OTTAWA, June 04, 2009 — The Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages tabled its latest report today: Francophone Arts and Culture:  Living Life to its Fullest in Minority Settings.

Support for the arts and culture in Francophone minority communities is a complex issue that poses many challenges. For some time, the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages has wanted to examine the role of Francophone arts and culture in Canada, particularly in Francophone minority communities.

“Francophone arts and culture are key drivers in the development of Francophone minority communities,” said Senator Maria Chaput, Chair of the committee. “At public hearings in Ottawa and New Brunswick, committee members heard how important it is to have sufficient, stable and ongoing support for this critical sector of development.”

In June 2008, the federal government released Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality, which set out additional funding for the arts and culture from 2008 to 2013. According to senator Andrée Champagne, P.C., Deputy Chair of the committee, “While it responds to some of the concerns of Francophone minority communities, it does not provide enough resources to support the development and vitality of the arts and culture in their regions. Multi-year funding is needed to encourage formative projects that can excite communities.”

The committee makes eight recommendations based on the perspective that support for the arts and culture must be part of a long-term vision that reflects the special characteristics of Francophone minority communities and other factors such as new technologies, and the needs of Francophone immigrants, young people, and the provinces and territories.

All levels of government must get involved. The federal government, in particular, must commit to funding this area of development. The arts and culture are at the heart of the Canadian identity and of the identity of Francophone minority communities.

For more information on the work of the committee, please visit www.senate-senat.ca/OL-LO.asp.

For more information or to set up a meeting, please contact the following people:

 

Media relations:
Jean-Guy Desgagné
Senior Communications Officer
613-944-916
desgaj@sen.parl.gc.ca

Additional information:
Danielle Labonté
Committee Clerk
613-949-4379
labond@sen.parl.gc.ca

 

LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendation 1

That the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages take the necessary steps to ensure that all federal institutions:

a)      make effective use of official-language minority media (community radio and newspapers); and

b)      set aside a predetermined part of government advertising expenditures for community media.

Recommendation 2

That the Société Radio-Canada ensure appropriate representation of Francophone communities in minority settings in its programming.

Recommendation 3

That the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages ensure that the production sector in Francophone communities in minority settings be appropriately represented on the Canada Media Fund’s board of directors.

Recommendation 4

That the Department of Canadian Heritage, in collaboration with federal institutions working in the arts and culture sector, ensure that Francophone communities in minority settings have access to sufficient resources (both human and financial) to support the development of arts and culture in their region and to enhance their vitality, in particular to support:

a)      infrastructure development;

b)      cultural activities in schools;

c)      artist training and professional development;

d)     the use of new technologies; and

e)      networking.

Recommendation 5

That the Department of Canadian Heritage review the funding process for the sub-component “Cooperation with the Community Sector” in the Development of Official-Language Communities Program and provide the communities with multi-year funding over a five-year period. The Department must:

a)      support the development of projects providing a solid framework and designed to engage the communities;

b)      streamline the funding process for small projects; and

c)      reduce wait times for processing grant applications.

Recommendation 6

That the Department of Canadian Heritage, in collaboration with community organizations (in particular, the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française and the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada), the other federal institutions working in the arts and culture sector and the other levels of government (provincial/territorial and municipal), develop a long-term vision to support arts and culture in Francophone communities in minority settings, that specifically takes into account:

a)      the particular realities of Francophone communities in minority settings;

b)      the role that could be played by those communities in promoting cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue;

c)      the needs of first-generation and second-generation Francophone immigrants;

d)     the needs of each province and territory;

e)      the needs of the younger generations; and

f)       the use of new technologies.

Recommendation 7

That the Department of Canadian Heritage, in collaboration with the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, document the positive measures taken by federal institutions and ensure that the information is disseminated in its annual report tabled in Parliament.

Recommendation 8

That the Department of Canadian Heritage ensure that federal institutions working in the arts and culture sector provide for positive measures to enhance the vitality of Francophone communities in minority settings and support their development, as well as to promote linguistic duality.

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