Official Languages Committee on Oct. 27th, 2016

[Hubert Lussier]

It can be done in several ways.

In infrastructure, Canadian Heritage can help the provinces build day care centres in the schools. That is what we have done in some instances. Mr. Samson will remember this because there are examples of it in Nova Scotia.

We have done this to a lesser degree in certain provinces because the provincial education department has adopted a policy to provide equipment for early childhood in the schools. This is something we have heard, and the minister also referred to it. The topic of infrastructure associated with early childhood was raised in virtually all the round table discussions during the consultations.

In addition to infrastructure, there is another aspect that may be the responsibility of the Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos and his early childhood initiative. I am talking about professionals' skills or training. A sum of $500 million was announced in the last budget for early childhood initiatives across the country, and a consultation is under way.

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

I have another example. People in western Canada often tell us there are waiting lists to register their children at school, even in immersion. Some parents show up 24 hours in advance because they know that, if they cannot get spaces in immersion kindergarten for their children, they will never be able to have an education in French and will be educated in English only.

How could the action plan help the provinces offer more immersion spaces? This is more a problem of supply than demand.

[Hubert Lussier]

Yes. One priority area we intend to act on is teacher training. For the moment, supply is one of the major barriers to increasing the number of teachers and, as some will say, improving the quality of immersion teachers.

[Jean-Pierre Gauthier]

We heard a lot of comments to that effect during our consultations in the summer. We have the same reading on the situation. There is a lot of demand, but the supply is inadequate, as a result of the training of early childhood immersion educators or teachers.

These issues will definitely be examined over the next few months with a view to offering the minister and cabinet options on ways to address this. The minister intends to give these issues priority. We have been instructed to examine opportunities in this area.

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

We often hear about capacity development. Even in 2016, we are still thinking about how to go about building this capacity. People in some minority regions may be quite well served. That is the case in Sudbury with regard to education, but we are having difficulty with early childhood.

However, this is still an important issue across the country. Since we say our country is bilingual, and since this is 2016, I think it is a priority to go back to that, especially in the context of the 150th anniversary. The action plan must reflect this. That is essential if we want people to talk about strong minority languages in 150 years. The situation is sustainable across the country.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you, Mr. Lefebvre.

Mr. Vandal, you have the floor.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Good morning.

The minister just said that one of the priorities that emerged from the consultations was the situation of the media. In 2010, the publication assistance program was replaced by the Canada periodical fund. If I understand correctly, there is no recognition of their status as francophone minority publications. Is that correct?

[Hubert Lussier]

In fact, the provisions of the new program make it easier for minority media to qualify. The eligibility threshold is lower for minority media. That was a consideration when the new program was developed.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

We are talking about minority media, but that does not include minority francophones. Is that the same thing?

[Hubert Lussier]

Yes.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

How did that change?

[Jean-Pierre Gauthier]

Perhaps I can cite some examples.

Magazines or periodicals seeking assistance must, in general, sell 5,000 copies or have 5,000 subscribers. However, that figure is lowered to 2,500 for minority publications.

Generally speaking, they must also have sold 50% of their distributed copies. However, that requirement is lowered for minority magazines.

A minimum subscription price of $12 is set for magazines in general. However, that price is dropped to one dollar for minority community media.

Consequently, various measures such as these facilitate access to publications from minority communities.

Now, we have to know the net result because that is what ultimately counts.

Funding for most minority publications has therefore increased, but that is not true in all cases. The reverse has occurred in three, four, or five cases, and that has raised a lot of questions and reactions. This is the kind of issue we are examining: how to manage this situation?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

In Manitoba, if I understand correctly, funding for the weekly La Liberté was cut by 50%.

[Jean-Pierre Gauthier]

Yes, that is one of the cases that were not helped by the change.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

L'Eau vive in Saskatchewan and L'Express in Ottawa are no longer able to publish, as I understand it. Am I right?

[Jean-Pierre Gauthier]

I do not know all the individual cases. I am somewhat aware of La Liberté, but I am not familiar with the specific situation of Ottawa's L'Express.

You also have to bear in mind that we do not manage the program. We know that three or four publications, in the financial tables we examined, did not fare well under the changes. Now, we should check to see the actual situation on a case-by-case basis.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Do you anticipate that changes will be made to the Canada periodical fund to readjust the objectives for minority publications?

[Hubert Lussier]

My colleagues who manage the program have it evaluated every five years. That is an opportunity for them to consider whether existing criteria are appropriate. I cannot speak for them, but that is one of the responsibilities at the time of the evaluation. Checking to see whether anything can be changed is part of the lifecycle of these programs.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Who manages that, your department or another? Is that the responsibility of Canadian Heritage?

[Hubert Lussier]

It is the responsibility of Canadian Heritage.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Another branch of Canadian Heritage?

[Hubert Lussier]

They are colleagues within Canadian Heritage.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Mrs. Boucher, you have the floor.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good morning, Messrs. Lussier and Gauthier. This is very interesting.

We have talked about many things today. We talked about the next action plan and about the roadmap for Canada's official languages 2013-2018. I am still very surprised to see that we have not spoken, or have said very little, about health.

We have heard a lot about education, early childhood, and immigration, but very little about health. And yet health in French was a winner in the roadmap for Canada's official languages 2013-2018, and even before that. The roadmap even stated the following:

The health field has seen steady progress in recent years and the long term, as a result of Roadmap funding.... It's important for health that the Roadmap be renewed, because although health is a provincial responsibility, linguistic duality is a federal responsibility.

To your knowledge, will health be part of the new action plan? I think it is important that it be included. I am a francophone first and foremost. I can get along in English, but I have always said that, when you are sick or hurt, you are hurt in your mother tongue.

A lot of progress has been made with the roadmaps; now it will be an action plan. Can you give us a few words on the success stories of the roadmaps? Can we expect another success with the action plan?