Thank you, Mr. Chair.
On behalf of the president of the Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada, Michel Vézina, who could not be here today, I want to thank you for inviting our organization to appear as part of your study on the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation.
The Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada represents some 27,000 senior members across the country, who naturally live in all Canadian provinces and territories, except Quebec.
We are especially proud that you have invited francophone seniors who have contributed a great deal to the building of our country and who, through their hard work, their beliefs and their identity, have shaped our communities and made Canada into such a great country.
Last November 6, you heard from the representatives of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne. They suggested turning the 150th anniversary into an opportunity to develop a vision of sharing, exchange and dialogue among Canada's constituent parts. The Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada agrees with the FCFA's thinking.
The government and Canadians recognize linguistic duality and culture diversity as important national values. Therefore, Canada should use these festivities to provide Canadians with unique opportunities to rekindle those values, share and exchange common experiences and remember the various stages of our collective journey.
It is important to remember the major milestones of our shared history, to explain how the three founding peoples of Canada—first nations, francophones and anglophones—contributed to the building of our national identity, and how the addition of cultural communities helped enhance that identity. It is very important to use those festivities to also show how much of a role that diversity has played in making Canadians tolerant, open to differences and open to the world. It should also be shown that these founding peoples put down roots across the country and that the francophonie developed not only in Quebec, but also within many communities across the country.
Canada is certainly a forward-looking country. However, Canada must also use this opportunity to remember and never forget the peoples and individuals who built this country. A country that loses sight of the unique attributes that helped build its identity is a country that will always be searching for something and have a hard time defining itself. Therefore, the 150th anniversary is a unique opportunity for francophone communities to finally be seen, not only as minorities, but rather as communities of full-fledged citizens who have contributed and continue to contribute to the country's strength.
Now, let's look at how this could translate into concrete measures.
History must manifest itself in a spirited manner for us to remember it. What better way to do that than by calling upon the collective memory of the Canadians who have built this country? In 2017, why not give an opportunity to seniors and all Canadians to meet, share, exchange and explain how they have contributed to the shaping of this beautiful country?
We recommend that, over the next four years, four activities be undertaken in the context of an official languages perspective.
The first activity we suggest is the broadcasting of a national collection whose theme would be “150 years of Canadian achievements”. A national contest could be organized where Canadians would be invited to present short stories describing the achievements of individuals who have contributed to the building of our communities across the country. The best essays could then be put together in a collection or a website that many Canadians would have access to. It would be of the utmost importance for that collection to reflect the realities of our three founding peoples—first nations, francophones and anglophones. It would also be important to ensure to represent cultural communities whose first official spoken language is French or English.
We suggest a second activity that may be worthwhile. Some seniors or Canadians have trouble writing. So they could express themselves in a video, on the same topic, of course. Similar to the national collection, associated groups could be invited to connect with Canadians who are less comfortable expressing themselves in writing. These Canadians would be encouraged to recount their achievements in audiovisual format. The best videos would be incorporated into a national video, posted online or made into a DVD. They could even be featured on several TV programs showcasing the wonderful achievements of our fellow Canadians.
Our third recommendation would also make for an excellent initiative. It would involve intergenerational interactions between members of Canada's three founding peoples. These interactions would foster dialogue and sharing. The Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada already works with the Association canadienne des professeurs d'immersion. We are working on intergenerational projects between French-speaking seniors and young people in immersion programs. We see the 150th anniversary of Confederation as an opportunity to build on this idea. We could set up initiatives bringing together francophone seniors and immersion students, or young French speakers and first nations seniors. The 150th anniversary of Confederation should connect people of different generations from our country's three founding peoples.
The fourth positive initiative we would recommend is a national summit to recognize the contribution of seniors to Canadian history and the building of this country. The summit would take place in 2017 and bring together a variety of seniors from across the country representing first nations, francophones and anglophones. The summit would provide an ideal opportunity to celebrate the major achievements of our country and the tremendous contribution of our citizens. It would also be an opportunity to look ahead and lay the foundation for closer ties between the founding peoples for decades to come.
Our fifth and final recommendation or initiative, if you prefer, would be an expansion of the New Horizons for Seniors program. That would entail broadening the program criteria as of 2015 to allow interested seniors groups to highlight their contribution to Canadian society. Under such an initiative, they would be able to express themselves fully and to submit projects along the lines of the four we just described. Some of the program criteria already reflect similar thinking, but the criteria would need to be clarified and rounded out. The program would have to allow for proposals that will help ensure the 150th anniversary of Confederation is a memorable occasion that lives on in people's minds for many years to come.
So there you have a few ideas on how to turn the 150th anniversary celebrations of Confederation into the ideal occasion to honour our shared values, which include linguistic duality.
Thank you. I would be pleased to answer any questions.