Evidence of meeting #72 for Official Languages in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was positions.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
Thank you, Ms. Abdi Aden.
I'm sorry. I want everyone to get their turn and there is not a lot of time left. We have to stop at 1:20, at the latest.
Mr. Beaulieu, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.
1:10 p.m.
Bloc
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Thank you.
Mr. Buck, earlier, you did not have time to answer my question.
What are these grants of around $42 million used for? Can you give me examples? Would it be possible to know what all the projects are?
1:10 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation
Yes, absolutely, Mr. Beaulieu.
We're very transparent with all of our funding that arrives. I can share with you that, if we look at the actual investment, the primary investment in economic development, as you know, comes through the enabling fund and through EDI.
If we look at the value that was invested in the last action plan, we see that English speakers in Quebec were recipients of about 15% of the total envelope. That has remained fairly equivalent throughout that entire period of time. I really want to remark on that, because I think it is important to acknowledge that about 15% of the investment for economic development of OLMCs finds itself in Quebec.
That being said, with respect to the actual projects, they are far too numerous for me to articulate here, but I can provide examples, of course, to the committee—
1:10 p.m.
Bloc
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
You are saying 15%. Does that mean that in Quebec, 85% goes to francophones?
1:10 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation
No, that is not it.
For example, during the period of the last action plan, from 2013 to 2018, if we were to look uniquely at the enabling fund, a fund of $80 million more or less, over that five-year period of time about $13 million of that went into investments in Quebec led by the official-language—
1:10 p.m.
Bloc
1:10 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation
That's right.
1:10 p.m.
Bloc
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Can you give us concrete examples of projects?
We have seen that there was almost $10 million in small transfers, under $100,000. We do not know what it was used for. We do not know anything.
Is there a way of knowing what specific projects are funded and to whom the small payments, under $100,000, go?
1:10 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation
Certainly.
A great example I love is a venture that we have under way. It's a public-private-civil society collaboration that's happening as we speak in the Quebec City area. It involves individuals from the English-speaking community as represented by—and our friends from the Quebec City area will recognize this—the Valcartier family centre. It works in employment services with employers like Ver-Mac, which makes signs. It's a well-established Quebec business that is looking for and recruiting individuals to work. School boards are involved in this. The venture is actually allowing us to recruit individuals who are English speakers and bilingual to occupy vacant posts so that the local economy can benefit from all of that productivity.
It's a great example of how this investment impacts everyone—
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
Thank you.
I know it's tight, but we are far behind the two and a half minutes.
Ms. Ashton, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.
1:10 p.m.
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Thank you.
Mr. Plante, you referred to Destination Canada and the work done in connection with that initiative. I would like to know whether your organization is part of Destination Canada when the delegation goes to Paris or Morocco.
1:10 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité du Canada
We go, but this year we decided to participate at our own expense. The Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne received funding to send a delegation. It is a really strategic issue for our members. They want us to be there anyway. So we will be there.
1:10 p.m.
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
That is good. Obviously, we have heard about the work that gets done on those visits. It is important work. However, we have heard that the demand was stronger when Destination Canada went to Morocco, as compared to Paris, for example.
Would you recommend that Destination Canada find a way to visit other countries, other francophone pools, to bring people, not just from Morocco, but from elsewhere in Africa as well?
1:15 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité du Canada
I would like to come back to the example of Destination Manitoba that I talked about earlier.
One of our members, in Manitoba, wanted to know what forum produced the best result. I think it was in connection with a partnership with the province that he decided to go to Côte d'Ivoire. There were discussions with representatives of the government of Côte d'Ivoire. They told him that he should not recruit in certain sectors, and if he complied with that condition, they would facilitate things, in particular access to premises and publicity.
In the room, there were 1,700 people who knew they were going to be hearing about Manitoba, and not just Canada as a whole. We shall see whether placements in jobs will ultimately increase as a result of this formula. The Manitoba member seems to be very excited about this somewhat more targeted approach.
Watch this space, but it is probably a model that can be followed and that can add to what is already being done. Destination Canada does good things, but there may be a way to add to it through slightly more targeted initiatives, by province.
1:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
Thank you, Mr. Plante.
I'm sorry, Ms. Ashton, but that is all the time we have.
Mr. Buck, Mr. Plante and Ms. Abdi Aden, I had to interrupt you, but it was to give everyone a chance to speak. The interpretation is going to end very shortly. If you want to send additional information to the committee, through our clerk, please do not hesitate to do so. The clerk will forward the information to all the members.
Thank you for being with us.
Before you leave, colleagues, I want to say that the meeting on Wednesday will deal with the economic development study.
1:15 p.m.
Conservative
1:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
Not yet, no. We are preparing a letter.
On the judicious advice of the analyst and the clerk, we will not focus only on Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. We have also asked that during the second hour, we hear from organizations on the ground, such as the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. We want to hear not just from officials from here, but also from officials in the regions.
The meeting is adjourned.
