Evidence of meeting #127 for Official Languages in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was university.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Dyane Adam  Chair, Board of Governors, Université de l'Ontario français
Mona Fortier  Ottawa—Vanier, Lib.
Jean Rioux  Saint-Jean, Lib.

8:55 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

Good morning. Welcome to this meeting. I want to point out to all of those watching us that this meeting is very special because it is the last time a committee will be meeting in this room for another 10 or 15 years. I hope that you all realize how great it is to be the last people to sit in this room on Parliament Hill before we move and the building undergoes renovations.

I thank Ms. Holke for making arrangements so that this morning's meeting could be held here, in Centre Block, and be televised.

We will move on to the agenda right away.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108, we are continuing our study on Canada's francophonie. We are pleased to hear from Dyane Adam, former Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada and the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Université de l'Ontario français.

Ms. Adam, welcome. You have a few minutes to make a presentation, after which, as usual, we will go around the table for questions, answers and comments.

Go ahead Ms. Adam.

8:55 a.m.

Dyane Adam Chair, Board of Governors, Université de l'Ontario français

Thank you Mr. Chair and respected members of Parliament.

You said this was a historic moment, and that is true for me, too. I have not been in this room in nearly 12 years, and I previously appeared here a number of times. There is no doubt that this committee is one of my favourites, along with its Senate counterpart, of course. I don't want to make anyone jealous.

Thank you for inviting me to discuss the situation of Canada's francophonie. Obviously, I will consider it from the perspective of a fairly hot topic right now, the Université de l'Ontario français.

I am really happy to talk about this, but I don't plan on making a long speech. I have followed your work, and you have been very active in this area; the interest is there. I feel that you want to engage in dialogue, ask questions and get clarifications.

I have been leading this file for over two years. We first had a year of planning, which brought the previous Ontario government to decide to create a homogenous French-language university, the first of its kind in Ontario. Afterwards, we had a year for implementation.

Today, I would like us to explore solutions to break the impasse after the university's funding was withdrawn. That said, before I begin, I would like to come back to a message I have often repeated here, when I was Commissioner of Official Languages. The federal government must show clear and proactive leadership in Canadian linguistic duality, especially when it comes to the growth and development of official language minority communities.

When I was commissioner, I had the privilege of working closely with parliamentarians to strengthen part VII of the Official Languages Act. I think that is the last, if not the only, amendment to have been made to the act. It happened in 2005 or 2006.

Some parliamentarians, including the Honourable Mr. Paradis, will probably remember that it was thanks to the leadership of Senator Jean-Robert Gauthier and Mauril Bélanger, two Franco-Ontarians, that part VII of the act could be amended. The amendment aimed to provide more teeth to that part and clarify the federal government's responsibilities toward official language minority communities.

That amendment was made 12 years ago, and I have not followed closely how the government proceeded to implement that section of the act fully. At the time, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages had conducted a study to help the government further define what was meant by “positive measures” and “obligation to act”, and aim for concrete results in the growth and support for the development of official language minority communities. I have with me provisions that talk about commitment and obligations.

Positive measures mean an obligation to act. That is what you are currently doing. You are trying to find ways of doing things that will help Ontario's francophonie acquire a tool necessary to its full development and growth.

The Franco-Ontarian community is at a crossroads. For the first time in its history, our community had cleared the last hurdle in the control and management of its homogenous French-language educational institutions.

We have our elementary and secondary schools, our homogenous francophone colleges, our school boards and, finally, a university charter, our provincial university. Its first campus is planned in Toronto, in the region with the most significant growth of francophone minorities in the country. We anticipate that more than 50% of the Ontario's francophone population will reside there in the next decade. The growth is very rapid. The university should not be built in 10 years, but now.

A single sentence in an economic statement is robbing the largest French minority community in the country of a tool necessary to its full intellectual, social, economic and cultural development. The shockwave created by that decision and, of course, by the scrapping of the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner, has strongly affected the province and the country as a whole. In my opinion, that reflects the fact that linguistic duality and the protection of minorities are at the heart of the Canadian identity. The situation has really captured the imagination of all Canadians.

Not everyone could take the time to create a petition, but I will leave you a copy of a petition initiated by a citizen, Clayre Bertrand. In a few weeks, she managed to collect more than 5,000 signatures to support the cause of the Université de l'Ontario français. In addition, a petition launched by the AFO has collected dozens of thousands of signatures from Canadians across the country. We are not just talking about French Ontario. Your file on Canada's francophonie is very relevant. In fact, if Ontario's francophonie stops evolving and is not healthy, the entire Canadian francophonie will lose out.

I think it is time for our government to adjust and exercise strong and remedial leadership. I am here talking about leadership and obligations, under the Canadian Constitution, aimed at progressing toward the equal status of French and English in Canadian society. I am also talking about the obligation, under the Official Languages Act, a quasi-institutional piece of legislation, to take the necessary steps—I would say all the necessary steps—to support the development and growth of the Franco-Ontarian Community.

The federal government has a number of institutions, a number of jurisdictions. A university is a place of innovation, an economic development tool, a place of creation, research and knowledge, a place of synergy and community development, and a place of intersection and partnerships between the private and the public. The federal government operates in all those spheres and in many others.

The project of the Université de l'Ontario français has the following vision: we are in Toronto, in a sea of anglophones, but we are numerous. The university is a project of a francophone hub of knowledge and innovation. Our objective is for the university to be at the heart of that hub. We have more than 14 francophone partners.

Among others, I am talking about TFO, the Théâtre français de Toronto, Collège Boréal, Canadian Parents for French and school boards.

Fourteen francophone organizations that are already partners will be housed at the same address, in the heart of Toronto. That will really become a place of meetings, exchanges and creation, in French, and a place to create, evolve, develop projects, take action and, of course, educate the young people who are waiting to attend the institution.

This is a 21st century university, an innovative university. A slew of reports published by the federal government and other sources are saying that universities do not always meet the expectations of modern and contemporary society. They have trouble keeping up to date because, in my opinion, it is difficult to change long-standing practices.

The advantage of a small university that is starting up in the 21st century is that it can align even more with the needs of contemporary society and can become a benchmark for other university institutions in Canada.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

Thank you very much.

Ms. Adam, if that's okay with you, we will immediately go to questions and comments.

I just want to let my colleagues know that the first round will be about four minutes, and the second will be three minutes.

I will try to manage everything as best I can, so that everyone can speak.

I now give the floor to Alupa Clarke.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I am very honoured to be with you this morning for the last committee meeting in Parliament Hill's Centre Block.

Ms. Adam, your comments are very enlightening. I thank you for agreeing to come meet with us this morning on such short notice. You talked about very important concepts and terms: “obligation to act”, “strong leadership”. You also repeated that all necessary measures should be taken.

I feel that this is a golden opportunity for a federal government, regardless of the party in power, to materialize, define and turn into reality the meaning of “positive measure”.

I cannot believe that I have before me someone who participated in the implementation of part VII of the Official Languages Act.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

You were not born.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC

Yes, I was born, as it was in 2005. I was travelling around Europe at the time.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC

Did you have long hair?

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC

I did not have long hair. I cut it when I was 17 years old.

9:05 a.m.

Some hon. members

Ha, ha!

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC

Ms. Adam, could you tell us what stage you are at, practically speaking? We are hearing about a date, such as January 15, and about the $1.5 million you have left.

So what stage are you at from a practical perspective?

9:05 a.m.

Chair, Board of Governors, Université de l'Ontario français

Dyane Adam

For the time being, I have still not received any formal communication from the government. Like all of you, I have heard the political statement.

Our funding is based on the activities underway, which will end around January 15. I am telling you that the situation is urgent. Our team is reduced, but it is doing amazing work. Our governance board is made up of volunteers, and it is also doing a tremendous job. That is why I believe we need urgent action, and we need a decision to be made and a position to be taken.

The federal government could help us temporarily, until all the decision-makers have had a chance to rethink the project, to potentially get to a more permanent agreement.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC

When you talk about urgent measures, you are of course thinking of money.

9:05 a.m.

Chair, Board of Governors, Université de l'Ontario français

Dyane Adam

Of course. We don't want to fire our employees, and we don't want to lose our momentum.

We know that this decision was made by a new government. In that regard, a bit more time may be needed to remedy the situation. What is important for us is to keep the file alive and to have the time to find solutions.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC

By when do you need the money?

9:05 a.m.

Chair, Board of Governors, Université de l'Ontario français

Dyane Adam

Well, by tomorrow.

9:05 a.m.

Some hon. members

Ha, ha!

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC

I did not understand what January 15 is related to? What exactly does that date mean?

9:05 a.m.

Chair, Board of Governors, Université de l'Ontario français

Dyane Adam

The reason why I said January 15—I also said “tomorrow”—is that it is still urgent.

We have financial burdens, employees to pay, and we have to cover the university's operating costs. We were still expecting the provincial government to give us what had already been approved for the year underway.

As we were informed that there would be no more funding, we are exhausting the funding we were previously allocated. So the members of the governance board and I, as its chair, have to make sure not to accumulate debts and to manage to close files.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

Thank you, Mr. Clarke.

I give the floor to Ms. Fortier.

9:05 a.m.

Mona Fortier Ottawa—Vanier, Lib.

Thank you for being here, Ms. Adam.

I am happy to see recognition for the work of Jean-Robert Gauthier and Mauril Bélanger, who preceded me in my riding, and whose exemplary work I am continuing with a great deal of pride. When you are a francophone in a minority community and believe in that cause, be it in Ottawa—Vanier or anywhere else in the province, you push and you advocate.

I am also very happy to hear that we continue to want not only to protect our francophonie, but to advance it. We all agree that a French-language university is a development tool. That is clear.

The Government of Canada, through minister Mélanie Joly, has said that it was prepared to have a dialogue with the province. It is now waiting for the province to reach out, so that the dialogue can take place. Let's hope that will be the case. The message has been sent several times, and the federal government is ready to take action.

I would like us to talk about immigration because that is one of the mechanisms that could help our francophonie advance. Ms. Adam, could you share your point of view on the role immigration could play in relation to the university?

9:10 a.m.

Chair, Board of Governors, Université de l'Ontario français

Dyane Adam

With your permission, I will tell you how the francophone immigration dossier came to be on the radar screen of minority francophone communities.

Before I became Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada, I was Principal of Glendon College in Toronto. At the time, I was struck by the diversity of that environment, where all communities were represented. The anglophone population of Toronto was increasing exponentially as the majority welcomed many immigrants. On the francophone side, however, we had very few, and we had no infrastructure yet to receive francophones. Once I became commissioner, I carried out two studies on francophone immigration because I felt we absolutely had to get the federal government involved in that. Today, we are much better equipped to receive immigrants than we were 15 or 20 years ago.

Today, Toronto's francophonie is rich with diversity. Some immigrants even have trouble integrating because they do not speak English. It's important that the francophone communities have a nexus, a place where they can gather. Francophone immigrants also must be told that wherever they are in the world, their francophone identity has a place in Toronto and that they can preserve it because it enriches Canada. Moreover, they will be able to study and live in French. We will even help them to become bilingual, because that's necessary in Toronto. Immigration is in full expansion and its momentum should continue. Moreover, there is a demographic mobility in Canada that brings many francophones to Toronto from Quebec and elsewhere, and this will not change. And so we must be ready.

9:10 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

Ms. Fortier, did you want to add something?

9:10 a.m.

Ottawa—Vanier, Lib.

Mona Fortier

I would simply like to quickly say that the solution announced by Minister Hussen, that the Centre francophone de Toronto would be responsible for settlement services for francophone immigrants arriving at Pearson Airport, could be one of the tools that will help the university to become known.

9:10 a.m.

Chair, Board of Governors, Université de l'Ontario français

Dyane Adam

I'm not worried, because the university is already well known. We can count on incredible support in Toronto from English language universities, the anglophone community and francophone ethnocultural communities. To get back to settlement, I would like to remind you that the executive director of the Centre francophone de Toronto is a member of the Université de l'Ontario français board of governors.

9:10 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis

Thank you, Ms. Fortier.

I now yield the floor to Mr. Choquette.