Official Languages Committee on April 11th, 2019

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Good afternoon, everyone.

Thank you for being here and for the extremely important work that you do on the ground. You are really familiar with all the issues related to bilingualism and linguistic duality. I'm not sure that we have really succeeded in promoting our two official languages over the past 50 years. Your work will help us to better understand the situation.

My first question is for Canadian Parents for French on the shortage of teachers. Are you aware of the government's investments to address that issue and do you have any comments?

[Derrek Bentley]

Yes, we are somewhat aware of that. The way that money will be used is still being studied. So we are not sure of the outcome yet, but those investments are much appreciated. They are a good starting point. However, it is important to go further and continue to invest.

The issue is not about to go away since French as a second language programs are constantly expanding. According to some studies, right now, almost 100,000 young people want to enrol in the programs, but they are not able to do so because there are not enough spots. Even if all of them could suddenly be accepted, the shortage of well-trained teachers and quality programs would still be a problem. The investments therefore must keep going.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

I invite you to discuss this issue with the universities. They are saying that they will be providing significantly more generous scholarships for second languages, which will help them attract candidates.

You should send us your nice little document on which you have indicated the four or five results you want. I didn't bring it, but I read it at breakfast last week and I thought it was very good. I felt that you knew exactly what you wanted and that it would answer many questions.

Let me now turn to you, my friends from French for the Future. Your role is very important. To some extent, you are doing the same thing as Canadian Parents for French, and your activities are complementary. I am also thinking of the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue. Your three organizations are truly very interesting.

Ms. Frédette Fortin and Mr. Boudreau, you referred to something that is of great interest to me: education. I am from the education community and we should be making a significant change.

Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms grants minority language educational rights everywhere in Canada, except in Quebec. However, the rights only apply to primary and secondary levels, that is to say to young people aged 5 to 18. That is the problem. It is crucial that we add preschool and post-secondary education in the modernization of the Act, as you suggested. Can you tell us more about that?

[Gabrielle Frédette Fortin]

Thank you for the question.

We do consider the entire spectrum. We want equal opportunities for all young people and for an increasingly younger and increasingly older public to learn a second official language.

We are talking about designing a post-secondary stream in French, and it is extremely important to do so. We offer this opportunity to young people through scholarships that allow them to continue their studies in French, either partially or fully.

You mentioned the shortage of teachers. However, the idea is also to heighten the pride and the confidence of young people who are learning French as a second language, so that they can consider a bilingual or French-language career without fear.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

You mentioned commitment. Your thoughts and comments were very interesting.

In my opinion, there are three parts to the process. First, the person must specify his or her identity, whether as Acadian, francophone, anglophone or other. Second, in addition to specifying his or her identity, the person must participate in what is happening. That's the beginning of the commitment. Third, the person mobilizes and leads others to support the cause and to commit. That is truly crucial.

My thanks to both your groups for their work. I encourage you to keep it up.

Do I still have some time, Mr. Chair?

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Alupa Clarke]

You have one minute left.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

I can never say enough about Canadian Parents for French. Your organization has truly taken the cause of bilingualism to heart from the beginning. I would even say that francophone school boards have often pointed out, stressing the importance of French, that you are the ones calling for its expansion. In that sense, you have truly been instrumental in Canada. Congratulations on the work that you have accomplished on the ground.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Alupa Clarke]

Thank you, Mr. Samson. I think you could have been a sociologist.

Mr. Choquette, you have the floor.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you all for joining us today.

We have heard a lot about official language minority communities (OLMCs), which are the pillars of our Canadian bilingualism. Canada's linguistic duality is so important that we must try not to just talk to ourselves. Otherwise, we will not get far. We must therefore support each other. Like Mr. Samson, I think you have opened a door. You have opened or even kicked in doors, but I'm not sure how we can make the majority communities aware of the other official language.

You mentioned it as part of the modernization of the act. We are seeing the current challenges, but how can we ensure that French immersion and French as a second language instruction are available and accessible everywhere? You are suggesting that it should be a right.

What could be done to ensure that the Canadian government shows leadership by enabling all those who want to learn the other official language to do so?

[Derrek Bentley]

The bilingual community in Canada is very big right now, but it is not necessarily recognized. We talk a lot about minority and majority communities, but there is this huge bilingual community between the two. I think a decision will have to be made at some point. Something may need to be included in the Act to define this community and provide support, exactly as you have just said. We want to provide support to minority communities because more people are speaking the language and want to contribute to it. Those people can tell the majority that they have already been part of that majority, that they are still part of it, in fact, but that it is now part of a multiple identity.

It is therefore a matter of talking about bilingualism and defining what the community is all about. The next step is to provide concrete support and tell Canadians—if that is what they want—what to expect.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

That's excellent, yes.

[Alec Boudreau]

In our work, we see that it is not a demand problem, but a supply problem. There are enough requests for more Canadians to become bilingual. The focus should be on improving access to second-language education. As Mr. Bentley mentioned, parents will line up two days before the school opens to register their children.

Draws are used to choose who can study in immersion. Some university representatives have already testified and said that they have the capacity and willingness to accommodate more students. They have the capacity and structure, but they don't have the money. They can't afford to add more students to their programs.

It must be accepted that Canadians want to learn French, that they want to have exchanges in the communities and that there is already a value placed on bilingualism and duality, but that people do not have access to training.

I see it in my personal life too. I'm a little like Mr. Bentley: I have one foot in each community. My English-speaking friends and family want to learn French, but they simply don't have a way in.

So what you need to do is open more doors.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

My second question is precisely related to those who have access to French immersion, for example. You mentioned it earlier, and it is extremely important. How can we give them this linguistic security?

In other words, people spend years in French immersion. It is more than French as a second language. Still, for various reasons, they end up living with linguistic insecurity and not daring to speak French, for instance.

What can we do—and I know you do it every day—in concrete terms, to support your efforts to improve this linguistic security?

[Gabrielle Frédette Fortin]

I'll answer. In terms of—

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Alupa Clarke]

I'm sorry to interrupt you. You have 45 seconds left.

[Gabrielle Frédette Fortin]

Let's clarify Part VII of the act. This will make it possible to offer meaningful life experiences in French. Living in French is what's important. French isn't just learned in the classroom; it is also be learned in life.

[Alec Boudreau]

A symposium on linguistic security will be held early next month. It will be led by our friends from the Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française, who will explore the whole issue of linguistic insecurity in greater depth. It will take place in Ottawa.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Alupa Clarke]

Yes. It will be May 29 and 30, I believe.

We received the invitation.

[Derrek Bentley]

Yes, it's in early May.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Alupa Clarke]

Thank you very much for coming.

Lastly, you had almost an hour. The other hour was for internal business. Still, we've had a good meeting with you. We understood your message clearly.

Send us any additional information you may have, such as about the green card Mr. Samson mentioned. It will be submitted to the committee.

Please know that we are very happy with your work.

I hope you have a very nice weekend, which starts tomorrow.

Thank you.

Colleagues, we are leaving to vote, and that concludes today's meeting.

We'll see you in two weeks.

The meeting is adjourned.