Official Languages Committee on Nov. 1st, 2023

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Nowlan, I am going to continue my series of questions for you.

I know that a connection has been made between francophone postsecondary institutions and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, or ACOA. In the Atlantic region, are there connections and projects that also take place between francophone schools and ACOA? Francophone schools also have community centres and therefore play an important role in the community. Do they receive support from ACOA, one way or another?

[Daryell Nowlan]

Yes, there is.

In terms of the secondary schools, we do have partnerships and projects that we support. For example, at Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick they have—I'm not scientist—a moulding technology there. We help support them on how they can use their technology and their processes in local businesses to help them, so it's growing innovation and it's growing local businesses.

We also have a number of projects throughout the region helping students in our francophone institutions in all four provinces.

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

Can we get a list of that also?

In Nova Scotia, for example, there were two francophone schools. After the expulsion, the francophone schools were very isolated. They therefore face much greater challenges.

Is it possible to have a list of the regions where francophone schools in the Atlantic region have received funds or carried out projects and know what types of projects they are?

[Daryell Nowlan]

For sure, absolutely.

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

Can you provide us with that information also in the same week?

[Daryell Nowlan]

That may take another week, because I now have a long list of questions for which I have to give you an answer in writing.

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

So let us say that I would very much like you to be able to send us that information within two weeks. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Samson.

Thank you, Mr. Perron and Mr. Nowlan. It was really interesting to hear what happens on the ground. I have a habit of poking around the ACOA website, for example, and I think that most of the information that has been requested can be found there. However, I find it difficult to find information there on a territory by territory basis, and in fact that is the answers you are going to provide, Mr. Nowlan, in response to Mr. Samson's requests. I don't know whether it works by postal code or some other way, but it is hard to determine that a specific region received a particular amount for such and such a thing.

With that said, before adjourning the meeting, I would like to tell you that at the next meeting, we are going to undertake the revision of the draft report on our study on increased francophone immigration to Canada.

Thanks once again to the witnesses.

If it is the will of the committee, the meeting is adjourned.