Official Languages committee  I would like to comment as the director of a cultural centre. When you work in a community to develop and maintain the vitality of the francophone community, you need to work long hours, promote culture, educate people and make sure young people are integrated into our communities so that they can develop in French.

Official Languages committee  —status of women—

Official Languages committee  As a member of the francophone community, I definitely have high expectations of the act. When I read in the papers that it would take two years to implement it, I said to myself that after all this time, there would perhaps be no francophone culture or vitality left in our communities.

Official Languages committee  Yes, of course, but that is problematic as well because it depends on how the allocations are made in the cultural sector.

Official Languages committee  Our programs represent the continued development of francophone culture. If our programs are cut, it will mean cutting our youth summer camp program. Thirty young people go to an immersion cultural summer camp to maintain their French during the summer. If I can no longer offer the program, its absence will be felt.

Official Languages committee  Resources of $25,000 to ensure—

Official Languages committee  It is important to understand that in the field, when you work in a cultural centre, you need to work regularly on projects. These are annual projects, and even if we plan to develop an annual project, no department will advance us the money we need. We need to divvy up the funds we receive.

Official Languages committee  No.

Official Languages committee  To conclude, I would like to see a support program established at the Centre culturel de Cornwall that is based on a federal-provincial-community agreement, in collaboration with inter-, extra- and intra-ministerial cooperation, to jointly articulate the cultural development of our minority francophone communities.

Official Languages committee  Thank you for having me here today. I am here as the Executive Director of the Centre culturel de Cornwall. This cultural centre has the following goals: to ensure the unity and safeguard of francophone culture; to study the measures needed to encourage progress; the promote the tourism industry; to strengthen cooperation, unity and friendship among French Canadians; to safeguard francophone customs and traditions and give them pride of place; and to promote arts and culture.