Official Languages Committee on Dec. 4th, 2012

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Welcome to the 64^th meeting of the Standing Committee on Official Languages. Today is Tuesday, December 4, 2012.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108, we are here to study of linguistic duality during the 150th anniversary celebrations of Canadian Confederation in 2017.

Today, we welcome the Commissioner of Official Languages, Graham Fraser, together with Ms. Charlebois, Mr. Giguère and Ms. Tremblay. Welcome to you all.

Mr. Fraser, the floor is yours.

[Graham Fraser, Commissioner of Official Languages, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Ladies and gentlemen, honourable members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, I am very pleased to appear before you today in preparation for the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017.

Let me begin by saying that Canada's commitment to both official languages is rooted in our history. Anniversary celebrations are very important in reinforcing our understanding of ourselves as Canadians. Every anniversary is an opportunity to tell our national stories to all Canadians, whether or not they've heard them before.

The history of language relations between francophones and anglophones in Canada since Confederation is complex. In fact, there are two stories: a less lustrous one that includes the hanging of Louis Riel, the Manitoba schools crisis, regulation 17, and two conscription crises; and another, more positive account that includes under-recognized acts and gestures of conciliation and cooperation.

Linguistic duality is an integral part of Canada's history and identity, and it needs to be a part of all the celebrations. It is important to reflect on the fact that the Fathers of Confederation, and those who inspired them, saw the question of language in terms of a founding principle of respect.

The first key steps toward Canadian democracy were taken by Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine in the 1840s. John Ralston Saul wrote that it was the first strategic act in the creation of the country. The reformers suddenly understood that francophone and anglophone reformers had to cooperate. That understanding has been an important thread that has run through the fabric of our history ever since. It should be reflected in every aspect of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Confederation.

We remember Lord Durham, but we forget the fact that, not 10 years later, his successor, Lord Elgin, read the Speech from the Throne in French and English, thus marking the return of French as an official language of Parliament.

On the last night of the Confederation debates, on March 10, 1865, John A. Macdonald responded to a question about the status of French in the new political arrangement that was being developed. He said that “the use of the French language should form one of the principles on which the Confederation should be established”. George-Étienne Cartier immediately rose to add that it was also necessary to protect the English minorities in Lower Canada with respect to the use of their language.

Wilfrid Laurier spent his whole political life trying to promote harmony between English and French Canadians. William Lyon Mackenzie King, himself committed to Canadian unity, managed to keep the tensions between the two groups from tearing the country apart. John Diefenbaker introduced simultaneous interpretation to Parliament. Lester Pearson introduced the principles of official bilingualism, and Pierre Trudeau translated those principles into legislation. Conservative Party leader Robert Stanfield ensured that linguistic duality became a value transcending partisan debate, and Brian Mulroney rewrote and strengthened the Official Languages Act in 1988.

These stories need to be told and understood. The new Canadian Museum of History will be a great vehicle for telling the stories. Historian H. V. Nelles, in his book the Art of Nation-Building, on the 300^th anniversary of the founding of Quebec, said that how we celebrate says a great deal about who we are.

Historian Matthew Hayday made the same point in his work on Canada Day celebrations, and goes a little further by saying, “Elements such as languages, displayed flags, and the media's use of a rhetorical 'us' continually naturalize and reinforce feelings of nationalism.”

As the federal government prepares for the celebrations of Confederation's 150th anniversary, it's important to ensure that both official languages are visible and audible in public spaces in many different ways.

As I mentioned to you when I presented my annual report a few weeks ago, Canada's linguistic duality too often remains incognito. When everything runs smoothly, bilingual services become part of everyday life and go unnoticed. Let me give you two examples.

The Vancouver Olympic Games were a success on the ground in terms of the use of both of Canada's official languages. The opening ceremony, on the other hand, was a failure. No one remembers the success on the ground, but everyone remembers the backlash over the absence of French during the opening ceremony.

My second example is the state funeral for Jack Layton. The ceremony was a huge success for linguistic duality, but no one ever mentions that.

I would like to say a word about Canada's centennial. The high point of the 1967 celebrations was Expo 67, which took place in Montreal at the same time as the Bilingualism and Biculturalism Commission was preparing its report. I am convinced that Expo 67 laid psychological groundwork for the acceptance of official bilingualism and the Official Languages Act. For more than 50 million Canadian and international visitors, visiting Expo 67 meant taking part in a public space where both official languages were equally audible and visible.

It was a first in terms of presenting an environment that respects both official languages. In his opening remarks at Expo 67 in Montreal, Lester B. Pearson said: Our own country's existence is always dependent upon achieving unity of human purpose within the diversity of our linguistic, cultural and social backgrounds.

Expo 67 was an event that spotlighted Canada's French-speaking community. It showed the world and also the rest of Canada that French was an integral part of the country's fabric. And 50 years later we need to do it again.

Another monument built around the same time to celebrate the country's centenary and showcase Canada's linguistic duality was the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. In the words of the NAC website, it was “built to both produce and present music, opera, theatre, and dance. It was also bilingual, designed to reflect Canada's linguistic duality—the first, and still the only, performing arts centre in the world with such a complex mandate”.

One thing these initiatives had in common was the promotion of English and French as official languages, Canada's linguistic duality, two years before the vote on the Official Languages Act.

How can we make sure that one of our nation's fundamental values is represented in the celebrations in 2017? Giving young Canadians more opportunities to experience the other official language is an excellent way to help Canada celebrate its shared heritage.

In my 2011-2012 annual report, I made two recommendations to promote second-language learning in order to increase the number of Canadians who speak our two official languages. I recommended that the Prime Minister take the necessary measures to double the number of young Canadians who participate each year in short- and long-term language exchanges.

I also recommended that the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages work together with provincial and territorial governments, as well as post-secondary institutions, to increase the number of programs in which students can take courses in their second official language.

The 150th anniversary of Confederation celebrations are an ideal occasion to follow through on these recommendations.

Social media were not part of our communication landscape when we celebrated our centennial in 1967 and the 125^th anniversary in 1992. These platforms are an excellent way to promote Canada's linguistic diversity and start a conversation in both official languages. We can use social media to connect local celebrations with the general spirit of the 150^th anniversary of Confederation, and to promote the history and heritage of our official language communities across the country.

However, promoting linguistic duality does not happen by itself. It requires planning sufficiently in advance, and a constant bilingualism reflex, without which it will go unnoticed. This is true as much for communicating with the public in virtual spaces as it is for serving the public in physical spaces.

While there's substantial bilingual capacity for visitors to Canada's capital, it is often invisible. Canadians have the right to obtain services of equal quality from the federal government in the official language of their choice. The celebrations in 2017 will be an opportunity to encourage Canadians to travel throughout their country, and every effort should be made to ensure they are welcomed in both languages. Institutions or offices providing services to the travelling public have to make more of an effort to respect the language rights of the public they serve, and to keep doing it even after the tourists have gone home.

Canadians need to have a better understanding of the country's official language communities, including their culture and their institutions. They need to have more exposure to the advantages of linguistic duality and the values it represents.

And so it is very important to make sure that the content of the celebrations reflect the common history of Canada's anglophones and francophones. To help organizers of large-scale events to improve their knowledge and understanding of official languages, my office published a publication called Organizing a Major Sporting Event in Canada: A Practical Guide to Promoting Official Languages. This guide was developed for organizers of major national and international sporting, cultural and artistic events in Canada and for the federal institutions involved in their organization.

The purpose of the guide was not to replace the expertise of the organizing committee or the federal institutions involved, but rather to remind them to take official languages and language obligations into account right from the initial planning stages. My staff and I are already using it to work with the organizing committees of the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, and the 2013 Canada Games in Sherbrooke.

We will continue to encourage organizers of major events in Canada to integrate linguistic duality into their activities.

I hope that the 150^th anniversary of this country's Confederation will be a highly successful event, and one that present and future generations of Canadians will remember as reflecting both the English and French cultures of Canada.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Fraser.

Mr. Godin, you have the floor.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Welcome to the commissioner and his team.

Mr. Commissioner, you say that the 150^th anniversary will be an event to remember. I know I am putting you on the spot by saying what I am about to say, but I notice that you named all the prime ministers who have done good things but stopped at a specific point. You did not mention the current prime minister, to whom we owe the appointment of a unilingual judge to the Supreme Court and of an auditor general who is also bilingual, as well as the closure of the only French-speaking rescue centre in Canada and the transfer of its calls to Halifax and Trenton. That is not a shining record. What will there be for us to remember in 2017?

Could you first tell me if you support private member’s Bill C-419 that specifically mentions the auditor general? You talk about respecting both languages. As commissioner, it is your role to defend that idea. But we are seeing that things are not going that way at all.

Are you not concerned about the direction that the Conservative government has taken? It is all very well to be preparing for celebrations in 2017, but things are happening in our country right now. Incredibly, government support for bilingualism is moving backwards at the moment. I would like to hear your comments about that.

[Graham Fraser]

First, in terms of the prime ministers, I would like to specify that I decided to list them only up to 25 years ago, in order to give a historical perspective.

As to the bill requiring senior officials appointed by Parliament to be bilingual when they are appointed, yes, I support it.

A number of the points you raise are already subject to an investigation. As I have said, I cannot comment on matters like the closure of any institutions. I have been expressing my concerns for some time about the effect that budget cuts will have on services and on linguistic duality. I continue to be worried about it. We receive complaints and we investigate them, but when those complaints are ongoing, I cannot make detailed comments about them.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Commissioner, the closure of the maritime search and rescue centre in Quebec City, which was supposed to happen earlier, has been postponed until next autumn because not enough qualified bilingual personnel could be found to meet the needs. What will happen in two years if two people leave their jobs at the same time? Are they going to close the doors? It is worrying.

[Graham Fraser]

Yes, it is. I agree. It is…

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

It is the only bilingual centre in Canada. They want to celebrate the anniversary in 2017, celebrate the beauty that is Canada, have a big party.

[Graham Fraser]

In exactly the same spirit, and on a number of occasions, I have expressed, and continue to express, my fears about the structural changes as a result of which, to save money, jobs are moved from bilingual regions to regions that are not designated as bilingual. It is a question of the language of work. I continue to monitor the matter.

I am equally concerned about the changes being made to language training in the government. That is why we are conducting a study on the matter with a view to determining what effects the changes will have.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

In the past, Parliament paid for training, but now it comes out of MPs’ budgets. Are you studying that too? You know what is going to happen. Employee training is going to be the last thing to get done. It worked quite well here. Employees came here to the Hill for training. A number of MPs were learning both languages. But what was once a kind of benefit paid for by Parliament has been taken away.

Are you looking at that to see if fewer people are being trained now?

[Graham Fraser]

I don’t think so, in part because Parliament is not subject to the Official Languages Act. I also believe that the decision was made by parliamentarians in terms of managing their own budgets. So I have no right to investigate a decision of that nature.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

The question was whether you are concerned by it.

[Graham Fraser]

I am concerned by any change that reduces opportunities for learning a second language.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

As commissioner, have you met with Minister Moore about the 150^th anniversary? I remember that, during the Olympic Games, you had opinions and concerns.

[Graham Fraser]

There was a very preliminary conversation last March.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Has a committee been formed? Have you or any members of your team been invited to be part of one?

[Graham Fraser]

The only source of information I have on the matter is the testimony that Assistant Deputy Minister Nicole Bourget gave you to the effect that no decisions have been made.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

If a committee were formed for the 150^th anniversary, should people from your team be part of it, do you think?

[Graham Fraser]

We would have to think about it. As I am not part of the government, it would be difficult to investigate complaints after having been part of the governance and the preparations. However, I am quite open to the idea of being consulted.

That is what is happening at the moment in the work we are doing with organizers of the Pan American Games and the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke. I and members of my team have met with Pan American Games organizers on a number of occasions. We have been able to see that some of our suggestions have been taken into account. That is not the same thing as being directly involved in a committee with administrative responsibilities. If that were the case, I would be in a difficult position if I subsequently had to investigate complaints.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Mr. Gourde, you have the floor.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Commissioner, thank you for joining us this morning. It is a good opportunity for you to talk about your concerns about the 2017 celebrations, I feel. Calling on expertise, finding solutions and determining what Canadians want is part of this committee's role. From that perspective, everything you share with us is important.

You gave us a wonderful historical presentation this morning. One thing in particular struck me. When something is going well, we often do not hear about it. When it is going badly, we hear it loud and clear.

Do you have an idea about the number of things that are going well as a proportion of those that are going badly? Do the 1% of things that are going badly make it seem as if 50% of the system is going badly? Do we have to look at the big picture and see that a lot of work is being done in both official languages, representing a lot of effort, but that it is still disappointing when something does not go well? When something goes badly, things get so amplified that you get the impression that there is never a way out.

[Graham Fraser]

That is quite a broad question. It is always difficult to go beyond qualitative assessments of a situation to determine its quantitative effect.

Take the public service as an example. According to the Treasury Board, between 92% and 93% of positions designated bilingual are held by people who have passed their exams and who have the qualifications required. Does that mean that French is used as much as English in the workplace? There is no quantitative answer to that question. The evaluation is rather a qualitative one, using anthropological observations in the workplace.

I am always a little at a loss when I am asked if things are getting better or worse. My answer is always that it depends. We see improvements in some institutions but we see a deterioration, or cases that give rise to complaints in other institutions. During an investigation, I have difficulty discussing it.

But, in any event, one of the themes of the annual report is that success is invisible and failure is anything but.

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

I would also like to ask you what you think about one of the legacies that will be left after the 2017 celebrations. I would like Canadians, especially young Canadians, to have the opportunity to be exposed to the second language, anglophones to French and francophones to English. It can be done in different ways, but are you aware of an economical way of doing it? I am thinking about all the government apparatus. There are a number of agencies, like Radio-Canada/CBC, for example. Are you aware of a very broad way in which to have our young people exposed to the other official language?

[Graham Fraser]

That is something that has always interested me. In part, it is because of my own experience. I learned French, in fact, when I had a summer job with a federal institution. It was on an archeological site, which I think is now part of Parks Canada.

I think that we could put some effort into setting up exchanges in summer jobs programs, into providing students with scholarships and into providing learning opportunities in post-secondary education. We could build on experiences from elsewhere, like the Erasmus program in Europe. In the United States, spending the third year of a university course abroad is practically a tradition. In Canada, a similar thing could be done in an institution speaking the other official language.

I think that a number of approaches are possible, but the best way would be to coordinate, organize it and promote it as a 2017 program.

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

Given the advent of social media and of new digital technologies, could schools be twinned? I am thinking of Quebec with Alberta, for example, or British Columbia with Ontario. That would create connections between young people. Then they could continue to communicate with each other in their own languages and provide mutual support. Anglophone students could support francophone students as part of the process of learning French, and vice versa.