Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, everyone. It is a pleasure to be speaking to you today from Laurentian University, which is located in Sudbury, in northeastern Ontario, on the land governed by the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850 and the traditional lands of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae first nations.
Allow me to begin by thanking you for this invitation to appear before your committee. Thanks as well for the important work you are doing here and in your communities to honour the francophone communities' experience in minority communities across Canada. Having lived and worked in both official languages in various regions of Canada, I have witnessed firsthand the impact that the federal government and this committee have had for decades on the protection of linguistic minorities and the promotion of bilingualism in Canada.
Laurentian University is the largest bilingual university in northeastern Ontario and the only institution in Canada with a highly cultural mandate. It offers a university experience in English and French as well as a comprehensive approach to indigenous education.
Our university has been serving francophone students across northern Ontario, a fertile ground rich in Franco-Ontarian history, for more than 60 years. It has been the incubator of the Franco-Ontarian renaissance and a place where many of French-speaking Ontario's most important symbols and institutions have been conceived and celebrated. It is also acknowledged as the first bilingual university in Ontario, governed by the French Language Services Act.
We are determined to secure Laurentian's future as a university where French-language programs and teaching are appreciated and its bilingual character celebrated. We will remain committed to the next generation of young francophone leaders in the arts, social sciences, business, research and design, public administration, education and community development.
Earlier this year, Laurentian University faced an impossible choice: close the university's doors or set down the path of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act to ensure the university's survival. We recognized that this would be difficult and that our community would be impacted.
The CCA process is allowing us to restructure our academic and operational affairs in a way that will be financially viable for the university's long-term future. It is difficult. It is still painful for our community. We've had to say goodbye to talented and committed faculty, staff and researchers, many of whom worked right up to the end of the semester to help our students succeed.
Laurentian has revised its academic program offerings to focus on student interest, academic strengths and desirable outcomes for the students. Laurentian continues to offer 28 consolidated undergraduate programs and five graduate programs in French, which have strong enrolments, meeting the needs of our students. In all, given the focus on maintaining in-demand programming, fewer than 10% of all students enrolled in French-language programs are being directly affected by these changes.
These offerings keep us among the most comprehensive institutions with respect to our balance of French- and English-language programs. Furthermore, our francophone students continue to have a variety of French-language courses to choose from in their programs.
Lastly, I want to underscore that enrolment in our French-language programs has been increasing over time. This matters greatly. Contrary to the general trend in northern Ontario's declining population base, strong French-language program enrolment is a sign that Laurentian's francophone students and their communities remain engaged in what Laurentian has to offer.
We look forward to serving francophone communities in the north and across Ontario, Canada and beyond for many years to come.
Thank you. Meegwetch.