Official Languages committee  We basically encourage them to become part of our rural francophone communities. However, as we said earlier, people need jobs to live comfortably and support their families. It isn't always easy to make choices. Our welcoming francophone communities initiative focuses on attracting people to our communities, our bilingual municipalities, throughout Manitoba.

Official Languages committee  Absolutely. Thank you for your question, Ms. Ashton. In terms of francophone immigration, the key is to get to know people, to talk to them about the area in person and to help them fully understand our situation. I think that these initiatives would support and encourage a somewhat better‑structured francophone immigration, based on various factors that include employment.

Official Languages committee  We've had a new government for less than two months. That said, our engagement with this government is off to a good start. The government seems open to our ideas and concepts. However, we must point out that we made inroads with the previous government, which lasted seven years.

Official Languages committee  Our francophone immigration strategy has been in place for quite some time. This week, we're celebrating the 20th anniversary of Accueil francophone du Manitoba and the 10th anniversary of the Réseau en immigration francophone du Manitoba, or RIF. We've worked with various governments.

Official Languages committee  Municipal council meetings in the rural municipality of De Salaberry and the village of St‑Pierre‑Jolys, Manitoba, are held entirely in French. All elected officials must be able to speak both official languages. The municipalities of Ritchot and Taché have a strong mix of anglophones and francophones.

Official Languages committee  I'll try to answer your question very quickly. My colleagues from Alberta can add to that. With regard to education, as well as health, one of the things that would be really important is to speed up the certification process for teachers, who come from all over. We're seeing shortages across Canada.

Official Languages committee  I absolutely do. I think that's where economic development starts. We live in a society that has evolved enormously in terms of family and the way we work outside, among other things. These French‑language child care services are essential. We think this can never be emphasized enough.

Official Languages committee  I'm very concerned. I think Radio‑Canada is part of our daily lives. The more its budget is cut, the less communication in French will be possible. For us, this is essential. Thank you very much.

Official Languages committee  That's not necessarily the case, because different governments have different obligations and they have to honour them. The federal government has obligations, the province has obligations and the municipalities also have obligations, including the City of Winnipeg. In our case, it's not so much an argument that we use.

Official Languages committee  Basically, I think everything has been put in place. The action plan for official languages and the act are there. It's unfortunate that there's a delay because it may interfere with the operations of a number of organizations. In fact, it may even lead to job losses in some cases.

Official Languages committee  Basically, the answer is no, but I would add that we are in the process of preparing arguments here and there to ensure an increase in the offer of services in French, since that has quite a significant economic impact. We have to realize that people often want to live in French, especially in rural areas, and it's important that they have access to services in French, to French‑language schools and to things that allow them to live in French in their community.

Official Languages committee  We can't work towards the future without really knowing what the current situation is and what the trends are. For us, it's crucial to have evidence that reflects the reality and gives us the real picture of the situation, because that is what enables us to develop our strategies for the future.

Official Languages committee  We don't do it directly, but we do have the Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba, which is part of RDÉE Canada, as well as the Association des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba. We work with the municipalities. We have federal and provincial programs, which we don't implement directly, but which are sometimes coordinated by the Association des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba.

Official Languages committee  There are a lot of bilingual municipalities. We now have 17, I think. Some municipal councils have passed by-laws requiring their meetings or minutes to be bilingual, for example. We work in partnership with our English-speaking friends in the municipalities and we promote the importance of the French language in our communities as a means of ensuring that the quality of services is maximized for everyone.

Official Languages committee  Thank you very much. I'd like to thank the Standing Committee on Official Languages for inviting me to appear today. My name is Daniel Boucher and I am the executive director of the Société de la francophonie manitobaine, or SFM. As the voice of Manitoba's francophone community, the SFM works to advance all areas of the community's activities with the help of its vast network of collaborators and partners.