Official Languages Committee on Oct. 30th, 2012

[Nicole Bourget]

I do believe our minister has been clear on the desire for stories and for grassroots involvement.

Will there be broad thematics that will develop? Most likely. The focus should be, and the focus as stated by the minister is, to unite Canadians and to put forward our common values, and that is populated with so many of these stories that you speak about.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Mr. Wilks.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Thank you very much for being here today.

I had a couple of questions leading from what Mr. Benskin has just said. Certainly in western Canada there is a lack of understanding of how important the francophones have been in nurturing Canada. I say that sincerely, because we tend to forget that everything moved from east to west. It was the west that slowly came in to Canada.

I give the examples of such places as St. Paul, Alberta, and Maillardville, or now Coquitlam, which hosts 13,000 francophones in its community and has several events every year. It was established back in 1909.

But more so I think of the Saskatchewan farming community, which we tend to forget is highly populated by francophones. If it weren't for them, maybe a lot of the smaller communities in Saskatchewan wouldn't be where they are today. Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, had I believe the first French school district outside of Quebec, which is still established today.

I'm wondering how we are going to go about explaining those stories of the small towns in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia that are going to show the importance of the francophone influence across Canada.

[Nicole Bourget]

Those are wonderful anecdotes of those communities.

I think there are many ways to highlight those communities and the richness they bring. Fortunately, and that's without government intervention, of course, we will have programming to support local groups as we do through our building communities through arts program and celebrate Canada that, as I've said, will be themed to help support.

We do strategic alliances with historical institutions to help develop pedagogical material for the schools, and we work with the NFB and various institutions that are tremendously talented and great at making this material available. We're fortunate we live in a era of social media where, through Facebook or other mechanisms, or Google, people can exchange stories and information, and build narratives. I think there are tremendous opportunities. Right now if we all let our imaginations go, we could think up so many wonderful things.

We have our official languages program, as I mentioned. We have various other programs in the department. I think as citizens in those communities develop these stories and want to highlight and celebrate them, it will start to form.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

I think one of the frustrations that does come a lot of times, and I speak from a municipal political background, is that we will hear about programs that are instituted by the federal government, but then municipal governments come along and say, well, that's all fine that you have a program, but we need some direction and/or we need some money to be able to pull this off; we want to do it, but there's only one taxpayer, and we're on the bottom of the barrel: so what are you going to do for us?

Is there some plan or initiative that you see coming forward that will assist municipalities financially to pull off some of these events? Otherwise, I believe they will be left in the loop.

[Nicole Bourget]

It wouldn't be in my purview to comment. I'm not aware of initiatives to date of that nature. Plans have not been finalized in terms of programming in an area related to the 150th, so I can't comment.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

It may be something that you—

[Nicole Bourget]

Is everything under consideration? Are suggestions and ideas such as these important to hear? Absolutely.

I know, for example, that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the FCM, is involved with the CBC and others in terms of consultation.

So I think the level of awareness that people have of wanting to come together and build programming is there. As for the government's plan, we'll leave that to my minister at a later date, when those plans are finalized, to discuss. At this stage, we are really using our existing tool box, we are gathering all the information, and we are still in the early planning stages.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Chair, if I have time, one important other step that I would strongly suggest is to utilize our national parks. They tell a huge story across Canada from coast to coast to coast in both official languages. If we can focus in on those national parks, it's a great story.

Has that been looked at? Are there any plans for that?

[Nicole Bourget]

Definitely.

It's one of Monsieur Racine's ongoing partners, so I'll let him speak to that.

[Denis Racine]

With the commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812, Parks Canada is a key partner and obviously some national historic sites are key places where so many battles took place. When we commemorate major milestones, we try to work with our federal colleagues and federal institutions to reach out to Canadians.

You mentioned the francophones in Saskatchewan. This is the year of the Fransaskois, and Radio-Canada has done a tremendous job in promoting the French community in Saskatchewan from a historical point of view, what it is today, and what it looks forward to.

It's with key partnerships like that with federal institutions that we can go beyond the reach that the department would have with its own programs.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Madame Michaud.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for your presentation, Ms. Bourget and Mr. Racine. It is interesting to hear about the first steps in the planning of the 150^th anniversary of Confederation.

I would like to thank my colleague Mr. Benskin for his comments on the broad themes. That was one of my concerns, actually. In your comments, you mentioned Lacolle, which ties in with my concerns a little.

I understand that these celebrations are trying to unite Canadians. But still, some historical events and figures are perhaps a little more controversial, depending on the community where one lives.

Take Louis-Joseph Papineau, for example. He is always mentioned in the same breath as rebellions. Perhaps his name has a more sovereignist connotation in Quebec. But it is all about the 1837 rebellions that were also happening in Upper Canada at the same time and that constituted the first steps towards responsible government. I am also thinking about Louis Riel, who is a major symbol for the Métis community, but who is possibly perceived differently elsewhere, despite the recent pardon that Canada has granted.

How will those events be incorporated? Will you be able to paint a true picture of our history? Have you given any thought to that? How do you see it fitting into the celebrations?

[Nicole Bourget]

As we mentioned earlier, there are a number of stories that have to do with the country's historical figures. The stories are important. The voices are important and communities are going to showcase them. That is where the ideas come from and people have the right to celebrate them.

We are looking at bringing people together to showcase those things in the period leading up to 2017.

There will always be somebody who's controversial to someone. I think one of our great strengths in Canada is having the ability to listen to all of these stories. I think citizens will make the right choice when it comes to celebrating.

Maybe some people don't like Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine, so why we would celebrate? But if it has significance, historical importance, it's all right to recognize....

No one will be able to achieve unanimity, especially with history.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

However, if you look at the celebrations of the war of 1812, you can see that there is a very specific historical point of view. In a way, it is being presented as the beginning of the unification of Canada as a nation, whereas I was talking about the 1837 rebellions. There was also the Act of Union in 1840. It is all part of a process. There is a slightly more militaristic slant. I do not want to read too much into the intentions behind it. But even so, there is a specific vision.

If broad themes are developed for the 150^th anniversary, my impression is that we are running the same risk, and that communities will not necessarily be able to state their own needs and to really show their own history and say which figures are important to them.

Could you comment on that possibility?

[Denis Racine]

Let me make a quick comment, taking the 1812 bicentennial as an example.

When we started planning for that event, we consulted francophone and First Nations communities. If you look at the activities that have gone on up to now and that will go on in the coming months or next year, you can see the recognition of First Nations communities.

The major battles that have been commemorated up to now took place in the Niagara Peninsula or at Fort Detroit. Commemorations of the war will quietly follow their historical course. Next year there will be events in southern Quebec where a group of francophone municipalities have prepared activities to commemorate how French-Canadian militias beat back the American invasion up Lake Champlain. The people in the area want to commemorate that historical event.

When we plan, we try to get as much balance as we can.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I have been watching the government's little propaganda videos—sorry, information videos—on TV. I am not sure that I see a specific francophone presence, or the involvement of particular communities. The events are depicted with the statement that the nation of Canada defended our country. I am afraid that that is the kind of obscurantism that we will see in the celebrations of Confederation.

I think we have to be careful. I hope that Canadian Heritage will provide good guidelines that will allow communities to be able to express what they want. I hope that the approach will not be top down, but bottom up. That is very important for celebrations of this kind.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

I would just like to say that the meaning of the word “Canadien” has changed a lot in the last 50 years. Prior to the 1950s, I think, it referred to French-speaking Canadians. The word “Québecois” referred to people living in Quebec City.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

That was true even through the 1960s.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Exactly. It's very interesting how nomenclature has changed over the years.

I'll leave that to others to navigate through.

We will take a brief pause for five minutes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

We now continue the 57^th meeting of the Standing Committee on Official Languages.

Ms. Bateman, you have the floor.

[Joyce Bateman, Conservative, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My thanks to our witnesses. I have really enjoyed your comments and those of all my colleagues.

I have two main questions for you. If I have time, I will ask one more.

Have you a plan for sharing grants or contributions between large and small organizations in all our communities across Canada?

[Nicole Bourget]

As I mentioned, we are still in the preliminary planning stages. The department itself already has a selection of programs, some of which target national organizations. Others target the provincial level more and still others target the community level.

If the decision is made to establish any kind of funding, of course we will make sure that people have access to it according to their projects. But, certainly, our goal of trying to establish a link with people and to assure ourselves that they are able to establish it counts for a lot with us.

But, at this stage, it is too early to discuss the plan.

[Joyce Bateman, Conservative, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Yes, I understand. It is complicated and it is difficult. But if a group of students in an immersion program in Iqaluit wants to celebrate Canada, it is a good idea, in my opinion.

[Nicole Bourget]

That is a theme that has come out of the 150^th anniversary committee consultations. The study deals with exchanges, among other things. Our department has a youth exchange program to bring together young people from all over the country. Will there be a funding envelope set aside for the 150^th anniversary? That is still to be decided, but these are ideas that we are in the process of studying.