Finance committee  I'm going to name one because I don't want to name too many. One thing would be very useful to Toronto francophones, and that would be to have a gathering place. As I said earlier, Toronto francophones are dispersed here and there over a very large area. We represent a small percentage of the population, and the fact that we don't have a place where we can gather is a risk for us.

Finance committee  It's extremely important, as are immersion programs. I mentioned in my opening remarks that there were twice as many students in immersion programs as in French-language programs. So if we want to offer job opportunities to students who are in immersion programs, the university is extremely important.

Finance committee  Thank you for your question. Please say hello to Ms. Simard for me. That's an important question, and I'm quite regularly asked it. As I said earlier, I was born in Ontario, I've spent my entire life here, and I believe all Ontario francophones think it's important to support the vitality of the francophone community in Ontario.

Finance committee  Yes. We introduced a new bachelor of education program in September. As you know, there's a shortage of French-language teachers virtually across the country, including in Quebec. So that's the first program that UOF has added to the four initial programs that the university introduced in 2021.

Finance committee  Absolutely not. It's a terrible situation. As I said in my presentation, the central and southwest regions of Ontario represent 36% of all francophones in Ontario. Nearly 4 out of 10 francophones are from our region, and the movement that led to the founding of the Université de l'Ontario français resulted from that fact.

Finance committee  I'm a Franco-Ontarian. I was born in a small town called Kapuskasing, in northern Ontario. I've lived all my life in Ontario. I've studied and I've always worked in French in Ontario. I'm very optimistic by nature, but I have to tell you that the situation troubles me. We acknowledge that the greater Toronto area and central and southwestern Ontario are the places where francophone immigrants arrive, and we acknowledge how important immigration is for the vitality and growth of Ontario's francophone community.

Finance committee  That's an extremely important question. There are fewer and fewer French-language publications. We can see that. The research shows that there are fewer and fewer scientific publications in French. Obviously, a university such as ours, which is managed by and for francophones and offers programs in French, supports research in French.

Finance committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the members of the committee for agreeing to have me here this morning. My name is Pierre Ouellette, and I am the president of the Université de l'Ontario français. First I want to thank the Government of Canada for its innovative decision to provide 50% of the funding needed to start up our university, the first French-language university managed by francophones in central and southwestern Ontario.