Official Languages committee  I would like the federal government to remember the following statement that almost made me lose control of my car on highway 400. It was made by Mr. Graham Fraser, the Official Languages Commissioner. He said that it is high time for Canadians to realize that French is not a foreign language but that it is the language of our country.

Official Languages committee  I would like to clarify something. The network's coverage is from Penetanguishene to Toronto and from Peterborough to Windsor. Jean-Gilles would have a job for life is he decided to go to all these communities and try and get community centres built. The problem is that nobody wants to travel 75 kilometres in order to get information only to have to turn around and come all the way back.

Official Languages committee  We know that the federal government will allocate funds for health promotion. The funding will be sent to a group that will distribute it or to a public health agency. The problem is that the funding does not come with any obligation to provide services in both official languages.

Official Languages committee  No, we were not consulted.

Official Languages committee  I can answer that question. Two weeks ago, in a small town, called Midland, in northern Simcoe county, I took part in a consultation meeting with the provincial government to set up a community health centre.

Official Languages committee  Community health centres go a long way toward addressing the needs of francophones. They are not the whole answer, since if you are in hospital for open heart surgery and no one can speak to you in French, you will still have a problem. However, health centres meet many needs for francophones.

Official Languages committee  I will clarify what I said. At a certain point, francophones began to settle throughout Ontario. When I talk about the francophonie, I am not referring to colour or race. New immigrants in Ontario tend to settle in certain areas. For instance, Chinese immigrants will move to places where there are a lot of Chinese already, and as a result they can say that they represent 10% or 13% of the population.

Official Languages committee  I would like to speak to the issue of legal challenges. Given our mandate, and following the many meetings we have had with francophone communities, I feel more and more that people are extremely upset that they cannot have access to services in French. People are just as involved now as they were 20 years ago, when they were fighting for French schools.

Official Languages committee  I would now like to talk to you about health promotion and diseases prevention.

Official Languages committee  Perfect. We want health promotion and disease prevention to be the cornerstones of the francophone effort to take responsibility for their health, and that these approaches be based on a holistic vision of health and emphasis on health determinants, while also taken vulnerable groups into account.

Official Languages committee  Good morning, my name is Nicole Rauzon-Wright. I am the volunteer President of the Réseau franco-santé du Sud de l'Ontario (Franco Health Network of Southern Ontario). Thank you so much for having invited us this morning. I am here today, along with Jean-Marc Boisvenue, to talk to you about the situation of French-language health services in Ontario, more specifically in Southern Ontario.

Official Languages committee  The Franco Health Network of Southern Ontario serves a vast territory extending from Penetanguishene in the north to Welland in the south, and from Peterborough in the east to Windsor in the west. The politicians around this table could never do any door-to-door campaigning because this is a vast territory.