Official Languages Committee on March 6th, 2012

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Merci, Monsieur Godin.

[Mitch Davies]

In my address, I referred to a change in the way we operate when we implement programs in the communities. I said that all the regional agencies—ACOA in Nova Scotia—are responsible for implementing initiatives in the field so that we can work closely with the communities. That may explain the change in staff. However, the money is indeed there, and the agency people are there to serve the communities.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Davies.

Mr. Gourde, you have the floor.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks to the witnesses for being here this morning.

My first question is for Mr. Robillard, from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.

The goal of your agency is obviously to develop the economy in Canada's high north. Are you paying special attention to francophone communities? And what extra effort has the roadmap enabled you to make, in your agency, for those francophone communities?

[Michel Robillard]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First, we work in close cooperation with the francophone communities, which are linguistic minority communities in the north. Some 2.5% of the total population of the high north live in francophone communities.

For them, we have used the funding provided to us through the economic development initiative, the EDI. We have used that money to leverage funding from some of our other programs. For example, earlier I mentioned the SINED program, which is providing $90 million over five years, allocated fairly among the three territories.

In addition, Table 867 brought together the three francophone associations and their respective development arms. For example, the Association des francophones du Nunavut was with Carrefour Nunavut, and the Fédération franco-ténoise with CDÉTNO. We brought them together through Table 867 and, together with them, developed a strategic plan to determine the important economic areas in which investments had to be made in the coming years to develop the vitality of the linguistic communities.

For example, the northern linguistic communities determined that tourism was indeed important. They talked about attracting francophone tourism to the high north. They decided to develop what we call the pan-territorial tourism strategy. As a result, the three francophone communities in the north have received a total of $453,000, which they will spend in the next few years to reinforce the supply of and demand for tourist activities in the high north.

This is how we make sure there is economic vitality in the francophone communities. We sit down with them, we draw up a strategic plan, we agree on projects, and we use money from the EDI—$400,000 over four years—and as a lever to secure other funds from our other financial contribution budgets.

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

Does your strategic planning provide for initiatives to support francophone workers who will be working in the north for some time? There is a significant degree of economic development in the north. In many cases, these workers are far away from their families. Some would like to stay there for 10 or 15 years, to return there with their families and to have their children educated there.

[Michel Robillard]

In Nunavut, for example, we are trying to attract francophone entrepreneurs. That is why we have just financed a business incubator project there. This is a place where there are many business opportunities, but where the wherewithal is not always there. If we can develop this business incubator, we will be able to encourage francophones to settle in the region and to invest in businesses that have innovative ideas. They will be able to derive a certain amount of support through the economic incubators.

In addition, we have met representatives of the francophone communities through the northern adult basic education program. We know that there is a need for basic training among francophones who arrive in the north and who need to raise their education level in order to get a job in the mining industry, in particular. We are discussing these initiatives and projects with the francophone associations.

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

Industry Canada and Canada Economic Development are working in the same areas. Are the two departments working in complementary fashion on some initiatives?

[Mitch Davies]

FedNor is actually responsible for carrying out the project in northern Ontario. The department's role is to coordinate what all the agencies are doing in that project, including FedNor and the other regional agencies.

I also talked about our research program, our evaluation program and the economic development initiative. Apart from the FedNor people, who are on site, the departmental people are not in the field in northern Ontario. In that sense, there is no overlap.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Monsieur Bélanger.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I encourage you to go on about CanNor. I think you are off to a good start. I have no criticisms for the moment. I may at some point. As for FedNor, if there were any lessons to be learned, you have learned them. That at least is what I have understood. Everything seems to be going well. At the Department of Industry, you've had your knuckles rapped a number of times by the communities and the courts. It appears the message has been received. However, I am somewhat disappointed that you haven't completed your summative evaluation. It was to be completed in February, but it isn't finished yet. Perhaps there is some way to roll up your sleeves and make some progress.

Earlier you said the evaluation of the roadmap would be very useful to you. I advise you to lose your illusions about that evaluation: it won't very useful because it will be fake and remote-controlled by the government. It will contain only what the government wants in it. When you receive the evaluation—and it will be the committee report—I suggest you read the dissenting reports. They will be more useful to you than the evaluation itself.

That will be all for the moment, Mr. Chair. I may speak during the second round.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

All right.

Mr. Trottier, you have the floor.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks to the witnesses for being with us today.

This question is mainly for the CanNor people. You talked about tourism, a very important industry around the world. Are we managing to attract tourists from the United States, Europe and elsewhere given the dollar and the economic problems that are raging around the world? Could you tell us about your tourism challenges and successes in the north?

[Michel Robillard]

Mr. Chair, I'm not a tourism expert, but I will do my best to give you an intelligent answer.

I believe that the Olympics did a lot to help make the north known. We know that Canada's Northern House, which was on site in Vancouver, was a major success. It introduced people to the north and the beauties of the high north. The Canada Winter Games also have a major impact and have helped attract tourists. I believe people are starting to discover the three territories: Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories.

There has been some increase in tourism, and we increasingly want to help the communities, both the francophone communities and the majority anglophone communities. That is why, last year, we awarded grants for tourism in the three territories, $3.5 million of which went to majority anglophone communities as part of a pan-territorial strategy. We did the same thing on the francophone side as part of a pan-territorial campaign as well. The two campaigns are aligned and the two partners are working together to learn from one another, to link their websites and to ensure their initiatives and strategies are well aligned.

This is having the effect of making the high north increasingly known, not only in Canada, but outside the country as well. With regard to the francophone communities, there are some initiatives to attract both francophone tourists from Quebec, among other places, and European tourists. We also know that many Germans visit Yukon. Now there are direct flights from Frankfurt, Germany, to Yukon. So we are seeing that people are increasingly attracted by the beauties of the north. In our view, this is an opportunity for increasing investment to give these communities the means to offer attractive products to Canadian and foreign tourists.

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

We've been having success for some time now. The Germans really love the novels of Jack London, for example, and Karl May.

Are we having as much success with tourists from France and francophone Europe? What could we do? Should we market northern tourism more to European francophones?

[Michel Robillard]

That is why Table 867 worked with CanNor so that we could get funding to target those sectors in particular. I know that, last year, or two years ago, people from CDÉTNO went to Europe. They were invited to go and present the beauties of the Northwest Territories. So there is a target market in the francophone community's strategies to attract people from those francophone countries.

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

Is francophone capacity on the ground a significant factor in attracting more tourists to the north?

[Michel Robillard]

Yes, that's important. In fact, it is also very important for us to develop attractive products and to ensure that we have whatever is necessary to support tourism on site. It must be understood that nothing is easy in the high north. There are major challenges. There are challenges related to distance, infrastructure, communications, telecommunications and capacity. When we engage in economic development, whether to support business incubators or tourism, when we have grants and are able to support the communities, we can attract people because we offer well paid jobs with good working conditions, and we enable the francophone communities to develop those capacities.

Then we are able to develop attractive products as a result of those capacities. For us, this is a very holistic approach. Tourism is important and helps us develop attractive products, but it also has an immediate impact by increasing the capacity to offer these services. Through this diversification and these capacities that we are building, the communities develop further. So we are attracting people who want to visit these places, but also those who want to live there because there's a well-established francophone community; there are services on site and there is the support of their community as well.

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

How did the roadmap help you? I imagine you were doing this work on official languages before the roadmap. What benefits have the roadmap and its process given you?

[Michel Robillard]

CanNor was created in 2010, so we have really been involved in official languages for about two years now. Among other things, we've used the roadmap funding to leverage more funding from our other contribution budgets.

As I mentioned earlier, the strategic investments in northern economic development program represents $90 million over five years. We are able to use that amount, combined with the $400,000 from the EDI, to leverage additional funding. This makes it possible to do appropriate strategic planning and to meet the criteria of the other programs, which are based on specific applications or projects, for example. This funding enables us to pay people and assures us that the projects meet the criteria and can subsequently be funded.

For example, one portion of the $450,000 for the three francophone communities to develop tourism comes from the EDI and another portion comes from the SINED program. So it's a combination of the two. As I mentioned, this enables us to use this money to leverage other funding sources.

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

With respect to aboriginal services, I imagine you have a component to serve northern citizens in their languages as well, such as Inuktitut, Cree, Dene and other aboriginal languages.

Could you tell us about what you are doing in that respect? Do aboriginal services conflict a little with services for francophones in the north?

[Michel Robillard]

Actually, as I mentioned—

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

Is there sometimes competition for funding?

[Michel Robillard]

No. Personally, I have not noticed that kind of competition. As I mentioned, SINED is open to francophone communities, majority anglophone communities and aboriginal communities. However, the first nations and Inuit also have programs specifically for them, for support for businesses and so on.

I don't sense any competition between the communities. On the contrary, I believe that one of the major strengths of the north lies in the complementary nature of the communities. For example, if the francophone community receives funding and attracts francophone tourists, the first nations offering tourism services will benefit from that as well, as will the majority anglophone communities. This is the rising tide that floats all boats. We don't see them isolated or in competition. As I mentioned earlier, people work together. Nothing is easy in the high north. So people are forced to work together, and that's what makes communities much stronger.