Banff, May 7, 2003
The Impact of Information Technology on the Development of
Official Language Communities in Canada
Dr. Dyane Adam - Commissioner of Official Languages
Check against delivery
Ladies and gentlemen:
It is a great pleasure to be here today at WorldCALL 2003 to discuss information technology.
I would like to tackle the issue of information technology from the perspective of official language minority communities in Canada. I will examine the positive impact that information technology has had on these communities, in three key sectors:
- education;
- health; and
- culture.
I will also be discussing the government's role in making information technology part of Canadians' everyday lives. My thesis is very simple: official language minority communities have the means today, more than ever before, to foster their own development, and information technology is acting as a catalyst in this growth.
1. Education
Let us first look at changes taking place in the education sector. Tools such as video conferencing, multimedia, and the Internet have already begun to broaden the space in which students from official language minority communities learn and grow in their own language.
For example, the Distance Education and Community Network of Quebec makes it possible for English-speaking students in Secondary V living in outlying areas of Quebec to take advanced mathematics and science courses.
It used to be that some courses could not be offered in some schools due to a lack of staff to teach those courses or because enrolment was too low. Now, however, technology makes it possible for English-speaking teenagers in the Eastern Townships, the Gaspé, and the Outaouais to receive services of the same quality as students in Montréal.
French-speaking communities also have access to similar services. The Réseau national d'enseignement universitaire en français (RNEUF), for example, links not only universities but also colleges and high schools in minority communities throughout French-speaking Canada. Through the Réseau, it is possible to offer on-line courses or to share courses between educational institutions. Other initiatives with a more regional focus, such as Contact North and TeleEducation NB, also address local needs.
Information technology creates large virtual classes, where students can work together through on-line chatting. Furthermore, information technology makes it possible to virtually import learning as well as educators. It also gives teachers in minority environments access to pedagogical resources. Notably, I am referring to the Guide national d'animation culturelle of the Canadian Teacher's Federation and to other resources we can find on sites such as the CREATIC in New-Brunswick, the Centre franco-ontarien de ressources pédagogiques or the Quebec English Schools Network.
2. Health
Information technology has also enhanced the quality of life of official language minority communities with respect to health, the second sector I would like to discuss.
New developments in telemedecine will benefit the English-speaking community of Quebec. For example, a health centre in the Témiscamingue region, in the western part of the province, is currently overseeing a telehealth project that offers primary medical services in three far-removed localities, including one aboriginal community.
See http://www.cnorth.edu.on.ca
See http://creatic.ca/index2.asp, http://www.cforp.on.ca and http://www.qesnrecit.qc.ca/index.php
The telehealth programs instituted by the Beauséjour Hospital Corporation in Moncton, New Brunswick, make medical services in French available through remote access Canada. Among the services offered are teleconsultation, telediagnosis, teleradiology, and distance learning in medical specializations such as cardiology, oncology and pediatrics.
Official language minority communities, with the help of investments by the federal government under its Action Plan for Official Languages, are also mobilizing to train health professionals. These health professionals will then be able to work in those communities. Stakeholders are banking on coordination, networking, and information technology to disseminate best practices in health more widely to all French-speaking regions of the country.
3. Culture
Third, information technology fosters the development of official language minority communities on a socio-cultural level. Thus, the distance that separates French-speaking British Columbians or the Townshippers of Waterloo, Quebec, from large English-speaking or French-speaking centres has been considerably reduced, since newspapers like Le Devoir and the Winnipeg Free Press have become accessible from anywhere. A broader cultural world has opened up for teenagers since they can take part in such virtual forums as the Réseau des Sports or Seventeen magazine to talk about hockey or Leonardo DiCaprio in their language.
Portals such as those created by the Quebec Community Newspapers Association and the Association de la presse francophone, which brings together French-language newspapers such as the Gaboteur, from Newfoundland, and the Franco, from Alberta, have brought official language minority communities closer. As well, sites such as ANIMusique help to forge stronger bonds among artists, the public and the French-language media across Canada.
See http://www.qcna.org/
See http://journaux.apf.ca/ (in French only)
Moreover, DVD technology has partially resolved the problem of making films available in French at video stores in English-speaking provinces and in English throughout Quebec. Information technology affords Canadians more choice than ever before with respect to language.
4. The role of governments
The vitality and growth of communities, encouraged by information technology, have also been promoted by government initiatives. Some of these initiatives were funded through the Connecting Canadians program which, by means of extensive investments, has built an infrastructure to give Canadians access to the Internet and Canadian content.
Francommunautés virtuelles, an Industry Canada initiative, is specifically directed toward French-speaking communities in Canada. Its purpose is to foster the development and use of information technology within Francophone communities and to facilitate the creation of site hubs such as Francalta, Francofemmes, and Capacadie.
Another spinoff from the Connecting Canadians program is SchoolNet, which makes new technology an integral part of the school environment, with a view to fostering learning and an interest in research. It also makes a host of educational resources available to teachers.
Similarly, the Department of Canadian Heritage has instituted a new program, Canadian Culture Online, to increase cultural content in both official languages.
In my view, governments in Canada must continue to support new initiatives to complement the work already being done by communities. In a report published in 2002, entitled French on the Internet: Key to the Canadian Identity and the Knowledge Economy, I put forward a number of recommendations with respect to concrete measures that must be taken, including the creation of a virtual window for educational services available on-line.
See http://francommunautes.ic.gc.ca/reussites/animusique_e.asp
Conclusion
As you may know, Canada has worked for over thirty years to build a society in which English-speaking Canadians and French-speaking Canadians feel at home from coast to coast. Over the years, making this vision a reality has at times proven a difficult undertaking. The landscape is different now that information technology has become a part of Canadians' lives and official language minority communities enjoy renewed vitality.
Three decades ago, equality of opportunity for all English-speaking Canadians and French-speaking Canadians may have seemed an unattainable ideal. I believe that, with the advent of the information highway, with the introduction of pedagogical tools such as those you are developing, with the continued support of governments and, of course, with the determination of official language minority communities themselves, the dream will soon become a reality.
Thank you.
