You may appreciate that as an English-speaking Quebecker, we feel we're under attack. In different jurisdictions there are debates taking place with respect to the use of the language. Quebec Community Groups Network represents 37 different associations across the province, some in Montreal, some in Maniwaki, some in the la Côte-Nord, and wherever.
It's a matter of economic survival. Part of that economic survival is the continuation to learn English, but it's to maintain the English language school boards. I'm not speaking on their behalf, although I happen to be a school trustee in Quebec as well—I wear many hats—but I'm not speaking from that perspective. The reality is the champions of French second language learning in Canada are the English language school boards.
True immersion for my grandchildren
is taking place in the French-language schools.
There's a certain reality here. Even though they attend French language schools, they form part of an English-speaking community.
The federal government, I believe, has a responsibility to support and maintain these English-speaking communities. It does so by funding, for example, the QCGN. We're not afraid of losing the English language; the reality is you want to be able to....
It is like French-language development.
You know when you talk about being perfectly bilingual, well I'm still working on my English, so to speak, even from an American's perspective. Speaking the language and learning the language, being able to read and write, and being able to graduate high school, being able to graduate and work in nursing or in medicine, is a real challenge.
We have to find a way to ensure the English-speaking community can learn the French that it wants to learn.