Evidence of meeting #88 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 resdac.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:50 p.m.
Representative, Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences
Yes. That actually had to do with the Bureau de l'alphabétisation et des compétences essentielles, or BACE, the entity that we report to in order to obtain funding and whose mandate was to develop literacy and skills. It had changed its direction over time and the Bureau was increasingly focusing on employment only, whereas, at one time, it had funded things like family literacy.
That is why Mr. DesRoches said that.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
I understand.
You mentioned previously that you were in talks with the department.
3:50 p.m.
Representative, Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences
Yes.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
In 2017, the department made a commitment to consult with official language minority communities to examine viable solutions, and better address their needs in terms of the challenges of developing literacy and essential skills.
You said that those consultations were under way and that you were playing a role in them. Could you tell us more about what is happening right now?
3:50 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes
We have met with department officials several times to talk about the different models that could be used to get RESDAC on track again. One of the things we have talked a lot about is trying to ensure that we are well in tune with the priorities of various departments, such as Canadian Heritage and Employment and Social Development Canada.
By the way, when we meet with officials from Employment and Social Development Canada, we insist that the officials from the Department of Canadian Heritage also participate in the talks, because that department is responsible for the roadmap.
For a year or a year and a half now, we have worked very hard to address the collective impact. This includes theories and change models. Since our organization is a member of RESDAC, we have asked ourselves a lot of questions on how we want to evolve in the future. As a result, we are looking at various solutions, such as establishing a consortium of service providers. This idea is on the table, but will it be adopted? I can’t guarantee that, but it is one idea among others, and it is very appealing, because the models are there.
We are also looking into best practices in federally funded organizations. For example, there are organizations in high-school education that have formed a consortium. So we are looking to see whether it might be possible, with regard to literacy and essential skills, to implement a similar model, and tailor it to the realities of francophone communities.
We are having talks about that with the department.
3:50 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes
Absolutely, they are open to it.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
In her report, the acting Commissioner of Official Languages mentioned that it was very important to evaluate RESDAC's direction, as well as its eligibility criteria for funds available for literacy and acquiring essential skills, so that the needs and priorities are better taken into account.
What is your reaction to that recommendation?
3:50 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes
We know that small French-speaking communities rarely have the organizational capacity to file very complex funding applications. Other financial organizations have the same problem, be they at provincial, municipal, or federal level.
Given that some of our communities are small and have less developed organizational capacities, the government should be flexible enough, despite everything, to allow these communities to receive funding for specific projects that could have an impact on our clientele, usually people with low literacy rates, whether it is at the level of job skills or family literacy, or for seniors who need to develop certain skills. We should therefore tailor the eligibility criteria to the communities’ real capacities. This is why we find the idea of a consortium interesting. The organizations that form it could help communities that do not have the same capacity to submit applications for projects that could have a real impact on their communities.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
3:50 p.m.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My thanks to our witnesses for being here today. This is an issue we have been following for some time now. Before we had even started our study of the action plan, we had talked about the fact that funding had been cut in 2014.
Do you know why the funding was cut? Was it simply that the action plan had changed? I think I recall early childhood funding also being cut at the same time. What was the idea behind all of that? Did you receive any explanations, or did this happen just out of the blue?
3:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes
I can answer from my professional experience. There was a time when we at the BACE also received funding. A meeting was held in 2013, I believe, and we were indeed told that funding to 22 community organizations in the area of literacy would be cut. Among them were RESDAC, our anglophone counterpart, Essential Skills Ontario, some organizations in New Brunswick, and COFA. In all, 22 community organizations lost their funding.
Remember that, at the time, we were seeing a number of new directions. The government wanted to invest more and more into developing employment skills. We also heard a lot about social finance, the principle under which organizations partner with the private sector to reap significant benefits, and the results they achieve determine the type of funding they receive.
We have nothing against motherhood and apple pie. Social finance works in some areas and provides wonderful results when there is a critical mass. With our colleague Ronald Bisson, we conducted a study on social finance in small francophone communities. I am sorry, but large corporations like Bombardier that can fund social finance projects to increase essential skills are not at all in the same situation as organizations from small communities in the Yukon, Nunavut or British Columbia. In may not be a viable approach for us. We do not criticize the approach by saying that it is not viable. However, in small communities, it is perhaps not the best solution.
3:55 p.m.
Representative, Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences
I would like to clarify that it was the way it was defined at the time. We have colleagues, including Jean-Luc Racine, who are working on a new definition with Employment and Social Development Canada. Various stakeholders in areas like early childhood, seniors, youth, and women have come together in a social finance project. They are trying to expand the definition a little more to better adapt it to our situations.
3:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes
So the solution may not have been viable in 2013, but the concept is evolving. After all, it has been five years. There may be ways of doing things differently, but, as I mentioned, RESDAC has been asking itself what is next for the last year and a half.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Adequate funding for the whole education system, from early childhood to adult, was also one of our recommendations for the last action plan. Unfortunately, in the meantime, you have exhausted all your resources. You are still holding on by your fingertips, but without any financial resources.
3:55 p.m.
Representative, Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences
We no longer have any staff. The board of directors is holding things together for now.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
The government is aware. You are currently in a consultation. I gather that Employment and Social Development Canada is part of that consultation, as is Canadian Heritage.
3:55 p.m.
Representative, Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences
We had a few meetings, but we are losing our contacts. I don't think Mr. Gauthier is there anymore. I don't know what will happen next. Actually, the president of RESDAC is the one with those contacts.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Earlier, we talked about the anglophones’ situation. I know that you are mostly dealing with francophones in a minority situation, but I would like to know what is happening with the anglophones in a minority situation. Are people from the QCGN also involved in your discussions with Employment and Social Development Canada?
3:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes
We have actually worked extensively with anglophones in Quebec, with Linda Shohet from the Centre for Literacy, or the Centre d’alphabétisation in French. That organization no longer exists today. For example, we organized what we called—
3:55 p.m.
Representative, Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences
Oh yes, it was like research symposia.
4 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes
They were summer institutes where anglophones and francophones said the same thing about literacy and skills development. We actually have exactly the same problems. The francophones are not the only ones who lost their funding. Our anglophone colleagues did too. In total, 22 francophone and anglophone organizations lost their funding. Our anglophone colleagues are going through exactly the same thing as us.
We asked Employment and Social Development Canada whether it was possible for an observer to attend discussions on the francophone side.
It is important to understand that the situation in Quebec is completely different from that in the rest of Canada. In Quebec, there are four anglophone universities and some anglophone colleges. Good for them; I am very happy for them. In Ontario, there are some bilingual universities, but only one francophone university: Université de Hearst. There may be another one in Toronto in the future. Apart from that, that's pretty much all we have left.
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
Mr. Choquette, I have to turn to the next speaker.
Mr. Samson, you have the floor.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
My thanks to the witnesses for being here today to talk about the situation on the ground. They provide us with information that allows us to do our job, which is to get to the bottom of things so that the needs of both communities are met.
You said that the situation of anglophones and francophones was the same. I would like you to clarify, because I'm not sure I understand. Were you referring to anglophones in minority situations and francophones in minority situations? You were not talking about anglophones in a majority situation, were you?