Official Languages Committee on Oct. 9th, 2025

[Lucie Lecomte, Committee Researcher]

In some provinces, such as Ontario, which has many school boards, some Catholic, others public, the boards benefit from associations or groups. The committee therefore sent the request to the school boards, but also to those associations or groups.

I must also tell you that, even though we received responses from only 11 school boards, the result is interesting because there are responses from school boards in Alberta, Ontario and even the territories. So we still have good geographic representation overall, which is very good.

As for the anglophone school boards in Quebec, one of them answered the questionnaire.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Go ahead, Mr. Godin.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

In fact, I'll be at the congress of the Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones next week. Is it possible to have a list of those who haven't responded to us so that we can follow up with them, and encourage them to participate and complete the questionnaire?

It's always in the interest of the committee and the work of the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Mr. Godin, are you asking that the clerk follow up, or do you want us, as members, to do that?

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Chair, I'm asking for a list of school boards or organizations that haven't responded so that I can simply strongly emphasize the importance of responding to this questionnaire so that our recommendations are more comprehensive.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

I'll ask the clerk to weigh in.

[The Clerk]

I just wanted to flag something for consideration.

The committee has just agreed to receive responses to questionnaires already submitted by the deadline of December 31, 2024. That means that the data collected reflects the situation until December 31, 2024.

If we decide to reopen the invitation to school boards that haven't yet responded, it's possible that the data received will be different, which could compromise comparability of results. That would compromise the original purpose of the questionnaires. We just need to take that into consideration. It's not about telling you what to do. It's up to you. I just wanted to bring that to your attention.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Ms. Chenette, you have the floor.

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

With that logic in mind, if we reopen the discussion, what would the impact be on the time frame? If we ask them to come and testify, how would that affect our planning?

[The Clerk]

It's up to the committee to set a deadline if we want to send out new invitations. The study will certainly take us until the beginning of November, so it should be done fairly quickly, with a date.

There's another opportunity for these school boards, which is to submit briefs as part of the study. You can always encourage them to send us written submissions that we will consider for both the report and the study.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Mr. Beaulieu, you have the floor.

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

What they sent us covered the period up to 2024?

[The Clerk]

Yes, the deadline we had set was December 31, 2024. That's why I wasn't able to send them to you before prorogation.

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

Otherwise, it would include a second part covering the period from December 2024 to today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Mr. Godin, you have the floor, but be aware that there are only a few minutes left.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I'm aware of the situation.

I wonder if it would be possible to have access to the school boards that responded to the questionnaire. I would leave it at that.

I believe they can provide briefs based on the questionnaire.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Mr. Dalton, you have the floor.

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

I would just like to say that there would be more work for you if we changed the date, but that wouldn't be the case if we simply asked those who have already submitted their responses if there have been changes since the last time and invited those who haven't yet done so.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Ms. Chenette, you have the floor.

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

Knowing what the challenges are, we can ask for a list of those who responded and those who didn't. At that point, we can ask them to write a brief if we run into them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Does everyone agree with Ms. Chenette's proposal?

Mr. Godin, you wanted to add something.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I would add that, if the school boards that have already responded want to send an update in the form of a brief, they can do so.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Okay, is there any further discussion?

We all agree on the proposal, okay, that's all.

The meeting is adjourned.