Bertrand, August, 22, 2009
Notes for an address for the Grande Jasette.com conference series
at the World Acadian Congress
Graham Fraser – Commissioner of Official Languages
Check against delivery
I want to thank Barbara for inviting me to this informal discussion for the World Acadian Congress, and the Village of Bertrand for such a warm welcome.
Ten years ago, I gave a speech to members of Dialogue New Brunswick. It was also in 1999 that the province hosted the Francophone Summit. Through the Congrès mondial acadien, New Brunswick once again welcomes the world.
Like thousands of Canadians, earlier this summer, I watched the televised funeral of Roméo LeBlanc, a great Canadian and a great Acadian. I was moved by the accounts of those who knew him, which confirmed my own impression. I did not know Mr. LeBlanc well, but I had met him in the early 1960s while I was a teenager and he, a London correspondent for Radio-Canada. It’s often around young people that people tend to open up. He was easygoing, open and respectful; qualities that he demonstrated throughout his life and career. I’d like to take this moment to express my deepest condolences to Mr. LeBlanc’s family and to the Acadian community.
I think this kitchen decor does a good job of symbolizing the values of our Francophone and Acadian communities: the importance of family, culture and a sense of community belonging.
Yesterday afternoon, I took part in the "Pleins feux sur la génération 19-35 ans" day at Caraquet’s Village historique acadien. It was an opportunity for me to talk with young Acadians about Acadian identity and about their role within their community.
This year, we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Official Languages Act. In addition to the federal Act, we are also celebrating New Brunswick’s Official Languages Act. I see this as a golden opportunity to talk about what it means to be Canadian as well as a member of an official language community. The World Acadian Congress also allows us to witness the vitality and pride of the Acadian people.
However, for this vitality to continue to grow, I believe that Acadia, and by extension all official language minority communities, should take further advantage of the contribution of two of the groups that make up Acadia: youth and newcomers.
Youth
We often say that today’s youth are the ones who will replace the baby boomers, who are now reaching retirement age. Fortunately, young people don’t have to wait in order to show us what they are capable of. Here in Acadia, so many young leaders, like Alexis, are already very active in their community and across the country. Following in their footsteps is a whole generation of young people who want to contribute today and to participate in the decision-making that will affect their future.
During the conference entitled “Youth and Official Language Minorities in Canada”, which was organized by the Association for Canadian Studies in 2008, youth from official language communities indicated that involvement in the community often makes the difference in identity awareness.1 This is not surprising, since we are more likely to adopt a reality that we have helped create.
For our youth to realize this as teenagers or adults, parents and schools must set an example because they play a major role in shaping young people’s identity development. This work is even more important now with the new demographic resulting from exogamy. Currently, the number of exogamous families, made up of either one Anglophone and one Francophone, or of one Allophone and one Francophone or Anglophone, is on the rise. The result: young people from these environments often identify with two different communities. Does this mean they necessarily tend to identify more with the majority community? No. Rather, what this means is that we have to work harder in making sure that they find their place within the Francophone community, to accept and realize that the concepts of "Francophone" and "Acadian" are complex and inclusive.
Education in a minority environment must also be adapted to the growing needs of this new demographic. It must contribute to maximizing students’ readiness and abilities, so that they actively take part in their communities. Education must also play a major role in promoting Francophone and Acadian culture, which helps instil a sense of identity in our youth. For example, in New Brunswick, a number of French-language school boards work with development officers (or cultural facilitators) to foster young Acadians’ sense of identity. This type of initiative is a very positive and effective measure.
Of course, another key issue that affects young people from official language communities is their exodus to cities. This is especially true in Acadia. More often than not, leaving means going to live in another region of the country and being uprooted from the community. According to a recent study by the Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities (CIRLM), entitled And after High School?, young people believe that they have very few interesting job opportunities in Atlantic Canada; they believe that there are more jobs in the West, in Ontario and in Quebec. We live in an increasingly urban society, where people move further and further away from remote regions, preferring to settle in the major cities. According to the CIRLM’s study, only a third of our youth said they plan to find jobs in their own communities after graduation. But one shouldn't have to choose between living in Acadia and supporting one’s family. Economic development is a key component of community development. New opportunities must be created and what is already working needs to be highlighted.
I know that Acadia is working very hard to create opportunities for young people to stay in or move back to the region. In New Brunswick, two major initiatives are in place to encourage young people to return to their communities and get involved. The "J’y reviens, j’y reste" campaign by Entreprise Péninsule aims to bring young people in the 18-35 age group back to their community and provide them with opportunities to facilitate this process. The Fédération des jeunes francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick is another organization that is doing its part through its “C’est MA communauté!” project, which focuses on leadership development among young people, on providing them with opportunities to get involved in their community and on encouraging them to participate in municipal decision-making. These initiatives have been highly successful.
Like anywhere else, not every young person will want to stay in Atlantic Canada, depending on their interests. However, there are opportunities that are available to them; it’s just a question of taking a second look. In Acadia, young people can easily contribute to the vitality of their community and directly affect its development.
Newcomers and immigrants
Newcomers and immigrants can also contribute to the vitality and development of official language minority communities. I see Brahim as the perfect example because of the leadership that he showed in the Shippagan community pool project. The face of the Francophonie is gradually being redefined, and we have to ensure that all citizens who make up this new dynamic partake in the decision-making process and are given a chance to do so.
In Acadia, as in other official language communities, language is a unifying factor, especially when we look at the new face of Canada and the Francophonie. These communities bring together diverse faces, dialects, cultures and traditions. But they all share a commonality: language. Although they will always be Cameroonians, Belgians, Quebeckers or Franco-Ontarians, they are also new Acadians. To carve out a place for them in your communities, it will be important to sustain your efforts and make sure they receive the reception and integration services they need.
The Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008–2013 has earmarked $20 million over five years for immigration initiatives, in addition to $10 million for Francophone immigration to New Brunswick. However, much more funding will be needed in order to successfully implement the Strategic Plan to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities. In addition, finding a job or starting a profitable business remains the cornerstone of newcomer integration. Government and community investment in this area will only fully succeed if they are aligned with an economic development strategy.
Currently, immigrants account for only one-sixteenth of the Francophone population in Canada. In the Atlantic provinces, percentages of immigrants are much lower. In New Brunswick, one out of every 50 members of the Francophone community is an immigrant. In Newfoundland and Labrador, however, nearly one-sixth of the Francophone population are immigrants and many of the hundreds of Francophone entrepreneurs in the province are newcomers. I think that this clearly demonstrates the significant contribution that immigrants can make to the vitality of our minority communities.2
To maintain their vitality, Francophone communities must attract and retain a percentage of immigrants that corresponds to at least their current demographic weight of 4.4% of the Canadian population outside Quebec. This demographic contribution is crucial to community survival.
These immigrants have a role to play in the demographic growth of our official language communities, and they need our support so that they are not assimilated into the majority. All parties must act now and focus on better identifying, selecting, welcoming and integrating French-speaking immigrants, while also bearing in mind the increasing role of diversity. It is clear what needs to be done: each Francophone community needs to participate in the dialogue on growing diversity, and thus help newcomers properly integrate into the community.
Conclusion
Over the last 40 years, our official language communities have made considerable progress in order to ensure their vitality. However, they have to continue to evolve and work with the various groups within them, and include them in all aspects of community life.
Past generations have long fought for the rights that our communities enjoy today. Even though Acadia's more militant approach has changed, one thing holds true: the vitality of our communities rests on the contribution of all citizens, of community organizations and of support from all levels of government, which are just as important in maintaining the current momentum and ensuring a bright and prosperous future.
Thank you.
1. François Boileau, "When Vitality Goes Hand in Hand with Youth and Institutional Support" in Heritage Canada, Canadian Themes, Summer 2008, p.15.
2. Statistics Canada, 2006 census, product 97-555-XCB2006059.
