Official Languages Committee on Nov. 18th, 2025

[Denis Prud'homme, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, University of Moncton]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I’ll begin by saying that it’s important for us to remember that based on the most recent Canadian population survey, just 27.7% of New Brunswick residents spoke French at home in 2024, a decline from 31.5% in 1991.

Other figures are equally alarming: 62% of francophone adults in New Brunswick have difficulty understanding and using written texts and 69% have challenges with basic math.

When it comes to training, like other francophone universities and colleges outside Quebec, the University of Moncton was established to increase access for francophones to post-secondary education in French outside Quebec, particularly to address human resources needs in urban areas and in the regions in critical sectors like health and education.

We project that New Brunswick will need nearly 700 new teachers in francophone schools across the province by 2028. The University of Moncton currently provides less than 50% of these resources, even though 79% of our graduates stay within the province after their studies and work in the New Brunswick school system, compared to 40% of anglophone graduates.

The University of Moncton has three campuses in Edmundston, Shippagan and Moncton. When the university was established in 1963, the Université de Moncton Act enacted by the New Brunswick government restricted our campuses in the north to exclusively offering the first two years of undergraduate programs and allowed them to offer some programs leading to the bachelor’s degree. When it comes to training in education, and in particular for the elementary level, our campuses can offer the first three years of the five-year program.

In addition, the University of Moncton offers nearly 190 programs.

Like our colleagues in other universities, we do not project a population increase in the north of New Brunswick over the next 10 years, unlike the southern part of the province, which is experiencing most of the demographic growth.

Another important factor worth mentioning is that for demographic reasons, we have a limited pool from which to recruit prospective teachers in New Brunswick. We have to recruit international students.

For example, in the area of health care, only one in eight students at the University of Moncton is enrolled in nursing. We were therefore forced to recruit internationally to meet provincial needs. In an effort to attract international students, we introduced a scholarship program that lowers their fees to match those paid by Canadian students. This initiative has led to some notable outcomes, and we now have over 200 international students in our nursing programs, and they are doing very well. The scholarship program is one way of attracting and encouraging students to enrol in nursing.

However, at the moment, we don’t have the option of offering similar scholarships to attract and encourage international students to pursue careers in teaching and education.

In closing, I would like to point out that federal regulations prohibit the use of funding provided under the official languages in education program to offer scholarships and incentives to recruit, or promote the retention of, international students.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you very much, Mr. Prud’homme.

I now yield the floor to members of the committee, and they will ask you questions.

Mr. Dalton, you have the floor for six minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the witnesses very much, especially Ms. Bernier and Ms. Lavoie, who are from British Columbia like me.

There has just been a vote on the budget, and there will be no general election for the time being. However, inflation is a very important concern for my party, the Conservative Party of Canada. Large deficits like the ones we have worsen inflation.

Can you tell us a bit about the cost and effects of inflation on the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie‑Britannique? Is it a reality or not?

[Marie-Pierre Lavoie]

Absolutely, inflation is a reality in our school board. Time and again, we have had to explain to the provincial government how much our transportation costs had increased due to inflation. We had to show them repeatedly to make them understand, when everyone is experiencing this inflation. So, it’s something that concerns us a lot.

It also affects the OLEP, the official languages in education program. Inflation is driving up costs, but the funding we receive under the OLEP hasn’t increased at the same rate as inflation.

We feel the effects of inflation twice rather than once.

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

Thank you very much for your answer.

I will now address the other witnesses.

Can you talk to us about the effects of inflation? Is it a reality for you or is it negligible for your institution?

[Denis Prud'homme]

Yes, post-secondary educational institutions are experiencing the effects of inflation, as grant amounts have remained the same for several years. Last year, for the first time in 20 years, there was an increase in the grants awarded under this program. Obviously, that increase doesn’t allow us to fully catch up with the effects of inflation, but it does lighten the fiscal burden a bit.

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

You say the amounts of the grants are stable but, in reality, that stability amounts to a decrease in funding and puts greater pressure on your university, on the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie‑Britannique, in short, on everything.

I have another question for the representatives of the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie‑Britannique.

Can you tell us a bit about the importance of immigration in schools in British Columbia? Is the number of newcomers important? What is the proportion of newcomers in the schools in your school board?

[Marie-Pierre Lavoie]

As for the percentage, I’ll have to ask Ms. Bernier to respond to you.

For my part, I can tell you that we still have a lot of work to do at the provincial level to make immigrants aware that we exist. Indeed, immigrants may not necessarily know that there is a French school board.

We also need to take action at the federal level. During the welcome process, newcomers should be informed that there are French‑language school boards in the provinces and territories, and that their children can attend them.

Ms. Bernier, I don’t know if you can give us the requested percentage, as I don’t have it on the tip of my tongue.

[Pascale Bernier, Superintendant, Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique]

I don’t have it either, Ms. Lavoie.

However, I can indicate that the proportion has really increased. We have designed various tools and systems to support immigrant families. In addition, as Ms. Lavoie said, we must continue our efforts to ensure that these people feel good and feel at home within the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie‑Britannique.

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

I would like to talk about the money given to the provinces to support official language minority communities.

I know that, for English school boards, it goes through the province, and it seems that not all the money is distributed very well.

Is that true for you too? Do you know the amount you should receive, or is it unclear for you?

[Marie-Pierre Lavoie]

Nothing is clear.

What we know is that, right now, we’re receiving 38% of what is allocated to the province under the OLEP. Immersion programs receive much more funding than francophone minority language education programs.

How is that possible? It’s very confusing. We ask questions, but we never get clear answers. So we’re in the dark.

You say that’s how it’s done for English school boards. It definitely happens like that for us too.

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

It’s a provincial responsibility, but it’s always the federal government that provides the funding.

Do you think the federal government could be more specific about how to allocate the money?

[Marie-Pierre Lavoie]

I think so, yes. Furthermore, that’s what we want. We’d like the federal government to be able to demand greater accountability from the provinces and territories. We’d like to be part of those discussions and the agreement, and understand how the funds are distributed so we can move forward.

It’s about money that doesn’t go back to the students. School boards are there first and foremost to serve the students. When we don’t have all the money we should be entitled to, it’s the students who pay the price.

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

Thank you very much,

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you, Mr. Dalton.

Mr. Deschênes-Thériault, you have the floor for six minutes.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I thank the witnesses.

I’m very pleased that the committee is hearing from witnesses from the University of Moncton today. By the way, I am myself a graduate of the University of Moncton, where I obtained a bachelor’s degree a few years ago.

Of course, the University of Moncton has a campus in Moncton, but also two campuses in the north of the province, one in Shippagan and one in Edmundston, in my riding.

I’d like you to explain to us why it’s important for the University of Moncton to have a physical presence in our francophone communities in the north of the province through these campuses, which offer full or partial programs. What are the impacts on the vitality of Acadian and Brayon francophone communities in the north of the province?

[Denis Prud'homme]

These campuses are extremely important, both educationally and economically. I think they greatly contribute to cultural and sporting life. They bring in part‑time labour to support private businesses. They also contribute to the retention of graduates in the communities, whenever possible. For example, the retention rate of registered nurses in Edmundston is over 90%. The campuses therefore meet regional needs in various sectors.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

As you mentioned, in the northern campuses, it’s currently possible to take the first years of the Bachelor of Primary Education program. How would the offering of a comprehensive primary education program in northern New Brunswick strengthen the provision of education programs and also enhance the continuum of francophone education in New Brunswick?

[Denis Prud'homme]

I’ll ask my colleague, who is the dean of the Faculty of Education, to answer this question.

[Mathieu Lang, Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Moncton]

In short, the best way to make things easier over the short term would be to increase our capacity to award degrees.

Most students come to Moncton when it’s time to do placements, for example. So we’re short on placement spots. Being closer to the District scolaire francophone du Nord‑Ouest and the District scolaire francophone Nord‑Est would increase the number of placement opportunities.

The rector spoke of a retention rate of 90% in nursing. I don’t have the statistics, but I’m almost certain that everyone who starts a teaching program in Edmundston or Shippagan works in the province after graduating, and that almost all work in the region where they were trained.

The campuses participated in a strategic planning exercise and it became clear that, obviously, if the campuses in the north of the province did not exist, they would need to be built.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

I completely agree with you. In my riding, Madawaska—Restigouche, the Edmundston campus of the University of Moncton is an essential institution for the vitality of our region.

Just recently, we received excellent news: The University of Moncton has been awarded its first Canada research chair outside its Moncton campus. Indeed, Professor Rose Kikpa Bio is now the holder of the Canada Research Chair in Development and Territorial Issues in Contemporary Acadia. Coming from an academic background, I welcomed this news very positively.

In your opinion, how do federal research support funds, particularly through Canada research chairs, help present campuses as hubs of research excellence and, as such, increase their appeal to a potential student population?

[Denis Prud'homme]

As you know, the University of Moncton was established in 1963 to meet professional workforce needs in various regions of New Brunswick. Then, in the 1970s and 1980s, research gradually took hold there. Now, we can say that we truly have a university that has a dual mission of education and research.

However, research took a bit longer to establish itself on our campuses in the north of the province. Due to the limited number of professors on these campuses, education accounts for the vast majority of their workload.

The federal funds we request help lighten the teaching load to allow professors time to dedicate to their research. Thus, at the Shippagan campus, we now have a research hub in artificial intelligence, while the Edmundston campus has a critical mass of research in history, linguistics and Acadian studies. This helps enrich education and increase the attractiveness of these campuses.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

In your opening remarks, you mentioned the issue of scholarships. How could federal funding to support scholarship programs be improved to better meet the needs of the University of Moncton?

[Denis Prud'homme]

As I mentioned earlier, for demographic reasons, we lack candidates in New Brunswick to fill our positions in key sectors such as health and education. However, most international students are more interested in administration and engineering programs. If we want them to be interested in other programs, we need to offer them scholarships to reduce their tuition fees and make them comparable to those paid by Canadian students.

I can give you an example where such scholarships had a significant impact. I was able to negotiate with the government of New Brunswick and secure 25 scholarships per year for the next 10 years. These scholarships were awarded very quickly. We have concentrated the largest number of these scholarships in Edmundston and Shippagan to attract students to these northern campuses, which—

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Mr. Prud’homme, excuse me for interrupting you, but Mr. Deschênes‑Thériault’s time is up. I even gave you a little bit more.