Official Languages Committee on Sept. 27th, 2022

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

What would you say are the most important elements of Bill C‑13 for Quebec? Can you name two?

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

You have 30 seconds to answer.

[Donald Barabé]

It's important to recognize the vital role that translation plays in the constitutional rights of Canadians who do not speak the other official language.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Iacono.

Mr. Beaulieu, you may go ahead for two and a half minutes.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm going to start with Ms. Herrick.

In 2019, your organization parted ways with the Quebec Community Groups Network, or QCGN, saying that its hard line did not appeal to younger generations. You also said that its position was abrasive and divisive.

Can you explain that?

[Vanessa Herrick]

I'll say this in English just to make sure I'm clear.

I wasn't in my role at the time, but I was working with another organization representing English-speaking seniors, so I am aware of what happened. I think the leadership at ELAN at the time was looking—

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Anik Cindy from Geloso sent me a text message—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Just a moment, please.

Mr. Iacono, could you please mute your mike?

You may carry on.

[Vanessa Herrick]

One of the main goals of our organization is to build bridges and connect with the French community. We work with the Quebec government. We work with francophones in Quebec. We value the contributions they make to Canada, and we appreciate those who value the contributions we make. The QCGN had a much harder line in working with the Quebec government that we just felt wasn't conducive to building partnerships. I think things have changed in their organization and things have changed in ours, but some of those challenges still exist.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

You're saying that the Quebec government is passing anti-English legislation? You think making French the common language and ensuring that certain services are available in the common language of Quebec is anti-English? Do they have to be in opposition?

[Vanessa Herrick]

No.

I will say that I understand that the official language of Quebec is French, and it should be that. We support that. We live there within the French community because that's what we want. But I don't think it should be only French. We have a multilingual province with people who have been there.... The English-speaking community has been there a long time, as have many other communities.

Again, as I said, I believe these should be efforts in building bridges, working together and finding common points instead of looking for divisive points. Can it be done only in French? I think the majority of services should be, but certainly, when you have a predominantly English-speaking community and you're talking about things like health care, that's non-negotiable, absolutely.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you very much.

[Vanessa Herrick]

I'm out of time.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

I know it's quick.

Madame Ashton, you have two and a half minutes.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My questions are for Mr. Barabé.

In your brief, you point out that many departments do not respect the Official Languages Act and that some documents are no longer translated. We think that's unacceptable. We've actually heard that from public servants, both in the committee and in the media.

What should the government do to better support the translation bureau so that it can serve the entire federal administration?

[Donald Barabé]

The best thing would be to enforce the Translation Bureau Act effectively. In other words, give the bureau back its mandatory role and make it free for departments to use the bureau's services again. As I said in my opening remarks, that approach would cost the government a lot less. It costs departments between 18% and 735% more to purchase translation services than what it would cost them to use the translation bureau.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Paying 735% more is outrageous. I assume cost savings is the reason that was originally given, back in 1995. As we all know, privatization ends up costing everyone more.

That calls to mind what the Public Service Alliance of Canada said about language training increasingly being contracted out, instead of being provided by the public service.

We know that the government is in desperate need of translation, so why do you think the government is making such poor use of taxpayer money and not using its own translation bureau translators?

[Donald Barabé]

When the Official Languages Act was introduced in 1969, public servants were told that they would have two bureaus serving them: the language bureau, which helped to deliver language training, and the translation bureau, which provided translation services. The language bureau isn't around anymore, and it's clear now that the translation bureau is really struggling to fulfill its mandate. When I left the bureau, it had 2,100 employees. That workforce now stands at about 1,300.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Ms. Ashton.

Mr. Barabé and Ms. Herrick, thank you for your remarks. They will really help the committee in its efforts to move this bill forward.

If you have any further information that you would like to provide us in writing, please provide the information to our clerk here.

She will forward that information to all the members of the committee, so feel free to share with the committee in writing any information you deem appropriate.

We will now suspend momentarily to bring in our next witnesses.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

The meeting is resuming.

I'd like to say a few words for the benefit of the witnesses joining us for the second hour. Two of them are participating by video conference.

Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. When you are ready to speak, you can click on the microphone icon to activate your mike. When you are not speaking, your mike should be on mute.

For interpretation services, those participating via Zoom have the choice, at the bottom of their screen, of either Floor, English or French. Members participating in person can use the earpiece and select the appropriate channel.

Lastly, a reminder that all member and witness comments should be addressed through the chair.

I want to let our witnesses know that they will have five minutes each for their opening remarks, after which, we will proceed to questions.

I would like to welcome the witnesses. From Acfas, formerly known as the Association francophone pour le savoir, we have the executive director, Sophie Montreuil. This is her very first appearance before the best committee on the Hill. We also have two representatives from the Société de la francophonie manitobaine: Daniel Boucher, executive director, and Jean‑Michel Beaudry, assistant director general.

Ms. Montreuil will start us off with her five-minute presentation.

Over to you.

[Sophie Montreuil, Executive Director, Association francophone pour le savoir]

Mr. Chair, members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, good afternoon.

I am really honoured to be with you today.

Thank you for this opportunity to discuss a very important issue: the vitality of French-language research in Canada.

My name is Sophie Montreuil, and I am the executive director of Acfas, an association that has been working in the sciences for nearly a century. We will be celebrating our 100th birthday in June, in fact.

Our association brings together French-speaking researchers across Canada, as well as research users. On average, we have 4,500 members annually and more than 25,000 supporters.

We have a very large network, with a regional presence spanning almost the entire country. Our six branches are located in Acadia, Toronto, Sudbury, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Those branches are overseen by volunteer committees made up of French-speaking students and teachers, and they organize French-language science activities in minority communities.

As a general rule, research contributes to the development of societies, states and their citizens. In a bilingual country like ours, research conducted in French opens the door to many more possibilities.

First, it helps build a French lexicon that can be used to disseminate knowledge throughout francophone minority communities, in the media and among government workers.

Research conducted in French produces data on issues and realities that affect francophone minority communities, and that data supports the development of public policies and services tailored to those communities.

Research conducted in French also helps to strengthen the ties between universities and the communities they belong to.

In addition, research conducted in French makes scientific life possible in French, fostering a sense of linguistic security among French-speaking youth and the French-speaking science community.

Lastly, research conducted in French provides an inclusive space for researchers of all backgrounds and origins, brought together by the desire to study and work in French.

Acfas carried out a significant study between 2019 and 2021. The report provides an overview of French-language research in minority communities across Canada and addresses the challenges. Basically, the study reveals a decline in research conducted in French in Canada and a significant lack of support for researchers working in French. Unfortunately, those are the clear and simple report findings, and they are corroborated by other studies.

That is why it is so important that the modernized Official Languages Act clearly mention support for the development and dissemination of knowledge in French in Canada.

We are delighted that Bill C‑13 includes a commitment to replace sections 41 and 42 of the Official Languages Act, so that positive measures can be taken to “support the creation and dissemination of information in French that contributes to the advancement of scientific knowledge in any discipline”. We certainly welcome that provision, but some minor changes are needed in order for us to be completely satisfied.

As the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne also noted, the provision is too broad and will have a limited impact. All it will do is support the flow of information, something that is already provided for in other parts of the act.

We would like to propose three amendments.

First, we recommend going back to the language in the official languages reform document. Specifically, we propose adding the term “research” and rewording the reference to positive measures in new subsection 41(6) proposed in the bill. Accordingly, the language that currently reads “may include measures, among others, to” would instead read “include measures, among others, to”.

Lastly, we also recommend that the positive measure I referred to a moment ago be reworked. In other words, the measure to “support the creation and dissemination of information in French” should be amended in two ways: the term “scientific” should be added before the word “information”; and it should be clearly laid out that, to achieve the measure, the government must “support scientific research and life in French, among other things”.

I will leave it there.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Ms. Montreuil.

You took 4 minutes and 59 seconds.

[Sophie Montreuil]

That's great.