Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE
CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION CANADA – FRANCOPHONE MINORITY COMMUNITIES
STEERING COMMITTEE
March 29 and 30, 2005
Westin Hotel
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Present:
Co-chairs:
CIC: Diane Vincent
Francophone minority communities: Marc C. Arnal
CIC Representatives:
Patricia Birket, Director General, Integration
Louise Gravel, Director General, Human Resources
Renald Dussault, Director General, Selection
Janet Siddall, Director General, International Region
Tony Marshall, Director General, Atlantic Region
Maryse O'Neil, Analyst, Atlantic Region
Rob Vineberg, Director General, Prairies and Northern
Territories Region
Pierre Gaulin, Director, Ontario Region
Robert Godfrey, Director, replacing John Kent,
British Columbia and Yukon Region
Lyne Deschênes, Analyst, replacing Brian
Grant, Strategic Policy and Partnership
Marc Béland, Analyst, replacing Bob Orr,
Refugees
Peter Duchinsky, Analyst, International Region
Michel Dupuis, Deputy Director, Selection
Partners:
Gérard Clément, Assistant Deputy Minister,
Manitoba
George Itoafa, Project Officer, New Brunswick
Riet Verheggen, Director, replacing Katherine
Hewson, Ontario
Tony Varatojo, Program Consultant, Ontario
Simone Godbout, Alberta
Aldean Anderson, Director, Official Language Community
Development Bureau, Health Canada
Louise Trahan, Director, Interdepartmental Co-ordination,
Canadian Heritage
Daniel Cadieux, Analyst, Canadian Heritage
Michelle Hamelin, Director and Secretary General, Human
Resources and Skills Development Canada
Joceline Ménard, Project officer, Human Resources
and Skills Development Canada
Yvon Leblanc, replacing Monique Rose,
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Anne Scotton, Director General, Official Languages, Privy
Council Office
Myriam Montra, Director, Official Languages, Privy Council
Office
Nathalie Dubois, National Coordinator of Francophone
Intergovernmental Affairs
Keith Fernandez, Director General, Western Economic Diversification
Annie Dell, Regional Director, Réseau de développement
économique et d'employabilité du Canada
Kurt Inder, Program Development Officer, replacing Gilbert
Philion, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Community representatives:
Maxim Jean-Louis, Ontario
Marie-France Kenny, Saskatchewan
Luketa M'Pindou, Alberta
Michel Chartier, Manitoba
Keith Coughland, Nova Scotia
Lise Ouellette, New Brunswick
Jamal Nawri, replacing Michelle Rakotonaivo,
British Columbia
Gisèle Bernard, replacing Zaïn Essenghaier,
Prince Edward Island
Observers:
Danielle Ferron, Analyst, Office of the Commissioner
of Official Languages
Simone Godbout, replacing Percy Cummings,
Province of Alberta
Absents:
Okenge Yuma Morisho, Manager, Industry Canada
Tricia MacDonald, Chief, Foreign Affairs Canada
Robert Galipeau, Chief, Northwest Territories
Bill Burgers, Analyst, Province of British Columbia
Renée Champagne, Ontario
Léonie Tchatat, Ontario
Secretariat/Organization
Diane Côté, Community Side, Fédération
des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
Roukya Abdi Aden, Community Side, Fédération
des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
Jean Séguin, Government Side, Director, Special
Initiatives and Outreach, Integration Branch, CIC
Denise Legault, Government Side, Senior Advisor, Policy
and Programs, Special Initiatives and Outreach, Integration Branch, CIC
Suzanne Riberdy, Government Side, Program Specialist,
Integration Branch, CIC
Ronald Bisson, Facilitator
1. Welcoming remarks by the co-chairs
Diane Vincent, Co-chair for the Government Side, welcomed all the Steering
Committee members. She highlighted the participation of new members: Ontario,
which has become a full-fledged member since the last Steering Committee
meeting. The representative, Katherine Hewson, was replaced today by Riet
Verheggen and Tony Varatojo. In Alberta, responsibility for immigration
was transferred from the Department of Education to the Department of
Human Resources and Employment, and the representative on the Steering
Committee is Percy Cummings, who was replaced today by Simone Godbout.
The Community Side also has two new members: Annie Dell, who represents
the Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité
Canada (RDÉE), and Marie-France Kenny from Saskatchewan. Ms.
Vincent welcomed the new members.
Diane Vincent then told the Committee members about the federal government's
new investments. She believes that these new investments will definitely
support the Steering Committee's work. She mentioned from among those
investments additional amounts of $298 million for the next five years
for the federal settlement program.
She added that the government announced an antiracism plan of $56 million
over three years, of which $18 million will be transferred to Citizenship
and Immigration Canada (CIC). In the 2004 budget, Human Resources and
Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) was allocated $64 million for credential
recognition. In the 2005 budget, Health Canada received $75 million for
jobs related to the health and labour market integration of newcomers.
The agreement between the RDÉE and HRSDC was renewed for the next
three years.
Ms. Vincent concluded by saying that all this additional funding will
constitute a good funding structure for the five-year plan that the Steering
Committee is preparing.
Diane Vincent then gave the floor to Marc Arnal, Co-chair for the Community
Side.
Marc Arnal also welcomed all the Steering Committee members.
2. Adoption of the agenda
Proposed by Keith Coughland, community representative
Seconded by Luketa M'Pindou, community representative
The agenda was unanimously adopted.
3. Round table of the participants
Diane Vincent asked the Steering Committee members to introduce themselves.
4. Presentation on the number of French-speaking immigrants outside
Quebec
Diane Vincent asked Renald Dussault, Director General, Selection, to
talk about the latest statistics for 2004.
Renald Dussault explained that CIC currently has only preliminary figures
on immigration to Canada in 2004. He said that at first glance, Objective
1 of the strategic framework, which is to increase the number of French-speaking
immigrants to 4.4% by 2008, has been exceeded. He announced that in 2001,
3.1% of immigrants outside Quebec were French speaking and, in 2004, this
percentage increased to 4.9%.
However, Mr. Dussault asked the Committee members to regard these figures
with a great deal of caution. He believes that further analyses will need
to be conducted. He explained that this increase is probably the result
of the amendment to the selection grid, which awards more points for knowledge
of the official languages.
5. Update for each region – representatives from each region
Marc Arnal asked the representatives of the regions to provide an update
since the last Steering Committee meeting of June 29, 2004.
Atlantic Region
New Brunswick
The members informed the Committee of a study on jobs. An agreement had
been signed with the Université de Moncton to set up an off-campus
work program for foreign students. A rural integration project is being
implemented in Saint-Léonard. The project will last approximately
three-and-a-half years. It is a research/action pilot project that will
examine the way a rural community can adapt to immigration and the integration
of immigrants. The model will be introduced in Manitoba and Prince Edward
Island. The Committee members were invited to find out more about this
highly promising project.
Nova Scotia
The members said that they are encouraged by the progress made on the
file over the past 12 months. They are pleased with Mr. MacDonald's appointment
as the province's Minister of Immigration. They believe that a great deal
of work remains to be done, but that the will is there.
Ontario Region
The members informed the Committee that three calls for tender have been
launched. The first project will make it possible to evaluate the content
of the Web site Settlement.Org. The
second is a research project on an economic infrastructure in Sudbury
with a view to drafting a proposal for a strategy to attract and retain
Francophone immigrant students. The third project is a guide for Francophone
immigrants interested in studying in Ontario.
Prairies Region
Manitoba
The members informed the Committee that a partnership committee on the
economic development of Francophones in Manitoba has been set up. The
Department of Immigration, the province of Manitoba and the Economic Development
Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (CDEM) are members of this
committee.
Michel Chartier, community representative, highlighted that community
leaders are counting on the National Committee to maintain the momentum
because the committee's work is inextricably linked to the positive development
of the file in each community.
Saskatchewan
The members informed the Committee that, in October 2004, CIC signed
an agreement with the Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise
as part of the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP-B). The
project's objective is to develop a reception capacity in which settlement
will better reflect the Francophone reality in Saskatchewan.
Marie-France Kenny, community representative, said that a true partnership
has been established with the province, which has mandated the community
to represent it at promotional and recruitment tours in Africa in October
2004 and in Paris in March 2005. She stressed that it is important to
maintain the momentum and to find additional resources in order to better
coordinate the file.
Alberta
The members informed the Committee that one reception centre has been
open in Edmonton since 2003 and that another has been open in Calgary
since December 2004. A number of partners are involved in the development
of the services.
Luketa M'Pindou, community representative, outlined the difficulties
they experienced in working with the province and indicated that they
hope for better cooperation in the future.
British Columbia
The members informed the Committee that the provincial subcommittee published
its two year action plan on January 18. The Fédération
des francophones de la Colombie Britannique, the representative organization,
is organizing a symposium on Francophone diversity, which will be held
in June. The members mentioned the excellent cooperation between the communities
and CIC.
Jamal Nawri, community representative, emphasized the importance of ensuring
more consistent coordination of the file. He criticized the slow fund
transfer mechanisms between the federal government and the province.
National
The Fédération des communautés francophones
et acadienne du Canada (FCFA) has begun the follow-up of the Vive
la différence project. The purpose of this second phase of
the project is to accompany in a more direct manner certain provincial
and territorial communities (four) in their efforts to raise awareness
about openness and inclusion so that they can develop an action plan aimed
at improving relations with other segments of the society.
The Fondation dialogue des cultures undertook the management
of the Rendez-vous de la francophonie. In 2005–06, the
content of the Rendez-vous will be more representative of the Francophone
community.
6. Presentation on the Steering Committee's accomplishments (Strategic
Framework, two-year action plans) and on proposals (Five-Year Strategic
Plan and the structure and process proposed for the development of the
five-year plan)
Diane Vincent asked Jean Séguin, CIC's representative, to go back
over the Steering Committee's accomplishments and to present the structure
and the process proposed for the development of the five-year plan.
Jean Séguin provided an overview of the Steering Committee's key
accomplishments since its creation in 2002:
- In 2003, the Committee developed a strategic framework that included
five objectives and measures.
- In 2004, an inventory of the existing programs was compiled. The two-year
national and provincial action plans were developed. The summary of
the initiatives was finalized.
He highlighted that the structure for the development of the two-year
plans was too cumbersome. A proposal had therefore been made to the Steering
Committee members to simplify the structure with a view to developing
the five-year plan. A support committee was set up in fall 2004 for that
purpose and was made up of three community representatives, three CIC
representatives, one HRSDC representative and one Canadian Heritage representative.
He specified that secretarial services would be provided to the Committee
jointly by the FCFA and the Integration Branch of CIC. The support committee
will also be assisted in this process by a consultant, Ronald Bisson.
The support committee will identify the challenges to overcome and the
corrective measures to be taken; consult the working groups about each
Strategic Framework objective and the provincial/territorial committees
when appropriate; and produce a five-year plan based on the two-year plans
and on the guidelines set out by the CIC/FMCSC.
The support committee has already met twice since January 2005. In terms
of a deadline, a draft five-year action plan will be finalized in mid-June.
The plan should be launched in October at the latest.
Marc Arnal urged the Steering Committee members to share their perspectives
with the support committee.
7. Work session
See the the report by Ronald Bisson & Associates Inc. in the Appendix.
8. Summary of the discussions and next steps
Ronald Bisson, the facilitator and consultant hired to prepare the five-year
plan, asked the Committee members whether a link should
be established between the demographic deficit and the immigration strategy
in the five-year plan.
The members believe that immigration is also a key factor in the economic
and social development of Francophone communities and that it cannot compensate
for the assimilation rate observed in the Francophone and Acadian communities.
The members believe that it will be important to retain a number of arguments
to support the immigration strategy of the five-year plan and that the
issue of demographic weight will need to be only one of those
arguments. The members also believe that it will be important
to situate the five-year plan in the context of Canada's linguistic duality.
Ronald Bisson then asked the Committee members to decide on a financial
structure for the implementation of the five-year action plan.
The members feel that first a clear action plan needs to be developed,
then the financial requirements will need to be determined for the implementation
of the five-year action plan, and finally, the gaps between the requirements
and the available resources or those that would be the result of new partnerships
must be analysed.
9. Adoption of the minutes of the June 29 videoconference
Proposed by Luketa M'Pindou, community representative
Seconded by Jean Séguin, CIC representative
The minutes of the June 29 videoconference were unanimously adopted.
10. Closing remarks
The Co-chairs thanked the Committee members for their work and input.
They reminded everyone of the deadline that the Committee has set itself
for launching the five-year action plan.
The Committee members set their next meeting for June 20 and 21, 2005,
in Ottawa.
The meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.
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