Evidence of meeting #93 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 federal.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Dean, la Cité universitaire francophone, University of Regina
Absolutely. Multiyear funding is much more predictable. It means being able to plan, which would be a very good idea. It’s also important to note that costs are much higher in a minority context.
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Of course.
Mr. Arsenault, I’d like to hear your point of view on the issue.
Executive Director, Collège nordique francophone
Like my colleagues, I think it’s a matter of ensuring stable multiyear funding. However, we also need to find mechanisms for the federal government to be able to deal directly with institutions, or as directly as possible. Indeed, the fact that we have to go through our territorial government is cumbersome. It causes many delays and obstacles.
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
I see, thank you.
Mr. Frémont, you started your presentation by talking about programs you offer at the University of Ottawa. I would like to say that on a more personal level, in Manitoba, doctors who work in French studied at the University of Ottawa.
You say you need stable and adequate funding from the federal government. Can you explain the link between stable core funding and services, which are basically a matter of life and death and are available in French in my province thanks to the programs you offer?
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ottawa
I’ll give you an example. Recently, last September, we launched a French-language pharmaceutical science program to train front line pharmacists who will work all over Canada. There’s no equivalent training in English. The federal government granted funding for this initiative, which was a good thing. Ontario was supposed to provide some, but it decided not to do so because we already got a grant.
However, the money granted by the federal government was to support the launch. We’re talking here about a four-year program that will train people, one generation after another. The funds from the federal government at the start are not enough to maintain the program. In our business plan, we are stuck, so we’re taking money from elsewhere in the university.
When I talk about stable funding for infrastructure, it’s not just for getting the program started. It’s also for developing it and turning out a hundred French-speaking front line pharmacists who will go work all over Canada.
For quite some time, we’ve been giving French-language training to doctors who will be game changers in Ontario and all over Canada. In this respect, funding is relatively okay, but as we were saying earlier, needs are changing. The needs of minorities are changing as well, and so are their expectations. These people have the right to access French-language services from pharmacists. Women have the right to give birth in French in Canada. It is therefore important for us to be able to offer our support, especially in areas where we are truly improving the quality of life for francophone communities.
That’s where the infrastructure funding problem lies. Funding must go beyond the launch. The federal government gave us the ability to launch the pharmaceutical sciences program, but its medium and long-term survival must be ensured.
NDP
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Thank you very much.
Since I only have 10 seconds left, I thank all three witnesses for everything they shared with us.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Joël Godin
Thank you, Ms. Ashton.
We will now move on to the second round.
Ms. Kusie, you have the floor.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I thank the witnesses for being here with us today.
I will share my time with my colleague from Quebec, Mr. Généreux.
Mr. Aito, my father has two degrees from the University of Regina, but unfortunately none from the Cité universitaire francophone. He has a BA in mathematics and another in education. That’s where he met my mother, who comes from Quebec, but whose family comes from the same riding of this committee’s chair. That means they are Brayons, they are Acadians.
There is another interesting connection between the Conservative Party and the Franco-Saskatchewanian community. The father of our leader, Pierre Poilievre, is actually a member of a Franco-Saskatchewanian community. As for me, I have a connection with Saskatchewan, like all good Albertans, since I have at least two relatives from that province. That's also the case for our leader.
Since my father is a former University of Regina student, I would like to know more about students at the Cité universitaire francophone. Could you tell me exactly how many students come from Saskatchewan?
Dean, la Cité universitaire francophone, University of Regina
We don’t necessarily keep count. We don’t keep statistics like that. The Cité universitaire francophone serves the entire francophone community, irrespective of mother tongue.
We mainly teach students from other faculties, although we do have some of our own programs. The Cité has about 60 students that can call it their home, but we welcome about 1000 students from all over the University of Regina who come to follow French-language courses. We also work closely with other faculties, specifically to offer a nursing science program with a bilingual option. We also work with the Faculty of Social Work, and we have agreements with other faculties. That way, we sponsor classes in science, mathematics, statistics and even in indigenization.
Our mission is therefore very specific. Usually, there is no francophone academic unit like the Cité within a mostly anglophone university. We say that it is an invention by the Franco-Saskatchewanian community, and that’s why I call the Cité a product of our collective imagination. It’s actually a close collaboration between the Franco-Saskatchewanian community and the University of Regina.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Thank you very much, Mr. Aito.
Mr. Chair, I will hand it over to Mr. Généreux.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Thank you, Ms. Kusie.
Mr. Frémont, with the subsidies the University of Ottawa receives, does it have a surplus or a deficit?
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ottawa
Right now we have a deficit.
Conservative
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ottawa
Yes. We are one of the Ontario universities with a large deficit. We are working very hard to reduce it, but right now in Ontario, 12 of the 18 universities recognized by the government have a deficit.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Earlier you said that you were supposed to receive more money because of your francophone students. You mentioned $3,000 per student.
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ottawa
As part of the francophonie, we receive a special subsidy of $3,000 per student.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
How much is that subsidy supposed be?
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ottawa
The comparable data we have suggest $6,000 to $7,000 per student.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
So you could potentially get an additional $3,000.
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ottawa
We have a problem though. No one can explain the formula to us, or why things have ended up that way. The Wynne government was already aware of it. Since then, we have appealed to the government, but there has been no movement. Some years, our budget is balanced, but others it is not. It is getting tiring.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
You said earlier that you have a shortfall of $50 million. Is that correct?
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ottawa
Officially, yes. The real figure is closer to $80 million, but regardless.
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Let's say it is between $50 million and $80 million.
How does that compare with the shortfall for other programs, the infrastructure budget, or the overall budget?
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ottawa
Our operating budget is more than $900 million, not including research funding.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Joël Godin
Mr. Frémont, I have to interrupt you, unfortunately; I have stretched the allotted time as much as possible.
Excuse me, Mr. Généreux. That is a good question. Perhaps Mr. Frémont will have the chance to answer it later on.
Mr. Marc Serré, from the Liberals, has the floor now. He will share his speaking time with Mr. Drouin.