Official Languages committee  Ms. Lamarre talked about community resources and community-school projects. In fact, this is tricky because of provincial jurisdiction. Perhaps it would be possible to work with provincial governments to that end, if there is a will to do so. Let us hope there is. Also, there is a need to clearly establish the conditions that exist in those communities and not tell immigrants who are anxious to settle in these communities that English is not part of the reality they will face there.

Official Languages committee  I'm favourable to supporting the direction of those immigrants who are recruited and attracted by the communities outside Quebec on the basis of community-driven initiatives to support francophones emigrating outside of Quebec, and that the federal government extends support to that idea but also provides the resources those communities require in order to properly receive those individuals.

Official Languages committee  Personally, I think that it is primarily in Quebec, New Brunswick and the National Capital Region that we have historically noted increased numbers of Anglophones who speak French in the workplace. And it is precisely because of the pressure to do so—something that is due in large part to the federal government, which has brought that pressure to bear in terms of job requirements, such as knowledge of the official languages—that we are seeing that increase.

Official Languages committee  The logic I refer to is one which says that all Anglophones should live on one side of the National Capital Region and that all Francophones should live on the other. I know that you do not share that vision, Ms. Glover, but by telling Francophone immigrants that they should not settle outside Quebec, we are sending them a somewhat broader message which is that, logically, ideally, all Francophones should be on one side, and all Anglophones, on the other.

Official Languages committee  The only thing I would add, though, is this. And I appreciate what you're saying about the interest that people are taking in immersion and so forth. But my conclusion, I must say, is based a lot on the statistics as well. I'm not nearly as satisfied as I'd like to be with the extent to which anglophones are acquiring the French language outside Quebec.

Official Languages committee  In places like British Columbia and Alberta, despite the significant concern over assimilation, a legitimate one, there have been real population increases among francophones in those parts of the country, largely owing to migration--not migration arising from immigration, but migration arising from Quebec francophones who have moved out to those places.

Official Languages committee  -- and my children are in fact both Anglophone and Francophone.

Official Languages committee  It depends on the circumstances. They will take that into account: they will speak French in some circumstances, and English, in others.

Official Languages committee  Could you repeat the question? Sorry, I'm not clear, Tilly.

Official Languages committee  To the extent that those post-secondary institutions offer or require that there be language instruction.... I don't believe that in my institution, McGill University, we have any requirement for students to learn French. I don't know that this would work, either, in that institution, in terms of trying to create a requirement for it.

Official Languages committee  I see. I'm not an expert on that. I don't know if you know...you may know that better than I do.

Official Languages committee  No problem. A ton of analyses have been done in both official languages. That material is available on the web. Fortunately, the government translates everything, so we are very lucky.

Official Languages committee  First of all, these questions warrant far more detailed and lengthy answers. It is not easy to simplify things. Even what Mr. Castonguay raises is part of a larger debate, and it is very difficult to condense that into a short analysis. All of that to say that the context in which we are appearing as guests today does not necessarily allow us to really go into detail, in the absence of an in-depth debate on these issues.

Official Languages committee  I understand why you say you are having trouble making sense of the numbers. A lot of people find them confusing.

Official Languages committee  Mr. Castonguay is very good at math.