We definitely want to give our students the chance to learn about French culture. We Winnipeggers are very lucky because a lot of institutions there offer programs in both languages. We can take our kids to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the FortWhyte environmental centre, Oak Hammock Marsh, or the Manitoba Museum. All of these sites offer top-quality programs in both languages. There are many other examples. In the arts sector, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra gives concerts in French as part of its school program. It is a wonderful performance. It's in French, and it's incredibly beautiful. In addition, musicians from other parts of Canada come through Winnipeg.
However, children enrolled in immersion programs in Brandon, Dauphin, and Thompson don't have access to so many resources. The federal government could improve things just by continuing to fund the development of such programs, but also by subsidizing travel costs to help children in more remote regions get to Winnipeg so they can take advantage of these programs. That would be important.
The issue of teachers lacking confidence came up earlier. The Université de Saint-Boniface offers an intensive language program called French immersion for teachers, or FIT, which helps French immersion or French as a second language teachers refine their language skills and fully adapt to their level. The federal government already provides some funding for these programs. More could certainly be done to help teachers by increasing support for these programs.