Official Languages committee  Yes, in my opinion it made a mistake.

Official Languages committee  Yes.

Official Languages committee  I think we have to take this further than that one incident. The larger issue is about having a program to value linguistic duality year-round, and that should be broadcast by anglophone media, not just the CBC but also the private sector. When do we hear songs in French in the English-speaking media, except for maybe one or two a day, to let the rest of Canada know...?

Official Languages committee  I have a written document, but it is only in French. It will have to be translated into English in order to be distributed to the committee.

Official Languages committee  You are absolutely right about the transition from the Association culturelle franco-canadienne, the ACFC, to the ACF. Within the ACFC, the sectoral bodies, including those dealing with culture and economic development, as well as artists, had the biggest budgets and had a lot of resource people.

Official Languages committee  I would not want to suggest that Saskatchewan's example be followed in every area.

Official Languages committee  The Catholic Church also excluded people. Some non-Catholic francophones were excluded from our communities because those institutions were Catholic. Over the years, there have been problems with non-Catholic francophone immigrants. In conclusion, we must recognize that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982, played a fundamental role, legally speaking, but that role is limited.

Official Languages committee  This goes back to what Mr. Thériault said about linguistic regimes. It's important that the dominant group learn the language of the minority. In order to do that, we need immersion programs and training courses for public servants to ensure that they're bilingual. At the same time, we need to have a linguistic regime that recognizes the uniqueness or the cultural dimension of those linguistic communities.

Official Languages committee  I want to talk about the issue of exogamy. Once again, studies show that 80% to 88% of families where both parents are francophone enrol their children in a school where French is the first language, if such a school is accessible. In exogamous households, that percentage drops to 30% to 35%.

Official Languages committee  Here again, it depends on the structures in the host city. People have no wish to settle in areas like Fort McMurray, for example, where everything needs to be built from the ground up and where workers see themselves as temporary—they're only there for a few weeks and then they go home.

Official Languages committee  I fully agree with regard to the legal basis, the constitutional basis for the recognition of rights. The problem, with regard to the legal basis, is that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982, recognizes that francophones outside Quebec have rights, particularly in the area of education.

Official Languages committee  That is for Ontario. The question is, though, how are we going to help francophones coming to Manitoba?

Official Languages committee  With regard to the linguistic communities, immigration can play a very significant role, but the challenge is the lack of coordination between policies and federal programs. The federal government and the provinces are ultimately responsible for recruiting immigrants. If the provinces do not conclude federal-provincial agreements on immigration in order to take an active role in recruiting immigrants, this creates a problem right from the start.

Official Languages committee  You did not have an opportunity to speak earlier, Mr. Jedwab.

Official Languages committee  It would depend on the way in which Quebec would separate, because, geographically, Quebec is not going anywhere. Trade relations between Quebec and the rest of Canada would need to be defined. If it were a clear and concrete separation...