9:45 a.m.

Conservative

Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON

That's not very difficult to get.

9:45 a.m.

Program Director, Black Community Resource Centre

Dorothy Williams

Yes, it is.

9:45 a.m.

Voices

Oh, oh!

9:45 a.m.

Program Director, Black Community Resource Centre

Dorothy Williams

Incredibly so.

9:45 a.m.

Conservative

Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON

Well, it takes about 12 months.

9:50 a.m.

Program Director, Black Community Resource Centre

Dorothy Williams

No, it has nothing to do with that.

One of the corollaries of 9/11 and the federal government's response at the time was a change in charitable status and the way in which people apply. The grandfather clause applies for groups that already had the status, but new groups can no longer.... Because we have the Black Community Resource Centre, we very clearly state as our mission and our mandate that we're serving English-speaking blacks. You cannot get charitable status if you are making a specific statement about a particular community. It has to be open to all, by implication.

9:50 a.m.

Conservative

Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON

In answer to Mr. Bélanger, you mentioned that in the next road map the government should describe what they think success is, and that you should have the opportunity to describe what your organization thinks success is.

What do you mean by success? What is success to your organization?