Evidence of meeting #36 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 destination.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:05 a.m.
Liberal
November 24th, 2016 / 9:05 a.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thanks to our witnesses for being here today.
An official languages secretariat is impressive at first glance. You are definitely doing good work. You refer to relations with the communities, associations, and so on. That is good in theory. However, I do not think the results are there. You have been in your position since 2014, but this is 2016, and you are saying the target will be reached in 2018.
Could you help me understand how that will happen? The people who come here tell us they cannot go to Destination Canada any more. And yet, according to your remarks, that was one of the essential strategies, but that is not clear.
Moreover, as part of your strategy to achieve the 4.4% target, which you have not yet done, can you assure us you are making an effort to prevent people from limiting themselves to Vancouver, Toronto, and so on? What are you doing about the rural and urban aspect?
Lastly, as regards language, when anglophone immigrants arrive in Halifax, Nova Scotia, programs are available from International Service Learning. Do you have any language programs for francophones in Nova Scotia, for example? There are definitely allophones as well.
9:05 a.m.
Director, Official Languages Secretariat, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Let us talk about the target and our confidence that we can achieve it. You have to consider one basic factor involved in hitting that target. As a result of the definition at the time, the number of francophone immigrants who settle outside Quebec is systematically underestimated. Amendments have been made to the definition of what a francophone immigrant is. So we hope that, within a few months, that will result in a much more accurate picture of the actual number of francophone immigrants who settle outside Quebec.
For the moment, our figures indicate the number is underestimated. Everyone agrees on this, even members of the community.
9:05 a.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
I agree with you.
I forgot to mention that our minister is very open to francophone immigration. So we must take advantage of this situation.
9:05 a.m.
Director, Official Languages Secretariat, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
As regards the urban and rural aspect, the department's approach is based mainly on settlement. The idea is to provide communities with the resources. As you know, we fund 13 francophone immigration networks. We allow them a lot of leeway to develop their strategic plans in every region. Each region, each francophone immigration network, has the leeway to develop a strategic plan adapted to its own situation. Each determines whether it needs more francophone immigrants in urban or rural areas. They determine that, and then we can react.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
9:10 a.m.
Director, Official Languages Secretariat, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I will not be talking about those details. You can contact the secretariat.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
You say a team is doing that in Nova Scotia.
9:10 a.m.
Director, Official Languages Secretariat, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
There is a francophone immigration network in Nova Scotia, based in Halifax, which is very active.
Language training is outside my area of expertise. My role is to coordinate the department's activities. You should consult the language training experts.
9:10 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
We offer courses across the country in both official languages, and that is regardless of the province where the people are because they are offered everywhere.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
If you had to give us a number, where do we stand today? I think the figure was 1.4% last year.
You said you were confident you could reach the target. What leads you to believe that, apart from the amendments that have been made to the definition?
9:10 a.m.
Director, Official Languages Secretariat, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
You have me there.
We have implemented measures that will make a difference. As you know, we have reinstated a program that is now called Mobilité Francophone and that will definitely have an impact. We are seeing considerable success in international promotion and recruitment. With your permission, I would like to take a few minutes to cover that in a little more detail. You have an interest—
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
You are going to talk about Destination Canada. So I agree.
9:10 a.m.
Director, Official Languages Secretariat, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
That is exactly where I am headed.
With Destination Canada, we are seeing increased interest among immigrants in European countries. With your permission, I will give you a few figures. We are seeing an increase in registration. At the last edition, the 2016 edition, which recently took place in Paris, 2,760 potential clients registered for the event. So there is a considerable amount of pressure.
I said 2,760, but there were in fact 12,760 registrants. Pardon me.
There is keen interest among potential francophone immigrants. Our colleagues in Paris, who as you know are very dynamic, are developing other access and promotion options for potential clients. We are moving toward a world in which social media, especially Twitter, are being used as a more effective way to reach people outside Canada.
We are noticing increasing interest in Destination Canada. Generally speaking, we are seeing an increase in Canadian registration and continued involvement in Destination Canada by the provinces and territories. This means that things are looking good. We have explored new recruitment pools south of the Sahara from our office in Dakar, and I believe we are achieving some success in that area.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
I know my speaking time is up, but I would like to know whether we have hired agents in the field—
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
I will continue chairing this meeting.
Mr. Choquette, you have the floor.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
9:10 a.m.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Yes, probably.
I would like to know what financial and human resources are made available to the Official Languages Secretariat.
9:10 a.m.
Director, Official Languages Secretariat, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
That is a good question, and I believe it is wise to put that in context.
One of the secretariat's fundamental roles is to serve as a lever within the department, and even with other federal departments. At first glance, our budget may seem limited. However, our role is not to establish contracts or to travel across the country but rather to capitalize on the resources of the other groups within the department. So to answer your question more specifically, we have—
9:10 a.m.
NDP
9:15 a.m.
Director, Official Languages Secretariat, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Absolutely.
9:15 a.m.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
As regards results, we had targets, and that was important.
Why are those targets important?
Because the official language minority communities are currently declining, in percentage terms, relative to the majority communities. This is having an impact on the vitality of those communities and on the pressure they are under. The 4.4% target was not set just for the fun of it: the idea was to maintain the percentage, the demographic weight of the official language minority communities. You say you have enough resources to exercise a leverage effect but that you do not know the results. I find that hard to understand in a way.
9:15 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The purpose of coordination is also to try to help others succeed. In fact, what you have to consider is the money we give under the roadmap and from our regular budgets, which we receive every year.
The secretariat is very small, but it can help with this coordination effort. You are looking at the $26 million we spend on training every year, but we have an annual budget of $900 million for integration in Canada. That is obviously for everyone, not just for francophone immigration. We have international missions. All these resources have the capacity and a duty to work toward the 4% target.
We are seeing the difference now; I am sure of it. We have begun to make changes to the Express Entry system. We have done more international recruiting, and we are working increasingly closely with the communities. They also have to sell themselves.