Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
[English]
Ladies and gentlemen, honourable members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, I am very pleased to appear before you today in preparation for the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017.
Let me begin by saying that Canada's commitment to both official languages is rooted in our history. Anniversary celebrations are very important in reinforcing our understanding of ourselves as Canadians. Every anniversary is an opportunity to tell our national stories to all Canadians, whether or not they've heard them before.
[Translation]
The history of language relations between francophones and anglophones in Canada since Confederation is complex. In fact, there are two stories: a less lustrous one that includes the hanging of Louis Riel, the Manitoba schools crisis, regulation 17, and two conscription crises; and another, more positive account that includes under-recognized acts and gestures of conciliation and cooperation.
Linguistic duality is an integral part of Canada's history and identity, and it needs to be a part of all the celebrations. It is important to reflect on the fact that the Fathers of Confederation, and those who inspired them, saw the question of language in terms of a founding principle of respect.
[English]
The first key steps toward Canadian democracy were taken by Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine in the 1840s. John Ralston Saul wrote that it was the first strategic act in the creation of the country. The reformers suddenly understood that francophone and anglophone reformers had to cooperate. That understanding has been an important thread that has run through the fabric of our history ever since. It should be reflected in every aspect of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
[Translation]
We remember Lord Durham, but we forget the fact that, not 10 years later, his successor, Lord Elgin, read the Speech from the Throne in French and English, thus marking the return of French as an official language of Parliament.
On the last night of the Confederation debates, on March 10, 1865, John A. Macdonald responded to a question about the status of French in the new political arrangement that was being developed. He said that “the use of the French language should form one of the principles on which the Confederation should be established”. George-Étienne Cartier immediately rose to add that it was also necessary to protect the English minorities in Lower Canada with respect to the use of their language.
[English]
Wilfrid Laurier spent his whole political life trying to promote harmony between English and French Canadians. William Lyon Mackenzie King, himself committed to Canadian unity, managed to keep the tensions between the two groups from tearing the country apart. John Diefenbaker introduced simultaneous interpretation to Parliament. Lester Pearson introduced the principles of official bilingualism, and Pierre Trudeau translated those principles into legislation. Conservative Party leader Robert Stanfield ensured that linguistic duality became a value transcending partisan debate, and Brian Mulroney rewrote and strengthened the Official Languages Act in 1988.
[Translation]
These stories need to be told and understood. The new Canadian Museum of History will be a great vehicle for telling the stories. Historian H. V. Nelles, in his book the Art of Nation-Building, on the 300th anniversary of the founding of Quebec, said that how we celebrate says a great deal about who we are.
[English]
Historian Matthew Hayday made the same point in his work on Canada Day celebrations, and goes a little further by saying, “Elements such as languages, displayed flags, and the media's use of a rhetorical 'us' continually naturalize and reinforce feelings of nationalism.”
As the federal government prepares for the celebrations of Confederation's 150th anniversary, it's important to ensure that both official languages are visible and audible in public spaces in many different ways.
[Translation]
As I mentioned to you when I presented my annual report a few weeks ago, Canada's linguistic duality too often remains incognito. When everything runs smoothly, bilingual services become part of everyday life and go unnoticed. Let me give you two examples.
[English]
The Vancouver Olympic Games were a success on the ground in terms of the use of both of Canada's official languages. The opening ceremony, on the other hand, was a failure. No one remembers the success on the ground, but everyone remembers the backlash over the absence of French during the opening ceremony.
[Translation]
My second example is the state funeral for Jack Layton. The ceremony was a huge success for linguistic duality, but no one ever mentions that.
I would like to say a word about Canada's centennial. The high point of the 1967 celebrations was Expo 67, which took place in Montreal at the same time as the Bilingualism and Biculturalism Commission was preparing its report. I am convinced that Expo 67 laid psychological groundwork for the acceptance of official bilingualism and the Official Languages Act. For more than 50 million Canadian and international visitors, visiting Expo 67 meant taking part in a public space where both official languages were equally audible and visible.
[English]
It was a first in terms of presenting an environment that respects both official languages. In his opening remarks at Expo 67 in Montreal, Lester B. Pearson said:
Our own country's existence is always dependent upon achieving unity of human purpose within the diversity of our linguistic, cultural and social backgrounds.
Expo 67 was an event that spotlighted Canada's French-speaking community. It showed the world and also the rest of Canada that French was an integral part of the country's fabric. And 50 years later we need to do it again.
[Translation]
Another monument built around the same time to celebrate the country's centenary and showcase Canada's linguistic duality was the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. In the words of the NAC website, it was “built to both produce and present music, opera, theatre, and dance. It was also bilingual, designed to reflect Canada's linguistic duality—the first, and still the only, performing arts centre in the world with such a complex mandate”.
[English]
One thing these initiatives had in common was the promotion of English and French as official languages, Canada's linguistic duality, two years before the vote on the Official Languages Act.
How can we make sure that one of our nation's fundamental values is represented in the celebrations in 2017? Giving young Canadians more opportunities to experience the other official language is an excellent way to help Canada celebrate its shared heritage.
[Translation]
In my 2011-2012 annual report, I made two recommendations to promote second-language learning in order to increase the number of Canadians who speak our two official languages. I recommended that the take the necessary measures to double the number of young Canadians who participate each year in short- and long-term language exchanges.
[English]
I also recommended that the work together with provincial and territorial governments, as well as post-secondary institutions, to increase the number of programs in which students can take courses in their second official language.
The 150th anniversary of Confederation celebrations are an ideal occasion to follow through on these recommendations.
[Translation]
Social media were not part of our communication landscape when we celebrated our centennial in 1967 and the 125th anniversary in 1992. These platforms are an excellent way to promote Canada's linguistic diversity and start a conversation in both official languages. We can use social media to connect local celebrations with the general spirit of the 150th anniversary of Confederation, and to promote the history and heritage of our official language communities across the country.
However, promoting linguistic duality does not happen by itself. It requires planning sufficiently in advance, and a constant bilingualism reflex, without which it will go unnoticed. This is true as much for communicating with the public in virtual spaces as it is for serving the public in physical spaces.
[English]
While there's substantial bilingual capacity for visitors to Canada's capital, it is often invisible. Canadians have the right to obtain services of equal quality from the federal government in the official language of their choice. The celebrations in 2017 will be an opportunity to encourage Canadians to travel throughout their country, and every effort should be made to ensure they are welcomed in both languages. Institutions or offices providing services to the travelling public have to make more of an effort to respect the language rights of the public they serve, and to keep doing it even after the tourists have gone home.
[Translation]
Canadians need to have a better understanding of the country's official language communities, including their culture and their institutions. They need to have more exposure to the advantages of linguistic duality and the values it represents.
And so it is very important to make sure that the content of the celebrations reflect the common history of Canada's anglophones and francophones. To help organizers of large-scale events to improve their knowledge and understanding of official languages, my office published a publication called Organizing a Major Sporting Event in Canada: A Practical Guide to Promoting Official Languages. This guide was developed for organizers of major national and international sporting, cultural and artistic events in Canada and for the federal institutions involved in their organization.
[English]
The purpose of the guide was not to replace the expertise of the organizing committee or the federal institutions involved, but rather to remind them to take official languages and language obligations into account right from the initial planning stages. My staff and I are already using it to work with the organizing committees of the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, and the 2013 Canada Games in Sherbrooke.
We will continue to encourage organizers of major events in Canada to integrate linguistic duality into their activities.
[Translation]
I hope that the 150th anniversary of this country's Confederation will be a highly successful event, and one that present and future generations of Canadians will remember as reflecting both the English and French cultures of Canada.
Thank you.
:
My reaction to the census was fairly positive, given that, as you said, there has been an increase in the number of francophones both in and outside Quebec. Those who have negative things to say after each census had a little more difficulty this time saying that this is the end of French outside Quebec, and that French was fundamentally threatened. To be honest, there is some stability and even growth in the communities.
As for the country's diversity and immigration, I believe that we cannot welcome 250,000 newcomers to Canada every year and maintain the same percentage of individuals who have English or French as their mother tongue. It's a question of math. However, these anniversaries are particularly significant for telling Canada's story to those who have not lived it or learned it in school. I think public history, if I may say so, is becoming increasingly important for our country, a country that welcomes immigrants.
It is becoming more important for minority institutions to have a certain visibility. I read the transcript of the testimony of Anthony Wilson-Smith, the president of the Historica-Dominion Institute, who said before this committee that he hears more people speaking Russian in Toronto than French. This is someone who speaks a refined French. But in Toronto, there are a number of francophone institutions around Yonge and College. I think it's important to target these institutions, to have a kind of critical mass of francophone institutions that could even have an influence on the surrounding cafés and public spaces.
There are some historical reasons to explain why the francophone communities in Canada, the ones outside Quebec, are fairly invisible. Among others, there were waves of populations that arrived at different times, and a certain hostility was felt in certain periods. Even when the francophone communities are almost the majority, there is very little signage and public statements. One of the challenges is ensuring that these public spaces, these institutions and these communities are more visible. When francophone immigrants from Mali, Ivory Coast or Senegal arrive in Toronto, they should be able to see that there are francophone community centres and that French is given some visibility in certain parts of the city.
:
There are two reasons for that. First, I think that education at the primary and high school levels is jealously guarded by the provinces. It's under provincial jurisdiction, whereas at the post-secondary level—research, grants and so on—collaboration with the federal government is generally accepted.
The second reason is that I am seeing a certain cascading influence that the federal government is having on universities. In fact, the government and the deputy ministers play a recruiting role by sending the message that the government, as the largest employer in Canada, needs bilingual employees. This may bring universities to send the message to high schools that they need to stress French or English in francophone institutions.
One of the problems is that the rate the students drop French after grade nine in Ontario is very high, given that it ceases to be mandatory. As Mr. Dion mentioned, there is no obligation in western Ontario. So there students drop it.
A high school student told me that his teacher said that, at the end of high school, the students should choose to take a core French exam rather than an immersion exam because it was easier. So they would get a better mark. He said that the universities only look at the grade when evaluating admission applications. I think that just encourages mediocrity. Universities should look at the pool of candidates and consider the ones that have taken more difficult courses as major candidates.
In fact, more and more, we are seeing universities recognizing the importance of this pool of immersion students and even competing for them. For example, there are programs to attract them at the University of Ottawa. Glendon College, on the York University campus, conducts a campaign to recruit immersion students.
But too many universities only look at the numbers, which doesn't concern them. Others do not see the need to provide students with those opportunities because they say that the federal government will take care of them if they hire them as employees.
:
I think there are a number of elements.
One thing I would say is that I think that, to a large extent, a much larger extent than was the case when the Official Languages Act was passed in 1969, Canadians do see bilingualism as an asset. You do not hear, as happened in moments of tension in the past, the booing of the national anthem when it is sung in both languages, as happened at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1976. You don't see the kind of overt hostility to the presence of both languages.
The polls show—and it's one of the things we alluded to in our annual report this year—there's an ever-growing support for Canada's linguistic duality. One of the things that has struck me in the meetings I've had or the forums we've organized with immigrants is that many of them were attracted to Canada because they liked the idea that Canada has two official languages.
You see immigrant families who are determined to ensure that their children learn both official languages. There is a sense that this is a way in which they can affirm their Canadianness, by learning or ensuring that their children can learn both official languages.
In terms of the jobs issue, I think it's just a matter of making it clear that bilingualism is not a requirement for hiring in the federal public service, that 60% of the jobs in the federal public service do not require both official languages. There are a relatively limited number of reasons why people need to be bilingual if they work for the federal government: to serve people at a counter or serve the public in an office where they have an obligation where numbers warrant to serve the public; to be able to manage people who have a right to work in their language of choice in an area that's designated bilingual, such as New Brunswick, parts of Quebec, the national capital region, and parts of eastern and northern Ontario; and to be able to brief a minister. Ministers obviously have the right to say they want to be briefed in French, and the system has an obligation to ensure there are senior people who can do that. Finally, there is the importance of senior public servants understanding the country as a whole. All kinds, 60%, of federal jobs do not meet those criteria.
:
Good morning. Bon appétit.
My name is Éric Dubeau. I am the Executive Director of the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française. I am joined by Simone Saint-Pierre, our Chief of Communications. Thank you for inviting us to this meeting.
The FCCF is a national organization whose mission is to promote artistic and cultural expression of francophone and Acadian communities. It brings together representatives of national groups in theatre, publishing, singing, music, media arts, visual arts, a group of performing arts broadcasting networks and a community radio alliance, as well as representatives from 11 Canadian provinces and territories dedicated to the cultural development of Canada's francophonie. The FCCF has 22 member organizations and speaks on behalf of some 3,000 artists, and 150 arts and cultural development organizations, working in over 250 francophone and Acadian communities across Canada.
Arts and culture should be at the heart of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. Artists use their creativity and work to help enhance, examine, celebrate and develop culture, and to make it alive and contemporary. The work of artists and arts and cultural organizations greatly contributes to social cohesion and facilitates intercultural dialogue, since arts and culture express our emotions, thoughts and values. One of the goals of the 150th anniversary celebration is to strengthen the relationships between all the components of Canada's social fabric. Artists can ensure a successful celebration in terms of that.
We read with interest the report the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage published in September. Basically, we support the report's recommendations with regard to arts and culture. We especially support the government in its willingness to work with the provinces and territories to maximize the leverage of its investments. However, we also want to point out that the one-time investments recommended in the report will have less of an impact than ongoing support would.
Considering the scale of the anniversary we will celebrate together in 2017, we think the activities of the 150th anniversary of Confederation should not be only occasional and short-lived, such as a concept show tour or a themed exhibit. We also think investments should encourage the implementation of projects that are more structuring and have a greater sustainable impact. For instance, it would be beneficial if the government supported exchanges of artists from different parts of the country by establishing artist residences over several weeks, even several months. That initiative would culminate on the 150th anniversary. Another option would be to order a series of new creations that would be unveiled or performed throughout 2017 and during subsequent years. That more longitudinal approach would increase the positive effects of the government's investments, to the benefit of all Canadians.
We feel strongly about Minister Moore's statements—quoted in the committee's report—confirming that the agencies from his department's portfolio will be involved in the celebrations. As you may perhaps already know, the FCCF signed a document called the Agreement for the Development of Francophone Arts and Culture in Canada. In addition to the FCCF, this agreement has six federal signatories: Telefilm Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, the National Arts Centre, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the National Film Board of Canada and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. We feel that not only would it be appropriate for each of those agencies to participate in the 150th anniversary celebrations, but all of them should have to invest at least 15% of their celebration budget into activities presented by artists or arts and cultural organizations of Canada's francophonie.
We are convinced that all the artistic and cultural organizations of our Canadian francophonie should be considered—as should federal cultural agencies—as key partners in celebrations. Those organizations are in the best position—both in terms of their ongoing programming and special one-time projects—to ensure that the concrete actions in the field are mobilizing Canadians across the country. To do so, organizations will have to receive sufficient support not only for the 150th anniversary, but from here on in as well. We invite the government to establish the necessary mechanisms and tools.
Another way to ensure a solid return on your investments as part of those festivities is to make sure they facilitate Canadians' access to artistic and cultural activities in first-rate cultural spaces. Investing in cultural infrastructure is a way to ensure that Canadians have a permanent cultural heritage. As pointed out in the committee's report, the National Arts Centre was created in 1967, as part of the celebration of Confederation's 100th anniversary. Today, 45 years later, thousands of Canadians are still benefiting from this world-class cultural institution every year.
The committee's report also talks about using large-scale festivals and events to organize festive gathering opportunities. Creating ties among festivals from various regions of the country through program exchanges could facilitate collaboration among local event organizers from OLMCs and national-scale events. That would be a better way to discover the diversity of talents from OLMCs at events across the country.
To ensure that the collaborative projects by various organizations can be carried out and that artists and arts and cultural organizations from OLMCs play an important part, support mechanisms will have to clearly establish the obligations of various organizers in terms of official languages. When the time comes, we would be happy to work with those in charge to develop programs to encourage and support the participation of our artists and arts organizations. I also want to point out that, should the government implement the committee's recommendation to establish an independent body or organization in charge of celebrations, we would gladly join that body.
In closing—and in response to Minister Moore's concerns that the funding of artistic events may affect future generations—I would like to quote a francophone Canadian visual artist and author, Pierre Raphaël Pelletier. He wrote something along these lines:
All artistic creation is meant to forever transform our folk space into a new territory of exchanges, into a space of intimate interactions that changes every life that takes part in it, that dedicates itself to it—a wonderful initiative of liberation, the root and foundation of any authentic culture [...]
We are convinced that all the artistic and cultural events to which Canadians will have access during the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Confederation will forever be part of the nation's genetic code. The creations, performances and infrastructure created as part of those festivities will become a legacy of great wealth for future generations.
Thank you for your attention. I would be pleased to answer your questions.
On behalf of the president of the Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada, Michel Vézina, who could not be here today, I want to thank you for inviting our organization to appear as part of your study on the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation.
The Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada represents some 27,000 senior members across the country, who naturally live in all Canadian provinces and territories, except Quebec.
We are especially proud that you have invited francophone seniors who have contributed a great deal to the building of our country and who, through their hard work, their beliefs and their identity, have shaped our communities and made Canada into such a great country.
Last November 6, you heard from the representatives of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne. They suggested turning the 150th anniversary into an opportunity to develop a vision of sharing, exchange and dialogue among Canada's constituent parts. The Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada agrees with the FCFA's thinking.
The government and Canadians recognize linguistic duality and culture diversity as important national values. Therefore, Canada should use these festivities to provide Canadians with unique opportunities to rekindle those values, share and exchange common experiences and remember the various stages of our collective journey.
It is important to remember the major milestones of our shared history, to explain how the three founding peoples of Canada—first nations, francophones and anglophones—contributed to the building of our national identity, and how the addition of cultural communities helped enhance that identity. It is very important to use those festivities to also show how much of a role that diversity has played in making Canadians tolerant, open to differences and open to the world. It should also be shown that these founding peoples put down roots across the country and that the francophonie developed not only in Quebec, but also within many communities across the country.
Canada is certainly a forward-looking country. However, Canada must also use this opportunity to remember and never forget the peoples and individuals who built this country. A country that loses sight of the unique attributes that helped build its identity is a country that will always be searching for something and have a hard time defining itself. Therefore, the 150th anniversary is a unique opportunity for francophone communities to finally be seen, not only as minorities, but rather as communities of full-fledged citizens who have contributed and continue to contribute to the country's strength.
Now, let's look at how this could translate into concrete measures.
History must manifest itself in a spirited manner for us to remember it. What better way to do that than by calling upon the collective memory of the Canadians who have built this country? In 2017, why not give an opportunity to seniors and all Canadians to meet, share, exchange and explain how they have contributed to the shaping of this beautiful country?
We recommend that, over the next four years, four activities be undertaken in the context of an official languages perspective.
The first activity we suggest is the broadcasting of a national collection whose theme would be “150 years of Canadian achievements”. A national contest could be organized where Canadians would be invited to present short stories describing the achievements of individuals who have contributed to the building of our communities across the country. The best essays could then be put together in a collection or a website that many Canadians would have access to. It would be of the utmost importance for that collection to reflect the realities of our three founding peoples—first nations, francophones and anglophones. It would also be important to ensure to represent cultural communities whose first official spoken language is French or English.
We suggest a second activity that may be worthwhile. Some seniors or Canadians have trouble writing. So they could express themselves in a video, on the same topic, of course. Similar to the national collection, associated groups could be invited to connect with Canadians who are less comfortable expressing themselves in writing. These Canadians would be encouraged to recount their achievements in audiovisual format. The best videos would be incorporated into a national video, posted online or made into a DVD. They could even be featured on several TV programs showcasing the wonderful achievements of our fellow Canadians.
Our third recommendation would also make for an excellent initiative. It would involve intergenerational interactions between members of Canada's three founding peoples. These interactions would foster dialogue and sharing. The Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada already works with the Association canadienne des professeurs d'immersion. We are working on intergenerational projects between French-speaking seniors and young people in immersion programs. We see the 150th anniversary of Confederation as an opportunity to build on this idea. We could set up initiatives bringing together francophone seniors and immersion students, or young French speakers and first nations seniors. The 150th anniversary of Confederation should connect people of different generations from our country's three founding peoples.
The fourth positive initiative we would recommend is a national summit to recognize the contribution of seniors to Canadian history and the building of this country. The summit would take place in 2017 and bring together a variety of seniors from across the country representing first nations, francophones and anglophones. The summit would provide an ideal opportunity to celebrate the major achievements of our country and the tremendous contribution of our citizens. It would also be an opportunity to look ahead and lay the foundation for closer ties between the founding peoples for decades to come.
Our fifth and final recommendation or initiative, if you prefer, would be an expansion of the New Horizons for Seniors program. That would entail broadening the program criteria as of 2015 to allow interested seniors groups to highlight their contribution to Canadian society. Under such an initiative, they would be able to express themselves fully and to submit projects along the lines of the four we just described. Some of the program criteria already reflect similar thinking, but the criteria would need to be clarified and rounded out. The program would have to allow for proposals that will help ensure the 150th anniversary of Confederation is a memorable occasion that lives on in people's minds for many years to come.
So there you have a few ideas on how to turn the 150th anniversary celebrations of Confederation into the ideal occasion to honour our shared values, which include linguistic duality.
Thank you. I would be pleased to answer any questions.