Official Languages Committee on May 26th, 2026

[Madeleine Chenette, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

We were talking about francophone institutions, schools, for example, but Ontario also has francophone companies. Would it be possible to find a way to determine where those francophone companies are, in order to add them to the list? It could actually be useful to add the presence of francophone companies as a criterion, but is it realistic?

[Peter Hominuk]

Yes, it's realistic.

In 2021 or 2022, the Association de la francophonie de l'Ontario did a white paper on the Franco-Ontarian economy, in conjunction with the Fédération des gens d'affaires francophones de l'Ontario, which the Government of Ontario created. The white paper showed that Ontario has 30,000 francophone or bilingual companies that contribute $80 billion to Ontario's GDP. I could not tell you how many of those companies are located in southern Ontario, but we know that southern Ontario is the economic engine of Canada and that francophones can be found in all those regions. One difficulty is that business people exist to do business, not necessarily business in French. When some of those companies have the opportunity, they deal with caisses populaires, and southern Ontario has some major caisses populaires.

[Madeleine Chenette, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

If the criteria were to be broadened to account for that reality and to show that the francophone presence is greater, would it help? As the Canadian Bankers Association mentioned, the challenge is to find the time needed for training, recruitment and so on. It's a chicken and egg situation: If we do it, we will have more talent; if we don't do it, we will have less.

Do you think it will help? Is the challenge of finding the talent to provide services actually a brake on rolling out the initiative?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

You have 35 seconds left.

[Peter Hominuk]

Southern Ontario has French-speaking postsecondary institutions. We could certainly arrange to look at which programs could be established in order to meet those needs.

We have a fine network of francophone and bilingual colleges and universities. I believe that, as the Franco-Ontarian community, we do have the capacity to train people in a number of areas of expertise.

[Madeleine Chenette, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Is my time up, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

You have 15 seconds left

[Madeleine Chenette, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you very much, Ms. Chenette.

The floor now goes to Mr. Beaulieu, for six minutes.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

The Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act will be implemented first in Quebec and then everywhere else two years later. In those two years, would it not be helpful to establish a process whereby we promote it with companies and consult with organizations? In Quebec, we have had similar measures for 50 years and difficulties still exist.

[Peter Hominuk]

I look forward to the services being established in Ontario. Of course, it is important for it to be done as quickly as possible, but we also understand that it takes time to establish those services. I really hope that the federal government will be working with advocacy organizations and with those in the regions to start raising awareness, at least to tell the public that, after such and such a date, they will have access to the services that they should have access to. Awareness must be raised with the companies but also with those who use the services. I can't wait to see the services, but I understand that companies will need a transition period and that will take a certain amount of time.

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

Of course. Perhaps you could add a request that a process be started ahead of time, even before this act and these regulations come into force.

The issue is in designating regions with a strong francophone presence. You said earlier that some regions are bilingual for federal institutions but are not designated as having a strong francophone presence under the UFPBA.

[Peter Hominuk]

Yes. In southern Ontario, the federal government provides services in French in certain regions. It's the same elsewhere, all over the province. But those regions do not coincide with the designated regions in the UFPBA. Nor do they coincide with the designated regions in Ontario's French Language Services Act.

One of our concerns is that there are three designation systems for three different things. In some regions, we actually do not know which services we really have a right to. It creates confusion and I am afraid that it may create even more confusion if the UFPBA does not use the same definitions of territory as the Official Languages Act.

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

So it would perhaps be a good idea for the UFPBA to use the same definitions of territory as all the others. That would expand the territory.

[Peter Hominuk]

I imagine that that will be the intent one day. I understand why some regions were used as a starting point more than others. But, for us, we—

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

That can be one of your requests.

[Peter Hominuk]

We could make that request, yes.

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

What's the worst that could happen? The request is turned down.

It seems to me that a lot of work will have to be done. Greater Toronto is not covered at all; that's ridiculous. Statistics Canada's dissemination areas could be used, but there may be others too. You talked about places with historic communities, like Windsor and elsewhere. Do not be afraid to send us those requests so that we can include them in our report.

[Sonia Behilil, Director of Policy and Government Relations, Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario]

For example, I can quote recommendation 3 in the brief we submitted to the committee.

That, when the chosen geographical units mask or could mask genuine concentrations of francophones, complementary methods of designation or application be used in the final regulations to account for the territorial, institutional and functional realities that constitute francophone life in minority situations.

In that sense, we are first raising the question of whether the government will be proactive. In that respect, we are fully supportive of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada and the recommendations and complementary tools that have been proposed. We feel that everything would fit together well and would indeed allow an expansion of the criteria for designation when necessary.

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

One thing is important but I have not been able to check it. I have spoken with the FCFA too. It seems that the system will be largely complaint-based. So it is important that complaints be anonymous and that there be recourse for anyone suffering retaliation. I speak a lot about the right to work in French. A lot of employees would not dare to complain. In Quebec, this has been the case for a long time and the legislation has evolved. People used to not dare to complain because they did not want reprisals from their employer.

So first, we need mechanisms to allow for anonymity. Second, employees must have recourse. The minister is supposed to do the follow-up, but the UFPBA has no teeth and no ability to impose fines, as Bill 101 has.

[Peter Hominuk]

It's a little disappointing that these draft regulations prefer complaint-based mechanisms. In Ontario, the French Language Services Act requires an active offer. I would like to see the idea of active offer reflected in these new regulations. Maybe that will not happen this time, but it certainly has to in the future. We understand that there may be errors in the transition period, the first five years. But that must not become an excuse.

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

There is time to look at that as the regulations are being developed. For example, the fact that the commissioner has the ex officio right to investigate would be a fine proposal.

I would like to turn to the bank representatives now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

You have 10 seconds left, Mr. Beaulieu.

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

Are there any banks in Quebec that do not voluntarily comply with Bill 101?

[Eric Prud'homme]

Most of the major banks have been complying voluntarily with the Charter of the French Language for more than 30 years.