Thank you for the question.
I would not say that francophone immigration is going well in the Yukon because we have a lot of needs in that area. We must do a lot of promotion because, unlike other parts of the country, people do not necessarily know where the Yukon is, period.
The Mobilité francophone is an excellent tool. We were pleased to see that such a program is back. We have started talking about it to employers here. In addition, we are returning to Destination Canada this year for the first time since 2011.
The response of our employers is that this is very relevant. It will work especially, for example, for people with permits for the Canada-France Working Holiday Program who already have jobs. They will be able to extend their stay.
That said, how can that type of immigration become permanent? There are a number of francophones currently in the Yukon who want to stay there. How can we ensure that they do not need to keep taking steps? That is our biggest obstacle right now. How do we help those people transition from temporary status to permanent status?
Let me give you a specific example. I have obtained permission to discuss the case.
Chrystelle Houdry comes from France. She came here with a working holiday permit in 2008. She returned in 2013, just after the francophone significant benefit program was eliminated. Since then, she went back to school to obtain a permit. Her son went to the Garderie du petit cheval blanc and now attends École Émilie-Tremblay. Chrystelle now sits on the AFY’s board of directors. Their dream is to have a dog sled business here in the Yukon, but there is no program to help them. We know of no way for them to obtain a more permanent status in Canada. For us it is important to retain people like that.