Status Report, 2003-2004: Implementation of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act

---

GENERAL INFORMATION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

FIRST OBJECTIVE
Federal institutions need to be more aware of the spirit and purpose of the Official Languages Act.

• Department-wide
• Integration Branch
• Refugees Branch
• Communications Branch
• International Region
• British Columbia/Yukon Region
• Ontario Region
• Atlantic Region
• Prairies and Northern Territories Region

SECOND OBJECTIVE
Official language communities need to be consulted by federal institutions with substantial responsibilities for their development.

• Department-wide
• Integration Branch
• Communications Branch
• Metropolis
• Atlantic Region
• Ontario Region
• International Region
• British Columbia/Yukon Region
• Prairies and Northern Territories Region

THIRD OBJECTIVE
The government needs a formal interdepartmental coordination mechanism on official languages. In addition to their respective work on community development, federal institutions must act together and develop the means to support one another.

• Department-wide
• Strategic Policy and Partnerships Branch
• Selection Branch
• Metropolis
• British Columbia/Yukon Region
• Atlantic Region
• Prairies and Northern Territories Region

HAVE YOUR SAY

ANNEX
List of those responsible for the implementation of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act

---

GENERAL INFORMATION

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Canada attracts and welcomes people from all parts of the world, both to enrich our social, economic and cultural development as a nation and to protect people in need of our protection. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is committed to delivering the highest quality immigration, refugee protection and citizenship programs by being efficient and responsive to community needs, and a model of Public Service management. This vision is enabled by a commitment to effective working relationships with governments, communities and other partners.

Mission

CIC’s mission is to build a stronger Canada by

• enabling the migration of temporary and permanent residents to meet the social, economic and cultural needs of communities across Canada;
• contributing to the management of international migration, including refugee protection;
• screening newcomers to help protect the health, safety and security of Canadians;
• supporting the successful integration of newcomers; and
• promoting Canadian citizenship.

Objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act with regard to Official Language Minority Communities

The objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) that are pertinent to official language minority communities (OLMCs) include the following:

• to support and assist the development of official language minority communities in Canada; and
• to support the commitment of the Government of Canada to enhance the vitality of Canada’s English and French linguistic minority communities.

Contact

For general information on CIC, we can be reached at

Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Jean Edmonds Tower South, 18th Floor
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1A 1L1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This annual status report measures Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s progress in implementing Section 41 of the Official Languages Act (OLA) during the 2003-04 fiscal year. Progress is assessed against the principal measures that were identified in the action plan for the same period. These measures take into account activities that are particular to each branch and region.

Section 41 of the OLA affirms the responsibility of CIC and all federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations to give effect to the Government of Canada’s statutory commitment to

1. enhancing the vitality of the French and English linguistic minority communities and supporting and assisting their development; and
2. fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.

During 2003-04, CIC focused on three objectives to honour its commitments under Section 41 of the OLA. These objectives, as described in the March 2003 document entitled The Next Act: New Momentum for Canada’s Linguistic Duality, are as follows.

• Federal institutions need to be more aware of the spirit and purpose of the Official Languages Act.
• Official language communities need to be consulted by federal institutions with substantial responsibilities for their development.
• The government needs a formal interdepartmental coordination mechanism on official languages. In addition to their respective work on community development, federal institutions must act together and develop the means to support one another.

CIC has made remarkable progress during the past year in meeting the objectives set out in the OLA. The highlights are as follows.

• In November 2003, the CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee published the Strategic Framework to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities. This framework, which outlines the issues related to immigration in Francophone minority communities, will help direct our actions in its implementation. The Steering Committee is currently developing national, provincial and territorial action plans that will be published in 2004 and that will enable us to reach the objectives set out in the strategic framework.
• Recently, the mandate of the CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee was renewed for two years, until March 2006. The size of the committee was increased to include new members from the community and government partners.
• CIC is still committed to including official languages clauses in all new and renegotiated federal/provincial/territorial agreements. In 2003-04, clauses that recognize the importance of encouraging the development of OLMCs were incorporated in the renewal of the Canada-Manitoba Immigration Agreement (June 2003) and the Agreement for Canada-British Columbia Cooperation on Immigration (April 2004), and in the extension of the Canada-Saskatchewan Immigration Agreement (July 2003) and the Canada-New Brunswick Agreement on Provincial Nominees (February 2004).
• On December 11, 2003, CIC and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada announced the creation of a new research centre in Atlantic Canada. The Atlantic Metropolis Centre aims to stimulate, promote and support productive partnerships among academic, government and non-governmental organizations in pursuing policy-relevant research agendas related to immigration, population migrations and cultural diversity. This new Metropolis centre will add another dimension to the research on the capacity of OLMCs in the region to receive new arrivals.
• In early 2003, CIC incorporated official language clauses into resettlement and settlement program contribution agreements. Guidelines for the implementation of the clauses were issued to all CIC offices in January 2004. CIC is working closely with service providers to implement these new clauses.
• In partnership with the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA) and DFAIT (now Foreign Affairs Canada and International Trade Canada), CIC participated in two regional tours from March 5 to 24, 2004, as part of its involvement in the 2004 Rendez-vous de la Francophonie. The purpose of these regional tours, which covered five central European cities and five South American cities, was to promote Francophone minority communities and to validate the type of information required for successful promotion. Another information and promotional tour is being planned and is expected to cover three to five French-speaking countries in Africa.
• A prototype of a Francophone immigration Web site has been developed. The prototype will be launched as a component of CIC’s Web site (cic.gc.ca) in the coming months. It will provide information on the OLA and on Francophone minority communities for CIC clients both in Canada and abroad. It will also have links to the Government of Canada Web site (Canada.gc.ca) and its international component (canadainternational.gc.ca). This initiative will help us promote knowledge and understanding of the OLA and of the Francophone minority communities.

FIRST OBJECTIVE
Federal institutions need to be more aware of the spirit and purpose of the Official Languages Act.

Department-wide

Principal Measure 1

Advance all stakeholders’ general knowledge and understanding of the Official Languages Act.

Progress

• In January 2003, the FCFA released the results of Phase 1 of a study on the capacity of the Francophone minority communities of Moncton, Ottawa, Sudbury, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver to welcome new immigrants. The results of Phase 2 of this study, which deals with rural or semi-urban immigration, will be made public within the next few months.
• In November 2003, the Strategic Framework to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities was published by the CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee.
• CIC appeared before the Standing Committee on Official Languages as part of the committee’s study entitled "Immigration as a Tool for the Development of Official Language Minority Communities," and the government’s response to the committee’s report was tabled in Parliament in October 2003.
• CIC appeared before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration as part of the committee’s study on the settlement and integration of immigrants, and the government’s response to the committee’s report was tabled in Parliament in October 2003.
• More publications related to the OLA, including previous action plans and reports on progress, were made available in the Metropolis virtual library and on CIC’s Internet site.

Principal Measure 2

Make available information on CIC’s obligations and role in advancing the implementation of Section 41 of the OLA.

Progress

• Meetings with CIC headquarters and regional directors general regarding the implementation of the official language clauses in settlement program contribution agreements.
• Regular meetings with the CIC National Working Group on Official Languages.
• Regular meetings between the Champion and the directors general.

Principal Measure 3

Raise awareness of Canada’s linguistic duality and OLMCs.

Progress

• The new brochure on integration services describes the efforts that are being made to foster immigration to Francophone minority communities.
• Information on the work of the CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee was added to the CIC Web site and to Integration-Net.
• Profiles of eight Francophone communities (Moncton, Sudbury, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver) were developed. These profiles, which cover the demographic, social and economic aspects of each city, will be available on the CIC Web site during 2004.

Principal Measure 4

Improve the delivery of services to clients within the spirit and purpose of the OLA.

Progress

• Guidelines were developed to determine the demand for services in French or in both official languages when implementing language clauses in settlement program contribution agreements with service providers.
• Information kits were issued to regional offices for distribution to service providers.
• January 14, 2004, marked the official launch of the Canadian Language Benchmarks, the reference framework used by CIC in the teaching of French as a second language, and developed by the University of Ottawa and the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks.

Principal Measure 5

Discuss CIC’s official language commitments at key meetings at national headquarters and in the regions in order to deepen understanding of the key aspects of the OLA.

Progress

• Meetings with the Integration Branch and various CIC divisions.
• Meetings with CIC headquarters and regional directors general regarding the implementation of official language clauses.
• Presentation on CIC official languages initiatives at the Atlantic Region Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (ARAISA) conference.
• Meetings of the CIC National Working Group on Official Languages.

Principal Measure 6

Complete and launch the strategic framework to foster immigration to Francophone minority communities in partnership with the French-speaking minority communities.

Progress

• The Strategic Framework to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities was released on November 3, 2003.

Principal Measure 7

Develop national, provincial and territorial action plans based on the parameters of the strategic framework.

Progress

• The CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee is developing an action plan for 2004-06 which will be available to the public in the fall of 2004. Representatives of Canadian Heritage, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Foreign Affairs Canada, Industry Canada, Health Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, FedNor, Western Economic Development, Privy Council Office, the governments of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Northwest Territories and New Brunswick, as well as the national coordinator for Intergovernmental Francophone Affairs sit on the Steering Committee.

Integration Branch

Principal Measure 1

Ensure that all citizenship ceremonies reflect Canada’s linguistic duality and make mention of the Canadian government’s obligations under the OLA.

Progress

• Citizenship ceremonies in Canada are offered to new Canadians in both official languages. Citizenship judges and presiding officers are encouraged to deliver their remarks in both official languages.
• All documentation for these ceremonies is produced in both official languages.
• A bilingual ceremony was organized on January 14, 2004, as part of the official launch of the Canadian Language Benchmarks, the reference framework used by CIC in the teaching of French as a second language.

Principal Measure 2

Ensure that CIC staff promotes the availability in both official languages of citizenship and reaffirmation ceremonies as a means of advancing the objectives of the OLA.

Progress

• Publications, guides, promotional material and sample speeches are provided to CIC staff in both official languages.
• Every year, information on special ceremonies, such as those held during Canada’s Citizenship Week in October, and Celebrate Canada!, a tribute to Canadian citizenship in June/July, is posted on the CIC Web site in both official languages.

Principal Measure 3

Review the possibility of developing, with the Commissioner of Official Languages, workshops as a follow-up to those given on immigration and French-speaking communities at Metropolis 2003.

Progress

• The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages participated in the planning of a plenary session at the 7th National Metropolis Conference held in March 2004.

Refugees Branch

Principal Measure 1

Seek to amend official language clauses in the resettlement contribution program agreements.

Progress

• In April 2003, CIC national headquarters (NHQ) sent a letter to Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) service providers, informing them of their language requirements under the new clauses in the contribution agreements.
• Official language clauses in the contribution agreements for RAP service providers were amended in December 2003 to identify service providers that should offer services in French.

Principal Measure 2

The Refugees Branch will endeavour to ensure that agreement holders promote official languages and services to the public in both official languages.

Progress

• A service delivery model was developed based on the average number of government-assisted refugees who were directed to a community in Canada over the past three years and who, in their selection interview, indicated that they had a knowledge of French or of both official languages.

Principal Measure 3

Where feasible, make employees aware of the needs of OLMC stakeholders and government commitments.

Progress

• A brief presentation on the role of the CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee, as well as on the activities that support minority communities was delivered at a Branch information session.
• Posters for the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie were put up in the Branch.

Communications Branch

Principal Measure 1

Where possible, increase efforts to better incorporate the official languages dimension in the planning process.

Progress

• As the various branches were implementing initiatives, the Communications Branch met regularly with its clients to make them aware of the importance of incorporating the official languages dimension when launching initiatives.

Principal Measure 2

Ensure that stakeholders’ priorities are communicated throughout the government and that OL-specific issues are brought to their attention.

Progress

• The Communications Branch distributed information on the activities of the CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee to CIC employees, other departments and the public in both official languages and in a timely fashion.
  Example: Press conferences, press releases, backgrounders, information on the Web site, responses to the media by departmental spokespeople.

Principal Measure 3

Ensure that all external communications products are available in both official languages.

Progress

• In accordance with the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, and through strong ties with its clients and a rigorous approval process, the Communications Branch made sure that all external communications products (press releases, publications, posters, information on the Web site, etc.) were made available in both official languages, and ensured the quality of both languages.

International Region

Principal Measure 1

Install Web pages to provide information on the OLA and official language minority communities.

Progress

• In cooperation with other branches, a prototype of a Francophone immigration Web site has been designed and will be launched as part of CIC’s Web site (cic.gc.ca) sometime in 2004. The new Web site will also have links to the Government of Canada Web site (canada.gc.ca) and its international component (canadainternational.gc.ca). It will provide a range of demographic and socio-economic information.

British Columbia/Yukon Region

Principal Measure 1

Identify projects and initiatives under the Interdepartmental Partnership with the Official-Language Communities (IPOLC), with the participation of the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique and the provincial government.

Progress

• CIC and the Fédération des francophones de la C.-B., along with the provincial government, partnered to complete a research project on the assessment of settlement services available in French on the Lower Mainland of B.C. This research project was completed in 2003-04, and a report listing a number of recommendations will serve as the basis for the development of an action plan.

Principal Measure 2

Where possible, determine the impact and plan activities that include the appropriate official language dimension.

Progress

• Two staff members responsible for Section 41 of the OLA received training from the Treasury Board Secretariat. This training enabled them to receive clarification on existing policies and to situate new policies in their historical context. In addition, meeting various representatives of different federal departments and regions enabled the sharing of best practices.
• An internal quiz on La Francophonie was sent to all staff in the region to promote La semaine de la Francophonie. This heightens their awareness of our OL obligations and re-educates some employees on the cultural background of Canada.
• An official languages page was created on the B.C./Yukon Region’s Intranet site, Webwest. This site informs staff of activities and lists a host of resources.
• The internal newsletter was used to inform all CIC regional staff of the various activities related to the research project on settlement services and the next steps to ensure that they are aware of community involvement, etc.
• A special citizenship ceremony was held for 50 French-speaking new Canadians, in partnership with the Fédération des Francophones de la C.-B. and Kitsilano School. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration gave the keynote speech. This ceremony highlighted the role of immigration in expanding the Francophone minority community.
• The OLMC representative was invited to another citizenship ceremony to bring greetings and to invite new Canadians to get involved in their community.

Ontario Region

Principal Measure 1

Develop a better understanding of the intricacies of the Francophone community in order to provide a more detailed portrait of their needs. To this end, a training package designed to address their needs will be reviewed to determine the feasibility and achievement of expected results.

Progress

• CIC employees attended discussions on the development of the action plan for the implementation of official language clauses. Employees were made aware of the specific needs of Francophone minority communities.
• During La semaine de la Francophonie, a quiz was organized in cooperation with Settlement Branch employees.

Atlantic Region

Principal Measure 1

Increase communication and understanding of immigration and settlement issues and needs with respect to OLMCs among federal partners (e.g., Canadian Heritage, HRDC (now Human Resources and Skills Development Canada), Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, etc.) and other levels of government.

Progress

• Participation in the official language sub-committees of federal councils in Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia enabled CIC to share information on immigration issues. Contact was established with the Prince Edward Island sub-committee to obtain and provide information.
• The Francophone Resources Development Committee (FRDC) was identified as the appropriate organization through which to raise awareness and share information on immigration issues in P.E.I.

Prairies and Northern Territories Region

While no particular measures were identified under the first objective of the 2003-04 action plan for the Prairies and Northern Territories Region, the following outlines some of the Region’s achievements.

• Several meetings were held with FMCs, service providers and various funding agencies to promote awareness of FMCs and Canada’s bilingual character. CIC also participates in various committees.
• CIC staff have been involved with negotiating and implementing the Partenariat interministériel avec les communautés de langue officielle, Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program and Host agreements with the community, as well as generally assisting communities in developing the capacity to welcome, retain and integrate French-speaking newcomers.

SECOND OBJECTIVE
Official language communities need to be consulted by federal institutions with substantial responsibilities for their development.

Department-wide

Principal Measure 1

Promote the equal status of the French and English languages and ensure that the government’s viewpoint is clearly articulated to OLMCs on any issue with official languages repercussions in Canada.

Progress

• The use of both official languages is promoted at all stages of the citizenship process. All CIC literature, guides, forms, notices, correspondence, etc., are offered to clients in both official languages. Clients may receive CIC services in the language of their choice. At citizenship ceremonies, judges and clerks of the ceremony address candidates in both official languages. To better reflect and promote Canada’s linguistic duality, the oath of citizenship is always administered in both official languages.
• CIC’s official languages initiatives were presented at the Atlantic Region Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (ARAISA) conference.
• CIC participated in the Vive la différence conference.
• CIC’s official language projects and initiatives were presented at the meeting of the Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes-françaises.
• CIC participated in some French workshops at the national Metropolis conference.

Principal Measure 2

Display informational brochures/packages promoting CIC’s partnership with OLMCs in all CIC offices. This information will be developed with and provided to all OLMC organizations.

Progress

• The strategic framework developed by the CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee was published and distributed.
• Information on the Steering Committee’s mandate was added to the CIC Web site and to Integration-Net.

Principal Measure 3

Encourage all staff to promote the available services in both French and English throughout the Department and with external contacts.

Progress

• A prototype of the Web pages on linguistic duality and OLMCs has been developed and will be posted on CIC’s Web site in the coming months.
• A plan was designed for implementing the new language clauses included in the settlement program contribution agreements.
• In Ottawa on January 14, 2004, CIC participated in the official launch of the Canadian Language Benchmarks, the reference framework used by CIC in the teaching of French as a second language to adult newcomers.

Integration Branch

Principal Measure 1

Meet and exchange information with Metropolis, the network for research on French-speaking Canadians, and representatives of the French-speaking communities.

Progress

• CIC participated in the Privy Council’s OLMC research committee.
• At the Metropolis conference held in March 2004, a plenary session and several workshops were organized on the issue of linguistic minorities, and funding was made available for NGOs to participate.
• The newly established Metropolis Centre of Excellence in the Atlantic Region has a component focusing on linguistic issues. The Centre will play an important role in ongoing consultations and will involve OLMCs in the development of research plans in concert with policy makers.

Principal Measure 2

Continue to develop a strategic framework in partnership with the French-speaking minority communities.

Progress

• The Strategic Framework to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities was released on November 3, 2003.

Principal Measure 3

Provide documentation to all citizenship judges on the role of CIC in promoting official languages.

Progress

• All information provided to citizenship judges by CIC is prepared and disseminated in both official languages.

Principal Measure 4

Develop a strategy with Canadian Heritage, Human Resources Development Canada (now Human Resources and Skills Development Canada [HRSDC]), Industry Canada and other departments to promote partnerships with OLMC.

Progress

• Canadian Heritage, HRSDC, Industry Canada, Health Canada and the Rural Secretariat are participating in the CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee and in the working group on objectives 2, 3 and 4 of the strategic framework.
• A memorandum of agreement between CIC and Canadian Heritage under the Interdepartmental Partnership with the Official-Language Communities (IPOLC) resulted in projects with French-speaking minority communities.
• Canadian Heritage helped develop the profiles of eight communities that will be added to the OLMC Web pages on the CIC Web site.

Principal Measure 5

In partnership with OLMCs, where feasible, produce integration and citizenship documents in both languages.

Progress

• Promotional material was produced for the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program.
• Promotional material was produced for the Host Program, including a video in both official languages.
• Web pages on Francophone immigration were developed to be added to the CIC Web site and the Going to Canada portal on the Canada International Web site. The Web pages will be posted on the Internet in the coming months.
• Profiles of eight communities were drawn up: Moncton, Sudbury, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

Communications Branch

Principal Measure 1

Work to ensure that all stakeholders are consulted in developing publications.

Progress

• In developing the various publications, the Communications Branch and its clients, with the support of horizontal coordination, ensured that the content reflected the perspective of all stakeholders.
  For example: The press releases and other communications products on the announcement of the strategic framework were prepared in cooperation with the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA).

Principal Measure 2

Ensure that the government’s viewpoint on official languages is clearly articulated in the media.

Progress

• Whenever possible, the Communications Branch articulates the government’s viewpoint on official languages by publishing bilingual communications products and responding to the media’s questions in both official languages.

Principal Measure 3

Continue to use the CIC Style Guide in external communications.

Progress

• The CIC Style Guide is available on the CIC Intranet site and is used in the writing and editing of CIC communications products.
• We have encouraged our clients to consult the guide.

Principal Measure 4

Provide bilingual services to internal/external partners and to the media.

Progress

• The Communications Branch ensured that bilingual employees and spokespersons were available to communicate with internal and external partners and with the media in the language of the other party’s choice.

Metropolis

Principal Measure 1

To maintain the involvement of representatives of linguistic minorities at Metropolis national conferences.

Progress

• A plenary session and several workshops were organized on the issue of linguistic minorities, and funding was made available for NGOs to participate.

Atlantic Region

Principal Measure 1

Promote the involvement of OLMCs in citizenship ceremonies.

Progress

• A representative of the Association régionale de la communauté francophone de Saint-Jean participated in several citizenship ceremonies held in Saint John, New Brunswick.
• All citizenship ceremonies held in Moncton, New Brunswick, involve the participation of the local Francophone community as speakers, guests and ceremony hosts.

Principal Measure 2

Improve dialogue and information sharing on immigration issues between organizations through formal consultations with principal OLMC organizations in collaboration with immigrant-serving agencies.

Progress

• OLMC representatives attended the Immigration Partnership Conference organized by the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association (MISA) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in April 2003.
• An invitation was extended to OLMC organizations to attend the Atlantic Region Association of Immigrant Service Agencies (ARAISA) conference in March 2004. Presentations were in both official languages and simultaneous translation was provided.
• Discussions with the Société des Acadiens et Acadiennes du Nouveau-Brunswick (SAANB) resulted in project funding for consultations with OLMCs across New Brunswick. The project coordinating committee includes federal and provincial governments and NGOs.
• Discussions were held with the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FANE) to promote similar consultations in Nova Scotia.
• CIC, along with other federal partners, provided funding for a multicultural fair in which the Association régionale de la communauté francophone de Saint-Jean participated. The event took place in March 2004 in Saint John and targeted school-aged youths.
• OLMC contribution agreement clause guidelines were approved and distributed to CIC offices in January 2004.
• Local CICs discussed requirements with immigrant-serving organizations.

Ontario Region

Principal Measure 1

A broad consultation will be undertaken in Toronto in the fall of 2003 to revisit and assess community needs.

Progress

• The consultations in Toronto were completed. The consultation report detailed the critical integration needs of newcomers, such as employment and knowledge of English.

Principal Measure 2

A pilot project is being undertaken in partnership with the Collège Boréal to provide English as a second language courses to French newcomers in a French institution. Francophones are able to learn the second language in a French environment. The Department is responsible for course tuition only. The communities of Toronto, London, Hamilton and Welland are part of this pilot. English courses are promoted through Francophone organizations and the Assessment Centre in Toronto.

Progress

• The communities of Toronto and Hamilton participated in the first round of courses, with 12 students in Toronto and 11 in Hamilton. The students progressed from Level 3 to 5 of the LINC program. No courses were offered in London or Welland given the lack of demand.

International Region

Principal Measure 1

To develop strategies in partnership with the communities and the government to ensure promotion of the communities abroad and to increase the selection of French-speaking immigrants.

Progress

• In partnership with the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA) and DFAIT (now Foreign Affairs Canada and International Trade Canada), CIC participated in two regional tours from March 5 to 24, 2004, as part of its involvement in the 2004 Rendez-vous de la Francophonie. The purpose of these regional tours, which covered five central European cities and five South American cities, was to promote OLMCs and to validate the type of information required to effectively promote them.

Principal Measure 2

Working in conjunction with its provincial, territorial and community partners, the government will undertake market research and design promotion documents for use abroad.

Progress

• Preliminary analyses were undertaken in cooperation with the communities and with a very limited number of provinces.

British Columbia/Yukon Region

Principal Measure 1

The region will use its seat on the interdepartmental Official Languages Act Part 7 Sub-Committee, chaired by the Department of Canadian Heritage, as a forum for acquiring innovative input, ideas and practices for creating partnerships with OLMCs.

Progress

• CIC continues to attend the regional interdepartmental committee meetings to discuss Part 7 issues, along with other federal partners. This committee meets every two months and shares best practices.

Principal Measure 2

The region will continue its partnership with groups such as the Societé de développement économique and the Fédération des francophones de la C.-B. The next round of meetings will underline the importance of immigration to the future of communities and give the local immigration portfolio a higher priority.

Progress

• CIC coordinated a consultation day with the Francophone community along with our partners, the province and the Fédération des francophones de la C.-B.
• CIC signed a new contract with the Fédération to assist in the coordination and development of a two-year action plan to foster Francophone immigration to B.C. in collaboration with government and community partners. This plan will be in keeping with the National Strategic Framework’s five objectives and includes consultation with the community. Community representatives are on the various working groups.
• Official languages clauses have been added to the new service provider contracts. The applicable clauses have been explained to the service providers, and CIC has assisted in fostering the discussions between OLMCs and service providers.

Principal Measure 3

A settlement research project should be finalized in 2003-04.

Progress

A research project was completed to assist in identifying services available in French for newcomers and 17 recommendations were put forward.

Principal Measure 4

The B.C./Yukon Region will pursue official language clauses in ongoing negotiations to renew the existing Canada-British Columbia immigration agreement.

Progress

• The Canada-British Columbia agreement, signed on April 5, 2004, contains OL clauses.

Prairies and Northern Territories Region

While no particular measures were identified under the second objective of the 2003-04 action plan, the Prairies and Northern Territories Region has made the following progress.

• The Canada-Manitoba Immigration Agreement was renewed in June 2003, the Canada-Saskatchewan Immigration Agreement was extended in March 2004 and the Canada-Alberta Agreement on Provincial Nominees was extended in October 2003. All agreements commit to delivering settlement services in both official languages and to consult with representatives from the Francophone community on recruitment initiatives for the PNP.
• Several meetings have been held with the FMCs in all three provinces.

THIRD OBJECTIVE
The government needs a formal interdepartmental coordination mechanism on official languages. In addition to their respective work on community development, federal institutions must act together and develop the means to support one another.

Department-wide

Principal Measure 1

Progress made within the framework of the Interdepartmental Partnership with the Official-Language Communities (IPOLC) as an interdepartmental coordination mechanism.

Progress

• Study on the capacity of Francophone minority communities to welcome new immigrants (phase 2).
• The Strategic Framework to Foster Immigration in Francophone Minority Communities was developed and made public in November 2003.

Principal Measure 2

Publication of phase 2 of the study on the capacity of five French-speaking minority communities to welcome newcomers and the perception of these communities with respect to immigration in urban and semi-rural environments.

Progress

• Phase 2 of the study on the capacity of Francophone minority communities to welcome new immigrants was completed, and the results will be made public in the coming months.

Strategic Policy and Partnerships Branch

Principal Measure 1

Represent CIC at meetings of the Canadian Heritage-led Section 41 national coordinators’ meetings and at all PCO-led policy and planning discussions related to national official languages concerns.

Progress

• CIC participates in all OLA Section 41 coordinators’ meetings.
• CIC sits on the Support Committee of the Committee of Deputy Ministers.
• CIC participated in the Privy Council Office-coordinated working group on consultations with official language communities in March 2004.

Principal Measure 2

Ensure that senior management is briefed as necessary on both the concerns of OLMC and Government of Canada policy directions.

Progress

• Briefing notes and House cards for the Minister, Deputy Minister and Associate Deputy Minister were prepared when required.
• A memorandum to the Minister and a presentation to the Treasury Board Secretariat were prepared to obtain funding for the official languages action plan.

Principal Measure 3

Establish processes to ensure better coordination between the regional and branch officers responsible for OLA Section 41.

Progress

• Regular meetings held with the officers to share information.
• Support provided by the national coordinator to other branches in their efforts to foster immigration to FMCs.
• Participation in the CIC Working Committee on Official Languages, and the Working Subcommittee on the Web site.

Selection Branch

Principal Measure 1

Try to improve the immigrant selection process to better support the development of OLMCs, in consultation with the provinces and other departments.

Progress

• Through the Provincial Nominee Program, Francophone language clauses were incorporated into renewed agreements with Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia and New Brunswick. The process will continue with the other provinces in the new action plan for 2004-2006.
• To encourage the implementation of language clauses, the Selection Branch funded projects in Manitoba and New Brunswick:
  • In Manitoba, the project consisted of translating and printing more French documents to promote OLMCs and attract Francophone immigrants to OLMCs in Manitoba.
  • In New Brunswick, the project consisted of conducting research and raising awareness of Section 41 in Francophone communities and municipalities, as well as in area businesses. One of the objectives of these studies was to recommend Francophone immigration pilot projects targeted at meeting the specific needs of Francophone communities.
• A partnership with the Université de Moncton to increase the number of foreign students and integrate them into OLMCs was developed through the IPOLC (in partnership with the Atlantic Region).
• The Selection Branch coordinated working committee meetings and the drafting of the action plan for the implementation of Objective 1 of the strategic framework.
• A Selection Branch official languages working committee was created in 2003-04 and met monthly. The main purpose of this committee is to increase employees’ awareness of the spirit and purpose of the OLA, and Section 41 in particular. It is also intended to increase the Selection Branch’s opportunities for discussions in French.

Metropolis

Principal Measure 1

Consider the following objectives at the next national conference of the Metropolis Project (Montreal, March 2004):

1. simultaneous interpretation of all plenary sessions;
2. the participation of speakers in discussions on linguistic issues and questions; and
3. the organization of plenary sessions on themes related to linguistic immigration.

Progress

• At the Metropolis National Conference held in Montreal in March 2004,
  1. simultaneous interpretation was made available for all plenary sessions, the keynote address and the workshops taking place in the plenary room;
  2. Dyane Adam, Commissioner of Official Languages, made a presentation entitled “Duality, Diversity, Communities: Avenues for Research to Promote Immigration to Official Language Minority Communities”; and
  3. one of the plenary sessions was titled “Immigration and Multilingualism: Rethinking the Issues of Integration and Social Cohesion in the Context of Globalization.”

In addition:

• Metropolis facilitated the organization of the last steering committee meeting of the Communautés francophones en situation minoritaire working group (Montreal, March 26, 2004)
• At the March 11 Metropolis Interdepartmental Committee meeting, the policy-relevant topic was “Immigration: Why Language Matters? What Do We Know? What Do We Need to Know?”
• The inventory and summary of studies and research that address linguistic issues were shared with participants of the 6th National Metropolis Conference held in Edmonton in March 2003.

Principal Measure 2

Involve the Commissioner of Official Languages in the design of a plenary session on migration and official language issues for the forthcoming Metropolis National Conference (March 2004).

Progress

• The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages helped develop the plenary session entitled “Immigration and Multilingualism: Rethinking the Issues of Integration and Social Cohesion in the Context of Globalization,” which was held Sunday, March 28, 2004, at the 7th National Metropolis Conference.

British Columbia/Yukon Region

Principal Measure 1

Develop a regional project/study in partnership with the provincial government, the Francophone association and CIC. The province of B.C., CIC and Canadian Heritage jointly funded this project, which began in 2002-03 and will continue to run throughout 2003-04, with consultations taking place in the fall of 2003.

Progress

• An intergovernmental committee (including other federal departments, the provincial government and the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique) was created and meets regularly.
• CIC also meets with the Pacific Council of Senior Federal Officials subcommittee. OL issues form part of the discussion in the policy working group.
• A new regional steering committee evolved from the “Projet sur l’immigration,” chaired by CIC and the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique. This intergovernmental steering committee has now been expanded to include other federal departments, namely, Canadian Heritage, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (formerly HRDC) and Western Economic Diversification (WED). Also at the table are representatives from immigrant-serving agencies and from various Francophone organizations. The mandate of this steering committee includes the sharing of information and joint approaches to the community. It led the subcommittees that developed the content of the regional action plan for 2003-2005.

Principal Measure 2

Work with CIC-NHQ and other partners to effectively incorporate official language clauses into existing and new immigration agreements for 2003-04.

Progress

• The Federal-Provincial Program Management Committee has had bilateral discussions on OL clauses and implications for third-party services.
• New official language clauses were added to the new Canada-B.C. agreement. They include the need for consultation with the OLMCs on the Provincial Nominee Program.
• The provincial government was encouraged to publish a newcomer’s guide in French, which CIC distributed at the airport.
• CIC assisted CANN (a Vancouver airport service provider) in complying with the official language clauses in its contracts with CIC. The Department was instrumental in facilitating the participation of the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique in the selection of CANN’s French-speaking staff. The Fédération also participates in the CANN external advisory committee along with other partners.

Atlantic Region

Principal Measure 1

The New Brunswick tripartite committee (federal partners, the province and OLMC) will be formalized to support initiatives to increase the retention of Francophone newcomers in the province.

Progress

• The committee membership was finalized. The Director General for the CIC Atlantic Region is the chair of this committee. Terms of reference have been prepared.
• The MOU between the province of New Brunswick and CIC signed in March 2004 will allow for the following project to proceed in 2004-05:
  • Université de Moncton (UdeM): to assist international students in gaining off-campus work experience (two-year pilot);
  • Société des Acadiens et Acadiennes du Nouveau-Brunswick: to coordinate activities that will assist Francophone communities in improving their capacity to welcome newcomers. This project is co-funded by Canadian Heritage. A coordinating committee was established which includes representatives from federal and provincial governments, and NGOs.

Principal Measure 2

Support research efforts on Atlantic OLMCs’ capacity to welcome newcomers.

Progress

• The Director General for the CIC Atlantic Region is a member of the Board of Directors for the Atlantic Metropolis Centre for Excellence.

Prairies and Northern Territories Region

While no particular measures were included in the 2003-04 action plan for this third objective, the Prairies and Northern Territories Region reports the following achievements.

• A new committee, called the CIC-Alberta Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee, was created in 2003. The committee is co-chaired by CIC’s regional director general and a representative of the Francophone community. Members of the committee include CIC, HRSDC, Canadian Heritage, Western Economic Diversification and various representatives of the Francophone community. An action plan for the next five years has been developed.
• Another working group was formed, called the Champions of Official Language Minority Communities of Alberta. The role of this working group is to coordinate and ensure the implementation of the action plan. There were two meetings held in 2003-04, and quarterly meetings are planned for 2004-05.
• An ISAP Stream A agreement was funded by CIC and Canadian Heritage to provide settlement services to French-speaking newcomers in the Francophone community in Edmonton during 2003-04.
• In Manitoba, the RDG is a member of the Comité intergouvernemental de mise en oeuvre, which includes CIC, the province of Manitoba, the Société Franco-Manitobaine, and other Francophone organizations and federal departments. This committee worked on the development of a structure to welcome French-speaking immigrants in the Francophone community. An ISAP Stream B agreement was signed between CIC and the Société Franco-Manitobaine for the development of a French orientation program and marketing tools, and the translation of current documents into French. This agreement was funded by CIC.
• A pilot project has been developed to place two immigration settlement counsellors in the St. Boniface Bilingual Service Centre in Winnipeg for the 2004-05 fiscal year. Funding for this project is provided by the Manitoba Department of Realignment of Settlement Services.

HAVE YOUR SAY

This progress report describes CIC’s efforts to support the vitality and growth of Francophone minority communities, and to foster the recognition of the Official Languages Act and Canada’s linguistic duality. It is also intended as a vehicle for communicating with these communities and with others interested in the implementation of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act.

Please take a few minutes to complete the following questionnaire.

• In which ways should CIC and its programs support the vitality and development of Francophone minority communities? What should it continue to do or not do?
• What more should CIC do to foster the recognition of Canada’s linguistic duality?
• This report describes CIC’s progress in meeting its commitments during the 2003-04 fiscal year. Do you think CIC met its commitments?
• Do you have any other suggestions or comments for improving the way CIC implements its obligations under Section 41 of the OLA?

Please send your comments to:

Strategic Policy and Partnerships Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Jean Edmonds Tower South, 18^th Floor
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1A 1L1

ANNEX
List of those responsible for the implementation of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act

Senior Officials

Michel Dorais, Deputy Minister

Diane Vincent, Associate Deputy Minister and Co-Chair of the CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee

Lyse Ricard, Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, and Champion of official languages

Alfred MacLeod, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Directions and Communications

Daniel Jean, Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy and Program Development

Louise Gravel, Director General, Human Resources, and Co-Champion of official languages

Rosaline Frith, Director General, Integration, and Secretariat of the CIC–Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee

National Coordinator

Lyne Deschênes
Strategic Policy and Partnerships Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Jean Edmonds Tower South, 18^th Floor
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1

NHQ Coordinators

Denise Legault
Integration Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Jean Edmonds Tower North, 5^th Floor
300 Slater Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1

Peter Duschinsky
International Region
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Jean Edmonds Tower South, 16^th Floor
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1

Marc Béland
Refugees Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Jean Edmonds Tower South, 17^th Floor
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1

Jane Veneranda
Selection Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Jean Edmonds Tower North, 7^th Floor
300 Slater Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1

Lucie Lafrance
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Jean Edmonds Tower South, 19^th Floor
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1

Nathalie Éthier
Metropolis Project
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Canadian Building, 9^th Floor
219 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1

Regional Coordinators

Karen Wilson
Atlantic Region
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
1741 Brunswick Street, Suite 220
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3X8

Thérèse Vermette
British Columbia and Yukon Region
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
800 Burrard Street, Suite 641
Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 2V8

Jim Johnson
Ontario Region
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
25 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 700
Toronto, Ontario M4T 1M2

Kim Black-Richtschied
Prairies and Northern Territories Region
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
25 Forks Market Road, Suite 400
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4S9

Daniel St-Arnaud
Quebec Region
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
1010 St. Antoine Street West, 2^nd Floor
Montreal, Quebec H3C 4H6