Statement made on 10 March 2010 by Senator Marie-P. Poulin (Charette)
Hon. Marie-P. Poulin:
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. It is a question of great importance to Ontario's francophone community and people in many regions in Canada who are very worried about the reduction in French-language broadcast services in Ontario as well as the reduction in Radio Canada and CBC regional services throughout the country.
Radio-Canada has closed its regional station in Windsor, CBEF, which provided Windsor and the surrounding area with regional French-language programming and contributed to the national network. Today, Windsor has only three Radio-Canada employees, who make up a small news team. I do not need to explain the importance of a regional French-language radio station in Windsor, a city located near the Canada-U.S. border, a city where service in French is vital in a bilingual country, a modern Canada, a Canada that is proud of its two founding nations.
Can the minister assure the Senate and all Ontario francophones that the funds needed to maintain regional French-language services in Windsor will be allocated to Radio-Canada/CBC by your government?
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