Strategic Framework to Foster
Immigration to Francophone
Minority Communities

November 2003

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Acknowledgements

 
• Message from the Minister

 
• Message from the Co-chairs

 
• Preamble

 
• Part I: Background on the Partnership Between Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Francophone Minority Communities

 
• Part II: Approach of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada–Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee

 
• Part III: Strategic Framework to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities

 
• Part IV: Implementation, Follow-up and Evaluation Mechanisms for the Strategic Framework

 
• Appendix A: Mandate and Membership of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada–Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee

 
• Appendix B: Recommendations of the Report Evaluation of the Ability of Minority Francophone Communities to Host Newcomers (PHASE 1) prepared for the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada

 
• Appendix C: Recommendations of the Brief Invisible Visibility: Immigrant Women, Landed… and then What? by the Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes-françaises

 
• Appendix D: Recommendations of the Special Study Official Languages and Immigration: Obstacles and Opportunities for Immigrants and Communities by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

 
• Appendix E: Recommendations of the Special Study Immigration and the Vitality of Canada's Official Language Communities: Policy, Demography and Identity by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

 
• Appendix F: Recommendations of the report Immigration as a Tool for the Development of Official Language Minority Communities by the Standing Committee on Official Languages

 
• Appendix G: List of 2002-2003 Projects

 
• Definitions and Abbreviations

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Citizenship and Immigration Canada–Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee (Steering Committee) would not have been able to carry out its work without the collaboration of many people. Steering Committee co-chairs Diane Vincent and Marc C. Arnal would like to thank all those who so generously shared their immigration experience and knowledge with the Steering Committee. Special thanks to Rosaline Frith who acted as co-chair of the Steering Commitee from March 2002 to September 2003.

Community representatives

We extend our thanks to all the Francophone minority community representatives: Renée Champagne (Ontario), Michel Chartier (Manitoba), Lise Ouellette (New Brunswick), Michelle Rakotonaivo (British Columbia), Léonie Tchatat (Ontario), Maxim Jean-Louis (Ontario), Luketa M’Pindou (Alberta) and Zaïn Esseghaïer (Prince Edward Island).

CIC representatives

We wish to thank Deputy Minister Michel Dorais and Assistant Deputy Minister Lyse Ricard, who took part in the Steering Committee's first meeting, as well as the representatives of the various CIC branches who participated in one or more meetings: Rosaline Frith (Integration), Ann Ratcliffe, Daniel Wilson, Beverly Davis, Leslie Linklater and Lyne Deschênes (Strategic Policy and Partnership); Denis Vézina, Daniel Therrien and Michel Smith (Refugees); Pierre Coulombe, Renald Dussault and Jean-François Hubert-Rouleau (Selection); Linda Landry, Brigitte Fortin and Louise Gravel (Human Resources); Olivier Jacques, Daniel Jean, Peter Duschinsky and Robert Orr (International Region); Tony Marshall (Atlantic Region); Pierre Gaulin (Settlement and Ports of Entry, Ontario); Rob Vineberg (Prairies and Northern Territories Region); Marilyn Viger and Thérèse Vermette (British Columbia and Yukon Region).

Observers

We thank those who acted as observers of the Steering Committee's activities, beginning with the following provincial government representatives: Gérald Clément (Manitoba); George Bogdan Itoafa, Mario Boisvert and Johanne Dumont (New Brunswick); Bill Burgers (British Columbia) and Jacqueline Frank (Ontario). We also thank the following representatives of federal departments and agencies: Michelle Hamelin and Micheline Tréau de Coeli (Human Resources Development Canada); Josée Laverdière and Brent Bauer (Privy Council Office); Carsten Quell and Gérard Finn (Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages); Louise L. Trahan, Pierre Goulet, Nicky Norris and Louise Sauvé-Dubois (Canadian Heritage). We also thank Edmond LaBossière, national coordinator for Intergovernmental Francophone Affairs.

Finally, the Steering Committee would like to thank the team responsible for coordinating its work. The team members were Micheline Doiron (CIC), Diane Côté and Roukya Abdi Aden (Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada), as well as the staff of CIC's Settlement Division and the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA), who provided the administrative and logistical support that enabled the Steering Committee to carry out its work successfully.

MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER

It is with great pleasure that I present a Strategic Framework to Foster Immigration to Francophone Communities in Canada. The framework charts a course to help Francophone minority communities share the economic and social benefits of immigration in the years ahead.

I commend the members of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada-Francophone Minorities Communities Steering Committee who have worked tirelessly to prepare this document. I thank them for their dedication in presenting a thoughtful, yet practical approach that supports the Government of Canada's commitment to developing and supporting minority official language communities across the country.

Linguistic duality is fundamental to our Canadian identity, and we have made great strides in recent years to enhance the vitality of minority official language communities. For example, linguistic provisions were incorporated into the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that came into effect in 2002. Many other initiatives are also in development to increase the number of French-speaking immigrants in Francophone minority communities.

I offer my full support in implementing the objectives outlined in the Strategic Framework. I have already instructed Citizenship and Immigration Canada officials to develop the partnerships necessary to implement it. I look forward to working with other federal departments, the provinces and territories, as well as Francophone minority communities, to develop the action plans that will foster immigration to Francophone minority communities.

The Strategic Framework supports the Government's Action Plan for Official Languages, released in March 2003. It will provide the Francophone communities the tools necessary to continue their contribution to Canada's development.

Denis Coderre
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

MESSAGE FROM THE CO-CHAIRS

In March 2002, Minister Denis Coderre established the Citizenship and Immigration Canada–Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee. The Committee was given the important mandate of overseeing the establishment of the conditions necessary to facilitate the recruitment, selection and reception of newcomers and their integration into Francophone minority communities.

The Committee achieved significant progress in the past year; identifying the problems that we need to address and the key strategies that will enable us to reverse the immigration deficit faced by Francophone and Acadian communities for decades. For these communities, this is a key issue with major economical, cultural, social, demographical and international repercussions.

The strategic framework the Committee is proposing contains not only objectives and results to be achieved, but also the measures needed to get there. It reflects the thrust of the discussions among members of the Steering Committee and was agreed to by consensus. We wish to thank federal, provincial and community partners who took an active part in drafting this framework.

We would now like to call on all federal departments, provincial and territorial governments and Francophone minority communities to participate in the development of action plans that will ensure the successful implementation of the framework. Sustained involvement and effort by the various partners is crucial if we are to make this initiative a true success.

We look forward to working with you!

PREAMBLE

Canada has a long-standing tradition of immigration. Immigration has contributed and continues to contribute to the social and economic development of Canada and to its cultural enrichment.

Recent studies have shown that Francophone minority communities have not benefited as much from immigration as the Anglophone population.¹ In 2001, Canada received 250,346 immigrants of whom 114,775 spoke English only, 111,229 spoke neither official language, 13,027 were bilingual and 11,315 spoke French only.² Francophone minority communities receive limited benefits from Francophone immigration. For example, in 2001, 75 percent of French-speaking immigrants chose to settle in Quebec.³ Moreover, like most Canadians, immigrants are attracted to the major cities for economic and social reasons. The 2001 Census reveals that there has been not only a decline in the proportion of the population claiming French as their mother tongue in Canada, but also a drop in the proportion of the population in Francophone minority communities.

Given the fact that immigration is an important factor in the growth of Canada's population, it should benefit the country's two linguistic communities equally. Measures should be developed to help the Francophone and Acadian communities profit more from immigration to mitigate their demographic decline. They would benefit from the economic and cultural spin-offs of the arrival of immigrants in their communities and make up for lost time.

The following document presents the strategic framework proposed by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada–Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee (Steering Committee) to increase the number of French-speaking immigrants in Francophone minority communities and to facilitate their reception and integration. It complements the Government of Quebec's efforts with regard to immigration, and is part of the Government of Canada's strategy to strengthen Canada's linguistic duality through an overall increase in the number of French-speaking immigrants to Canada.

PART I

The Dialogue tour, organized by the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA) between 1999 and 2001, offered a vehicle for thought on the future of Francophone minority communities. An important facet of Dialogue was devoted to immigration and its importance for the development and vitality of the Francophone minority communities. In its report entitled Let's Talk!, the task force made a number of recommendations related to the themes of reception and inclusion as well as to the need for reflection on the subject of identity. Among other things, it recommended that a national committee be convened to see to the development of an action plan on immigration.⁴ In 2001, the FCFA approached Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to discuss the next steps resulting from Dialogue.

In March 2002, the Honourable Denis Coderre, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, announced the creation of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada–Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee.⁵ Sitting on this Committee are representatives of these communities, senior CIC officials and representatives of other federal and provincial departments. The members of the Steering Committee were given the mandate of developing strategies to increase the number of French-speaking immigrants in Francophone minority communities and to facilitate their reception and integration.

The Commissioner of Official Languages, Dyane Adam, also made a special contribution to advancing the issue of immigration to official-language minority communities. She worked in partnership with CIC and Members of Parliament to incorporate linguistic provisions in the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act⁶ that was implemented in June 2002. The new Act reiterates the formal commitment of the federal government to support and assist the development and enhancement of the vitality of the minority official-language communities, as stated in the Official Languages Act of 1988.

In this context, CIC has demonstrated its willingness to work with community groups and the various levels of government to ensure that the two official-language communities and the regions of Canada benefit from the economic and social spin-offs of immigration.

PART II

The Steering Committee has met four times since it was created in March 2002. At the first meeting, it was agreed that its work would be guided by two premises. The strategies proposed must:

• contribute to the vitality of Francophone communities and to the successful integration of French-speaking immigrants; and

 
• be the subject of a consensus among the members of the government and community components.

Therefore, in light of the scope and complexity of the issue, the Steering Committee has adopted a multi-phase action research approach to properly address the whole issue of immigration to Francophone minority communities.

Firstly, this approach includes the development of a strategic framework which will serve as a reference framework for all national, provincial and territorial stakeholders from the government and community sectors who will be involved in developing and implementing the action plans. This strategic framework identifies the long-term objectives, medium-term results and short-term measures to reach, as well as some follow-up and evaluation mechanisms to implement.

Secondly, national, provincial and territorial action plans will be developed in partnership with the various community and government stakeholders by 2004 and implemented by 2005. To remain true to the spirit of the action-research approach adopted by the Steering Committee, the national, provincial and territorial pilot projects will proceed in parallel with the Committee's work.

Roles and responsibilities of the partners

The development and implementation of strategies to help attract, settle and integrate immigrants to Francophone and Acadian communities call for a coordinated, integrated and comprehensive approach by all the partners.

The Francophone minority communities

The Francophone and Acadian communities should take on the Francophone immigration issue and acknowledge its importance to their growth. They must be aware of the situation, initiate an appraisal of their immigration needs, and accept greater accountability for the changes in attitude leading to more open-mindedness. They should also set the conditions required to reach the objectives in the strategic framework and acquire tools through effective partnerships with all the key players (government, private sector, community institutions, etc.). Without a concerted effort or sustained investment by the various partners, the Francophone minority communities will not be able to successfully achieve the objectives set out in this strategic framework by themselves. The members of the community component of the Steering Committee will encourage the Francophone communities and their institutions to establish cross-sectoral partnerships within the community network.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Immigration is a matter of shared jurisdiction in Canada. CIC is responsible for most selection, reception and settlement programs for newcomers, except for in Quebec, Manitoba and British Columbia. Quebec manages most of its selection and integration programs under the Canada-Quebec Accord. Manitoba and British Colombia design and administer their own settlement programs under resettlement agreements. Due to the complex nature of immigration to Canada, CIC also has a very important role to play in implementing the strategic framework and in developing and implementing the national, provincial and territorial action plans. CIC will therefore be required to identify the means that will need to be put in place within the Department to achieve the objectives and target results of the strategic framework.

Since the scope of the strategic framework is not limited to CIC's mandate, the Department will work with the communities to engage the federal, provincial and territorial government partners. These partners also have a role to play in the selection, reception and economic, social and cultural integration of immigrants, and the development and implementation of the national, provincial and territorial action plans.

Government partners

Representatives of Canadian Heritage, Human Resources Development Canada, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, the governments of British Colombia, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick and the national coordinator for Intergovernmental Francophone Affairs currently sit on the Steering Committee. All have participated as observers in the development of the strategic framework. The status of the observer members will change to that of full-fledged members in the course of the development and implementation of the national, provincial and territorial action plans. Other federal departments and agencies such as Health Canada, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Industry Canada, Rural Secretariat and the regional economic development agencies will also be invited to contribute to the work of the Steering Committee.

At the Conference of Ministers responsible for Francophone affairs held in Saint John's in October 2002, the Ministers were sensitized to the issue of Francophone immigration. They reacted very favourably to the idea of developing and introducing government policies and strategies to promote Francophone immigration and to help build appropriate reception and integration capacity in the Francophone communities. Furthermore, at the meeting of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for immigration held in October 2002, the provinces and territories stressed the importance of building new partnerships with the communities, including the official-language communities, and showed interest in collaborating with CIC and the communities on this issue.

All government stakeholders will be invited to participate as full partners in working out and implementing the national, provincial and territorial action plans, thereby making an active commitment to the process.

Action Research

The Steering Committee used the following reports, regional consultations, studies and projects⁷ to identify the immigration issues in Francophone communities.

Studies by the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada

In January 2003, the FCFA released the results of a study (Phase 1) on the reception capacity of the Francophone minority communities of Moncton, Ottawa, Sudbury, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.⁸ This study identified needs and existing services and suggested possible solutions to better equip the communities to meet the needs of newcomers. A special complementary study on the city of Calgary is now under way, and will be made public in the fall. Phase 2 of this study, will be published in fall 2003. It will deal with rural or semi-urban immigration and the perceptions that Francophones have of the benefits of immigration for their communities in Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Northern Ontario. (See Appendix B for recommendations.)

Brief by the Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes-françaises

In September 2002, the Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes-françaises (FNFCF) submitted a brief⁹ to the Steering Committee on the needs of Francophone immigrant women. This brief is the result of a consultation of seven groups of French-speaking immigrant women from Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick. In collaboration with French-speaking immigrant women, the FNFCF proposes strategies to the federal government address the needs identified. (See Appendix C for recommendations.)

Studies by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

In 2002, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages published two studies¹⁰ on immigration to official-language minority communities. The first is a demographic analysis which shows that Francophone communities do not benefit as much from immigration as Anglophone communities. The second looks beyond demographic analysis, and contains practical recommendations on the selection, settlement and integration of immigrants. (See appendix D for recommendations.)

Regional consultations

Regional consultations were held in 2002 and are continuing in 2003.

In Alberta, two consultations followed by two information sessions were held in 2002 in Edmonton and Calgary. The consultations raised awareness among Francophone organizations, employees of CIC and other departments about the importance of Francophone immigration and focused on fostering partnerships between those organizations and federal departments, particularly CIC and Canadian Heritage. The information sessions focused on networking between the Anglophone service providers and the Francophone organizations of Alberta.

In Ontario, a report was prepared in the summer of 2002 by the community members of the Steering Committee from this province, after a major collaborative effort. A second round was undertaken in December 2002 to develop practices that would allow ethnocultural groups to further coordinate their activities among themselves and with the traditional Francophone groups.

In New Brunswick, a retreat on the settlement and integration problems experienced by Francophone immigrants took place in June 2002. This initiative focused on hearing from Francophones of all cultural origins. Participants discussed the concrete measures that are required for the improved integration of Francophone immigrants so that they can enjoy economic success and foster a real feeling of belonging to the established Francophone community.

In Manitoba, the Franco–Manitoban community organized a retreat in the fall of 2002. This day was an opportunity for all the partners to develop an action plan for the reception and integration of Francophone immigrants. The active participation of the province proved to be a key factor in the initiative's success. The plan sets out ambitious objectives for the future.

In British Columbia, a consultation to develop an action plan on welcoming and settling French-speaking immigrants was held in September 2003.

Consultations will also take place in other regions as part of the development of action plans.

Report by the Standing Committee on Official Languages

The Standing Committee on Official Languages of the House of Commons also explored the subject of immigration in a study based on section 41 of the Official Languages Act. In May 2003, the Committee tabled its report, Immigration as a Tool for the Development of Official Language Minority Communities¹¹ See Appendix F for recommendations.

PART III

The following strategic framework outlines the issues related to Francophone immigration; the long-term objectives, medium-term results, short-term measures, and the methods to be considered in developing the national, provincial and territorial action plans.

In 2001, the proportion of Francophones in the Canadian population outside Quebec was 4.4%,¹² while only 3.1% of immigrants to Canada outside Quebec were French-speaking.¹³ If the communities are to benefit from immigration and maintain their long-term demographic weight, they will have to attract and retain at least the same percentage of French-speaking immigrants as their demographic weight within the Canadian population outside Quebec. This means that the communities must gradually receive more Francophone newcomers over the next five years.

Significant, targeted promotion and recruitment efforts will have to be made. For example, various Francophone countries could be targeted on the basis of opportunities that have been identified by producing promotional materials or organizing missions outside Canada. A close connection might also be established between the selection of provincial nominees and the immigration requirements of the communities. The more effectively workforce shortages are identified in the short term, the more impact immigration will have on the economic development of Francophone communities. It will also be necessary to provide immigrants with up to date and useful information on the Francophone minority communities outside Quebec to encourage them to settle there.

An assessment of the capacity of Francophone minority communities to receive newcomers demonstrates that first contacts with the host society and its institutions are decisive in the ongoing integration of immigrants. The study showed that the Francophone and Acadian communities have little experience in receiving and integrating immigrants. Some of these communities, particularly in the large urban centres, have already acknowledged the need to accept diversity. Not all of them have reached the same stage of acceptance. Moreover, access to settlement services in French has been deemed inadequate in many parts of the country.¹⁴

It is thus necessary to improve the reception structures for French-speaking newcomers and to make all members of Francophone minority communities aware of the positive spin-offs of immigration. This would create a social and cultural climate that would facilitate the integration of Francophone newcomers. For example, in the provinces and regions where English is the dominant language, immigrants should be given exact information on the services available in French so that their first contact would be with the Francophone community. This would increase the chances of their remaining in the host community and reduce the odds of assimilation. In addition, since diversity is a new phenomenon in the Francophone minority communities, anti-racism campaigns and measures to open minds to diversity could be organized.

Immigrants are less successful than Canadian-born persons in the labour market, even when they have higher levels of education and specialization than Canadian workers. According to 1996 statistics, the rate of unemployment¹⁵ among immigrants¹⁶ in the 25–44 age bracket with equivalent training was three times the national average (10 percent), and nearly twice as high as the rate for those in the same age group born in Canada.¹⁷ This trend seems to be continuing in the data for 2001, i.e. 12.1 percent for immigrants compared to 6.4 percent for their Canadian-born counterparts.¹⁸

French-speaking immigrants are no exception to this poor economic performance, which can be observed among Canada's immigrants as a whole. To address this major concern, it will be necessary to remove various to the integration of immigrants—such as language, recognition of qualifications and experience, and employers' attitudes—so that immigrants will be able to participate fully in the labour market and realize their full potential.¹⁹

Studies have shown that French-speaking immigrants feel marginalized because some parts of society are completely sealed off to immigrants and because of the ghettoization of certain immigrant communities. This situation is reflected in the non-inclusion of French-speaking immigrants in the social activities and institutional structures of the host society.²⁰ To support immigrants in their efforts to become socially and culturally integrated into Francophone and Acadian communities, institutions will have to be more open and welcoming. They will have to adjust to the pluralistic reality of Canada's Francophone population. For example, institutions will have to ensure that newcomers are better represented within their structures and to adapt their services to the realities of the immigrant population, so that access is facilitated for French-speaking immigrants.

Few studies have been conducted on immigrants' access to housing, health care and social services. However, research raises a number of pertinent questions regarding Francophone, non-European immigrants' needs and cultural conceptions of health care and aging, which sometimes differ from those of mainstream Canadian society. Since these conceptions shape the way they relate to Canadian health care and social service institutions, adjustment strategies will have to be made to facilitate immigrants’ access to the services delivered by these institutions.²¹

The concentration of French-speaking immigrants in the large urban centres is raising major concerns within the Francophone minority communities. According to the 2001 Census, 80 percent of French-speaking immigrants outside of Quebec settled in Toronto and Vancouver, while 70 percent of Francophones do not live in these urban centres.²² This sort of trend deprives the regions of the demographic and economic contribution of immigration. A more balanced regional distribution of new arrivals would be desirable.

Studies have shown that attracting a larger proportion of French-speaking immigrants to the various regions inhabited by the Francophone minority communities is concurrent to the development of these regions, especially their economic development. In fact, the retention of immigrants in the regions essentially depends on their employment prospects. The number of immigrants will only increase gradually through the regions' economic force of attraction and the pull that a critical mass of immigrants can exercise on other potential candidates.²³

Efforts will be required in the short term to generate tangible results in the medium term. For example, the regional social and economic stakeholders could put together information tools on the need for workers in various key sectors in order to attract French-speaking immigrants to those sectors.

PART IV

Successful implementation of the strategic framework will directly depend on the number and success of partnerships established between the Francophone minority communities, CIC, all the government players (at the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal levels), and the private and community sectors.

Implementation

The Steering Committee recommends that:

• national, provincial and territorial action plans be developed in 2004. These plans will include the following elements: results to be achieved and their order of priority; measures and means to establish to achieve the results; national, provincial and territorial initiatives to be implemented; timetables and cost estimates;

 
• implementation of the action plans begin in 2005; and

 
• in light of the action plans developed on the basis of the strategic framework and pilot projects, the federal government conduct a review in 2005 of financial resources allocated to the action plans.

Evaluation mechanism

The Steering Committee recommends that:

• pilot projects and initiatives resulting from the strategic framework be evaluated in 2005 to report on results achieved and best practices to the various stakeholders; and

 
• the national, provincial and territorial action plans be evaluated after the third year and that necessary adjustments be made, depending on the results.

Follow-up mechanism

The Steering Committee recommends that:

• its mandate be extended until such time as implementation of plans are underway; and

 
• a long-term national structure then be put in place to ensure the follow-up on these initiatives. This structure will oversee the follow-up and evaluation of the action plans resulting from the strategic framework to promote immigration to Francophone minority communities.

APPENDIX A

• To collaborate in developing a strategy to raise awareness of immigration issues in Francophone minority communities and to increase their reception capacity.

 
• To collaborate in developing a strategy to raise awareness in employees, service providers and CIC clients within Canada and abroad in all matters related to Canada's bilingual nature, the desired results in terms of immigration, and the presence of official-language minority communities in each province and territory, in order to increase immigrant settlement within Francophone minority communities.

 
• To collaborate in developing a strategy to liaise with Francophone minority communities in order to promote their participation in CIC's public activities and consultations, thereby increasing their expertise in immigration matters.

 
• To collaborate in developing a promotion, recruitment and selection strategy in order to increase the number of immigrants who choose to settle in Francophone minority communities.

 
• To participate in the implementation of a new strategy to integrate immigrants in Francophone minority communities.

 
• To identify CIC priorities under the memorandum of understanding with Canadian Heritage for the implementation of the interdepartmental partnership with official-language communities.

 
• To commission studies and research on issues related to immigration within Francophone minority communities to ensure that strategies are developed.

 
• Other activities deemed essential by Steering Committee members.

Duration of the Mandate

• Two years (with possibility of renewal)

Membership

Co-chairs

• For the Francophone minority communities: Marc C. Arnal

 
• For CIC: Diane Vincent, Associate Deputy Minister

Community Representation

• Maxim Jean-Louis, Ontario

 
• Michel Chartier, Manitoba

 
• Michelle Rakotonaivo, British Columbia

 
• Léonie Tchatat, Ontario

 
• Lise Ouellette, New Brunswick

 
• Luketa M'Pindou, Alberta

 
• Renée Champagne, Ontario

 
• Zaïn Esseghaïer, Prince Edward Island

CIC Representation

• Director General, Integration Branch

 
• Director General, Strategic Policy and Partnership

 
• Director General, Selection Branch

 
• Director General, Human Resources Branch

 
• Director General, Refugees Branch

 
• Director General, International Region

 
• Director, Ontario Settlement and Port of Entry

 
• Director General, Atlantic Region

 
• Director General, Prairies and Northern Territories Region

 
• Director General, British Colombia and Yukon Region

Observers

• Representative of Canadian Heritage

 
• Representatives of the provincial and territorial governments

 
• Representative of the Department of Human Resources Development

 
• Representative of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

 
• Representative of the Privy Council Office

 
• National coordinator, Intergovernmental Francophone Affairs

 
• Other resource persons as required

Secretariat

• For the communities: Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada

 
• For the Government of Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

APPENDIX B

The federal government and community groups must intervene with newcomers very early on in the immigration procedures to give them a realistic picture of bilingualism in Canada and to explain the importance of fluency in English to function comfortably in their new surroundings. The Welcome to Canada kit and the kit put out by the Société franco-manitobaine are first steps in this direction, but the ability of written material to reach its target groups remains limited. Other approaches will have to be adopted, such as the Canadian Orientation Abroad sessions.

Federal government services

The Government of Canada must maintain and improve, as appropriate, service delivery in French in its embassies and other service points abroad and at Canada's entry points. Active offer of service in French should be a priority here.

English skills

Settlement support organizations must allow newcomers to upgrade their English skills as required, while at the same time enabling them to fully integrate into the Francophone community. Partnership between Francophone community groups, providers of CLIC/LINC services and the federal government is therefore essential to developing a strategy in this regard.

Delivery of support services in French

Delivery of settlement support services in French requires closer cooperation between CIC (and provincial governments, where agreements have been signed) and Francophone groups. Experience shows that the "bilingualization" of an institution operating mainly in the language of the majority poses serious problems. If the objective of the parties is to provide services in the language of the minority in accordance with the Official Languages Act (including active offer and immediate access to services), it is advisable to draw upon the expertise of Francophone organizations that have the infrastructure required to deliver these services.

Recognition of diplomas/degrees

Although this is a widely-acknowledged issue, recognition of educational credentials remains problematic for many newcomers. It should be made a priority.

Awareness-raising campaign

Our consultations confirm that, within the communities we studied, there continues to be a huge gap in understanding about newcomers. Initiatives dealing specifically with ethnic and cultural diversity within official-language minority communities would meet a definite need.

APPENDIX C

The Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes-françaises, in consultation with Francophone immigrant women who have identified their needs in terms of integration, funding of their groups, employment, social services and access to services in French, proposes the following courses of action that:

The federal government:

• Raise greater awareness among the public and employers as to the strengths and significant contribution of Francophone immigrant women to the development and vitality of the Francophone minority communities.

 
• Counter discriminatory practices against immigrant women by promoting equal opportunities in employment, education and health.

 
• Initiate a continuing dialogue between immigrant women and Canadian society in order to develop strategies for concerted action to create spaces where immigrant women can express themselves and achieve their potential.

 
• Increase the rate and amount of funding granted to Francophone immigrant women's groups and to those working with Francophone immigrant women.

 
• Honour its commitments to immigrant women by working together at all stages of the immigration process with other levels of government and professional corporations to facilitate recognition of foreign skills and credentials.

 
• Work together at all stages of the immigration process with other levels of government and professional corporations to facilitate labour market integration for Francophone immigrant women. Setting up internship programs in professional communities or any other strategy to achieve that goal.

 
• Improve communications with immigrant women about the extent of the challenges they will face upon arrival, especially with respect to jobs and recognition of credentials.

 
• Offer immigrant women the opportunity to write the necessary professional examinations in their country of origin in order to speed up the Canadian labour market integration process.

 
• In settlement and integration centres, introduce services tailored for Francophone immigrant women and offered by trained workers who are sensitive to their experience.

 
• Raise awareness of and promote respect for the three-part identity of Francophone immigrant women as Francophones, immigrants and women, among the provincial and territorial governments, as well as to the agencies offering services to immigrant women populations.

 
• Identify Francophone immigrant women as Francophones when gathering data, even when their first language is not always French.

 
• Work to improve the recognition of Francophone immigrant women as citizens in their own right, for example, by eliminating the spousal sponsorship requirement.

 
• In 1995, as part of the Federal Plan for Gender Equality, the federal government adopted a policy requiring that its departments and agencies analyze all their policies and legislation from this perspective.

The Canadian government also signed the Beijing Platform for Action, which clearly identified gender equality, development and peace as goals, and bound the signatories to analyze the impact of their laws, policies and programs on men and women, including with respect to immigration.

The comparative gender analysis is an extremely important tool in determining which policies may have negative repercussions on women and aggravate existing inequalities.

The FNFCF therefore recommends that the Committee respect the undertakings of the federal government and use the comparative gender analysis while developing its recommendations.

APPENDIX D

Attract and retain

The Federal Government has made a commitment to supporting the development and vitality of official-language minority communities under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration must establish long-term selection and retention targets for immigrants to official-language minority communities. These targets must not only reflect the demographic percentage of these communities within the general population but also compensate for inequitable immigration rates in the past.

Up-to-date information on communities

In 1999, the Commissioner had recommended to Citizenship and Immigration Canada that current information about official language minority communities be made available to immigration officials. The Commissioner maintains her recommendation and further proposes that a website be created to provide information about Official-Language Minority Communities which would also serve as a three-way interactive communication tool facilitating direct contact between minority community representatives, immigration officials and potential immigrants.

Settlement monitoring

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of attracting immigrants into official-language minority communities, the Federal Government should establish a long-term monitoring mechanism. Such a mechanism would not only allow it to report on the number of newly arriving immigrants but would be able to assess the retention of immigrants within official-language minority communities.

The Federal Government should ensure that any existing and/or future agreements regarding Provincial Nominees are executed in ways that safeguard and strengthen the vitality of official-language minority communities. Representatives from these communities must participate actively in the annual recruitment process so that an equitable number of Provincial Nominees settle into official-language minority communities.

Qualification recognition

The Federal Government, in cooperation with the provinces and territories, should pursue its commitment under the UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees concerning Higher Education to assist immigrant professionals obtain licencing in Canada. In its efforts, the Federal Government must ensure that immigrants settling in official-language minority communities are not disadvantaged due to the origin and language of their credentials which may differ from the majority of immigrants.

APPENDIX E

• Governments must clearly recognize that immigration plays an important role in modifying the demographic character of Canada and of its official-language communities and is thus critical to the promotion of vitality.

 
• An integrated approach must be enunciated by the federal government and objectives, regulations and policies with respect to demographic renewal of official-language communities put in place and acted upon, in close collaboration with the affected communities.

 
• As to immigration policy, any modifications to the point system should support knowledge of official languages and not limit the importance of the knowledge of the second official language relative to the first. To do so would be inconsistent with the objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act with respect to linguistic duality.

 
• With respect to the recent federal-provincial immigration agreements, the provincial authorities must be sensitive to the obligation to support the linguistic vitality of official-language communities and should work with the communities in this regard. Where such agreements exist, federal-provincial action plans for the promotion of linguistic vitality should be developed jointly by the federal and provincial governments, in consultation with official-language communities.

 
• There should be greater harmonization between the official languages and multicultural policies in support of the intersection of official language and ethnocultural communities.

Recruitment and promotion

• A strategy with regard to Francophone recruitment should be developed; benchmarks should be established to increase Francophone immigration to minority language communities and reviewed annually to ensure progress in this area.

 
• The recent introduction of a number of federal-provincial immigration agreements should result in initiatives that involve cooperation between the linguistic communities and federal and provincial authorities.

 
• As to promotion, CIC should provide more information about support for the linguistic vitality of official language communities and the availability of services. Potential candidates should be made aware of the important historic and contemporary contribution of official language communities to Canada. Federal and Quebec authorities should work together to ensure harmonization in the information issued to immigrants by CIC and the MRCI.

 
• The federal government should support efforts to attract immigrants from official language communities in missions abroad. Leadership from official language community organizations should be invited to join missions to recruit immigrants and inform them about resources available in the communities.

Settlement and integration

• In order for minority official-language communities to play their role in encouraging immigrants to come to their areas, welcoming them and helping them integrate into Canadian society, they must be supported by the federal government at all levels of the process, from planning to settlement and integration activities.

 
• CIC, Canadian Heritage and HRDC (Human Resources Development Canada) should support the creation of hubs or centres in the various official-language communities along the model of the Carrefours d'intégration in Quebec. These centres should be used to draw immigrants from official-language communities into closer contact with the members of the linguistic community.

 
• The existing service organizations of Quebec's English-speaking community should develop a more formal mechanism to address the needs of immigrants. CIC and Canadian Heritage should assist Quebec's Anglophone institutions outside Montreal to ensure that they have adequate resources to serve new arrivals who are Anglophone and help them integrate into their communities.

 
• Improved French language training should be provided for English-speaking immigrants to Quebec.

 
• There should be increased outreach to involve ethnoracial Francophones in national organizations that represent official-language communities. As an interim measure a national advisory body should be established that reflects the diversity of the official-language communities. The objective of this advisory body would be to propose measures to ensure greater inclusion of the ethnoracial minorities in the institutions of the community.

 
• The Multiculturalism Program of Canadian Heritage should support cross-cultural initiatives in official-language communities and programs aimed at sensitizing service providers to the needs of ethnoracial Francophones.

 
• Where relevant, intercultural sensitization programs should be expanded in the school system to help school personnel confront the challenges of diversity. The Department of Canadian Heritage should provide greater support for the development of such programs.

 
• CIC and Canadian Heritage should work with HRDC to expedite the recognition of immigrants' educational and employment credentials. The relationship between language knowledge and the recognition of credentials should be examined.

APPENDIX F

Recommendation 1

The Committee recommends that immigration officers be required to inform Francophone potential immigrants of the existence of official-language minority communities throughout Canada.

Recommendation 2

The Committee urges CIC to create a Web site that would provide information on the official-language minority communities and that could be used as an interactive communications tool by representatives of those communities, immigration officers and potential immigrants.

Recommendation 3

The Committee recommends that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration set objectives to be achieved over the next five years in selecting, and retaining within minority communities, immigrants who speak the minority language. The annual reports prepared by CIC as part of its obligations under section 41 of the Official-Languages Act must provide information in this regard.

The Committee reiterates the importance of CIC support for the official language communities in their involvement in immigration issues. The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada ensure the permanence of such support, that the funding allocated to CIC in the coming years reflect a long-term strategy for the development and promotion of immigration for the benefit of the official-language minority communities and that this objective be reflected in the Department's action plan.

Recommendation 4

The Committee recommends that the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade take appropriate steps to ensure that Canada's embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions reflect, in the course of their work of promoting Canada abroad, Canada's linguistic duality and in particular the existence of French-speaking and English-speaking communities throughout the country. To achieve this, the Committee recommends that Canada's embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions give equal space to both official languages on their Web sites, among other actions.

Recommendation 5

The Committee recommends that those in charge of the Official Languages Support Program and the Multiculturalism Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage strengthen their collaborative relationships so as to meet the needs of the Francophone ethnocultural communities.

Recommendation 6

The Committee recommends that from now on a language clause be included in all federal-provincial-territorial agreements on immigration, providing for the input of official-language communities on all issues involving promotion, recruitment and immigration of new arrivals whose first language is that of the minority.

Recommendation 7

With a view to facilitating the transition and integration of immigrants, the Committee recommends that CIC study the approach put forward by the Société franco-manitobaine and look into the possibility of targeting individuals and families in order to increase the chances of successful settlement in the same community.

Recommendation 8

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada take steps to ensure that the provinces and regulatory authorities treat foreign credentials equitably whether dealing with Francophone or Anglophone immigrants.

Recommendation 9

The Committee recommends that the Department of Human Resources Development Canada, as a member of the CIC — FMC Steering Committee, step up its efforts to develop programs for the support and integration of new arrivals. Such programs would make it possible for new arrivals not only to acquire an initial experience in the labour market, but also to perfect their linguistic and professional skills. These initiatives would ensure that new arrivals would be able to contribute fully to their new community and to Canadian society.

Recommendation 10

We recommend that all regional development agencies such as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Western Economic Diversification Canada work together with the CIC—FMC Steering Committee to study ways to facilitate the integration of Francophone immigrants into minority communities.

Recommendation 11

The Committee recommends that CIC ensure that the funding it allocates language training to LINC and CLIC reflect the objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act with respect to the recruitment and settlement of immigrants in both of Canada's two official-language communities.

Recommendation 12

The Committee encourages the official-language minority communities to continue making immigration a priority in their development plans.

Recommendation 13

The Committee recommends that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration ensure that Bill C-18 stipulate that the citizenship ceremonies be conducted in both official languages and that linguistic duality be promoted.

Recommendation 14

The Committee recommends that CIC, within the framework of the Canada-Quebec Agreement currently in effect, consult the representative bodies of Quebec's Anglophone community to determine whether they would be interested in setting up a steering committee similar to that for the Francophone minority communities.

APPENDIX G

National

• Francophone minority communities to receive newcomers, chiefly in the major urban centres of the country: Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Sudbury and Moncton, prepared by the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada. Study available.
  
  A special study on Calgary is under way and will be released in the fall. It will be added to complement the Phase 1 report.

 
• Phase 2: Study on the capacity of five Francophone minority communities to receive newcomers and their perception of immigration to urban and semi-rural areas (Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Northern Ontario, Prince Edward Island) coordinated by the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada. Study available in October 2003.

 
• Development of an action plan in partnership with Francophone minority communities, by the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada. Phases 1 and 2 completed; Phase 3 on-going.

Manitoba

• Committee to follow up the October 2002 symposium on immigration.

 
• Awareness-raising project to inform Francophone communities (teachers, newcomers, youth, parents, seniors etc.) of the benefits and necessity of immigration for the Franco-Manitoban community, project coordinated by the Société Franco-manitobaine. On-going.

Alberta

• Integration tools for young Francophone immigrants, prepared by the Alliance Jeunesse-Famille de l’Alberta. Tools available.

British Columbia

• Assessment of the settlement and integration of French-speaking immigrants and refugees in Vancouver, prepared by the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique. On-going.

 
• Guide for Francophone newcomers produced by the Government of British Columbia.

New Brunswick

• Assessment of the settlement and integration of French-speaking immigrants in New Brunswick prepared by the Société des Acadiens et Acadiennes du Nouveau-Brunswick (SAANB). Assessment available.

Ontario

• Study of the needs of French-speaking immigrants in London-Sarnia and of the reception capacity of the Francophone community, prepared by Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario – London/Sarnia. Study available.

 
• Promotional tools for Francophone immigrants in Ontario on mental health and substance abuse, prepared by Ontario's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Tools in preparation.

 
• Study of the impact of war on Francophone women immigrants in Ontario, prepared by the Mouvement ontarien des femmes immigrantes francophones. Evaluation on-going.

DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Action plan

Prepared at the national, provincial and territorial level, it will include results to be achieved and their order of priority, measures and means to establish to achieve the results, as well as national, provincial and territorial initiatives to be implemented, timetables and cost estimates.

Canadian Francophone and Acadian communities

Francophone minority communities in Canada outside Quebec.

CIC

Abbreviation for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

FCFA

Abbreviation for Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada.

Francophone Communities

Synonym for Francophone minority communities and Canadian Francophone and Acadian communities.

Francophone minority communities

Synonym for Canadian Francophone and Acadian communities.

French-speaking immigrants

Persons born outside Canada and residing in Canada whose mother tongue is French or who have knowledge of the French language.

Immigrants

Persons born outside Canada who reside in Canada, including refugees.

Newcomers

Includes immigrants in the family and economic class who have obtained permanent resident status and persons authorized to stay in Canada under a Ministerial Permit or a special authorization, such as refugees or live-in caregivers who are eligible for CIC programs.³⁰

Steering Committee

Abbreviation for Citizenship and Immigration Canada–Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee.

Footnotes

¹ Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Immigration and the Vitality of Canada’s Official Language Communities: Policy, Demography and Identity, 2002; Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Official Languages and Immigration: Obstacles and Opportunities for Immigrants and Communities, November 2002.

² Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2001.

³ In 2001, the distribution of immigrants who declared knowledge of French at ports of entry was as follows: Newfoundland 21,Prince Edward Island 5, Nova Scotia 77, New Brunswick 150, Ontario 5,128, Manitoba 33, Saskatchewan 6, Alberta 477, British Columbia 677, Northwest Territories 1 and Yukon 3. Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2001.

⁴ Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, Let’s Talk. Report of the Dialogue Task Force (2001).

⁵ See appendix A for the mandate and membership of the Steering Committee.

⁶ (a) 3(1)(b.1): to support and assist the development of minority official- language communities;
3(3)(d): ensures that decisions taken under this Act are consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including its principles of equality and freedom from discrimination and of the equality of French and English as the official languages of Canada;
3(3)(e): supports the commitment of the Government of Canada to enhance the vitality of the English and French linguistic-minority communities in Canada.

⁷ See appendix G for the list of projects and research.

⁸ PRA Inc., Evaluation of the ability of minority Francophone communities to host newcomers (Phase 1), November 2002.

⁹ Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes-françaises, Invisible Visibility: Immigrant Women. Landed... and then what? September 2002.

¹⁰ Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Immigration and the Vitality of Canada's Official Language Communities: Policy, Demography and Identity, 2002. Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. Official Languages and Immigration: Obstacles and Opportunities for Immigrants and Communities. November 2002.

¹¹ Standing Committee on Official Languages, Immigration as a Tool for the Development of Official Language Minority Communities, May 2003.

¹² Statistic Canada, 2001 Census.

¹³ Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2002.

¹⁴ PRA Inc., Evaluation of the Ability of Minority Francophone Communities to Host Newcomers (Phase 1), November 2002.

¹⁵ Does not include those on welfare.

¹⁶ Who have immigrated to Canada five years before the census, excluding the year of the census.

¹⁷ Statistics Canada, 1996 Census.

¹⁸ Statistics Canada, 2001 Census.

¹⁹ Comité d’adaptation de la main-d’œuvre pour personnes immigrantes (CAMO-PI), L’intégration et le maintien en emploi des personnes immigrantes, May 1996; J.G. Reitz, Immigrant Skill Utilization in the Canadian Labour Market: Implications of Human Capital Research, October 2001.

²⁰ Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, Let’s Talk. Report of the Dialogue Task Force, 2001.

²¹ J. Anderson, S. Tang, and C. Blue., Health Systems Renewal: 'Writing in' Cultural Plurality, 1999; Martin Papillon, Immigration, Diversity and Social Inclusion in Canada’s Cities, 2002.

²² Statistics Canada, 2001 Census.

²³ M. Vatz Laaroussi, L’immigration dans les régions du Canada : conditions formelles et informelles de réussite, 1997.

²⁴ PRA Inc., Evaluation of the Ability of Minority Francophone Communities to Host Newcomers (PHASE 1), November 2002, pp. 47-48.

²⁵ Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes-françaises, “Invisible Visibility: Immigrant Women, Landed… and then what?”, September 2002.

²⁶ Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Official Languages and Immigration: Obstacles and Opportunities for Immigrants and Communities, November 2002, pp. 63-64.

²⁷ Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Immigration and the Vitality of Canada's Official Language Communities: Policy, Demography and Identity, February 2002, pp. 71-72.

²⁸ Standing Committee on Official Languages, Immigration as a Tool for the Development of Official Language Minority Communities, May 2003.

²⁹ These projects were undertaken or completed between January 2002 and April 2003 with the financial support of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the provinces, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, and/or Canadian Heritage.

³⁰ This definition of newcomers is used by CIC. It must be said, however, that the Francophone communities define the term more broadly. For them, the expression includes any immigrants who are eligible for CIC programs and any immigrants who have moved to another province and could benefit from and contribute to the vitality of the Francophone community.