Evidence of meeting #96 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 newspaper.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Publisher, The Sherbrooke Record
I've spoken about this same subject. In fact, I just recycle my presentation over and over again.
Publisher, The Sherbrooke Record
We've been saying the same thing over and over again. This is not new to the committee, I'm sure, and it's not new to anybody in government.
Liberal
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you very much for being here. I appreciate that you take the time to come to the committee to say what you have to say.
You said we have the power to help Canada, Quebec anglophone minority languages, but how would you suggest the federal government solve the problem that anglophone newspapers have now?
Co-Publisher, The North Shore News, Newsfirst Multimedia
Do you want something concrete?
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Yes, and thank you for being here. I appreciate it very much.
Co-Publisher, The North Shore News, Newsfirst Multimedia
Thank you, Ms. Lapointe.
I'm sure you have a big staff that's been looking at how they're going to help us, but whatever they do, I think it should be based on content, real content, local content, and not content that people buy from Reuters, The Canadian Press, and stuff like that.
First of all, we've been saying that Treasury Board and Public Works have, in a way, forgotten about us for years and years. I told you the numbers. In 2002 we had $350,000 in advertising, and now, for this fiscal year finishing in a couple of days, it's only $15,000. Somebody somewhere in Public Works or Treasury Board just put an X on anything that has to do with English papers in Quebec or French papers outside Quebec. This has to change. This is political will that has to change, because we haven't seen any political will for years and years.
We are the victims of the Gomery commission, because every year we were getting a part of the advertising budget, and then the first thing they cut after the Gomery commission was advertising in the local newspapers, whether it was English papers in Quebec or French papers outside Quebec. That's what they did, and you can check that with your agency of record, Cossette. You could check it out with Treasury Board and Public Works.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Thank you.
We had witnesses who were telling us that most seniors like to have the paper in their hands. I know that you're on a website, because sometimes I go to your website to look at your newspaper. What are the numbers for those using the website and the ones who read the paper? Do you have these numbers?
Co-Publisher, The North Shore News, Newsfirst Multimedia
Let me tell you something. As you know, I have four newspapers—
Co-Publisher, The North Shore News, Newsfirst Multimedia
—but we're here for this one. My partner was very savvy. We went onto the Internet back in 1996. We were on the Internet, but it wasn't bringing in any revenue. It was just an extra thing.
The website of the North Shore News is the whole paper in PDF, because we don't have the staff to make it. Recently we cut the person who was doing the work on those papers, so we only do a PDF. It's just a picture of the paper. However, if you go to our other paper, The Laval News, you will see the work that my partner has done. We've even won the best website award for community papers in Quebec. It takes hours and hours, and it takes a lot of work, and somebody has to get paid for it.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
You said that it should be based on “real content, local content”. It would be journalism...?
Liberal
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Again, thank you very much for being here today.
Ms. Ryan, how many people did you say are working for your newspapers?
Publisher and Managing Editor, Aylmer Bulletin
I have about five people working at one, four people working at another, and a lot of part-time people who contribute one or two pieces or help a bit with distribution and that kind of thing.
Publisher and Managing Editor, Aylmer Bulletin
It is a lot of work, and I have several positions that are open.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
How many advertising dollars are you receiving from the federal government?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
I apologize, Mr. Choquette, but I have to interrupt you. We are going to have to go and vote.
I want to thank our three witnesses Ms. Ryan, Mr. Guzmas and Ms. McCully.
Thank you very much for your presence today.
You help us gain a better understanding of the situation of official language newspapers in minority communities.
It's very important that we do our best to keep you alive and keep you living well.
You can be certain that all of the members of this committee are here to give you a hand up. I thank you for having travelled to come to meet with us.
I want to repeat to the members of the committee that we will not be having a meeting next Wednesday, so that you can be present at Minister Joly's presentation of the Action Plan for Official Languages. Afterwards, we will be in our ridings for two weeks. Madam Clerk and I are going to work on a schedule for the rest of our work, and we will submit it to you when you return. My thanks to all of you.
The meeting is adjourned.
