Official Languages Committee on April 5th, 2012

[Paule Langevin]

The community learning centres would not exist without their partners. It is as simple as that. We absolutely need a coordinator in each of our centres in order to manage all of these collaborations. The roadmap is very important to us. It is very important that we keep a coordinator in each of our schools. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Gourde.

I will now give the floor to Mr. Bélanger.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Welcome, everyone; Madame Langevin.

Monsieur MacLeod, you're the past president, right?

[Roderick MacLeod]

Yes.

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

I would argue that the reason you saw this positive evolution between the Plan d'action and the Feuille de route is because there was a very thorough professional evaluation done twice on the Plan d'action. It was mid-way, which apparently hasn't happened yet for the Feuille de route and which was supposed to be happening—none of the departments have completed their studies, unfortunately—and at the end of it. The lessons learned from that thorough professional assessment were applied. Also, previous incarnations of this committee took on the Heritage department in particular for multi-year funding. So kudos are to be given to the committee, and for the evaluation of the Plan d'action.

I'm a little concerned that we're not going to get the same kind of evolution on Feuille de route 2, if there is one, and there will be, because Minister Valcourt has already said there will be one.

This is it for the evaluation. I'm not sure every member here will read all of the briefs you've left us, and seven minutes of presentation is a far, far cry from a thorough professional evaluation. That has to be put on there.

I hope we will somehow concoct something on which we can progress as we go forward for our communities.

Having said that,

…I have a few questions.

I'm intrigued about the Community Health and Social Services Network's 2 and 4: African Canadian development on Montreal Island, and the Saint-Léonard Italian Canadian community. Am I to understand that these communities mostly tend towards being anglophones?

[Jennifer Johnson]

The Saint-Léonard network, the REISA, is serving all of the English-speaking community in the east end of Montreal. The name doesn't quite describe properly the population it serves, but it's the English-speaking community in the east end of Montreal.

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

So it's not the Italian Canadian community?

[Jennifer Johnson]

They were the sponsor organization for the network. They were the ones who received the funding and supported the network that developed in that region.

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

What about the other one?

[Jennifer Johnson]

The African Canadian is our first network that is focused on a basically cultural community. This is a network that is serving the black English-speaking community. I think it's in five CSSS territories in Montreal.

It is a unique network that we have, but it is very focused in terms of the population it serves.

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

If I want more information on that particular one, do I just call?

[Jennifer Johnson]

Absolutely.

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

I might just do that.

[Jennifer Johnson]

We can get more information.

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

You have a similar situation in Toronto.

[Jennifer Johnson]

I'm sure.

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

Black francophones do not have any services either. I would be very interested in knowing how it works.

[Jennifer Johnson]

Perfect.

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

To YES, am I to understand that you're principally Montreal-centric? I don't mean that negatively.

[John Aylen]

We have been principally Montreal....

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

And you're trying now to spread out?

[John Aylen]

We have recently expanded the scope of our services, and we are embarking on a major study, which is halfway completed, I would say, as to the needs of the regions and how we can serve them, either virtually or physically.

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

Okay.

For QAHN, is the next one going to be called “RETIREI”? Sorry, I just had to put that in there.

You're spread all over the place.

[Kevin O'Donnell]

Frisky retirees.

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

It will be QAHN and the seven dwarfs soon.

The president of the Quebec anglophone school boards was here last Tuesday. He made a comment that I've heard quite a few times from people associated with QCGN, that for the linguistic minority in Quebec it's not the language that is threatened but the communities.

Do you agree with that assessment? All of you, quickly.