Official Languages Committee on Nov. 29th, 2023

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Fabiano and Ms. Cousineau, thank you for the work you're doing on economic development in Ontario.

For your information, I believe that FedNor is the economic development agency with the most francophone and bilingual employees providing services. I think it's a model that other economic development agencies should follow. We'll be looking at the figures a little later.

I'd also like us to discuss the Centre pour l'entreprise des femmes PARO, money, immigration centres and immigration. Lastly, I would like to add that the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, FedNor, has been around for 36 years and became an independent agency under the Liberal government in 2021.

Our government has increased funding for economic development agencies since 2015. Their funding had undergone major cuts for 10 years under the former Harper government, but our government has been investing in them since 2015.

Mr. Fabiano, my first question concerns the Centre pour l'entreprise des femmes PARO. What has FedNor done to support that entrepreneurship development organization for francophone women in northern Ontario?

[Nick Fabiano]

Thank you for that question.

The PARO organization works with women entrepreneurs. It helps businesses and offers mentorship and assistance in preparing business plans. It's actually a support group for women entrepreneurs.

According to FedNor, this kind of organization is really important in northern Ontario. In many cases, it's not a matter of providing money for businesses, but rather of mentorship and access to experienced people who can help the business. That's why we extensively invest in innovation centres.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

The government has created a rural immigration pilot project, but that was introduced in northern Ontario several years ago. As you may know, the committee has extensively discussed the importance of francophone immigration for official language minority communities.

What role does FedNor play in helping municipalities and organizations take in more francophone immigrants in northern Ontario?

[Nick Fabiano]

Thank you for your question.

The immigration issue is really important for northern Ontario. We have the same obstacles as everywhere else in country, but I think they're bigger in northern Ontario because there's a shortage of communities for new immigrants.

As you mentioned, five communities are involved in the pilot project: Timmins, Sudbury, North Bay, Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie. We've invested in three-year projects for each of those communities. The goal is to assist new immigrants so they can work with entrepreneurs who need them. When immigrants arrive in the community, they must be able to get the support they need. An immigrant arriving in Toronto can find support, but a new immigrant arriving in Timmins can't find a community. We aren't the ones who provide the support, but we support the organizations that do.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

You support the organizations in large part because you mainly have francophone and bilingual employees, or bilingual positions.

Ms. Cousineau, I'd like to ask you the same question. What role does FedDev Ontario play in supporting francophone immigration in southern and southeastern Ontario. What is the role of entrepreneurial organizations for francophone women in those regions?

[Linda Cousineau]

Thank you for that question.

FedDev Ontario plays a supporting role with organizations, women and newcomers to Canada. We've also supported a project with the PARO organization in southern Ontario with a contribution of $1.7 million. That organization promotes skills development in the town of Renfrew, in the united counties of Prescott and Russell and the united counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry so that women in those regions can access programs enabling them to develop the skills they need to find jobs and businesses.

As I mentioned in my presentation, we also have a project—

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joël Godin]

Ms. Cousineau, you have 30 seconds left in which to answer Mr. Serré's question.

[Linda Cousineau]

All right.

We also have a program for women called the Mouvement ontarien des femmes immigrantes francophones. That organization supports women in the region's businesses.

We have a lot of opportunities to support women through the economic development initiative and regional funding programs.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you, Ms. Cousineau.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joël Godin]

Thank you, Mr. Serré and Ms. Cousineau.

We will continue with Mr. Beaulieu for six minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Fabiano, was I correct in understanding earlier that you said roughly 50% of your employees occupy bilingual positions?

[Nick Fabiano]

That's correct.

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

Do any employees occupy bilingual positions without knowing French when they start?

[Nick Fabiano]

No, because, according to the Canadian government's rules, you have to be bilingual to occupy a bilingual position. We're strict about that: employees who occupy bilingual positions are required to take an exam every five years to maintain their language level.

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

In the federal public service as a whole, certain bilingual positions are occupied by people who don't speak French but are then required to take language training. You're telling me that's not the case in your organization.

[Nick Fabiano]

In that kind of situation, a person occupying a bilingual position who takes language training may be granted a temporary exemption. Since our organization is really small, we try to hire bilingual employees. Our organization also provides French courses for employees who aren't bilingual.

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

Is it the same for persons occupying positions that aren't necessarily bilingual?

[Nick Fabiano]

That's correct. We try to provide language training, particularly for people occupying positions that aren't bilingual.

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

Ms. Cousineau, is the situation the same in your organization?

[Linda Cousineau]

We encourage language training and the use of French in our organization.

We provide training to our staff so they have the capacity to work in both official languages. In terms of positions, if a position is designated bilingual, it is staffed by a bilingual individual.

I would note that 100% of our executive committee is bilingual and this supports the tone at the top.

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

Thank you.

I was also wondering whether you directly subsidize certain businesses or whether you always go through intermediaries.

[Nick Fabiano]

We provide direct grants to most businesses, but, as I just explained, we also support organizations. It's not a matter of giving the organizations money so they can then give it to the businesses. We try to work with the organizations, particularly in official language minority communities, which may perhaps allocate small amounts of money to businesses, but which are there mainly to provide support and expertise. The idea is not so much to hand out money, but especially to provide people with support.

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

You provide grants to organizations whose mission is to support businesses.

As for direct grants to organizations, how do you ensure that the businesses come from or support francophone communities? I'm referring to the “by-and-for” concept, meaning by and for the communities in the case of schools.

[Nick Fabiano]

Businesses are required to state on their applications whether they are francophone, meaning that at least 50% of their business is owned by francophones. As I was saying earlier, our officers are very much engaged in the community and are very familiar with the businesses and organizations that work with francophones in the region.

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

Has a business that, in your opinion, wasn't really a francophone business ever applied for a grant?