Good morning.
Mr. Chair, members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, thank you for inviting us to appear before you this morning. The Conseil de développement économique de l'Alberta is a member of RDÉE Canada, the Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité du Canada. I would like to use the few minutes allotted for my presentation to review the brief that we submitted to the committee.
For the past 18 years, with the support of the Canadian government and other partners, the Conseil de développement économique de l'Alberta, or CDEA, has assisted thousands of francophone business people and entrepreneurs who have started up businesses. Those entrepreneurs have created jobs and made a positive contribution to the economies of Alberta and Canada.
We already have 238,000 Albertans who speak French. Francophones arrive in Alberta every day. Many come to enjoy economic benefits, find a job or start up a business. There is a labour shortage in certain industries, and we are therefore pleased to take in newcomers, but it would better if they came as families and settled permanently.
Despite the fact that we welcome francophones with open arms, many decide to live in Alberta only on a part-time basis, moving on to Quebec City, New Brunswick or elsewhere after working for 10, 14 or 21 days. We can only wonder why they do not settle permanently with their families. We have all the infrastructure necessary to take them in: French-language schools, reception centres, employment centres, a mentoring network for entrepreneurs starting up businesses, community centres, francophone parishes, occupational activities, family activities and festivals. It would be better for Alberta's francophone community if they came as families to stay.
Franco-Albertans and newcomers are scattered across Alberta, from Fort McMurray to Plamondon, including Grande Prairie, Beaumont, St. Albert, Morinville, Edmonton, Lacombe, Red Deer, Calgary and Medicine Hat. Although demand for our services is strong, the Conseil de développement économique de l'Alberta is unfortunately unable to provide services to francophones across the province despite its provincial mandate. Although it is difficult to serve our clientele, we thank our partners, with whom we work together to leverage our impact. CDEA has worked with Liaison Entreprise for several years now to assist francophone entrepreneurs. We have offered no fewer than 37 webinars and workshops for francophone entrepreneurs and business people since 2005.
On a different note, the tourism industry is a major economic development driver in Alberta. Another noteworthy partner is the one that helped develop a smart phone app to support the Pan-Western Francophone Tourism Corridor. That project is funded by the Economic Development Initiative under the aegis of Western Economic Diversification Canada. It is a partnership involving the Government of Canada, the private sector and four francophone economic organizations: the Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique, the Conseil de la coopération de la Saskatchewan, the Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba and us, CDEA.
The app helps francophone tourists plan their trip before they leave home. They can use it to take a virtual tour of the west and, of course, to assist them in their travels once they are here. They can locate businesses, museums, restaurants, cottages and hotels where they can be served in French. To date, the application has been used more than 25,000 times by Canadians from across the country, including francophones from western Canada and Quebeckers, but also by French, Swiss, Belgians and others.
This app, combined with the 12th annual tour guide, which we have just published, and our 10 strategies for increasing the active offer of French-language services at hotels and restaurants, shows that we are very active and involved in tourism development. Our activities in this industry support thousands of jobs, francophone and bilingual workers as well as tourism entrepreneurs and operators, all of which makes a considerable contribution to the Albertan and Canadian economy.
In conclusion, I hope that our brief, my testimony and that of the other speakers will help you form a clear picture of the reality of francophones who choose to live in the midst of the anglophone majority. For some, the decision to live in a minority setting is not an easy one. They have probably come to western Canada because they need a job. Others live in a minority setting because that choice is based on their lifestyle, perhaps their family. Still others were born in a minority community and have lived their entire lives in French. The common denominator of these thousands of francophones is that they have chosen to live their lives as francophones where they want, in Alberta, Yukon, British Columbia or elsewhere. That is their choice and their right.
It is important to recall that these francophones contribute to the economies of the provinces and of Canada. Many face linguistic challenges every day, at work, at the doctor's office or in their interactions with provincial governments.
The Government of Canada has long supported francophones through initiatives and programs such as the roadmap for linguistic duality and by implementing the Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities.
Agencies such as CDEA and RDÉE Canada continue to support francophones and the Canadian government in providing services to that population. It is fundamentally important that the Government of Canada continue to do so, which will enable minority language Canadians to flourish and make a major contribution to the Canadian economy.
I have some information kits with me, in French only, in case committee members would like to have a copy.
Thank you for your attention and interest.