Ms. Lapierre, you may add something quickly.
Evidence of meeting #91 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 children.
Evidence of meeting #91 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 children.
9:25 a.m.
Chair, Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
I'd like to add a few words to everything that has been said.
We would like to be protected, no matter which party forms the government. That is why we are asking for changes to the act.
On page 17 of our brief, in point 43.2(b), we talk about the importance of the role of councillors and minority school boards in this regard. I will send you the other amendment suggestion we made. Our objective is to have the federal level give us first choice when it gets rid of a site, so that we may have schools that are big enough, and day care services.
As we have all said, early childhood services are essential to our culture and to the development of our language, and not taking this into account is dangerous.
9:25 a.m.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
At this time it is really a problem to build new French-language schools, or even to renovate existing ones. As for the land, there is a particular reality here. According to what I understand, the school boards had not planned to have early childhood spaces in the schools.
9:30 a.m.
Chair, Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
Regarding new school construction, the province gives us Neighbourhood Learning Centres. We then have appropriate funds, and we ask the parents what they want to do. Generally, they want day cares, in order to build the community from the crib up, as Ms. Lavoie said.
9:30 a.m.
NDP
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Good morning, everyone. I thank you sincerely for having responded to our call and for being here.
I am also an Acadian MP, but I am from New Brunswick. I am proud to be an Acadian member of Parliament, just as I am also very proud to be a Canadian. I was going to say “but”; however, these two realities are not mutually exclusive. The members of the Acadian community are proud to be a part of a linguistic minority and to be citizens of this country, but they nevertheless face some challenges.
I am a lawyer by training. I dedicated my entire life both to my career as a lawyer and to organizations that defend, protect and promote language rights. I am also a member of the Association des juristes d'expression française du Nouveau-Brunswick. Flanked by an army of volunteers, such as yourselves, on the ground, I work so that the community may live and thrive in French daily. Thank you very much for being here.
Before asking my questions, I would like to say that I am part of a superb committee. Our committee discusses language issues that affect both anglophones in minority situations in Quebec, and francophones in minority situations outside Quebec. We have big ears, we listen and we draft a lot of reports. If you have the opportunity of coming to see us at work in Ottawa, you will see that we are very effective.
Our committee is quite dynamic. We have—and they are quite rare among federal MPs—four francophone members from outside Quebec, one Franco-Ontarian member, and members from Quebec. There is one missing because we lacked the necessary budgets, but we understand the reality on the ground perfectly, as Mrs. Boucher said at the outset, and we are extremely sensitive to it.
If you have questions that have not been answered completely, please send them in writing to the clerk. What you say to us constitutes evidence, and we need it to draft our reports. We cannot make use of what we do not hear or do not read. So, if you want to obtain answers to questions, or additional replies to some of them, please send us your comments in writing. Let me reiterate that these constitute evidentiary elements for us that help us to prepare our reports.
Mr. Choquette raised an important issue, and Mr. Samson spoke about the enumeration of rights holders. I am going to raise something else.
How are francophones distributed throughout British Columbia? Is the French-speaking community concentrated here, or is it dispersed north and south?
9:30 a.m.
President, Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique
The francophone community is dispersed; there is no real concentration in specific regions. Francophones are present throughout the province.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Fine.
Are there any locations where the number of francophones is greater than elsewhere in the province?
9:30 a.m.
President, Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique
Yes, Victoria and Vancouver.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
What is the percentage of francophones who have settled in Victoria and Vancouver?
9:30 a.m.
President, Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique
Fifty per cent.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
So, it is difficult to help, target or manage the francophone population in a very large province. Correct?
9:30 a.m.
President, Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique
Yes.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
How do you set your priorities? Among all of the points that were raised this morning, is there one that needs to be tackled immediately?
9:30 a.m.
President, Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique
The Official Languages Act needs to be changed. We need to put something permanent in that act so that we can get certain things back. We also need capital assets.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Yes. On the ground today, what is the most pressing need?
9:30 a.m.
President, Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique
The one that relates to capital assets.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Have you quantified your needs in this regard for the Government of British Columbia? Did you put that on paper?
9:30 a.m.
President, Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique
Yes. That is in the study we released today. In fact, we went to court.
9:30 a.m.
Vice-Chair, Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
We and the CSF took this aspect of the issue before the courts several years ago, and this has yet to be settled.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
9:30 a.m.
Vice-Chair, Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
We appealed the decision.
The matter is in fact related to the census. The judge based her decision on the data provided by the census, period. The problem is that francophone students are not all included. Since the judge only had partial data, she considered that we were not entitled to certain things.
9:35 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
Let me say that when we return to Ottawa, we will be hearing representatives from Statistics Canada; they will be among the first witnesses we will be hearing on this topic.
9:35 a.m.
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Believe me, we are focused on the enumeration issue. I'd like to hear everything you can tell us on that at this time. It's important to us.
Ms. Lapierre, did you want to add a comment?