Official Languages Committee on Nov. 1st, 2023

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Thank you very much.

The concern we have is obviously top-heavy bureaucracy. We want to make sure that this is getting targeted, that you're measuring and you're seeing results, and that it's not being wasted as we're seeing with the ArriveCAN app and the green slush fund and all these kinds of things that have made Conservatives extremely nervous when we're putting out line things. Those details are important.

If you could send—or maybe it's already available—exactly what your administrative costs are, all sources, and what you are providing in services, it would be helpful. We can support or just examine it further.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Okay, Mr. Dalton. Thank you.

Mr. Lauzon, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to welcome Mr. Nowlan and Mr. Perron.

Mr. Perron, I would like to come back to the question of devitalized regions. You said there were evaluation criteria for those regions.

Are most devitalized regions essentially remote and rural? Could you tell us more about that?

[Sony Perron]

We evaluate the economic development of the regions of Quebec at the regional county municipality level. We use analyses done using a very defined statistical method to identify the regions where the potential for economic development is the lowest.

With that, we look at those regions through a slightly different lens when we examine the projects submitted to us for funding. Some of the projects we support would probably not have been considered as actively if they had been intended for urban centres or for dynamic, high potential regions. On the other hand, we are more open to supporting such projects and moving them forward when they are intended for regions where there is less potential in the short term. For example, we fund projects relating to tourism or agri-food in regions where those services are absent or underdeveloped, to make the region more attractive and stimulate future economic development.

Yes, several of these regions are rather rural, as you said.

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC]

Which brings me to ask you a question about businesses in the agro-tourism sector and tourist businesses in general, which are essentially seasonal.

Do your criteria leave a bit of latitude for seasonal businesses so they are able to receive support from you?

[Sony Perron]

Your question is very pertinent.

In our regular programming, our criteria are relatively rigid, given that we are looking for an activity that will contribute to economic development in the long term.

However, for special initiatives like the ones we have launched in recent years, we are able to get involved in smaller projects, which may be seasonal, as you pointed out, particularly if it presents added value for what is on offer in the region and improves its tourist circuit. Recently, we have also been involved in accommodations in some regions where the supply was very low. So we have gotten involved in these sectors to supplement the supply and ensure that these regions have greater potential in the medium and long term.

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC]

I have had the opportunity to travel from one end of Canada to the other, to visit several communities and to meet people in a number of businesses, particularly in linguistic minority communities. Often, they learn about the existence of these programs or services somewhat by chance, whether through a member of Parliament or through another business that has received services from a federal body like yours.

What are your communication tools for reaching businesses in the official language minority communities? Often, they may feel isolated and it is not necessarily instinctual for them to go out and search for resources themselves.

[Sony Perron]

We provide a presence in 12 regional offices staffed with fully competent personnel.

We also fund a socioeconomic ecosystem through our programming. The Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation, or CEDEC, is an example, as is the YES organization.

We also have community futures corporations, or CFs, which are scattered over the rural communities of Quebec and are also a spearhead for our presence in those communities. These organizations often work with very small businesses and put them in touch with us, Economic Development Canada, when their projects start growing and it is time for us to support them.

So we are not alone. I feel like people know us, and we regularly submit that with our partners. People submit pertinent cases to us.

It is also important for fulfilling our mandate that it be done in both official languages. It is important that the anglophone communities in Quebec be familiar with us just as the francophone communities in Quebec should. That is why it is important to invest in the ecosystems of both official language communities. The program for the official languages that we talked about earlier, and the $10.2‑million figure that we receive over a five-year period, help us to improve the services offered so that the anglophone communities in the various regions of Quebec are familiar with us and know that these programs are accessible and available. We cannot allow ourselves to miss out on a good business proposal in Quebec and in Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Perron and Mr. Lauzon.

Mr. Beaulieu, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

If I understand correctly, you distribute a majority of the grants directly to businesses. You mentioned a figure of $8.7 million. You also mentioned a figure of $1.17 million for CEDEC.

Are there other organizations that serve as intermediaries? You mentioned YES, which is in Quebec, I think.

[Sony Perron]

The two main organizations are CEDEC and YES, for serving the official language minority communities in Quebec.

However, all of the organizations we fund, in most cases, are required to offer services in both official languages. It is not one or the other; it is often one and the other. In that case, however, it is specialized.

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

How do you make sure that they are anglophone or francophone businesses?

[Sony Perron]

Allow me to make a clarification.

For example, the businesses that are served by CEDEC—

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

The $10.2 million budget is supposed to go to businesses owned by anglophones, I think, but what criteria are used to determine that? People could say they are anglophones to get money. Is checking done? How do you determine whether the businesses meet the criteria? Is it the organizations that refer them to you?

[Sony Perron]

People ordinarily self-identify when they request our services. Given that they have access to our regular programs in any event, it does not really matter whether they are anglophone or francophone entrepreneurs. However, the data enable us to see whether both communities are using our programs.

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

That's good.

Based on the figures you mentioned earlier, in particular the $120 million over five years, if I do the calculation and include the program as well, it comes to almost 16% per year going to the anglophone side.

[Sony Perron]

I think it is actually 10%, if we look at—

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

As I was saying, the $120 million over five years amounts to about $24 million per year for anglophone businesses. I could redo the calculation, but in any event—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu and Mr. Perron.

We will now go to Ms. Mathyssen for two and a half minutes.

The floor is yours.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you.

Of course, there has been a lot of talk about labour shortages and the stress this puts on businesses and so on.

I'll ask my questions of Mr. Nowlan, considering Mr. Perron got the first round entirely.

Regarding francophone immigration and specifically ensuring we are trying to attract more people to those jobs, how does ACOA coordinate or work with the francophone immigration centre in Dieppe?

[Daryell Nowlan]

That's a relatively new organization, so we're just starting a relationship with them.

I'll take a step back, in terms of talking about what we do regarding francophone immigration.

First of all, one of the biggest initiatives we had in Atlantic Canada was the Atlantic immigration partnership. It's been around for about four or five years. What we did for that was have about eight of our staff throughout the region specifically assigned to support the work our colleagues at IRCC were doing. We went out to businesses. We talked with businesses and told them this was a great new initiative to use to help attract new immigrants to their business, including in our francophone minority communities. We worked directly with them.

In addition to that, we have a number of specific projects to help our francophone businesses attract immigrants, starting with projects we have with our francophone universities to help get students or recent graduates into businesses so they stay in the region. It's also to help educate all our businesses—in this case, particularly, our francophone businesses—on what it means to navigate the immigration system and have an immigrant work in their company.

As you know, when an immigrant comes in, it's not just about having a person who can turn a screwdriver. It's about bringing in the whole person and their family, and having an inclusive and diversified work environment. We provide that kind of training to them, with the supports to help them understand what it takes to go through that process.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

One of the past conversations in this committee, apparently, was with the president of the Acadian Society of New Brunswick, who said they had never had a relationship with the immigration centre in Dieppe.

I am curious about that. You said it's new.

[Daryell Nowlan]

Yes, it's relatively new, so—

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

How are you developing it, and what are your future plans?

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

You have 10 seconds.