Official Languages Committee on June 9th, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Jacques.

We will now begin the first round of questions. Each political party has six minutes, which includes the time for questions and answers.

First of all, we're going to do another sound check with Ms. Ashton to make sure the connection is good. I therefore invite her to say a few words.

I can't hear Ms. Ashton. There still seems to be a problem. We'll do another test when it's her turn to speak.

The first question will be put by the representative of the Conservative Party, specifically the committee's first vice-chair.

Mr. Godin, you have the floor for six minutes.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to thank the witnesses, who are regular invitees to the committee, for being with us today.

Today, I'm pleased to address Mr. Desruisseaux and Mr. Jacques.

Mr. Desruisseaux, I'd like to ask you a very specific question.

In your opening address, you mentioned the Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration in Dieppe. Its creation is provided for in the action plan on official languages 2023–28. To my knowledge, the centre has been open since November 2022. What has been done since then?

You said that the official opening will take place in November 2023. That seems like a long time. It should be done faster, more effectively and more efficiently.

What's happening with this innovation centre? To my knowledge, $12.9 million has been earmarked for it, but you're adding $25 million for the next five years, from 2023-28.

What can you tell us about that?

[Alain Desruisseaux]

We opened the centre in the fall of 2022, and the platform was launched.

We immediately launched our staffing strategy to fill key positions. We chose the location, in Dieppe, and are renting space at the City of Dieppe's town hall—

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Desruisseaux, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I'd just like you to confirm that the centre has indeed been open since November 2022.

Is that the case?

[Alain Desruisseaux]

Yes, it is.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

You're forecasting a fall 2023 launch. Is that right?

[Alain Desruisseaux]

It's a program launch.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Right.

In the meantime, there are no activities on site, and no programs have been launched.

[Alain Desruisseaux]

Absolutely.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

What is the centre doing right now?

[Alain Desruisseaux]

I can tell you about some of the centre's achievements since it opened.

The centre has—

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I'm sorry, Mr. Desruisseaux, but our time is limited. That's not what I wanted to know.

The centre has been open since 2022, and new programs will be launched in 2023. In the meantime, the centre is preparing to implement them and is taking action on the ground, but it's hard to pinpoint how this will be done. My understanding is that there are no major activities.

[Alain Desruisseaux]

No, there are not.

I'd like to remind you that the centre isn't a service office, meaning that we don't offer direct services, and we don't handle any files.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I understand.

Thank you, Mr. Desruisseaux.

Witnesses, I hope you don't mind. My time is limited, and I have a lot of questions.

Mr. Jacques, in your opening remarks, you talked about promotion and advertising. With all due respect, I have to say that the problem is much bigger than that. As I understand it, the problem with increased francophone immigration is the cumbersome nature of the system.

I know that certain programs have been put in place to speed things up. As I understand it, people can now register in various categories of the Destination Canada program. However, when they register in several categories, such as "francophone" and "nurse", the administrative burden is doubled. It's all very well to advertise, but if you can't keep up with demand, there's no point.

As I understand it, there's a lot of demand, especially from Africa. The problem is that we need to put mechanisms in place to speed up processing. When it comes to immigration, it takes much longer in Quebec than in the rest of Canada.

Can you explain to me what is currently being done to speed up the process and meet the needs of companies facing labour shortages? We're not developing centres of expertise so that they'll be operational in a year's time. We need answers now.

What are your observations on this subject, Mr. Jacques?

[Olivier Jacques]

Mr. Chair, one goes hand in hand with the other.

Promotion is necessary. Its purpose is to attract enough applicants to participate in our programs and meet the government's target.

The operations sector is just as important. We have to be able to meet the high demand for our services. We need to strengthen our operations. The department has therefore added resources in our offices in Africa. Since 2018, 67 new positions have been created on the African continent. We have also opened two visa offices there.

In addition, I should mention that, since the pandemic, the department has been offering ways to submit applications electronically. That way, we can spread the workload—

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I understand, Mr. Jacques, but I must interrupt you. I've got barely a minute left.

In fact, I'd like to get your comments on one particular subject. Anyone who wants to fill a store by advertising has to be able to do business there. My observation is that there is a strong demand for people to immigrate and work in Canada. The process is cumbersome, and doubly so when it comes to francophones wanting to come and work in Quebec.

How do you explain this situation?

[Olivier Jacques]

There is considerable pressure to do so, and the ministry is making efforts to reduce processing times for people who want to work, study or immigrate to Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Jacques and Mr. Godin.

Now it's the Liberals' turn, starting with Mr. Samson. He's the first, but not the least.

Mr. Samson, you have the floor for six minutes.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I would like to say hello to my friends who have come to testify before us today. We're talking about extremely important issues.

Mr. Desruisseaux, my colleague Mr. Godin asked a question about the work that was done between 2022 and 2023 at the Dieppe office. I'd like you to send the committee a document outlining the activities undertaken during this period. Obviously, we don't expect this to be done today.

It's been almost eight years—so the Conservatives say—since we came to power. Back then, Mr. Généreux, Mr. Chair and I were around this table. We worked very hard to develop a strategy. If my memory serves me correctly, we hired a company to recruit abroad, in Africa and in French-speaking countries, to target immigrants who would be keen to come and work in Canada. The plan was for them to arrive at Toronto's Pearson airport. They would be welcomed at the Centre francophone du Grand Toronto. They would then be sent to communities where a group of people would help them with their employability. I'd like you to take a few minutes to help me, if necessary, if I've forgotten anything about this.

I'd like to know if any of this has come to fruition. The vision at the time was that it would become a pan-Canadian strategy if the process worked.

Did a company recruit French-speaking immigrants from outside the country and bring them to Canada? Were these immigrants welcomed in Toronto by the Centre francophone du Grand Toronto? Were they transferred to communities that would help them enter the job market?

I'd like you to help me understand, Mr. Desruisseaux.

[Alain Desruisseaux]

There's a whole network of services in place.

The francophone immigration strategy was implemented in 2018, and it focused heavily on promotion and recruitment. However, I would say that the cornerstone is the service offer in the institutions.

As for the major players on the ground, you mentioned the Centre francophone du Grand Toronto and Pearson airport in terms of providing services. However, our regional francophone immigration networks are essential in terms of coordination and support for service providers.

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

I'd like to know who's doing the promotion outside the country.

An Ontario company was hired to recruit people, who would arrive at Pearson airport and be taken over by the Centre francophone du Grand Toronto.

I'm familiar with the work done by RDÉE Canada and, in terms of employability, the Fédération des femmes acadiennes de la Nouvelle-Écosse, or FFANE, helps people get settled.

What I want to know is if there's a company in Canada that's funded to do recruitment. Who receives these people at Pearson airport? How do things work there?

[Alain Desruisseaux]

To my knowledge, no company does that. The department provides the service. We promote and support recruitment, and work closely with our partners on the ground.

I'd like to turn the floor over to my colleague Olivier Jacques, who would probably know more about past recruitment activities than I would.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

You have the floor, Mr. Jacques.

[Olivier Jacques]

In fact, no company is funded by the federal government to recruit immigrants and promote francophone immigration. The service funded by the federal government is a pre-departure service. Immigrants who have been selected by Canada attend an orientation session just before boarding the plane. They get help writing their résumé and preparing for what they will face when they arrive in Canada.

This service, funded by the federal government, is provided by an organization based in Rabat, Morocco. Immigration consultants also offer this service, but it's not funded by the federal government.

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

Thank you.

Let's say I land at Toronto Pearson International Airport. How am I going to find the place that offers services to francophones? Will someone come and meet me? Are there signs? Will someone come and talk to me, or do I have to hide in a corner?