Official Languages Committee on March 19th, 2018

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you very much.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

I would also like to get an answer from Ms. Scott.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Go ahead, Ms. Scott.

[Melanie Scott]

We do regular surveys of our readership. Of the 40,000 residents in our reading area, we reach up to 10,000 in our readership every single week. We may only sell 2,500 to 3,000 papers, but our readership is very powerful. We did a survey last year. We discovered that in fact what we're producing is exactly what readers want. Everyone said, “Don't change a thing.”

[A voice]

Yes, I agree.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thanks, Melanie.

Mr. Généreux has the floor, but for one question only.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Chair, I move that we extend the meeting by 10 minutes, if everyone agrees. We have a vote at 6:30 p.m. so we have plenty of time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Yes, but I have to attend another committee meeting at a quarter to the hour.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

We could take an extra five minutes.

In any case, thank you very much for being here.

Ms. Razafimbahiny and Ms. Morin, would you like to add anything? We did not bring you here for nothing.

Is there something you would like to say that we have not had the opportunity to hear?

Ms. Razafimbahiny, you are the director general of the FCCF. I would imagine there are certain situations that your president is not aware of.

[Maggy Razafimbahiny, Director General, Fédération culturelle canadienne-française]

Well, of course I agree with everything that Mr. Théberge and Ms. Morin have said thus far.

I would add, or rather emphasize, an extremely important aspect of the government's role and duty to support community media. It is something Mr. Théberge mentioned in his presentation: social cohesion.

Our society is being transformed with the arrival of many newcomers. Having been a newcomer myself, about twenty years ago, I can say that local media play an absolutely essential role in helping newcomers adapt to the new society to which they belong, and also in developing a sense of shared identity that we want to have with other francophones here. The community media are really the only ones that can help us in that way.

As to the economic and budget considerations, our colleagues from the APF and the ARC du Canada will be appearing before you in two days. They will no doubt go into great depth about their plans and suggestions for strengthening financial support.

To answer Mr. Samson though, I would say yes, we definitely need that funding. It is essential for the development of our media.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Ms. Kenny, I really appreciate your input.

Ms. Scott said earlier that there are 40 strictly anglophone community newspapers in Quebec.

If we gave each of those newspapers $50,000, that would be over $2 million. That is more than the $1.5 million requested and we have not even addressed the needs of the francophone media.

[Marie-France Kenny]

I don't know if everyone has lost as much as we have. For our part, it amounts to $50,000.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

You had a lot of revenue, at $50,000.

[Marie-France Kenny]

It is $50,000, but if you consider—

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Those are good revenues.

[Marie-France Kenny]

Yet the Commissioner of Official Languages said in his report that it was $1.5 million.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

That is not a lot. I do not think that is a large amount.

[Marie-France Kenny]

Could that possibly be for all francophone newspapers? Perhaps that should be checked.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

How many are there? If we divide $1.5 million by $50,000, that is not very much.

[Marie-France Kenny]

That is for francophone radio and newspapers.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

So that means roughly 30. There are more than that in Canada.

[Marie-France Kenny]

No. How many community radio stations are there?

[Martin Théberge]

There are 27.

[Marie-France Kenny]

There are also ten or maybe twelve francophone newspapers.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

In all of Canada?