National Initiatives

Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities

MINUTES OF THE MEETING
OF THE CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION CANADA –
FRANCOPHONE MINORITY COMMUNITIES
STEERING COMMITTEE

Videoconference

Held June 29, 2004

Attended by:

Co-chairs:

For CIC: Diane Vincent, Assistant Deputy Minister
For the Francophone minority communities: Marc C. Arnal

CIC representatives:

Rosaline Frith, Director General, Integration Branch
Louise Gravel, Director General, Human Resources
Renald Dussault, Director General, Selection Branch
Janet Siddall, Director General, International Region
Jane Veneranda, Analyst, Selection Branch
France Genest, Director, Client Services, Human Resources
Bruce Scoffield, Director, Policy Development and International Coordination, Refugees, replacing Robert Orr
Anne Wallis, Director, Workplace Effectiveness
Marc Béland, Analyst, Refugees Branch
Beverly Davis, Director General, Strategic Policy
Lyne Deschênes, Policy Analyst, Strategic Policy
Shannon Mills, Representative, Communications Branch
Véronique Demers, Representative, Communications Branch
Tony Marshall, Director General, Atlantic Region
Rob Vineberg, Director General, Prairies and Northwest Territories Region
Marilyn Viger, Director General, British Columbia and Yukon Region
Irena Nikolova, Consultant, Ontario Region

Community representatives:

Renée Champagne, Ontario
Lise Ouellette, New Brunswick
Michelle Rakotonaivo, British Columbia
Léonie Tchatat, Ontario
Maxim Jean-Louis, Ontario
Luketa M’Pindou, Alberta
Michel Chartier, Manitoba
Keith Coughland, Nova Scotia
Jos Poirier, Saskatchewan

Partners:

Nicky Norris, Senior Analyst, Interdepartmental Coordination, Canadian Heritage
Monique Rose, Senior Policy Analyst, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Graeme Hamilton-Fac, Representative, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Jo-Ann Gagnon, Manager, Section 41 and Francophonie, Industry Canada
José-Nicolas Blondin-Doucet, Representative, Health Canada
Kiran Caoon, Representative, Western Economic Diversification Canada
Nathalie Dubois, National Coordinator, Intergovernmental Francophone Affairs
Michelle Hamelin, Director and Secretary General, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Jacqueline Gauthier, Representative, FedNor
Lyne Labrèche, Representative, Privy Council Office

Observers:

Danielle Ferron, Parliamentary Relations Officer, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
Jacqueline Frank, Director General, Francophone Affairs – Ontario

Secretariat/Organization:

Roukya Abdi Aden, Community Side, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA)
Jean Séguin, Director, Special Initiatives and Outreach, Integration Branch, CIC
Micheline Doiron, Senior Advisor, Policy and Program Development, Integration Branch, CIC
Denise Legault, Program Specialist, Integration Branch, CIC

Welcome

Diane Vincent, Committee Co-chair, welcomed the members and thanked them for participating in the videoconference.

Individual introductions of participants

The members in attendance introduced themselves.

Adoption of the agenda

The agenda was adopted unanimously.

Adoption of the minutes of the meeting held on March 26, in Montréal.

The minutes of the March 26 meeting were adopted unanimously, with the following change:

• The term Dion Plan on page 7 of the minutes needs to be replaced by Action Plan for Official Languages.

Presentation of two-year action plans

Diane Vincent stated that the two-year action plans are road maps for the communities and departments. They will be distributed to media outlets and the general public on request only. She also said that a summary of the actions taken in the past few years and those suggested in the two-year plan will be made public in the fall. This document will be discussed at item 6 of the agenda.

She then asked Rosaline Frith, Representative, Integration Branch, CIC, to present the key actions conducted nationally over the past two years and to address the actions recommended in the two-year plan.

Presentation of the National Action Plan

Rosaline Frith announced that some of the recommendations made by the communities were incorporated. The other changes will be reviewed when the five-year plan is drafted or when specific projects are presented. She stated that the partner departments have also recommended additions to the national plan.

She then briefly discussed the activities carried out so far and summarized the initiatives in the plan for each objective.

Diane Vincent invited the co-champions of the regional work groups to present their regional action plans.

Atlantic Action Plan

Tony Marshall, Representative, Atlantic Region, CIC, said that the Government Side has completed a first draft of the action plan. He added that a conference call with the community members will be organized shortly in order to finalize the action plan and to give it a community feel. The plan that will be submitted to the Steering Committee will focus on New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Ontario Action Plan

Irena Nikolova, Representative, Ontario Region, said that Ontario’s two-year action plan is based on the five main objectives of the strategic framework, with a focus on objectives 2 and 3. She then covered some of the highlights of the provincial plan.

Prairies and Northwest Territories Region (Manitoba and Alberta action plans)

Rob Vineberg, Representative, Prairies and Northwest Territories Region, CIC, said that a number of actions have been carried out in the past two years, such as partnerships developed with the communities and intergovernmental agencies to create coordinated reception services and to raise the awareness of the communities and other reception service agencies. He then listed some of the actions in Alberta’s and Manitoba’s 2004-05 plans.

British Columbia Action Plan

The co-champions told the members that the British Columbia subcommittee had identified five priorities in the provincial action plan. In addition, improvements to the reception of Francophone immigrants were made. They concluded their presentation by listing some of the actions in the provincial plan.

Discussion and approval of the second version of the National Action Plan

Diane Vincent led the discussion on the National Action Plan.

Lise Ouellette, Community Representative, recommended that more specific actions be identified in the action plan.

Marc Arnal, Committee Co-chair, stated that the regional and national plans must be linked.

Michel Chartier, Community Representative, recommended that each province conduct a demographic analysis to determine the number of immigrants that they will need to overcome the shortfall. Manitoba has already done this analysis.

Diane Vincent identified regionalization as a challenge.

Renée Champagne, Community Representative, said that the issue of employment receives little attention in the action plan. She added that job shortages within the Francophone communities must be determined.

Michelle Hamelin, Representative, HRSDC, told the members that the Réseaux de développement économique et d’employabilité (RDÉE) was asked to study the job shortages in the Francophone communities. The RDÉE will also be asked to work more with the community.

Diane Vincent recommended that the comments of Renée Champagne and Michelle Hamelin be followed up on.

Communications strategy

Marc Arnal asked Robin Cantin, Director of Communications, FCFA, to introduce the abridged plan titled “Overview of Initiatives to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities.”

Robin Cantin presented the table of contents of the “Overview of Initiatives to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities,” which was distributed earlier to the members. He said that this document will include a report on national and provincial activities carried out over the past two years, as well as examples of activities proposed for the next two years. He said that this document will be completed in July by the subcommittee made up of Diane Côté, Roukya Abdi Aden and himself from the FCFA, and Jean Séguin, Micheline Doiron, Denise Legault and Véronique Demers from CIC. He concluded that the final version will be submitted for approval in late July to the Steering Committee or to the Steering Committee co-chairs.

Marc Arnal led the question period.

The members found the proposed plan coherent and approved the concept that was submitted to them.

Luketa M’Pindou, Community Representative, suggested that the title reflect the fact that this document concerns the Canadian Francophonie.

Jean Séguin, Representative, CIC, said that, when the “Overview of Initiatives to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities” is completed, it will be sent to the office of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration for approval and that the two-year plans will be attached for information purposes. This document will then be sent to the federal, provincial and territorial partners for their approval and to invite them to participate in the launch in fall 2004.

Media activities surrounding the launch of the shortened action plan

Marc Arnal asked Jean Séguin to explain the progress of the media event that will be held in fall 2004.

Jean Séguin explained that no date had been set because the office of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration must first be consulted about the Minister’s schedule. He stated that the subcommittee had suggested that the Steering Committee members, the community and the parliamentarians be invited to the launch of the two year action plan. He added that a number of avenues are being explored, for example, holding the launch in the community, such as at the University of Ottawa, combining it with a citizenship or reaffirmation of citizenship ceremony during Citizenship Week, or holding it during the consultation with the communities organized by the Privy Council Office. Regional activities could also be considered as a way to gather and thank the partners.

Launch of CIC Web pages on the Francophone communities and services

Marc Arnal asked Véronique Demers, Communications Branch, CIC, to give a brief overview of the Web pages.

Véronique Demers discussed the content of the Web pages on the communities, which the general public will be able to view in July. She said that development of the Web pages is a multi-phase project and that the first phase had just been completed. Over the next year and during phase II, profiles on Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Sudbury, Hamilton, Toronto and Moncton will be added to the site. She thanked the FCFA, its member associations and Concept Art for their contribution. She ended by saying that these pages could also be revealed at the media event to launch the two-year action plan to be held next fall.

Diane Vincent recommended that the portrait of Ottawa be included in the Web pages.

Closing

Diane Vincent and Marc Arnal thanked the participants. They informed the members that the next Steering Committee meeting will be held in fall 2004.