HOUSE OF COMMONS CANADA COMMUNITIES SPEAK OUT: HEAR OUR VOICE THE VITALITY OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGE MINORITY COMMUNITIES Report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages Guy Lauzon, MP Chair MAY 2007 39th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION The Speaker of the House hereby grants permission to reproduce this document, in whole or in part for use in schools and for other purposes such as private study, research, criticism, review or newspaper summary. Any commercial or other use or reproduction of this publication requires the express prior written authorization of the Speaker of the House of Commons. If this document contains excerpts or the full text of briefs presented to the Committee, permission to reproduce these briefs, in whole or in part, must be obtained from their authors. Also available on the Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire: http://www.parl.gc.ca Available from Communication Canada — Publishing, Ottawa, Canada K1A 0S9 COMMUNITIES SPEAK OUT: HEAR OUR VOICE THE VITALITY OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGE MINORITY COMMUNITIES Report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages Guy Lauzon, MP Chair MAY 2007 39th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION STANDING COMMITTEE ON OFFICIAL LANGUAGES CHAIR Guy Lauzon, MP Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry (ON) VICE-CHAIRS Yvon Godin, MP Acadie-Bathurst (NB) Pablo Rodriguez, MP Honoré-Mercier (QC) MEMBERS Richard Nadeau, MP Gatineau (QC) Sylvie Boucher, MP Beauport-Limoilou (QC) Luc Malo, MP Verchères-Les Patriotes (QC) Jean-Claude D’Amours, MP Madawaska-Restigouche (NB) Luc Harvey, MP Louis-Hébert (QC) Pierre Lemieux, MP Glengarry-Prescott-Russell (ON) Brian Murphy, MP Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe (NB) Hon. Michael Chong, MP Wellington-Halton Hills (ON) Raymonde Folco, MP Laval-Les Îles (QC) OTHER MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATED Vivian Barbot, MP Papineau (QC) Paule Brunelle, MP Trois-Rivières (QC) Daniel Petit, MP Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles (QC) Hon. Raymond Simard, MP Saint-Boniface (MB) CLERK OF THE COMMITTEE Danielle Bélisle PARLIAMENTARY INFORMATION AND RESEARCH SERVICE Library of Parliament Jean-Rodrigue Paré, Analyst iii THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON OFFICIAL LANGUAGES has the honour to present its SEVENTH REPORT Pursuant to its mandate under Standing Order 108(3)(f), the Committee has decided to study the Vitality of Official Language Minority Communities. After hearing evidence, the Committee has agreed to present this report to the House including the following observations and recommendations: v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 1. CONTEXT OF THE STUDY........................................................................................ 7 1.1 PROFILE OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGE MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN CANADA..................................................................................... 8 1.1.1. National Profile ........................................................................................... 8 1.1.2. Francophone Communities....................................................................... 13 Newfoundland and Labrador ...................................................................... 13 Prince Edward Island.................................................................................. 14 Nova Scotia ................................................................................................ 15 New Brunswick........................................................................................... 16 Ontario........................................................................................................ 16 Manitoba..................................................................................................... 17 Saskatchewan ............................................................................................ 18 Alberta........................................................................................................ 19 British Columbia ......................................................................................... 20 Yukon ......................................................................................................... 20 Northwest Territories .................................................................................. 21 Nunavut...................................................................................................... 22 1.1.3. Quebec’s Anglophone Community ........................................................... 22 1.2. THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES AND THE CONSTITUTION.............................. 23 1.3. THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT .................................................................. 25 1.4. ACTION PLAN FOR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ................................................. 27 1.4.1. Accountability and Coordination Framework ............................................ 30 vii 1.4.2. Education.................................................................................................. 31 1.4.3. Community Development ......................................................................... 32 1.4.4. Federal Public Service.............................................................................. 34 1.4.5. Language Industries ................................................................................. 34 1.4.6. Enabling Fund .......................................................................................... 35 1.5. OFFICIAL LANGUAGES PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CANADIAN HERITAGE ................................................... 35 1.6. BRIEF ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL DATA......................................................... 39 1.7. BRIEF EVALUATION OF THE ACTION PLAN FOR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES....................................................................... 44 2. HEALTH .................................................................................................................... 47 2.1. OVERVIEW OF HEALTH STATUS AND ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.......................................................................... 47 2.1.1. Health Status of Francophone Minority Communities............................... 47 2.1.2. Access to Health Care Services for Minority Francophones..................... 50 2.1.3. Health status and Services for Anglophones in Quebec........................... 56 2.1.4. Conclusion................................................................................................ 57 2.2. HEALTH COMPONENT OF ACTION PLAN FOR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES................................................................................. 58 2.2.1. The Health Component............................................................................. 58 2.2.2. Results of the Health Component............................................................. 59 2.2.2.1. Strong Federal-Provincial-Community Cooperation ...................... 59 2.2.2.2. Primary Health Care...................................................................... 62 2.2.2.2.1. The Leverage Effect of Federal Funding............................... 65 2.2.2.2.2. Active Offer of Service........................................................... 66 2.2.2.2.3. Providing Continuity .............................................................. 68 2.2.2.3. Training ......................................................................................... 69 viii 2.2.2.3.1. McGill University ................................................................... 70 2.2.2.3.2. Consortium National de Formation en Santé (CNFS)............................................................. 71 3. IMMIGRATION.......................................................................................................... 79 3.1. KNOWLEDGE OF FRANCOPHONE IMMIGRATION TO MINORITY COMMUNITIES...................................................... 80 3.2. THE 2003-2008 ACTION PLAN AND THE 2006 STRATEGIC PLAN................................................................................. 82 3.2.1. History and Mandate of the Steering Committee...................................... 83 3.2.2. Content of the Strategic Plan.................................................................... 85 3.2.3. Shortcomings of the Plan.......................................................................... 86 3.2.3.1. No Statement of Current Status .................................................... 87 3.2.3.2. Ambiguity of Targets...................................................................... 88 3.3. BUDGET MEASURES 2006-2007.................................................................... 90 3.4. MANITOBA’S APPROACH............................................................................... 91 3.5. ROLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT...................................................... 95 3.6. RECRUITMENT ABROAD................................................................................ 97 4. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................ 99 4.1. EDUCATION: FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD TO UNIVERSITY......................... 99 4.1.1. Minority-Language Education ................................................................... 99 4.1.1.1. Federal Government Support for Minority-Language Education.............................................................. 100 4.1.1.2. Early Childhood ........................................................................... 103 4.1.1.3. Retaining Students Enrolled in Primary ....................................... 109 4.1.2. Second Language / Immersion Programs .............................................