Good morning, Mr. Chair, and committee members. Thank you for this opportunity to appear before you.
My name is Susan Anzolin. I am currently the chief financial officer. I have previously been the director general responsible for community programming at the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, or FedDev Ontario. I am joined by Paul Chayer, who is our person responsible for official languages.
FedDev Ontario was launched in 2009—a time marked by global economic challenges and a time when southern Ontario was experiencing economic hardship. Our role was to address immediate needs and contribute to job creation, focusing on activities to strengthen the southern Ontario economy.
The agency was renewed through Budget 2013. Today, we work strategically and collaboratively to be an agent of transformative change.
We are pleased to be here today to share lessons learned and ways we are working to meet the needs of official language minority communities in southern Ontario.
Francophone communities are an important component of our region's economy. More than three-quarters of Ontario's francophone population lives in southern Ontario—the largest outside of Quebec—and continues to grow through immigration.
In 2009, we were learning about the challenges these francophone communities face, and we adjusted our delivery of the economic development initiative to better meet their needs.
We conducted studies and engaged various francophone organizations, and learned three important things.
First, a lack of educational and entrepreneurial opportunities in francophone communities (especially small and rural communities) drives youth away.
Second, francophone immigrants struggle to launch businesses partly because of language barriers.
Third, francophone businesses have limited access to financing and business counselling information in French.
We engaged Ontario francophone economic organizations to support the delivery of key strategic projects. We work hard to ensure that official language minority communities have access to funding opportunities available, which includes all our programming.
Furthermore, FedDev Ontario will continue to engage the francophone community to address their issues so that our efforts are relevant to their specific needs. Their success is ultimately ours.
Thank you.