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"The Government of Canada's upcoming action
plan and the English-speaking community of Quebec"
Notes for an address
by the Honourable Stéphane Dion,
President of the Privy Council and
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Speech delivered to the
Quebec Community Groups Network
Quebec City, Quebec
October 20, 2002
Check against delivery
It is a great privilege for me to have this unique opportunity to address
such a dynamic network of regional and sectoral groups representing Quebec’s
English-speaking community. I understand that no fewer than 21 organizations,
from the Gaspé to the Outaouais, from the Quebec Farmers Association to the
Quebec Community Newspapers Association are here.
I have referred to you as a community – united by a common language and
committed to move forward together – but I realize that I could also refer to
you as communities – because of your diversity and wealth of different
experiences.
Since the founding of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) in 1995, you
have acted as a forum to bring together Quebec Anglophones and their many
interests and local groups. You have been effective in voicing their legitimate
interests and concerns.
It is important that our dialogue continues, between myself and my colleagues
– notably the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Sheila Copps – and
organizations such as yours when we are preparing our action plan to relaunch
the Official Languages Policy of the Government of Canada.
On June 20th last year, I had a very productive meeting with your
then President, Mr. Hugh Maynard. In the following months, representatives
of the QCGN met several times with my officials. Notably, on September 17th,
my officials, and some from several other departments, had a constructive
meeting with QCGN representatives and your current President, Mr. Martin Murphy.
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mr. Murphy, on your election
in June: I have no doubt that your dedicated service to your community has
prepared you well for this new challenge and I wish you success in your
endeavours during your tenure.
I cannot say enough how helpful and insightful your document "Suggesting
Change" has been to us. Its outline of the current situation and future
prospects of the English-speaking minority in Quebec has been most useful. In
this document, you write: "The English-speaking community of Quebec
wishes to work proactively and in partnership with the government of Canada in
the establishment and implementation of policy, coordination of government
actions and deployment of resources." Well, the timing could not be
better, since the Government of Canada is eager to establish and improve its
partnership with you.
In your document, you express a certain number of desired outcomes or
expectations. I have structured today’s speech around these expectations.
I note you are looking for a clear understanding of who you are on the part
of the Government of Canada. You want us to "understand, acknowledge and
support the particular needs of English-speaking communities in Quebec."
You want the Government action plan to "ensure that there is a
consultation mechanism to discuss with and seek advice from communities before
the elaboration of policy and a declaration of a ministerial priority. (...) The
action plan must have accountability mechanisms."
You also want a fair share of jobs in federal institutions; you have
identified a certain number of challenges facing you in the area of education;
you have clearly stated that health care in your language is a priority; and
finally, you have highlighted economic development issues touching your
community.
I will endeavour to speak to these concerns today.
1. Understanding your community
In many respects, the province of Quebec presents a unique challenge for
Canada’s official languages policy. The population of Quebec is made up of two
linguistic communities that can each claim a need for protection as a minority.
Francophones form a clear majority within the province of Quebec, but find
themselves in a minority within Canada and North America. Anglophones in
Quebec speak the language of the majority in Canada and the continent, but they
are a minority within their province where they live their daily lives.
English-speaking Quebecers cannot ignore the vulnerability of French within
North America, while Francophones must take into account the legitimate concerns
and the contribution of their province’s English-speaking communities.
Indeed your brief states clearly: " . . . given the English-speaking
community of Quebec’s unique history and position as a minority within a
minority within a majority, there are no standard models the community can look
to for guidance." (P.4).
Your brief also points out that the difficulties inherent in this unique
situation are no excuse for the Government of Canada to fail in its commitment
to vigorously support your community’s development. Your needs demand creative
thinking in the face of jurisdictional and political issues.
In recent years the English-speaking community in Quebec has experienced
dramatic transformations which have challenged even its considerable capacity to
adapt. Over the past 30 years its demographic decline has put increased
stress on its institutional infrastructure. The size of your population, defined
by the mother tongue, has declined from 789,000 in 1971 to 622,000 in 1996 or
from 13% of the population of Quebec to just 9%.1
The demographic trends shaping your community have included low fertility and
net migration towards other provinces. These factors have been only partially
offset by gains from international immigration and language transfers, gains
that are primarily concentrated in Montreal.
Interprovincial migration has been the most important factor shaping the size
of the English-speaking community in recent years. It has resulted in a net loss
of 244,000 English-speaking Quebecers to other parts of Canada over the past 30
years. In addition, many regions of Quebec have also experienced an outflow of
their population to Montreal. The rate of this out-migration has now reduced
somewhat, but remains a source of the ongoing overall demographic decline of the
English-speaking population in Quebec.
This is for the mother tongue. If we look at the first official language
spoken, we have only comparable data for the last two censuses. It shows a
stability in numbers (904,000 in 1991 and 926,000 in 1996) but a decline in the
percentage of the Quebec population (13.3% in 1991 and 13.1% in 1996).
The regional differences faced by the Anglophone communities in Quebec are
striking. The needs of your communities and the problems they experience are of
a different nature from one region to another in the province. It is noteworthy
that no less than 40% of the Anglophone population is living outside the
Montreal island.
One example of this diversity is the level of bilingualism. Among Anglophones
(at 63%) it is almost twice as high as among Francophones (at 34%). However, the
level of bilingualism varies considerably among Anglophones in different
regions, ranging from 20% in Nord-du-Québec to 97% in the Bas-Saint-Laurent. As
for the Anglophone communities in Montreal and surrounding regions, they all
have bilingualism rates in the 60% range.2
As you well know, language transfers and inter-generational transmission are
often tied to mixed marriages. The transmission of English as a mother tongue
from parent to child remains strong at 96% when both parents are Anglophones,
but drops to 44% in families where only one parent is Anglophone. The mother
tongue of the non-Anglophone parent seems to be a crucial variable in the
transmission of English as a mother tongue. In English/Allophone families the
transmission of English as a mother tongue is 83% but drops to 33% in
English/French families.3 Outside of Montreal,
English/French marriages are very common. In fact, a majority of married
Anglophones are married to Francophones in the Mauricie, Abitibi,
Chaudière-Appalaches, and Saguenay-LacSaint-Jean.4
Your common challenge as a minority within a minority within a majority, as
well as your specific needs as diversified communities, are two realities that
the Government of Canada cannot and will not ignore in its official languages
policies nor in its long-term action plan that I am preparing with your help.
2. Consultation mechanisms
Since accepting my mandate from the Prime Minister, I have travelled the
country, consulting people, I have received numerous briefs and met
representatives of all interested stakeholders, including your own Quebec
Community Groups Network.
I know that you have the feeling that your voice has not always been heard in
Ottawa. I believe that the time has come, and the action plan provides us with a
unique opportunity, to begin a new era in the relations between your community
and the Government of Canada. We can have a relationship based on genuine
dialogue and ongoing consultation.
Our commitment to listen will not end with the announcement of an action
plan; its implementation will naturally require your input. Be assured that the
way we began drafting our plan, with far-reaching consultation, will continue.
I must say, at this point, that we are still open to additional proposals for
the action plan. We are now at the stage of formalizing options, policies and
strategies. I expect to have the opportunity to present Cabinet with specific
proposals in the near future.
I am already on record saying, and I will repeat it here, that the Government’s
action plan will indeed contain an accountability framework that will serve as a
constant reminder to ministers and officials that linguistic duality is a
priority. I believe that we can provide the Prime Minister with the
accountability mechanisms which he views as vital for good governance and which
will ensure a coordinated implementation of the action plan.
In the past year, I have worked with my Cabinet colleagues to enhance our
capacity to work with communities. Our accountability framework will have the
following objectives:
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to sensitize federal institutions and public servants to the needs of
minority official-language communities and their obligations under the law;
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to consider promoting and developing linguistic minorities while laws,
policies and programs are still in the development process, rather than wait
for their implementation stage;
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to better inform and consult with minority official-language communities
on programs and activities of the Government of Canada most conducive to
their development and growth.
This framework will be a critical element in our ongoing commitment to work
with you and your communities.
3. Equitable Participation
The QCGN brief, "Suggesting Change" states: "Much
remains to be done to correct the imbalance and make the federal government in
Quebec representative of the population that it serves."
The Official Languages Act states, and I quote: "The
Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that the composition of the
workforce of federal institutions tends to reflect the presence of both the
official languages communities of Canada, taking into account the
characteristics of individual institutions, including their mandates, the public
they serve and their location." The law makes it clear that each
federal institution has this obligation. So, overall, how well are we living up
to this obligation in Quebec?
In 1996, Anglophones in Quebec represented 13.1% of the population. I am here
referring to the first official language spoken – the broadest definition of
the English-speaking community.5
In 2001, the institutions of the Government of Canada employed 70,000
employees in the Quebec region (excluding the National Capital Region).6
Of these, nearly 10,000 were Anglophones. Anglophones, therefore, represented
14% of our employees. So overall we are respecting our commitment. This is, I
suspect, not what you expected to hear.
What you have in mind, and I understand your view, is the portion of federal
employees for whom the Treasury Board acts as the employer. This represents, in
2001, about 19,000 employees in the Quebec region (excluding the National
Capital Region). Their number has declined by 42% since 1984. Among them,
Anglophones represent today only 8% or 1,500 public servants.
Those institutions that fail to adequately represent Quebec’s Anglophone
community in their workforce, whether in the public service or outside it, need
to be held accountable and that is what we intend to do. My colleague, the
Honourable Lucienne Robillard, will be working to ensure that the official
languages obligations of federal institutions are better known and fully
respected. The Treasury Board Secretariat and the Public Service Commission are
working closely together to recruit and to assure the better integration of
Anglophones in the workplace.
In the coming years, there will be a massive turnover of employees within the
federal workforce and this will provide a unique opportunity to address
imbalances in linguistic participation rates. Moreover, since we will be seeking
to attract bilingual candidates, the bilingualism of your community will be a
major asset.
Mme Robillard is committed to strengthening the implementation of
our official languages policy at all levels in the public service, starting at
the top. The Clerk of the Privy Council, Alex Himelfarb, has made official
languages a key management priority for the second year in a row and senior
managers’ performance will be evaluated on their results in this area.
The action plan will allow us to reinforce awareness of official language
obligations and to ensure that these are respected within federal institutions.
Mme Robillard will receive the additional resources she needs to
meet the targets that I just described.
4. Education
It is hard not to be impressed by a school system that has adapted to so many
recent changes, such as a dramatic decline in enrolments, the need to provide
strong second-language education, produce bilingual graduates, and the shift
from denominational schools to language-based schools. When we look at your
overall situation regarding the key issue of education, there are five
challenges which I wish to address.
First, a demographic decline. The English language school system saw its
enrolment fall considerably between 1972 and 1990, from 250,000 to 108,000 or a
57% decline. In 1992, the Chambers Report predicted a continuation of that
decline; however, overall enrolments have now begun to climb reaching an
estimated 119,000 today.
Second, a changing demographic profile. English-language school enrolment is
increasingly dependent on the number of Allophone and French mother tongue
speakers who pursue their education in English. In Montreal, nearly one third of
all students in English schools are Allophone, while outside Montreal, 25% of
those enrolled in English-language public schools have French as their mother
tongue. This presents several challenges. Many of these students require English
as a second language training, and schools need specialized materials and
appropriate training for educators.
Third, the need to have a strong mastery of the French language. The amount
of French instruction that children get in school is of great concern to your
community. And, almost unanimously, you say, an essential priority of
English-speaking parents in Quebec is that children become bilingual.
The popularity of French immersion is a good measure of the interest in
bilingualism among Anglophones. Today, according to Jeff Polenz, the president
of the English School Boards Association, the English school system in Quebec
includes 40,000 students in French immersion. Another 20 to 30% of students in
the English system are taking intensive French courses.7
Beyond the quality of French second-language education, you have told us that
you have a fourth priority: maintaining small schools that are of critical
importance to preserving small rural communities. In several Anglophone school
districts as many as 60% of the schools have 200 or fewer students.
Fifth, you have also identified the importance of distance education in rural
areas, both to improve the variety of courses offered and to ensure that
education is provided in your community. This is important to retaining young
people in English-speaking communities.
These are the five challenges you have raised with us. The Government of
Canada intends to increase its capacity to work with you on these issues. How
will we do this? Federal-provincial agreements are the principal mechanisms in
this area. Last year, Canadian Heritage transferred $50 million to the Quebec
Department of Education for English-language education. These agreements come up
for renewal in 2003 and so have to be renegotiated.
My colleague, the Honourable Sheila Copps, will conduct these negotiations on
behalf of the Government of Canada. In keeping with a long-standing tradition of
cooperation with provincial governments, including the government of Quebec, we
will strengthen the Official Languages in Education Program (OLEP) to
produce tangible results based on shared objectives. We will not only have to
work together, but also to invest the necessary resources, and above all insure
that we obtain results for your children. Ms. Copps is committed to work with
the Quebec Minister of Education to find the best ways to support communities
and respond to the priorities of the Anglophone communities.
The priorities you have identified will be incorporated at the time of these
negotiations.
5. Health Care
You have identified access to quality health care in one*s
mother tongue as a very high priority. A Missisquoi Institute-CROP survey in
2000 indicated that 84% of Anglophones rate that type of access as
"very" or "extremely important". This is particularly
relevant because a greater proportion of the Anglophone community is 65 years of
age or older (12.8% versus 10.7% for Francophones) and more likely to use the
health care system. This age gap is considerably higher in some regions such as
the Eastern Townships (20%), Mauricie (18%), Lanaudière and Québec City (both
at 16%). This older population also tends to be far more unilingual: 56% of them
do not speak French.
We know that the availability and the quality of English-language health care
varies considerably from one region to another in Quebec. Access is particularly
difficult outside the greater Montreal region.
The action plan will make health a priority. We have received the final
report from the Advisory Committee on Anglophone Minority Communities,
established by Health Canada. I am pleased to see your willingness to support
its work and your recognition of the importance of this committee.
Chairman Eric Maldoff and his team have identified findings that touch on
many of the issues that you have raised in your brief:
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networking and cooperation;
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strategic information sharing;
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technology to extend provision of services to distant, dispersed or rural
communities;
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development of service delivery models;
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training and human resource development.
I can assure you that the Health Minister, the Honourable Anne McLellan, is
carefully studying ways to address these concerns within the action plan and
will continue to work closely with the Advisory Committee.
It is true that there is not currently a Canada-Quebec agreement in health
and social services to support your communities, but I want to assure you that
the Government of Canada remains open to such an agreement and we will continue
to work toward this objective.
6. Economic development
We understand that economic development is the key to getting young people to
remain in English-speaking communities. We also know that at the time of the
last census in 1996, unemployment was higher among Anglophones in Quebec (13.2%)
than among Francophones in Quebec (11.5%). This was even the case in Montreal.
The creation of the National Human Resources Development Committee for the
English Linguistic Minority has given your community a voice at the table and a
way of building an effective partnership with the Government of Canada. The
Minister of Human Resources Development, the Honourable Jane Stewart, has
provided $24 million in funding over two years and renewed the agreement with
the two official-language communities. The action plan will seek to build on
this successful initiative.
I can also tell you that the Minister of Industry, the Honourable Allan Rock,
is well aware of the importance of our two official languages for our country’s
economic development. He wants to work closely with Anglophone communities in
Quebec and make his department’s programs more accessible to minority official
languages communities.
And, in keeping with the Government’s objective of being the most connected
nation in the world by 2005, Mr. Rock will be concentrating his efforts on
Internet access in rural and isolated regions. Distance education and health
care will directly benefit dispersed and remote Anglophone communities.
Conclusion
Three weeks ago, in the Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada once
again reiterated our firm intention to take measures to assist official
languages communities: "Linguistic duality is at the heart of our
collective identity. The government will implement an action plan on official
languages that will focus on minority-language and second-language
education...it will support the development of minority English and
French-speaking communities and expand access to services in their languages in
areas such as health."
The commitment is clear. The action plan will follow. It will in large
measure address the priorities you have identified: an accountability framework
that will provide a permanent mechanism for consultation with communities; the
assurance that Anglophones are present everywhere in the federal workforce;
targeted investments leading to concrete results in your schools and for your
children; the provision of resources to improve access to health care in your
language; and strategic initiatives that will support economic development for
your communities.
As one of the two national official language minorities in Canada, you have
legitimate needs and your federal government has obligations to you. While fully
respecting the jurisdiction of the Government of Quebec, the Government of
Canada will meet its responsibilities. It is more than a matter of obligation,
it is simply good government for Canadians.
It is an indisputable fact that not only Montreal, not only Quebec, but the
whole of Canada is an admirable human achievement – thanks to your
indispensable contribution as English-speaking Quebecers.
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Louise Marmen and Jean-Pierre Corbeil, Languages in Canada: 1996
Census, Canadian Heritage and Statistics Canada, 1998
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Quebec’s Regional Linguistic Communities, Canadian Heritage,
March 2002.
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1996 Census, unpublished tabulations.
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The English-speaking Communities of Quebec and English Language
Schools, The Missisquoi Institute.
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Louise Marmen and Jean-Pierre Corbeil, Languages in Canada: 1996
Census, Canadian Heritage and Statistics Canada, 1998.
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Annual Report of Official Languages: 2000-01, President of the
Treasury Board.
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Mathieu Perreault, Montreal Gazette, June 17, 2002, "We're
disentangling language and emotion".
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