Manitoba Committee Hansard — 28 June 2016 (Legislative Affairs Committee, Sitting 1, 41st Legislature, 1st Session)

41-1-la1

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

First Session – Forty-First Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs Chairperson Mr. Dennis Smook Constituency of La Verendrye Vol. LXIX No. 1 - 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 28, 2016 ISSN 1708-668X

MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-First Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLUM, James Fort Garry-Riverview NDP ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley NDP BINDLE, Kelly Thompson PC CHIEF, Kevin Point Douglas NDP CLARKE, Eileen, Hon. Agassiz PC COX, Cathy, Hon. River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC CURRY, Nic Kildonan PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Charleswood PC EICHLER, Ralph, Hon. Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FIELDING, Scott, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC FLETCHER, Steven, Hon. Assiniboia PC FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon.

River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GRAYDON, Clifford Emerson PC GUILLEMARD, Sarah Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek Interlake PC JOHNSTON, Scott St. James PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP KLASSEN, Judy Kewatinook Lib. LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan Selkirk PC LAMOUREUX, Cindy Burrows Lib. LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Flor Logan NDP MARCELINO, Ted Tyndall Park NDP MARTIN, Shannon Morris PC MAYER, Colleen St.

Vital PC MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine, Hon. Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Arthur-Virden PC REYES, Jon St. Norbert PC SARAN, Mohinder The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron, Hon. St. Paul PC SELINGER, Greg St. Boniface NDP SMITH, Andrew Southdale PC SMOOK, Dennis La Verendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC SWAN, Andrew Minto NDP TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WHARTON, Jeff Gimli PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian, Hon.

Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC YAKIMOSKI, Blair Transcona PC

1 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS Tuesday, June 28, 2016 TIME – 6 p.m. LOCATION – Winnipeg, Manitoba CHAIRPERSON – Mr. Dennis Smook (La Verendrye) VICE-CHAIRPERSON – Mr. Bob Lagassé (Dawson Trail) ATTENDANCE – 11 QUORUM – 6 Members of the Committee present: Hon. Mr. Goertzen, Hon. Ms. Squires Ms. Klassen, Messrs. Lagassé, Lindsey, Micklefield, Ms. Morley -Lecomte, Messrs. Reyes, Selinger, Smook, Wiebe PUBLIC PRESENTERS: Bill 3 – The Mental Health Amendment Act Mr. Chris Goertzen, Association of Manitoba Municipalities Ms.

Michelle Gawronsky, Manitoba Government and General Employees Union Ms. Sandi Mowat, Manitoba Nurses Union Bill 5 – The Francophone Community Enhancement and Support Act Mr. Edmond Labossière, Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba Mr. Justin Johnson, Conseil jeunesse provincial Ms. Paulette Carrière -Dupont, Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba Ms. Jacqueline Blay, Société franco- manitobaine Ms. Annie Bédard, Santé en français Ms. Michèle Lécuyer-Hutton, Pluri-elles Mr. Mathieu Allard, Association des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba Mr.

Ibrahima Diallo, private citizen Ms. Madeleine Arbez, Francofonds Inc. Mr. Rénald Rémillard, private citizen Mr. Alphonse Lawson, private citizen Mr. Bernard Lesage, Division scolaire franco- manitobaine Ms. Gisèle Saurette-Roch, Réseau action femmes Inc. Mr. André Doumbè, African Communities of Manitoba Inc. WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS: Bill 3–The Mental Health Amendment Act Kevin Rebeck, Manitoba Federation of Labour MATTERS UNDER CONSIDERATION: Bill 3 – The Mental Health Amendment Act Bill 5 – The Francophone Community Enhancement and Support Act * * * Clerk Assistant (Ms. Monique Grenier): Good evening. Bonjour.

Will the Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs please come to order. Our first item of business is the election of a Chairperson. Are there any nominations for this position? Mr. Bob Lagassé (Dawson Trail): Mr. Smook. Clerk Assistant: Mr. Smook has been nominated. Are there any other nominations? Hearing no other nominations, Mr. Smook, will you please take the Chair. Mr. Chairperson: Our next item of business is the election of a Vice-Chairperson. Are there any nominations? Mr. Jon Reyes (St. Norbert): Mr. Lagassé. Mr. Chairperson: Mr. Lagassé has been nominated. Are there any other nominations?

Hearing no other nominations, Mr. Lagassé is elected Vice-Chairperson. This meeting has been called to consider the following bills: Bill 3, The Mental Health Amendment Act; Bill 5, The Francophone Community Enhancement and Support Act. I would like to inform all in attendance of the provisions in our rules regarding the hour of adjournment. A standing committee meeting to consider a bill must not sit past midnight to hear

2 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 public presentations or to consider clause by clause of a bill except by unanimous consent of the committee. We have a number of presenters registered to speak tonight as noted on the list of presenters before you. On the topic of determining the order of public presentations, I will note that we do have out -of- town presenters in attendance, marked with an 'asterik' on the list. As well, we have received numerous request s from presenters to make their presentation in French to Bill 5, marked with a double 'asterik' on the list.

We do have translation staff on hand to accommodate consecutive translation. With these considerations in mind, in what order does the committee wish to hear the presentations? Hon. Kelvin Goertzen (Minister of Health , Seniors and Active Living): I'd suggest we hear the presenters on Bill 3 first, in the order that they are listed, and then do the presenters on Bill 5, with the out-of-town presenters being called first and the remainder following in the order that they're listed. Mr.

Chairperson: Is that agreed? [Agreed] A written submission on Bill 3 from Kevin Rebeck, Manitoba Federation of Labour, has been received and distributed to committ ee members. Does the committee agree to have this document appear in the Hansard transcript of this meeting? [Agreed] Before we proceed with presentations, we do have a number of other items and points of information to consider. First of all, if there 's anyone else in attendance who would like to make a presentation this evening, please register with the staff at the entrance to –of the room.

Also, for the information of all presenters, while written versions of presentations are not required, if you are going to accompany your presentation with written material, we ask that you provide 20 copies. If you need help with photocopying, please speak with our staff. * (18:10) As well, in accordance with our rules, a time limit of 10 minutes has been allotted f or presentations with another five minutes allowed for questions from committee members. If a presenter is not in attendance when their name is called, they will be dropped to the bottom of the list.

If the presenter is not in attendance when their name is called a second time, they will be removed from the presenters' list. Speaking in committee: Prior to proceeding with public presentations, I would like to advise members of the public regarding the process for speaking in committee. The proceedings of our meetings are recorded in order to provide a verbatim transcript. Each time someone wishes to speak, whether it be an MLA or a presenter, I first have to say the person 's name. This is the signal for the Hansard recorder to turn the mics on and off.

For anyone who would wish a listening device, they're available at the back of the room if needed. Thank you for your patience, and we will now proceed with the public presentations. Bill 3–The Mental Health Amendment Act Mr. Chairperson: Calling Bill 3. Our first presenter and out -of-town presenter, is Chris Goertzen, Association of Manitoba Municipalities. Mr. Goertzen, do you have any written material for distribution to the committee? You can proceed when you are ready, Mr. Goertzen. Mr. Chris Goertzen (Association of Manitoba Municipalities): All right. Well, thank you, Mr.

Chair and members of the Legislative Assembly. I appreciate you taking the time to hear our brief comments today about Bill 3. We won' t keep you here 'til midnight like your deadline has. This is something that we've worked on. All 137 municipalities are represented by AMM and this is something that we 've worked on for a number of years, and we 've expressed our challenges with The Mental Health Act and we appreciate the cha nges that are being presented here by these–this amended act.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 20 per cent of all Canadians will personally experience a mental illness in their lifetime. Given the complex links between mental health an d the criminal justice system, police responses to mental health issues continue to be a top of significant discussion–topic of significant discussion both within Manitoba and across Canada. We are very pleased to see The Mental Health Amendment Act reint roduced into the Legislative Assembly. Thank you to the government of Manitoba; the H onourable Heather Stefanson for

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3 introducing this bill; as well as the H onourable Kelvin Goertzen for working closely to see this come to fruition. AMM has voiced its conc erns about the time incurred by officers when supervising and transporting patients under The Mental Health Act. Our concerns stem from both public safety issues and the financial burdens placed on municipalities.

The transport and supervision of individuals under the auspice of Manitoba Mental Health Act reduces police service coverage and response times, particularly in small rural communities, but does affect all communities including cities. I know when we met as members of the city caucus, as well, specifically part of AMM, this was a ongoing concern that was raised, and so they are very pleased to see this coming to fruition. It can also contribute substantially to overtime costs and competing demands on police resources, while frustrating officers.

AMM advocacy efforts in this area resulted in the introduction of legislation prior to the provincial election, which would enable a qualified person to supervise MHA patients at our –at medical facilities under–until examinations or assessments are completed. The Mental Health Amendment Act would enable a qualified person other than a police officer to assume custody of and remain with an individual who is awaiting mental health assessment. This would allow officers to be able to respond to other public safety concerns.

With one in five Canadians experiencing mental illness in their lifetime, these proposed legislative changes should significantly reduce policing costs and help ensure police service coverage in all local communities. We urge you to pass this bill which will reduce police time spent on transporting and supervising patients under The Mental Health Act and, as a result, ensure municipalities can maintain appropriate police service coverage and response times. So thank you. Mr. Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation. Do members of the committee have questions for the presenter? Hon.

Kelvin Goertzen (Minister of Health , Seniors and Active Living ): More of a comment than a question. Mayor Goertzen and I have spent the better part o f the last 10 years trying to convince people in our community that we are not brothers, and there 's no greater proof of that than in his presentation. He references that my friend, Heather Stefanson, introduced the bill, when it was myself who introduced the bill. Had we been brothers, that would have been clear to Mayor Goertzen. So that is the proof for this committee.

But we are certainly, while not related, we are in accord on this bill and we appreciate the suggestions by the Manitoba association of municipalities. Also, I know you worked with the previous government on suggestions on this as well, and I want to say for the committee that we recognize that this was something that the previous government supported, and I –it's not a political issue. And so we appreciate the fact that the association of –AMM worked with the previous government, worked with us. And it really is a bipartisan and multi-government effort.

So thank you very much, Mayor Goertzen, for your presentation, and we look forward to working with you and your association on the creation of the regulations. Mr. Matt Wiebe (Concordia): I also just wanted to thank Mayor Goertzen for coming down and presenting this evening on this bill. I wanted to thank him for his work with the Associatio n of Manitoba Municipalities. I know it 's a busy role for him and there's a lot of different perspectives to capture. So I can appreciate that he takes the time to come down and spend some time with us this evening.

I also appreciate the fact that he, as the minister alluded to, had spent much time with the previous government and, of course, the association had as well, in terms of shaping this particular piece of legislation and, you know, giving us their perspective. I just wondered if the mayor could give us –and he might not have these facts in front of him.

But I thought I 'd give him the opportunity to just talk a little bit about the impact that this has on municipalities, maybe in a dollar-and-cents type way or manpower -type figure, or maybe just in broad terms of how this impacts municipalities and the impact that it has on the resources at the municipal level. Mr. Chris Goertzen : All right. Thank you for the question. Obviously, you see that I 'm low on facts,

4 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 since I don' t–didn't even know which m inister was– so I won't give you actual absolute facts. But I will give you some anecdotal thoughts, and that is many municipalities have expressed this as a concern. It's not only a concern for our policing costs and the time, the frustration that police have, but it's also a concern for patients. This is about giving good health care and good services to patients as well.

And so when you have patients being taken for–from my city, for example, up all the way to Thompson to find a placement, to find a pla ce where they can be admitted to get help, that's a real problem not just for our policing costs, but it 's also a problem for that patient as well. And so that 's just one anecdotal thing that is going on. There are countless hours every week that municipalities spend in overtime costs to help –to assist with people with mental health issues and being dealt with under The Mental Health Act.

And so this is going to aid reducing that greatly not only for us, but also for the Province. So we 're very pleased about that, but it 's in the many millions of dollars. Mr. Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation, Mr. Goertzen. I will now call Michelle Gawronsky, Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union. * (18:20) Do you have any written materials for distribution to the committee? Please proceed with your presentation. Ms. Michelle Gawronsky (Manitoba Government and General Employees Union ): Thank you very much, Mr.

Chairman, and honoured members, thank you for allowing me a few minutes to share our thoughts. For those that don 't know me, my name is Michelle Gawronsky , and I am president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union. The MGEU represents over 40,000 Manitobans who live and work throughout Manitoba in a wide variety of workplaces.

Roughly 14,000 are employed directly by the Province of Manitoba and others work in Crown corporations, universities, colleges, health -care facilities, social service agencies, as well as arts and cultural organizations, to list but a few, just to give you a little bit of a background of where I come from. Thank you for the opportunity to present on this bill tonight. This is a bill that sh ould be reviewed thoroughly with a full understanding of any and all implications to the public safety. All questions need to be answered fully before any decisions are made and the act is finalized.

Bill 3, or The Mental Health Amendment Act, seems like a minor change in a way involuntary patients are escorted through the mental health system. However, after reading the few details on the explanation of the bill, there are several questions that I would like to bring up here on behalf of the MGEU members that work in community health, mental health, Health Sciences Centre security and their colleagues in health care and mental health system.

It is from their perspective as dedicated professionals who want the best care for their clients and patients that I offer some cautionary words when moving forward with this amendment. As The Mental Health Act states today and as the explanation of the bill notes, The Mental Health Act requires a peace officer to take a person into a facility for an involuntary medi cal examination or psychiatric assessment and to stay with the person until the examination or assessment has been completed.

The key word here is involuntarily, which means that some of the people going through a mental health crisis may not recognize that they are a threat to themselves or to others, requiring an involuntary assessment by a psychiatrist. These assessments generally begin in the community with mental health clinicians and/or law enforcement, and then move into ERs for formal assessment. Currently, a peace officer must remain with the patient until a psychiatric assessment is completed. This process can run smoothly and often does. However, there are times when patients become agitated, violent and unpredictable.

I have seen first - hand and have heard dozens and dozens of stories from our members who have experienced scary and often dangerous situations when working with people who are dealing with a mental health crisis. These situations arise when people feel they can 't control their behaviours and their feelings, and have trouble coping with the demands of day -to-day life.

The resulting emergencies can include: threats of suicide, threats of physical violence or actual physical violence to themselves or others, extreme impaired judgment ca used by problems such as psychosis or intoxication, and medical conditions that can cause violent actions.

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 5 It is because of these risk factors that assessment and support from a professional is required to look after the health of the patient. The entire process can take a long period of time, as we know, and the more time passes the higher the risk. With the safety of the patient, service providers and the community in mind, who would now be in charge of watching over an–the involuntary patient during this long wait? The proposed amendment states that another designated person with training can stay with the individual throughout this process.

Will these designated people have the same authority as a peace officer? Will they legally be able to detain peo ple? What type of training will they get and who will provide that training? Stats from the Health Sciences Centre show that the areas designated for mental health services have amongst the highest number of incidents and injury when compared to other ar eas in the hospital. We have concerns that the proposed amendments in Bill 3 could make an already risky situation even more dangerous for everyone. All it takes is one incident, one assault or one tragedy for someone 's life to change dramatically.

Who 's g oing to be responsible if that happens? Our members would prefer if these situations were handled by the people who have the resources, training and perhaps more importantly, the authority to provide the highest level of safety and security for everyone involved. They know from years and years of experience what works and what doesn't. Safety is our No. 1 concern and we are more than willing to work with the government to ensure that the safety of patients, service providers, and the communities will be maintained. We recognize there will be a cost, but what is a life worth?

Thank you for the opportunity to present on behalf of the MGEU members tonight. Mr. Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation. Do members of the committee have questions for the presenter? Mr. Kelvin Goertzen: I want to thank you, Michelle, for coming to the committee tonight and making your presentation. It's appreciated. I certainly would want to hear your input as the regulations are drawn up. It is important for the committe e to know it's not a bill that will have immediate effect. There are obviously provisions within regulations and training provisions that have to happen.

You mentioned that within your –within your report, so that is appreciated. It is a balance and I susp ect that the previous government struggled with the balance as well between ensuring that an individual who's brought in an involuntary order into a hospital is protected and is protected from those around them, but also ensuring that the police are back i nto the community because I suspect that there are probably lives that are placed at risk as well when police are in a hospital for many, many hours and aren' t in the community and able to respond to the call.

So it truly is a balance and it's a balance of safety and we certainly will do our best to get that balance as good as possible and would be –would welcome your input. Mr. Wiebe: Yes. I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for coming out tonight and I appreciate the information and it w as definitely some very good points that were raised, and I think a lot for this committee to chew on. And I also appreciate the fact that you 've come to us with an open stance, ready to work with government and members of the committee to make this legislation work for everybody.

I'm just wondering if you 've had any contacts thus far with the minister 's office or with other government officials to discuss any of these points before this public meeting tonight. Has anybody reached out to you to get the opinion of MG EU members to sort of get some sense of where you might be at in terms of representative of their –of the membership and to get some input before the legislation was drafted and before we got to this point here in the committee? Ms. Gawronsky: No, not at this–not up 'til now. Mr.

Kelvin Goertzen: Knowing that this bill was before the Legislature previously, prior to the election, was there–did you not receive a call from the previous government for input? Ms. Gawronsky: No, we did not. Mr. Wiebe: So, just in the spirit of being nonpartisan and/or maybe bipartisan at the very least here in the committee tonight I think what we 're hearing from you is that you 're, again, open to work with the government, work with members of the committee to en sure that the legislation meets with your membership's concerns and I just want to thank you for –for, you know, coming here tonight,

6 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 expressing them so eloquently and so concisely here in this written package and in your words tonight and, again, just thank you for coming and sharing your concerns. Mr. Chairperson: I'd like to thank you for your presentation, Ms. Gawronsky –oh, sorry. Mr. Lindsey? Mr.

Tom Lindsey (Flin Flon): I want to thank you for coming and making your presentation as well, and I cert ainly understand your membership 's concerns without knowing all the details of how this act is going to be implemented, what the regulations may be that will offer not just protections for your members, but protections for the public as well, and hopefully you and your group, as well as other union groups or worker groups that will be impacted directly as the front line that's going to see or feel the impact of this change, hopefully you 're amenable to participating in any opportunity to craft regulations that will implement this in a proper and protective way, so I would hope that that will take place.

Thanks. * (18:30) Ms. Gawronsky: Yes, absolutely. We 'll work with anybody and everybody on this. This is something that is very, very important. I know fir st-hand from working in the health- care system for 34 years, running an ambulance service out in a rural area and being on that ambulance myself, where, if it wasn 't for the driver looking in the rear -view mirror, I might not be standing here today.

So, I do understand the need and the desperation that we have to have, that not only is this taken under consideration of the costs of what is there, but also on making sure that the people that are going to be looking after the patients and the public are train ed properly and that it 's going to be recognized this is a great need that is needed. Mr. Chairperson: Once again, now, I'd like to thank you for your presentation, Ms. Gawronsky. I will now call on Sandi Mowat, Manitoba Nurses Union. Do you have any written materials for distribution to the community–committee? Ms.

Sandi Mowat (Manitoba Nurses Union): No, I do not. Mr. Chairperson: Please proceed with your presentation. Ms. Mowat: Good evening, Chairperson and honourable members. My name is Sandi Mowat and I'm president of the Manitoba Nurses Union. MNU represents more than 12,000 nurses across Manitoba. Our members work in a variety of health- care settings, ranging from acute care and community health to home care and long- term care. Thank you to the Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs for providing me an opportunity to present on Bill 3 this evening.

The Mental Health Act currently stipulates that a peace officer must retain custody of a person that is receiving involuntary medical examination or a psychiatric assessment and is required to stay with that person until the examination or assessment is completed. As Manitobans, we recognize the important role peace officers have in upholding the law and ensuring public safety. As nurses, we especially recognize the invaluable role they play in protecting the safety of our patients, the public, nurses and all other health-care providers.

Bill 3, The Mental Health Amendment Act, proposes that another designated person with appropriated training will be able to stay with the individual throughout the assessment or examination process. The Mental Health Act specifically applies to involuntary patients, which are individuals that are experiencing a mental health crisis and are likel y to be of harm to themselves or others. When an involuntary patient is being sent to a health-care facility and is awaiting their medical or psychiatric assessment, their behaviour escalates due to the unfamiliar environment, combined with pre - existing f actors.

Optimal care is provided to such individuals when nurses and the health-care team can apply their full attention on providing care that focuses on the assessment and therapeutic interventions. Nurses need to be in a position where they can trust any person accompanying involuntary patients, has the authoritative presence and experience to provide the highest level of safety for patients, the public and the health-care team. It is important to note that this proposed legislation has the potential to significantly impact the safety of patients and health -care providers.

Having been an emergency room nurse in the inner - city hospital for almost 20 years, I have first -hand experience on the violence nurses face every day.

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 7 It is no secret that the prevalence and risk of violence is exceptionally high in heath care. We know from our research that more than half of Manitoba nurses have been physically assaulted, and 30 per cent of ER nurses experience physical violence at least once per week.

While I appr eciate the intent of Bill 3, which is to utilize resources efficiently and to their fullest capacity, I would like to bring to your attention a few cautionary notes to consider in order to ensure Bill 3 does not jeopardize the health and safety of Manitoba's patients, the general public and those that provide care. The first cautionary note is in response to Bill 3's lack of clarity surrounding the criteria an individual must meet to be considered a designated person and replace the role of a peace officer under the act.

The government of Manitoba should 'cluely' defined who will be eligible to be a designated person. Furthermore, governments should be deliberate in ensuring that any designated person possesses the necessary authority, training and capacity to prevent the escalation of threatening behaviours and be able to respond, intervene and detain individuals that pose a risk to themselves or others.

Additionally, any policies governing this new regulatory measure should be applied consistently across the province, as there are still many facilities, especially in rural Manitoba, that do not even have on-site security supports on a consistent basis. We can 't afford to increase the already heightened risk Manitoba 's nurses face. In order for nurses to c ontinue to provide optimal patient care, we have to responsibly ensure that they have safe practice environments.

I would like to commend the Honourable Kelvin Goertzen for committing to hold consultations within the mental health community and law enforce ment sector to determine what training is needed and who could potentially qualify to be a designated person under the act. I recommend the government of Manitoba include nurses and all other health- care stakeholders during their consultation process. Thi s vital input will enable government to craft legislation that upholds the health and safety of Manitoba 's patients and those who provide care. Nurses first and foremost care about their patients.

They look forward to working alongside government to ensur e strong security measures are enacted in order to better protect patients and uphold the safety of the public and all health-care providers. Thank you again to all members of the Legislative Affairs Committee for the opportunity to present to you this ev ening, and I would welcome any questions or comments. Mr. Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation. Do members of the committee have questions for the presenter? Mr.

Kelvin Goertzen: Thank you for the presentation and for your offer to be involved i n consultations, and we will take you up on that offer as well. You mentioned already that there are many potentially dangerous situations that nurses face in our hospitals, in our ERs. Presently, of course, there aren't RCMP officers normally within those ERs, and so it must be individuals other than those who are coming in under a mental health order who can present those challenges, and probably most often it is people who aren't coming in under a mental health order with an RCMP officer.

Do you think having more people who are trained and trained appropriately to deal with individuals available to emergency rooms might actually make things more safe as opposed to less? Ms. Mowat: I would certainly suggest that outside the city, that would be helpful. I hear from many nurses that they don 't have the supports available. Sometimes our rural nurses don' t get the training around mental health either, and certainly they 're open to that.

So I think that there 's an opportunity to do training across the board, and then certainly adding those highly trained individuals to make sure that people are kept safe would be a positive thing. Mr. Wiebe: I want to thank you, Ms. Mowat, for coming out and presenting to the committee. Again, this is very, very helpful inform ation for us to have. It's certainly a great perspective to hear from those who are on the front lines, who are actually experiencing these situations first -hand.

And, you know, I appreciate that the minister has said that he 's open to listening to those f ront-line workers and making sure that they 're a legitimate part of the process. Just to follow up on sort of the thread we were – the minister was asking about in terms of training, can you talk a little bit about–maybe about some of the supports that you would need in order to facilitate

8 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 that training and maybe some of the work that would need to be done in order to train nurses to be able to, you know, at the very least, you know, be able to start to deal with some of these issues? And as you said, it's certainly not a new experience to them even in their current role right now. Can you talk a little bit about some of the supports that would need to be there in order to facilitate and allow them to get that training to be more capable to handle escalating situations of all kinds? Ms.

Mowat: Well, there 's lots of good courses out there, particularly around de -escalating or defusing difficult behaviour. And I will also say that we have done a lot of work. I actually jointly chair a committee with the CEO of Prairie Mountain Health, Penny Gilson, and we 're implementing the violence prevention program across Manitoba. And part of that violence prevention program is training for all health-care workers around mandatory defuse and de-escalating patients.

So we a re getting that out there, and I think trying to make sure that that 's done in a timely manner and then be renewed on a yearly basis so people are kept current. And then in those areas where there' s more high -risk type patients, those would require more tr aining, just, you know, a step above that training, plus the ability to have an authoritative process and the ability to 'tain'. So the–I think there 's certain levels and that 's–you know, you'd need to assess those areas and decide what kind of person you need in certain areas. I don't think it's a paintbrush that does the whole trick. Mr.

Lindsey: Again, I thank Ms. Mowat for her presentation to this committee, taking time to be here. Just a question, and maybe it 's–you're not, possibly, the right person to direct it to. Maybe it 'll come up again when we 're questioning the government itself. But do you see your members as having time to take on additional duties, or do you see this as being someone additional to your members, particularly looking at staff ing levels in northern or remote health-care facilities? * (18:40) Ms. Mowat: I think that's something that would have to be looked at almost on a site -by-site basis.

So, certainly, I would agree that there are many nurses across the province that it would be too onerous to add extra duties. Having said that, I think in some areas where there already aren 't people there detaining these mental health patients, those nurses do need the increased training and support. So I really think that the best way to do it would be actually to do a facility -by-facility–how many visits there are, you know, what the needs are of those specific facilities. And I think the front -line health -care workers could certainly help you with that. Mr.

Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation, Ms. Mowat. Ms. Judy Klassen (Kewatinook): I wanted to say thank you for your presentation, as well. And I was also saddened to hear that you said over half of your nurses have experienced violence. Really appreciate that–knowing that fact, and hopefully we can work together as well on the side to try and reduce that number because I believe what the nurses do for our people is overlooked and underappreciated. Thank you. Mr. Chairperson: As our time is now run out, I want to thank you for your presentation, Ms. Mowat.

That concludes the list of presenters I have before me for Bill 3. Bill 5–The Francophone Community Enhancement and Support Act Mr. Chairperson: We will now move into Bill 5. We will start with out-of-town presenters. Would the honourable minister take the chair, here? Mr. Vice-Chairperson in the Chair Mr. Vice-Chairperson: I will now call on Edmond Labossière, Cons eil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba. Do you have any written material for distribution to the committee? Mr.

Edmond Labossiè re (Conseil de développement économique des municipalit és bilingues du Manitoba): Yes, I do. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Please proceed with your presentation. Mr. Labossière: Au nom du CDEM, le Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba, nous tenons à souligner le leadership d 'action de l 'honorable Rochelle Squires, et la remercier pour son engagement remarquable à l'égard de la communauté francophone du Manitoba.

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 9 L'appui du premier ministre Brian Pallister et celui de son gouvernement est aussi grandement apprécié. Dans le même esprit, nous tenons à remercier tous ceux et celles qui ont parlé en faveur du projet de loi. Un merci particulier au député de Saint - Boniface, monsieur Greg Selinger, pour son leadership et son appui indéniable à la communauté.

Merci aussi à monsieur Jon Gerrard, député de River Heights, madame Cindy Lamoureux, députée de Burrows, monsieur Wab Kinew, député de Fort Rouge, madame Sarah Guillemard, députée de Fort Richmond, et m onsieur Bob Lagassé, député de Dawson Trail, pour leurs belles paroles et leur appui en deuxième lecture du projet de loi. Le CDEM apprécie l 'occasion de pouvoir témoigner à ces audiences publiques pour commenter les aspects du projet de loi qui concernent nos municipalités bilingues.

Le CDEM représente quelque 17 municipalités sur le territoire du Manitoba et appuie 14 corporations de développement communautaire qu' on appelle les CDCs. Depuis sa fond ation en 1996, le CDEM a mis é sur la valeur ajouté e du bilinguisme pour assurer le développement économique et communautaire de ses régions. Vingt ans plus tard, nous sommes en mesure de constater le progrè s vers cette notion de territoire bilingue.

Il est important que vous, mesdames et messieurs, membres de l 'Assemblée lé gislative, compreniez que nos–les municipalités reconnues par l'AMBM, l'Association des muni cipalités bilingues du Manitoba, ne sont pas exemptées de fournir aussi leurs services en anglais. No us repré sentons tout d'abord la population francophone, tant –autant francophone qu'anglophone de ces régions. Notre statut n 'enlève rien à la langue anglaise. Il ne faut qu 'ajouter le fran çais dans une perspective où le bilinguisme représente une valeur ajoutée.

La réputation du CDEM dépasse maintenant les limites des municipalité s bilin gues, par exemple, par l'intermédiaire de nos services en économie verte, en particulier notre initiative avec les plans de changement climatique dans le corridor de la rivière Rouge. Cette initiative nous a permis d 'étendre nos services au -delà du territoire des municipalité s bilingues, dans les municipalités anglophones avoisinantes.

Le projet de loi 5 s 'inscrit très bien dans la continuité du dialogue collaboratif qui a été à la base des municipalité s bilingues pour accroître les opportunités en matiè re de développement économique et d' employabilité des communauté s. À l'heure de la mondialisation, le bilinguisme et les affaires représentent une opportunité é conomique importante pour les communautés francophones.

Selon l 'étude « Le canada, le bili nguisme et le commerce », commanditée par le Réseau de développement é conomique du Canada, notre organisme national au C onference Board du canada en 2013 : l'une–l'un des avantages du bilinguisme est que le pays voit croître le volume de ses échanges commerciaux bilatérals. L 'étude confirme la valeur ajoutée réelle du bilinguisme pour le Canada. Toujours selon cette é tude, en 2011, la connaissance du français au Canada bil ingue avait fait augmenter les exportations de 1. 7 milliard de dollars américains–américaines et les importat ions de 7.2 milliards.

Dans ce contexte, le poids économique de la langue fran çaise est trè s important et le projet de loi 5 vient officialiser ce long cheminement que les citoyens bilingues ont permis de réaliser. La langue ne repré sente pas un fardeau, mais un avantage économique. Ce progrès vers le bilinguisme a été rendu possible par l 'affichage bilingue, l 'offre active des services en fra nçais et par une reconnaissance du statut bilingue de nos gouvernements de proximité, les municipalités. Qu 'il suffise de visiter nos municipalités qui arborent le « C'est si bon!

Ensemble Together », o ù l'image de marque touristique « Joie de vivre », où on y dé couvre le caractère distinct qui balise l'espace francophone, qui vient enrichir le potentiel touristique et patrimonial du Manitoba. * (18:50) Évidemment, le projet de loi 5,

Loi sur l'appui à l'épanouissement de la francophonie manitobaine, est le fruit d'une collaboration sur l 'offre des services en français, qui remonte à plusieurs anné es et avec divers gouvernements. À

titre de conseiller spécial au gouvernement m anitobain sur les services en français pendant dix ans, j 'ai personnellement été témoin des efforts du gouvernement Filmon pour la mise en œuvre de sa pol itique sur les services en français basé sur le concept de l'offre active, du leadership stratégique pour bâtir les premières étapes qui ont mené aux acquis dont bénéficie la population francophone du Manitoba et je suis fier de conclure que c'est dans la continuité et vers l 'épanouissement de la francophonie manitobaine, que s 'inscrit le projet de loi 5.

10 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 L'un des points phare de ce projet de loi est la définition inclusive de la francophonie car elle reflète bien la communauté francophone d' aujourd'hui. La politique sur les services en langue française et le rapport du Juge Richard Chartier intitulé « Avant toute chose, le bon sens », en 1998, ont servi de levier stratégique pour la mise en œuvre des recommandations du gouvernement conservateur de l'époque et pour les gouvernements qui ont suivi.

Le travail remarquable de monsieur Greg Selinger au cours des années suivantes concernant les services à la communauté de langue française fut très apprécié par notre communauté. Ce projet de loi vient consolider tous les acquis et renforcer le partenariat entre la communauté et le gouvernement dans l'évolution et l'épanouissement de sa francophonie. En terminant, nous s ouhaitons que ce projet de loi ne devienne pas un enjeu partisan et qu' il reçoive l'assentiment unanime des 57 membres de l'Assemblée législative.

Sur cette note positive, merci de m'avoir accordé ces quelques minutes pour offrir mon appui à ce projet de l oi et celui de notre – l'organisme je représente, le CDEM. Merci beaucoup. Translation On behalf of CDEM, the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities Inc., we wish to applaud the active leadership of the Honourable Rochelle Squires and thank her for her remarkable commitment to Manitoba's francophone community. The support of Premier Brian Pallister and his government are also very much appreciated. In the same spirit, we wish to thank all those who spoke in favour of the bill.

A special thank-you to the member for St. Boniface, Mr. Greg Selinger, for his leadership and undeniable support to the community. Thank you also to Mr. Jon Gerrard, MLA for River Heights, Ms. Cindy Lamoureux, MLA for Burrows, Mr. Wab Kinew, MLA for Fort Rouge, Mrs. Sarah Guillemard, MLA for Fort Richmond, and Mr. Bob Lagassé, MLA for Dawson Trail, for their positive statements and support during the bill's second reading. CDEM appreciates the opportunity to speak at these public hearings and comment on the aspects of the bill that pertain to our bilingual municipalities.

CDEM represents 17 municipalities in Manitoba and supports 14 community development corporations known as CDCs. Since it was created in 1996, CDEM has focused on the value added of bil ingualism to ensure economic and community development in its regions. Twenty years later, we are seeing progress toward the goal of a bilingual territory. It is important that you, ladies and gentlemen, members of the Legislative Assembly, understand that our–the municipalities recognized by the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities, the AMBM, are not exempt from providing their services in English.

We firstly represent the francophone population, both francophone and anglophone in these regions. Our status does not take anything away from the English language. From the perspective in which bilingualism represents value added, all it does is add French. CDEM's reputation now reaches beyond the limits of the bilingual municipalities, for example, through our services in the green economy particularly our initiative on plans for climate change in the Red River corridor.

This initiative has enabled us to extend our services beyond the boundaries of the bilingual municipalities, to the neighbouring anglophone municipalities. Bill 5 is consistent with the ongoing co- operative dialogue that was a key element of the bilingual municipalities to increase economic development and employment opportunities in the communities. In this age of globalization, bi lingualism and business represent a significant economic opportunity for francophone communities.

According to a study entitled Canada, Bilingualism and Trade Report commissioned in 2013 by the Réseau de développement économique du Canada, our national organization on the Conference Board of Canada, one of the advantages of bilingualism is that the country has seen the volume of its bilateral trade increase. The study confirms the actual value added of bilingualism for Canada. It states that in 2011, knowledge of French in bilingual Canada had increased exports by $1.7 billion U.S. and imports by $7.2 billion.

In this context, the economic weight of the French language is very important and Bill 5 formalizes the long progression that bilingual citizens have contributed to. Language does not represent a burden, but an economic advantage. This progress toward bilingualism was made possible through bilingual signage, the active offer of French language services and the recognition of the bilingual status of our local governments, the municipalities. One need only visit the municipalities

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 11 that display the C’est si bon! Ensemble Together logo, or see the tourism sector's Joie de vivre trademark to discover the distinct character that is unique to the Francophone s pace and enhances Manitoba's tourism and heritage potential. * (18:50) Bill 5, The Francophone Community Enhancement and Support Act, is the result of co- operation on the provision of French language services that goes back many years and with various governments.

As Senior Advisor for French language services with the Manitoba government for ten years, I personally witnessed the efforts of the Filmon government to implement its French Language Services Policy based on the concept of active offer, which sho wed strategic leadership in taking the first steps that led to the gains enjoyed by Manitoba's francophone population, and I am proud to conclude that Bill 5 is a continuation in the development of Manitoba's francophonie. One of the key elements of this bill is the inclusive definition of the francophone community, as it reflects its current make -up well.

The French Language Services Policy and Judge Richard Chartier's 1998 report, Above All, Common Sense, served as strategic levers for the implementation of the recommendations by the Conservative government of the day as well as subsequent governments. The remarkable work by Mr. Greg Selinger during the following years in relation to services for francophones was very much appreciated by our community. This bill consolidates the gains made and reinforces the partnership between the community and the government in the evolution and development of its francophonie.

In closing, we hope that this bill will not become a partisan issue and that it will receive the unanimous support of the Legislative Assembly's 57 members. On this positive note, I thank you for affording me this time to express my support and that of CDEM, the organization I represent, for this bill. Thank you very much. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation. Do members of the committee have any questions for the presenter? Hon. Rochelle Squires (Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs): Merci beaucoup pour votre présentation. Translation Thank you very much for your presentation.

English Our government looks forward to working with– continue collaboration with CDEM, and I just want to thank you for all of your efforts in, you know, building an enhanced and vital francophone community in our province. And I know that the francophone community had a strong champion in the member for St. Boniface (Mr. Selinger), and I can assure you that while those are big shoes I 'm attempting to fill them. And I look forward to ongoing collaboration and support from the francophone community and a shared relationship. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Any other comments? Questions?

Merci, Monsieur Labossière, pour votre présentation. Translation Thank you for your presentation, Mr. Labossière. English Okay, Justin Johnson, Conseil jeunesse provincial. Do you have any written material for distribution to the committee? Mr. Justin Johnson (Conseil jeunesse provincial): Oui, c'est en circulation. Translation Yes, it is being distributed. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Okay, thank you. Please proceed with your presentation. Mr. Johnson: Merci beaucoup , Monsieur le Président. Merci aussi aux membres du comité.

J'aimerais, avant de commencer, reconnaître que nous sommes sur le territoire n° 1 et au cœur de la nation métisse. Et j 'aimerais aussi reconnaître la présence de la communauté franco -manitobaine, ou bien la francophonie manitobaine, rassemblée ici aujourd'hui pour ces audiences publiques. Donc au nom des jeunes d' expression française du Manitoba, le Conseil jeunesse provincial, organisme par et pour les jeunes, est fier et heureux des démarches du gouvernement manitobain à avancer avec le projet de loi 5,

Loi sur l 'appui à l'épanouissement de la francophonie manitobaine.

12 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 À la basse de ce projet de loi existe une reconnaissance que la francophonie manitobaine est toujours aussi dynamique et engagée que lors de la fondation même de notre province en 1870 par Louis Riel et son gouvernement provisoire. À la veille du 500–150e anniversaire de la Confédération canadienne, l'adoption de ce proje t de loi serait une occasion parfaite de démontrer la vraie valeur de notre dualité linguistique. Même si en 98, je n 'avais que six ans, ce projet de loi vient ajouter aux bénéfices découlant du rapport Chartier Avant tout chose, le bon sens .

Le projet de loi 5 reconnait l 'importance et la diversité de la francophonie manitobaine en 2016. Une reconnaissance que je ressens, cette fierté d 'être Métis et francophone au Manitoba que j 'ai pu développer grâce à la communauté, mais qu 'en termes pratiques n'a pas toujours été acquise. Pour la jeunesse d 'expression française, cette ouverture sur l'autre est au cœur de nos valeurs et fait

partie de notre réalité. Le Manitoba tel que vu et imaginé par la jeunesse de 2016 est moderne et mondial. Il n'est pas rare p our la jeunesse surtout, de vivre la valeur de cette dualité qui est souvent mélangée l'un dans l 'autre. De manière aussi naturelle, je dirais, que du « peanut butter and jam ». La jeunesse de 2016 crée des initiatives qui mettent cette dualité en–au premier plan. Soulignons à

titre d'exemple la Coop Vélo-Cité à Saint-Boniface, un atelier de vélo communautaire qui servira tant les francophones que les anglophones de Saint - Boniface, un véritable lieu de rassemblement. Bien sûr que le français doit avoir une place à la table, compte tenu du rôle historique de cette langue dans la construction, dans la fondation même de la province du Manitoba.

Le gouvernement du Manitoba actuel a un devoir d 'être chef de file sur ce dossier et nous espérons que cette réconciliation avec la communauté francophone ouvrira la porte à mettre de l'avant des moyens de faire valoir aussi la justice– la juste place des langues autochtones et métisses dans les curriculums ici au Manitoba. Il est évident que nous souhaitons que ce projet de loi soit adopté à l 'unanimité. Grâce au leadership de Madame la M inistre Squires, et avec l 'appui des autres membres de tous les partis politiques, la francophonie au Manitoba serait bien encadrée pour continuer à s'épanouir.

Au sein du ré seau jeunesse et sur le plan la francophonie canadienne, le Manitoba est souvent cité à

titre de leader ou d 'exemple. Il est bien de voir que nos décideurs politiques ont le goût d 'avoir la même réputation. D'après tout, qui n'ose pas, n'a pas. Nous tenons à remercier le gouvernement d'avoir rapporté ce projet de loi à la table en y ajoutant d'importants acteurs tels que le Conseil des arts du Manitoba, Sport Manitoba et Voyages Manitoba. Trois agences qui ont le potentiel à grandement contribuer à notre épanouissement. Louis Riel a écrit : « Une bonne action, un bon travail ne sont jamais perdus ». Le projet de loi 5,

Loi sur l 'appui de l'épanouissement de la francophonie manitobaine, est une telle bonne action, un tel bon travail qui ne sera pas oubli é ou perdu. Le rêve de Louis Riel d 'un Manitoba bilingue, inclusif et rassembleur est toujours vivant. Ce rêve que partageaient mes ancêtres métis et canadiens -français. Finalement, mes ancêtres manitobains. Ensemble nous agissons pour la bonne chose. C'est la chose manitobaine à faire. C 'est comme si Riel avait de quoi à nous dire, même encore aujourd'hui : « Mais regardez-nous agir. Nous allons travailler et obtenir la garantie de nos droits et de vôtres.

Vous viendrez à la fin partager. » Merci beaucoup. Translation Thank you very much, Mr. Chairperson, and thank you to the committee members. Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are here in Territory No. 1 and at the heart of the Métis nation. And I would also like to acknowledge the presence of the Franco -Manitoban community, or rather the francophone community of Manitoba, gathered here today for these public hearings.

So, on behalf of Manitoba's French- speaking youth, the Conseil jeunesse provincial, an organization by and for youth, is proud and happy to see the Manitoba government moving forward with Bill 5, The Francophone Community Enhancement and Support Act. Underlying this bill is a recognition that Manitoba's francophone community is as dynamic and committed as it was at the very founding of our province by Louis Riel and his Provisional Government in 1870. On the eve of the 500–150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, passage of

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 13 this bill would be a perfect opportunity to show the true value of our linguistic duality. Although I was only six years old in '98, this bill adds to the benefits stemming from the Chartier report, Above All, Common Sense. Bill 5 recognizes the importance and diversity of Manitoba's francophone community in 2016. A recognition that I feel, this pr ide in being francophone and Métis in Manitoba that I was able to develop, thanks to the community, but that in practical terms has not always been a given.

For French -speaking youth, this openness to the other is at the core of our values and forms part of our reality. Manitoba as seen and imagined by the youth of 2016 is modern and worldly. It is not unusual for youth especially to experience the value of this duality, which is often blended together as naturally, I would say, as peanut butter and jam. The youth of 2016 create initiatives that place this duality in the forefront. As an example, we would point to the Coop Vélo- Cité, a community bicycle workshop that will serve both the francophones and the anglophones of St. Boniface, a genuine gathering place.

Of course French should have a place at the table, given that language's historic role in the building, in the very founding of the province of Manitoba. The current government of Manitoba has an obligation to lead in this area and we hope that this r econciliation with the francophone community will open the door to providing the means of asserting the justice –the proper place of Aboriginal and Métis languages in the curricula here in Manitoba. Obviously, we hope that this bill will be passed unanimously.

Through the leadership of Minister Squires, and with the support of the other members from all the political parties, the francophone community in Manitoba would have a solid framework within which to continue flourishing. Within the francophone youth network at the national level, Manitoba is often cited as a leader or an example. It is good to see that our political decision-makers have a desire for the same reputation. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

We would like to thank the government for having brought this bill back to the table and added to it major players such as the Manitoba Arts Council, Sport Manitoba and Travel Manitoba, three agencies that have the potential to greatly contribute to our enhancement. Louis Riel wrote: Right action, right work are never lost. Bill 5, The Francophone Community Enhancement and Support Act is one such action, one example of right work that will never be lost or forgotten. Louis Riel's dream of a bilingual, inclusive and unifying Manitoba is still alive.

It is a dream that was shared by my Métis and French -Canadian ancestors. Ultimately, my Manitoban ancestors. Together, we are doing the right thing. It is the Manitoban thing to do. It is as if Riel had something to say to us, even today: "But watch us act. We are going to work and obtain the guarantee of our rights and yours. You will come to share them in the end." Thank you very much. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation. Do members of the committee have any questions for the presenter? Ms. Squires: Merci be aucoup pour votre présentation.

Translation Thank you very much for your presentation. English And I also want to thank you for recognizing that we 're on Treaty 1 land and for your comments on this bill. Thank you. Mr. Vice-Chairperson: Thank you, Honourable Minister. Are there any more questions? Merci beaucoup. I will now call upon Paulette Carrière -Dupont, Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba. Do you have any written materials for distribution to the committee? * (19:00) Ms. Paulette Carri ère-Dupont ( Union n ationale métisse Saint -Joseph du Manitoba): Oui, j 'en ai donné. Translation Yes, I handed some out.

14 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Please proceed with your presentation. Ms. Carrière- Dupont: Monsieur le Président, mesdames et messieurs les députés, l'Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba est la doyenne du monde associatif du Manitoba francophone et, à ce titre, elle représente la fidélité et un idéal qui remonte à la Rivière -Rouge dans ses qual ités de partage.

Sa loyauté au Canada et au Manitoba n'est plus à prouver, ne serait pas que –par ses membres qui ont été représentés–représentants élus démocratiquement depuis 1869, et qui ont fait et qui font encore partie, soit de l' Assemblée législative du Manitoba, soit de la Chambre des communes. Dans sa politique concernant les Métis, le gouvernement provincial manitobain présente toutes les valeurs et tous les principes avancés par l 'Union nationale métisse Saint -Joseph du Manitoba depuis 1887, c 'est-à-dire, entre autres, le principe de reconnaissance et celui de partenariat.

L'Union nationale métisse Saint- Joseph du Manitoba fête cette année son 129 e anniversaire, est demeurée fidèle à ses racines historiques et identitaires et représente tous les Métis francophones du Manitoba depuis sept générations. Le rôle indéniable qu' ont joué les Métis et les Canadiens français dans la fondation de notre province est bien connu et reflété dans la vision de Riel sur le bilinguisme, et remonte à sa création en 1870.

Pour ceux et celles qui ne la connaisse pas, l'Union fut fondée par les familles de Riel et de ses proches en 1887, et l' Union est la plus ancienne organisation métisse qui fonctionne toujours en français au Manitoba, au Canada et en Amérique du Nord. Ses objectifs sont culturels et visent l 'unité des Métis canadiens -français, la protection du peuple métis et ses intérêts et leur représentation en tant que peuple fondateur. Elle cherche à mettre en valeur les traditions, la culture, l'histoire des Métis de langue française.

C'est avec toute la reconnaissance de nos générations passées et celles à venir que nous remercions la m inistre Rochelle Squires p our son leadership et son appui, si tôt dans le mandat de notre nouveau gouvernement conservateur, à la mise en œuvre de l 'adoption du projet de loi 5 sur l 'appui à l'épanouissement de la francophonie manitobaine.

Nous sommes reconnaissants pour l 'adossement et le leadership de notre premier ministre Brian Pallister et celle de son gouvernement envers l'adoption de cette loi provinciale qui encadrera l'appui à l 'épanouissement de la francophonie manitobaine au niveau institutionnel et législatif. Nous apprécions le leadershi p du député de Saint-Boniface, monsieur Greg Selinger, dans son soutien et sa contribution au développement de s services et l'appui à la communauté francophone.

Ce projet de loi prend racine dans la politique des services en français ai nsi que le concept de l 'offre active tel que détaillé aussi dans le deuxième r apport Chartier, Avant toute chose, le bon sens , et en 2013, de la

Loi sur les centres de services bilingues. Nous remercions sincèrement les partis de l 'opposition d'accueillir cette loi avec un esprit collaborateur –de collaboration et d 'entente. En parti culier, nous soulignons Monsieur Jon G errard, député de River Heights, Madame Cindy Lamoureux, députée de Burrows, Monsieur Wab Kinew, député de Fort Rouge, Madame Sarah Guillemard, députée de Fort Richmond, et M onsieur Bob Lagassé, député de Dawson Trail, pour vos témoignages et vos appuis en deuxième lecture du p rojet de loi. Votre désir de nous rendre justice ne passe pas inaperçu. L'histoire a enregistré des moment s difficiles et c'est grâce en

partie au travail de plusieu rs générations de membres de l 'union nationale que les Métis n'ont plus à cacher ou à chuchoter le nom de Louis Riel ou à s'assimiler à la langue de la majorité. De sang et de cœur, les héritiers d e Riel, les Métis canadiens français, ont conservé depuis des générations une culture qui leur est propre. Tout au long de son histoire , l 'union s 'est déployée pour affirmer clairement ce que sont les Métis et pour combattre la marginalisation qu 'on voulait leur imposer.

Les membres de l 'Union représentent les témoins vivants d 'une très longue lutte en faveur d 'une vision juste de Riel et du droit de tous les Métis de refuser de disparaître. Ce ne sont pas tous les Métis qui vivent avec ce fardeau de peur et de honte , avec ce sentiment de discrimination. Beaucoup d' entre eux participent pleinement à la société canadienne française ou anglaise du Canada et connaissent un certain succès. Eux seuls, par contre, connaissent le prix de leur acculturation et de la renonciation à une

partie de leur identité métisse. Ces décennies de camouflage identitaire font en sorte que, lorsque les jeunes générations, encouragées par l'existence de la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés , veulent partir à la découverte de leurs racines, elles doivent faire face à

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 15 une des cultures les plus complexes du Canada et du Manitoba. En effet, la culture michif inclut un mélange constant d 'identités cachées, mais elle est en même temps, aux yeux des Métis, la culture fondamentale et fondatrice du Manitoba, et fait certainement partie, à ce titre, du tissu national. Les Métis canadiens -français connaissent bien les défis de préserver langue et culture.

Il n 'en demeure pas moins que ce pays a été fondé sur des principes bien particuli ers et que Louis Riel a été la seule incarnation provinciale de ces principes à un moment où le Canada cherchait à prendre de l'expansion et à devenir une grande puissance. Nous rendons respect et honneur à nos leader s métis francophones tels que Joseph Dumas et Georges Forest qui furent des agents de changement incontournables dans la lutte d 'obtention de droits pour la mi norité francophone.

Et le Manitoba en plein cœur du pays se retrouve encore , en 2016, en plein cœur d' une reconnaissance des droits linguistiques, au cœur même de la question sur la dualité linguistique manitobaine, l'encadrement et les bénéfices institutionnels pour les francophones vivant au Manitoba. Et c 'est pour cela que l 'Union souligne aujourd'hui, auprès de ce comité, la véritable importance historique qu' en 2016, les partis gouvernementaux manitobains s 'unissent pour adopter la l oi 5, qui selon nous, est positi ve et sera bénéficier tous les manitobains et canadiens.

C'est le fruit de multiples efforts et de partenariats de plus d 'un siècle d 'individus, de familles, de communautés, de groupes d'institutions communautaires, de représentants élus, de différents gouvernements par exemple, de Roblin, Schreyer, Pawley, Filmon, Doer, Selinger et maintenant Pallister pour normaliser les a ppuis et les bénéfices de la dualité linguistique manitobaine. Un appui unanime des 57 membres serait porteur d'un message solidaire vis -à-vis à la contribution de la francophonie auprès de tous les Manitobains et les Canadiens, de quoi nous pourrions être fiers, de quoi nous pourrions célébrer.

L'Union représente la pérennité d 'un idéal canadien que l'on retrouve dans la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés , avec ses valeurs d 'inclusion et de respect. C'est donc avec fierté et sans réserve que l'union appuie la nouvelle définition de la francophonie, car elle reflète la diversité et la réalité de la communauté francophone manitobaine.

Nous gardons toujours espoir, chers membres du comité, que dans cette nouvelle ère de vérité et de réconciliation, d 'inclusion et de collaboration, nous puissions ensemble créer un savoir -être manitobain et canadien à la hauteur des principes visionnaires et modernes promus par Louis Riel : le bilinguisme, le multiculturalisme, l 'ouverture et le respect de la différence, l'entraide et le sens aigu de la justice sociale. Vous pouvez compter sur l 'engagement, la participation et la collaboration continus envers ce devenir de la part de l 'Union nati onale métisse, héritiers de la nation métisse. Translation Mr.

Chairperson, me mbers of the Legislative Assembly, l'Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba is the oldest association in Manitoba's francophone community and, as such, represents a continued commitment to an ideal that goes back to the Red River (settlement) and its values of sharing. No further proof of its loyalty to Canada and to Manitoba is needed. One simply needs to consider the fact that its members have been represented– democratically elected representatives since 1869, and have been and continue to be members of either Manitoba's Legislative Assembly or the House of Commons.

In its M etis policy, Manitoba's provincial govern- ment sets out the values and principles that l'Union nationale métisse Saint -Joseph du Manitoba has been advocating for since 1887, that is to say, among others, the principles of recognition and partnership. L'Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba is celebrating its 129th anniversary this year, and it has remained true to its historical roots and identity and represented Manitoba's francophone M etis for seven generations.

The undeniable role that the Metis and French Canadians played in founding our province is well -known and it is reflected in Riel's vision of bilingualism that dates back to its creation in 1870. For those who are not familiar wit h l'Union, it was created by the families of Riel and his associates in 1887 and is the oldest M etis organization still operating in French in Manitoba, Canada and North America. Its objectives are culturally focused and are geared toward ensuring the unit y of the French - Canadian M etis, protecting the M etis people and their interests and representing them as a founding people.

It seeks to promote the traditions, culture and history of the French speaking Metis.

16 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 It is with the full gratitude of our past gene rations and those to come that we thank Minister Rochelle Squires for her leadership and support, so early in the mandate of our new conservative government, and in tabling Bill 5, The Francophone Community Enhancement and Support Act. We are grateful for the endorsement and leadership of our Premier, Brian Pallister, and that of his government in passing this provincial legislation that will support the development of Manitoba's francophone community at an institutional and legislative level.

We appreciate the leadership role played by the MLA for St. Boniface, Mr. Greg Selinger, through his assistance and contribution to the development of services and support for the francophone community. This bill has its roots in the French Language Services Policy and the concept of active offer as set out in the second Chartier r eport, Above All, Common Sense, and in 2013, The Bilingual Service Centres Act. We sincerely thank the opposition parties for supporting this legislation in a spirit of co-operation and goodwill. We wish to thank in particular Mr. Jon Gerrard, MLA for River Heights; Ms.

Cindy Lamoureux, MLA for Burrows; Mr. Wab Kinew, MLA for Fort Rouge; Ms. Sarah Guillemard, MLA for Fort Richmond; and Mr. Bob Lagassé, MLA for Dawson Trail, for their personal stories and support during the bill's second reading. Your desire to see that justice is done has not gone unnoticed. History has recorded many difficult moments and it is thanks in part to the work of a number of generations of Union n ationale members that the Metis no longer have to hide or mention Louis Riel's name in whispers or assimilate the language of the majority.

As his blood relatives and strong believers in his cause, Riel's heirs, the French- Canadian Metis, have for generati ons preserved a culture that is unique to them. Throughout its history, l' Union has been active to clearly affirm who the M etis are and to fight against the marginalization being imposed on them. The members of l'Union are the living witnesses of a long battle for Riel's fair vision and the right of all M etis to refuse to disappear. Not all M etis live with this burden of fear and shame and this feeling of discrimination.

Many participate fully in French speaking or English speaking Canadian society and have achieved some success. Only they, however, know the price of their acculturation or abandonment of a part of their Metis identity. Decades spent hiding our identity means that when young generations, encouraged by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, embark on a journey to discover their roots, they face one of the most complex cultures of our country and province.

In fact, the Michif culture includes an ongoing mix of hidden identity, but it is also in the eyes of the M etis the fundamental and founding culture of Manitoba, and as such is certainly part of the national fabric. French-Canadian M etis are very familiar with the challenges of preserving language and culture. It nevertheless remains that this country was founded on very unique principles and that Louis Riel was the only incarnation in this province of those principles at a time when Canada was seeking to expand and become a great power.

We pay homage to our francophone M etis leaders such as Joseph Dumas and Georges Forest who were unde niable agents of change in the struggle to secure minority francophone rights. And in 2016, at the heart of the country, Manitoba also finds itself at the heart of the recognition of language rights, at the very heart of the matter of Manitoba's linguistic duality: a framework and institutional benefits for franco- phones living in Manitoba.

This is why today, l'Union is underscoring to the committee the real historical importance that in 2016 Manitoba's political parties are uniting to pass Bill 5, which in our view is positive and will benefit all Manitobans and Canadians. It is the result of many efforts and partnerships over the course of a century by individuals, families, communities, community institutions, elected repre - sentatives, and various gover nments, including the Roblin, Schreyer, Pawley, Filmon, Doer, Selinger and now Pallister administrations , to normalize the supports and benefits of Manitoba's linguistic duality.

The unanimous support of the 57 members would send a message of solidarity to all Manitobans and Canadians with respect to the contribution of the francophone community, a united stand we could be proud of and celebrate. L'Union represents the longevity of a Canadian ideal found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, with its values of inclusion and respect. It is therefore with pride and without reservation that l'Union supports the new definition of the francophone community as it reflects the diversity and reality of Manitoba's francophone community.

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 17 Committee members, we continue to hope in this new era of truth and reconciliation, inclusion and co-operation, that together we might create a Manitoban and Canadian way of living that is up to the standards of the visionary and modern principles promoted by Louis Riel: namely bilingualism, multiculturalism, openness and respect for dif - ferences, mutual assistance and a heightened sense of social justice. You can count on the ongoing commitment, participation, and co- operation of l'Union national métisse, the heirs of the Metis nation, in achieving this. Mr.

Vice- Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation. * (19:10) Do members of the committee have any questions for the presenter? Ms. Squires: Merci beaucoup pour votre présentation. Translation Thank you very much for your presentation. English I really appreciate your words on –from a historical perspective and I want to congratulate you on your anniversary, the anniversary of your organization, and your comments in regards to the nonpartisan nature of bilingualism in the province were very, very important, and I just really appreciate that, so thank you. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Thank you for your comments.

Are there any more questions? Okay, thank you for your presentation. I will now call upon Jacqueline Blay, Soc iété franco-manitobaine. Do you have any written material for the –for distribution to the committee? Ms. Jacqueline Blay (Société franco - manitobaine): Yes. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Please proceed with your presentation. Ms. Blay: Monsieur le P résident, mesda mes et messieurs les députés, pour la première fois depuis 1890, la communauté francophone du Manitoba n'éprouve pas, en ce juin– en ce 28 juin 2016, le besoin de s'opposer aux actions de son gouvernement dans le domaine des droits linguistiques.

Au contraire, elle choisit de les approuver et de les appuyer. En effet, la loi 5 sur l 'appui à l 'épanouissement de la francophonie manitobaine dont il est question aujourd'hui, nous replace, comme citoyens et citoyennes, à égalité avec les Manitobains dans leur ensemble. Notre seule différence est que notre langue maternelle, une différence que nous estimons être à l'avantage du Manitoba et du Canada.

Bien souvent au cours de notre histoire, nous avons présenté des opinions différentes de notre gouvernement provincial dans le domaine des droits linguistiques et nous avons demandé un redressement d'une situation qui nous défavorisait et nous empêchait de grandir. Ainsi, nous avons été en désaccord, en querelles et en positions adverses. Aujourd'hui, cette loi 5 efface, dans sa simplicité et son bon sens, de longues décennies d' inégalité. Elle nous garantit un avenir encadré par des acquis mis en place de façon concertée et à la mesure de nos besoins.

Cette loi, nous la demandons expressément et ouvertement depuis 2007, mais en fait nous l'attendions depuis 1890, alors que nos droits constitutionnels étaient abolis et ensuite rétablis au 20 e siècle, il y a plus de 30 ans. Nos porte-paroles, Georges Forest et son avocat Alain Hogue, et ensuite, Roger Bilodeau et so n avocat, Vaughan Baird, se sont rendus jusqu' à la Cour suprême du Canada pour obtenir réparation. Nous étions

partie prenante dans leurs actions et nous avons subi beaucoup d 'épreuves pendant ces années de revendications constitutionnelles qui depuis ont fait place à des progrès significatifs. Notons, en 1981, la création du Secrétariat aux affaires francophones, suivie de l 'instauration, en 1989 de la Politique sur les services en français, et l'année suivante, du concept de l 'offre active, la présentation en 1998 du rapport Chartier, Avant toute chose, le bon sens , et, en 2013, la

Loi sur les centres de services bilingues . Ce sont des étapes marquantes qui, petit à petit, nous ont fait regagner le terrain perdu en 1890, dans ce domaine fondamental des se rvices en français. Aujourd 'hui, la boucle est bouclée. Nous sommes heureux de constater que, jusqu' à présent, aucune voix politique dissidente ne s'est manifestée pour s 'opposer à cette loi 5.

18 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 En particulier, nous remercions les partis de l'opposition de l 'avoir avec–accueillie avec un esprit de collaboration et un désir de nous rendre justice. Le gouvernement précédent et, en particulier, le député de Saint -Boniface (M. Selinger), avait préparé ce terrain d'entente. Cela nous confirme que l a question des droits linguistiques des francophones du Manitoba n'est pas et n 'est plus une question partisane mais plutôt une occasion de réconciliation et de collaboration.

Pour notre part, parallèlement à ces avancées législatives et gouvernementales, nous avons cheminé sur le plan communautaire. Plus particulièrement, depuis la fin 2013, nous nous sommes remis en question. La tenue des États généraux de la francophonie manitobaine avec 146 cafés-citoyens, 1 531 participations et 400 heures de réflexion nous ont fourni un premier rapport suivi d'une ébauche d'un plan de stratégie–plan stratégique communautaire, de même qu'une ébauche de vision.

Tout–très simplement, nos consultations la semaine dernière nous indiquent que notre but est de vivre en français dans toutes les dimensions de la vie quotidienne. Ni plus, ni moins. Cette loi 5 nous donne l 'espoir d 'y parvenir, avec l 'appui de votre gouvernement. Nous souhaitons que les nouvelles générations n' aient plus à conna ître les actions clandestines, les procès sans fin, les épreuves difficiles, les colères et le désespoir qui ont été la marque de leurs ancêtres, parents et grands-parents. Le dépôt rapide de cette loi 5 nous a heureusement surpris et rassurés.

Après votre arrivée au pouvoir, vous nous avez consultés et nous vous avons suggéré quelques ajustements, que vous avez partiellement accordés. L'un d'entre eux nous frappe et nous plaît plus particulièrement : vous avez ajouté le mot « reconnaissance », captant ainsi l 'esprit de l'heure et celui de notre communauté. En effet, au cours de nos États gé néraux, nous avons constaté chez les participants ce même désir d'ouverture, donc de réconciliation avec la majorité anglophone.

Les mariages exogames, le phénomène de la mondialisation, le suc cès des programmes d'immersion sont tous des facteurs qui nous entraînent nous aussi vers ce désir de réconciliation et son corol laire de collaboration, pour une relation avec vous et une vie sociale et communautaire plus harmonieuse. D'ailleurs, à cette étape-ci de notre histoire, nous connaissons bien la valeur de nos contributions dans tous des domaines, qu 'ils soient politiques, culturels, sociaux, touristiques, économiques, et cetera.

Nous savons aussi que nous pouvons aspirer à de plus grands succès, puisque dorénavant nous avons accès à cette loi qui encadre nos acquis. Fondamentalement, cette loi 5 nous permet de ne plus craindre pour ces progrès et surtout de dialoguer avec vous de façon régulière, notamment dans le cadre d u conseil consultatif qui est inscrit dans la législation. Nous serons présents autour de la même table et nous prendrons la parole de façon constructive pour le bien-être des francophones, bien sûr, mais aussi et surtout du Manitoba. Dans ces discussions , notre avenir sera construit avec notre accord.

En cas de désaccords, nous chercherons à les résoudre de façon à respecter nos interlocuteurs, tout en conservant nos principes fondamentaux. Notre communauté n' en attend pas moins de nous. De plus, dans ce tte loi 5, nous sommes heureux, et d 'ailleurs vous le savez, de voir que la nouvelle définition de francophone reflète ce caractère inclusif dont nous avons tant parlé durant nos États généraux.

Nous y retrouvons les caractéristiques fondamentales présent es dans la politique des services en français, c 'est-à-dire la minorité de langue officielle, accompagnée de deux autres éléments essentiels en 2016 : les francophiles, qu 'ils soient issus des écoles d 'immersion ou de l'amour de notre langue maternelle, et les nouveaux arrivants attirés par notre stratégie d 'élargissement de l 'espace francophone et qui contribuent à notre communauté de mille et une façons. Ce nouveau visage de la francophonie est présent dans cette loi 5 et il nous correspond bien.

Il nous permet de vivre de façon plus harmonieuse avec nos voisins, sans crainte, comme nous l 'avons tant fait par le passé. En ce sens, notre avenir se dessine dans l'inclusion et, jusqu'à un certain point, la réconciliation avec l'ensemble du Manitoba. En term inant, Madame la Ministre Squires et vous membres du gouvernement, nous vous remercions infiniment de votre diligence à répondre à nos besoins d' une part, et d 'autre part, d 'avoir très bien compris l'importance que cette loi 5 a pour notre communauté. C 'est la raison pour laquelle, au nom

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 19 de nos membres et de l 'ensemble de la communauté francophone, nous souhaitons l 'adoption à l'unanimité de la loi 5 sur l 'appui à l 'épanouissement de la francophonie manitobaine dans les plus brefs délais. Nous estimons qu'elle est notre passeport vers une pérennité et une durabilité que nous attendons et recherchons depuis très longtemps. En 2016, cette attente et cette recherche n'ont plus de raison d'être. En retour, nous sommes certainement bien prêts à travailler avec vous pour le plus grand bien du Manitoba et du Canada. Je vous remercie beaucoup.

Translation Mr. Chairperson, members of the Legislative Assembly, f or the first time since 1890, the francophone community of Manitoba does not feel the need on this 28th day of June, 2016, to oppose the actions of its government in the area of language rights. On the contrary, it is choosing to approve and support them. In fact, Bill 5 respecting the enhancement and support of Manitoba's francophone community, which is being considered today, restores our status as equal citizens within Manitoba's population as a whole.

The only difference is our mother tongue, a difference that we feel benefits Manitoba and Canada. Over the course of our history, our opinions have frequently differed from those of our provincial government with respect to language rights, and we have asked for a correction of the situation that has put us at a disadvantage and thwarted our development. As a result, we have found ourselves in an adversarial si tuation and were involved in disagreements and disputes with each other. Today, Bill 5, by its simplicity and common sense, erases many decades of inequality.

It guarantees a future built on gains to be put into place in a concerted manner based on our needs. We have been calling for this bill openly and expressly since 2007, but in fact we have been waiting for it since 1890, when our constitutional rights were abolished and then restored in the 20th century more than 30 years ago. Our representatives, Georges Forest and his lawyer, Alain Hogue, followed by, Roger Bilodeau and his lawyer, Vaughan Baird, went as far as the Supreme Court of Canada to obtain redress.

We supported their actions and endured many hardships during the years that these constitutional claims were ongoing, which led to significant progress. Specifically, in 1981, the establishment of the Francophone Affairs Secretariat, followed by the French Language Services Policy in 1989, the concept of active offer the fo llowing year, the Chartier report, Above All, Common Sense, in 1998, and, in 2013, The Bilingual Service Centres Act. These are significant steps that gradually allowed us to regain the ground lost in 1890, in the key area of French language services. Today, we have come full circle.

We are happy to see that, so far, there have been no dissenting political voices objecting to Bill 5. In particular, we would like to thank the opposition parties for supporting this bill in a spirit of co-operation and a desir e to ensure that justice is done. The previous government and the member for St. Boniface (Mr. Selinger) in particular, had laid the groundwork for this mutually agreeable solution. This confirms that the matter of language rights for francophones in Manitoba is not and is no longer a partisan issue, but rather an opportunity for reconciliation and co-operation.

For our part, parallel to this legislative and governmental progress, we have made headway at a community level. More specifically, since the end of 2013, we have carried out a self -assessment. A comprehensive review process (États généraux) was undertaken by Manitoba's francophone community including 146 citizen cafes, 1,531 participants, and 400 hours of reflection, which resulted in a first report followed by a draft community strategic plan, and a draft vision statement. Simply put, the consultations held last week indicated that our goal is to live in French in all areas of daily life. No more, no less.

Bill 5 gives us hope that this is pos sible, with the support of our government. We hope that coming generations will not be witness to clandestine actions, unending legal proceedings, undue hardships, and the anger and despair so familiar to previous generations including their parents and grandparents. The swift tabling of Bill 5 was a pleasant and reassuring surprise. After coming to power, you consulted with us and we suggested some amendments, which you accepted in part. One of these caught our attention and we are particularly pleased by it: the word "recognition" was added,

20 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 capturing the spirit of the current state of affairs and of our community. In fact, during the course of the comprehensive review process, we noted this same desire for openness among participants, and reconciliation with the anglophone majority. Mixed marriages, the phenomenon of globalization, the success of immersion programs are all factors that have instilled in us this desire for reconciliation and cooperation, as a basis for a relationship with you and a more har monious social and community life.

Moreover, at this point in our history, we know the value of our contributions in all areas well, whether in the political, cultural or social arenas or the tourism or economic development sectors. We know also that we can aspire to even greater success, given that we have this legislation to protect our gains. Fundamentally, Bill 5 frees us from any concerns related to those gains and provides opportunity for ongoing dialogue with you, particularly through the advisory council, provided for in the legislation.

We will be sitting at the same table and will contribute to the dialogue in a constructive manner, for the well-being of francophones and of course all Manitobans. Through these discussions, our future will be fashio ned with our consent. We will seek to resolve any disagreements in a manner that is respectful of our counterparts, while preserving our fundamental principles. Our community expects no less from us. As you know, we are pleased to see included in Bill 5, t he new definition of "francophone ," which reflects the inclusive character we spoke of so often during the comprehensive review process.

It includes the fundamental characteristics found in the French Language Services Policy, that is to say the official language minority along with two other key elements in 2016: francophiles, whether they have come through immersion schools or simply have a love of our mother tongue, and newcomers who were drawn here by our strategy to expand the Francophone presence and who contribute to our community in a myriad of ways. This new profile of the francophonie is present in Bill 5 and reflects us well.

It allows us to live in greater harmony with our neighbours, without fear, as we did to such a great extent in the past. In this sense, our future is based on inclusion and, to a certain degree, reconciliation with the entire province. In closing, we wish to thank you, Madam Minister, and other members of government, for your diligence in meeting our needs, and for understandi ng the importance that Bill 5 has for our community.

It is for this reason that on behalf of our members and the entire Francophone community, we look forward to the unanimous passing of Bill 5 on the enhancement and support of the francophone community, as soon as possible. We are of the view that it is the key to the longevity and sustainability of our community, which we have been waiting and searching for, for such a long time. In 2016, our wait and our quest are over. In return, we are certainly prepar ed to work with you for the greater good of the province and country. Thank you very much. English Thank you very much. Mr.

Vice- Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation. Do members of the committee have any questions for the presenter? Ms. Squires: Merci beaucoup, Madame Blay. I consider you an adviser, but more importantly, a friend. So thank you for your words. Thank you for your efforts and everything you 've done for the francophone community, and I look forward to ongoing dialogue. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Are there any more questions. Thank you very much for your presentation. * (19:20) I will now call upon Annie Bédard, Santé en français. Do you have any written materials for distribution? Ms.

Annie Bédard (Santé en français): No. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Please proceed with your presentation. Ms. Bédard: Alors bonjour, M onsieur le Président, mesdames et messieurs députés ainsi que les collègues et amis de la francophonie.

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 21 Alors, nous vous remercions de cette opportunité de vous dire notre reconnaissance et de souligner que Santé en français appuie le projet de loi 5 qui vient renforcer la contribution et les obligations des offices régionaux de la santé, les régies des services à l'enfant et la famille, et des établissements de la santé des services sociaux qui sont désignés francophones et bilingues.

Santé en francais, comme porte- parole officiel de la communauté francophone du Manitoba, en matière de services sociaux et de santé, joue un rôle de leadership pour favoriser l 'accès à des ser vices de qualité en français dans le domaine de la santé et des services sociaux. L'appui que nous souhaitons unanime par les trois partis représentés à l 'Assemblée législative au projet de loi 5 sur l 'appui à l 'épanouissement de la francophonie manitobai ne, sera pour nous un témoignage important.

Merci en particulier aux députés Lamoureux, Kinew, Guillemard, Lagassé, Gerrard, pour des témoignages parfois très personnels. Ces témoignages sont pour nous des marqueurs importants sur la place de notre communauté francophone dans le Manitoba d'aujourd'hui. Nous vous sommes reconnaissants de l'appui offert pour assurer son épanouissement et sa contribution à l'avenir de notre province.

Merci à ceux et celles qui, à l 'intérieur du gouvernement, guidés par le le adership des premiers ministres Selinger et Pallister, ont préparé ce projet de loi en étroite collaboration avec les organismes de notre communauté francophone, dont notamment la Société franco-manitobaine. Son adoption constitue un moment important dans l 'histoire de notre communauté de notre province.

Elle s'inscrit dans la trame initiée par Louis Riel lors de la création du Manitoba, basée sur le respect et la collaboration entre les communautés vivant sur ce territoire, une trame qui certes a subi au cours des années plusieurs obstacles et de trop nombreux détours. Nous sommes ici aujourd 'hui, presque 50 ans après qu'un autre premier ministre, l 'honorable Duff Roblin, au printemps 1967 ait réanimé cet esprit de respect de collaboration en restituant par la loi 59 le droit d 'enseigner en français dans les écoles du Manitoba.

Les cinq décennies qui ont suivi ont connu leur lot de difficultés mais elles ont aussi vu des progrès continus. Des progrès dont la poursuite est dorénavant assise sur les bases légales solides grâce à l 'adoption du projet de loi qui est devant vous aujourd'hui, d 'où l 'importance, bien sûr, de son adoption. Merci à vous, M adame Squires, Ministre responsable des Affaires francophones, de proposer ce projet de loi en début de mandat. Nous voulons aussi reconnaître l 'appui offert par m onsieur Goertzen, Ministre de la Santé, des Aînés et de la Vie active à ce projet de loi.

En effet, la santé et les services sociaux sont des domaines où l 'importance d'avoir accès aux services dans sa langue est primordiale. Et ce, tant pour le système de santé que pour la population desservie. La capacité de comprendre et d 'être compris est au cœur de la relation qui s 'établit entre une et un professionnel et son client et sa cliente, au point que la qualité et l' efficacité mêmes des soins offerts et leur coût en dépendent. Vous trouverez, monsieur le ministre de la Santé et madame la m inistre des Affaires francophones, dans Santé en français un allié pour la mise en œuvre de cette loi.

Et non seulement un allié, mais un ensemble de partenaires qui ont déjà faire leurs preuves. Le Manitoba est en effet un chef de file dans les initiatives visant à améliorer l 'accès à des services de santé et des services sociaux en français. De concert avec ses partenaires communautaires et du système de la santé et des services sociaux, Santé en français a mené ou appuyé de nombreuses initiatives afin d 'améliorer la prestation de services. Par exemple, la création de centres de santé à Notre- Dame-de-Lourdes et à Saint-Claude, ainsi que le tout nouveau Centre d' accès à Saint -Boniface.

Avec plusieurs organismes dont l 'Université de Saint - Boniface, les Centres de la petite enfance, la Division scolaire franco -manitobaine et Pluri- elles, nous avons formé des secouri stes membres de la communauté en premiers soins en santé mentale. Grâce à des tournées en région, nous avons facilité le placement dans les régions du sud de Manitoba de stagiaires bilingues provenant des programmes en sciences infirmières et qui ont résul té dans des embauches, donc des emplois pour des nouveaux gradués et qui assurent des services en français pour notre population.

Et aussi par l 'adoption de trois politiques par le ministère de la Santé, dont une toute récente touche les res sources humaines, nous avons préservé, grâce à ces politiques , des a cquis pour la communauté francophone et équipé nos partenaires dans les offices régionaux de la santé pour faciliter

22 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 leur travail dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre de leur plan de services en langue française. Nous espérons avoir bientôt l 'occasion de vous rencontrer afin de vous présenter nos aspirations et nos projets. En terminant, Madame la M inistre responsable des A ffaires francophones, Madame Squires, nous félicitons votre gouvernement d 'être passé à l'action en ce tout début de mandat, et nous vous assurons notre entière collaboration pour la mise en œuvre de cette loi importante pour l 'avenir de notre communauté.

Les bases qui sont contenue s dans cette loi permettent les plus grands espoirs. Ensemble, soyons audacieux. Mettons -nous au défi d'atteindre des résultats qui bénéficieront non seulement à la communauté francophone du Manitoba, mais à l'ensemble du Manitoba et du Canada. Nous savons que c 'est possible. Ensemble, assurons-nous que tous les partenaires, incluant le gouvernement du Canada, soient au rendez-vous. Sur ce dernier point, permettez- nous, Madame Squires, de vous –à inviter le gouvernement du Canada à renforcer son appui à des initiatives qui pourront émerger de ce nouveau cadre législatif.

Comme vous le savez, des consultations ont cours présentement pour la préparation de la prochaine phase 2018- 2023 du plan fédéral d' action pour les langues officielles, dont une consultation aura lieu ici à Winnipeg la semaine prochaine. Donc assurons- nous que cette prochaine phase mette à notre disposition au Manitoba les ressources capables d'appuyer les ambitions que cette nouvelle loi nous inspire. Merci. Translation Good evening, Mr. Chairperson, members of the Legislative Assembly, and colleagues and friends of the francophonie.

We thank you for this opportunity to express our appreciation and to indicate that Santé en français supports Bill 5, which reinforces the contribution and obligations of the regional health authorities, child and family services authorities, and the health and social services facilities that are designated francophone and bilingual. As the official representative of Manitoba's francophone community in the areas of health and social services, Santé en français plays a leadership role in promoting access to quality French language services in these areas.

The support of the three parties in the Legislative Assembly for Bill 5, The Francophone Community Enhancement and Support Act, which we hope will be unanimous, will be an important testimonial. I wish to thank in particular MLAs Lamoureux, Kinew, Guillemard, Lagassé and Gerrard for relating their sometimes very personal stories. These are important accounts on the place of our francophone community in today's Manitoba. We are very grateful for the support provided to ensure its development and contributions to the future of our province.

Thank you to all those in government who, guided by the leadership of Premiers Selinger and Pallister, prepared this bill in close co -operation with the organizations in our francophone community, in particular the Société franco-manitobaine. The passing of this bill is an important moment in the history of our community and province. It is part of the path forged by Louis Riel at the time of Manitoba's creation based on mutual respect and co-operation among communities living in this territory, a path that over the years has been filled with obstacles and far too many detours.

We are here today, almost fifty years after another Premier, the Honourable Duff Roblin, rekindled this spirit of respect and co- operation in the spring of 1967 by restoring the right to teach in French in Manitoba schools through Bill 59. The five decades that followed brought with them their share of diff iculties but also ongoing progress. That progress will, from this point on, rest on a solid legal footing thanks to the passing of the bill before you today, reinforcing the importance of ensuring that it is indeed passed. I wish to thank you, Ms.

Squires , Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs, for tabling the bill early in this mandate. We also wish to acknowledge the support provided by Mr. Goertzen, Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living, with respect to this bill. Health and social servi ces are areas in which it is critically important to have access to services in one's first language. This is true, for both the health care system and the population served. The ability to understand and be understood is at the heart of the relationship that is established between a professional and his/her client, to the point that the

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 23 very quality and effectiveness of the care provided as well as its cost depend on it. As Minister of Health and Minister of Francophone Affairs, you will find in Santé en français an ally with respect to the implementation of this bill–not only an ally, but a group of partners who have already proven themselves. Manitoba is in fact a leader wit h respect to initiatives aimed at enhancing access to health and social services in French.

Together with its community partners and the health and social services system, Santé en français has led or supported many initiatives to improve service delivery. For example, the creation of health centres in Notre Dame de Lourdes and St. Claude as well as the recently opened Access St. Boniface Centre. Along with a number of organizations including the Université de Saint -Boniface, early childhood education centres, the Division scolaire franco- Manitobaine and Pluri -elles, we offered training in mental health first aid in the community.

Further to visits in rural areas, we facilitated practicums for nursing students in southern Manitoba that resulted in permanent positions for some students, so jobs for recent graduates that provide health services in French for our population. As a result of three policies of the Department of Health, including a very recent one pertaining to human resources, we have preserved gains for the francophone community and provided tools to our partners, including regional health authorities, to facilitate the work of implementing their French language services plans.

We hope to have the opportunity to meet in the near future and share our hopes and projects with you. In closing, Madam Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs , Ms. Squires, we congratulate your government for taking action early in its mandate, and we assure you of our full co- operation in implementing this important bill for the future of our community. This bill lays down a foundation that gives us great hope. Together, we can be daring. Let us take on the challenge of achieving results that will benefit not only the francophone community of Manitoba but the province and country as well.

We know it can be done. Together, let us ensure that all partners including the government of Canada join forces. On this last point, allow us to encourage you, Ms. Squires, to invite the government of Canada to strengthen i ts support for initiatives that may stem from this new legislative framework. As you know, consultations are currently underway to prepare the next phase, 2018-2023, of the federal action plan on official languages, with a consultation taking place here in Winnipeg next week.

Let us ensure that this next phase will make resources available in Manitoba to support the ambitions this new legislation has inspired in us. Thank you. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation. Do members of the committee have any questions for the presenter? Ms. Squires: Merci beaucoup, Madame Bédard. I wanted to let you know that the federal government did reach out to our government to inform us that they were very excited about seeing this–the implementation of this bill in the province of Manitoba and that they wanted to learn more about that.

And I just wanted to thank you for the work that your organization does in conjunction with the Francophone Affairs Secretariat in getting together those French language services plans for our regional health authorities and child and family services authorities, so thank you very much. Merci. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Are there any more questions? Thank you for your presentation. I will now call upon Michèle Lécuyer -Hutton, Pluri-elles. Do you have any written materials? Ms. Michèle Lécuyer-Hutton (Pluri-elles): Yes. Mr. Vice-Chairperson: Yes? Okay. Please proceed with your presentation. Ms.

Lécuyer- Hutton: Bonjour. Je me présente, je suis Michèle Lécuyer -Hutton, présidente de Pluri-elles Manitoba Inc. Je suis ici ce soir avec notre directrice générale, Mona Audet. Je tiens d'abord à remercier le comité de nous donner l'occasion de vous entretenir sur l'importance du projet de la loi 5 sur l'appui à l'épanouissement de la francophonie manitobaine. Pluri-elles est un organisme qui fut créé par des femmes leaders, sans but lucratif, qui procure des

24 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 outils nécessaires aux Franco -manitobains pour favoriser le développement sur les plans personnel et professionnel. Notre organisme est actif dans les domaines de l'éducation, de la formation, de l'économie, de la culture, de la santé et des services sociaux. Nous contribuons à bâtir des communautés francophones plus fortes d'un bout à l'autre de l a province. Nos services sont subventionnés par la Province du Manitoba, le gouvernement fédéral, Centraide de Winnipeg et Francofonds.

Notre clientèle est vaste, nous offrons des services aux femmes, aux hommes francophones, métis, immigrants, aux adole scents et les adolescentes, aux familles endogames unilingues, exogames interlinguistiques et interculturelles, aux enfants de zéro à six ans, aux immigrants, aux immigrantes et aux nouveaux arrivants et aux enfants scolaires–d'âge scolaire. * (19:30) Nous offrons des programmes en alphabét - isation.

Avec l'aide de 21 personnes qui travaillent en alphabétisation, nous desservons 24 communautés où nous offrons de la formation, notamment en alphabétisation, francisation, refrancisation, cours informatiques et aide aux devoirs. Nous comptons sept centres partout dans la province qui offrent des services à 460 adultes, dix centres d'aide aux devoirs qui offrent des services à 642 élèves. Chaque année, nous offrons par Internet, le programme de DEG, le diplôme d’équivalent à la 12 e année. Cette année, nous avons formé 15 participants et participantes.

Nous offrons une émission à Envol 91 tous les mardis matin avec tous nos secteurs. En counselling et en entraide, nous offrons également des services de counsellin g et entraide. Cette année, nous avons 94 personnes au moyen de counselling, effectué 357 interventions, donné 282 ateliers et sessions de groupes à un total de 2 405 participants individuels. Au moyen des interventions, 7 291 personnes ont bénéficié des programmes. Également, plus de 21 092 personnes ont visité notre cette Web pour y chercher –site web, excusez, pour y chercher de l'information.

En employabilité, nous offrons aussi des services en employabilité. Nous jumelons des citoyens à des employeurs potentiels et nous offrons des formations d'appoint. Cette année, nous avons accueilli 292 nouveaux clients et effectué 9 129 contacts. Nous avons offert 42 ateliers à 270 participants et accueilli 31 clients en informatique. Informatique pour les aînés : cette année, nous avons aussi aidé 45 aînés qui ont profité d'une session de trois mois en informatique.

Budgétisation–littéracie financière : nous offrons également un programme de budgétisation–littéracie financière, un programme qui accueille huit clients. Nous avons atteint notre objectif. Aujourd'hui, c'est au nom des clients issus de tous les horizons que je vous adresse la parole. Il est clair pour nous, selon la clientèle que nous desservons, qu'un Franco-manitobain ou une Franco- manitobaine n'est pas uniquement une personne de langue maternelle française. Notre francophonie a mille accents, mille couleurs et n'a pas d'âge.

La nouvelle définition proposée par le projet de loi permet mieux de refléter cette réalité franco - manitobaine et de reconnaître son évolution. Cette réalité se traduit concrètement par les mariages exogames, les écoles d'immersion et l'immigration. Nos organismes fourmillent des gens venant de tous ces horizons. Il n'est pas rare de voir des jeunes d'immersion impliqués dans nos organismes jeunesses, ou encore pour des nouveaux arrivants de siéger à nos conseils d'administration. Notre francophonie se veut ouverte et inclusive.

La nouvelle définition proposée fait en sorte que l'on reconnaît la contribution de tous et chacune. Nous reconnaissons aussi l'importance que le gouvernement de mettre en place les cadres nécessaires en vue de favoriser l'épanouissement de notre francophonie du Manitoba. Le projet de loi, tel qu'il est constitué, nous semble accroître à la collaboration et le dialogue entre la communauté et le gouvernement.

Nous ne pouvons trop insister sur la consultation des organismes et des citoyens francophones de tous les horizons lors de l'élaboration des plans sur les services en français et sur le rapport concret des avancées. Notre clientèle est la preuve que les services en français, partout au Manitoba, touchent beaucoup de gens, plus de francophones –plus que juste les francophones de souche. Cette loi permet à notre clientèle et tous les citoyens et c itoyennes du Manitoba un service en français accru grâce à un encadrement et des bénéfices institutionnels qui découlent de la politique et du rapport Chartier.

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 25 Bref, nous appuyons le projet de loi dans son ensemble et avons hâte de collaborer davantage avec vous. Je vous remercie de votre intérêt et je suis prête à répondre à vos questions. Merci. Translation Good evening. My name is Michèle Lécuyer -Hutton and I am president of Pluri-elles Manitoba Inc. I am here this evening with our e xecutive director, Mona Audet. I wish firstly to thank the committee for providing this opportunity to underscore the importance of Bill 5 on the enhancement and support of the francophone community.

Pluri-elles is a not-for-profit organization created by women who are leaders, and it provides the tools needed to promote personal development and skills training for Franco-Manitobans. Our organization is active in the areas of education, training, economic development, culture, health and social services. We contribute to building stronger francophone commu- nities throughout the province. Our services are funded by the P rovince of Manitoba, the federal government, United Way of Winnipeg and Francofonds.

Our clientele is varied and includes francophone and Metis men and women, children and adolescents, newcomers, unilingual endogamous families and interlinguistic and intercultural exogamous families. * (19:30) We provide literacy programs. With the help of 21 literacy workers, we serve 24 communities and provide liter acy training as well as francisation, refrancisation, computer training and help with homework. We have seven centres throughout the province that provide services to 460 adults, and 10 centres that provide help with homework to 642 students.

Every year, we offer the GED program , high school equivalency, through the Internet. This year we had 15 participants. We also host a program on Envol 91 every Tuesday morning that all of our sectors participate in. We also provide counselling and peer support. This year we provided counselling to 94 individuals, carried out 357 (social work) interventions, gave 282 workshops and group sessions to a total of 2,405 individual participants. Through interventions, 7,291 individuals benefited from the programs. Over 21,092 individuals visited our website to look for information. We also offer employability services.

We match potential employees and employers with each other and provide upgrading. This year, we welcomed 292 new clients and made 9,129 contacts. We gave 42 workshops to 270 participants and provided computer training to 31 clients. This year we also provided a three -month computer training session to 45 seniors. We also offer a program in budgeting and financial literacy, which had eight participants. We met our objective. Today, I am speaking on behalf of clients from all walks of life.

It is clear to us and based on the clientele we serve, that being Franco -Manitoban does not simply mean having French as one's mother tongue. Our francophonie includes a thousand accents and colours and is of all ages. The new definition proposed in the bill better reflects this Franco-Manitoban reality and acknowledges its evolution. From a practical standpoint, this reality stems from mixed marriages, immersion schools and immigration. Large numbers of individuals with many different backgrounds are involved in our organizations.

It is not rare to see young people from immersion schools involved in our youth organi - zations or newcomers sitting on our boards of directors. Our fran cophonie is open and inclusive. The new proposed definition acknowledges the contribution made by all. We also recognize that it is important for the government to put into place the framework required to promote the development of our francophonie in Manitoba. As drafted, the bill appears to increase opportunity for co- operation and dialogue between the community and the government.

We cannot emphasize enough how important it is for francophone organizations and citizens from all backgrounds to be consulted when French language services plans are developed and to receive reports on concrete progress. Our clientele is proof that French language services throughout Manitoba, touch the lives of many people, more than francophones–more than just old- stock francophones. This bill gives our clientele and all Manitoba citizens greater services in French

26 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 28, 2016 through an approach and institutional benefits stemming from the policy and the Chartier report. We support this bill in its entirety and look forward to working more closely with you. Thank you for your interest. I would be happy to answer any questions. Thank you. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation. Do members of the committee have any questions for the presenter? Ms. Squires: Merci beaucoup pour votre présentation. Translation Thank you very much for your presentation.

English Really thank you for the work that you do and really appreciated your words this evening. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Are there any more questions? I will now call upon–oh, thank you for your presentation, sorry. I will now call on Mathieu Allard, Assoc iation des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba. Do you have any written material for the distribution–for distribution to the committee? Mr. Mathieu Allard (Ass ociation des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba): Yes. Oui, j'ai fait parvenir des copies de la présentation au comité. Merci de m'entendre aujourd'hui.

Translation Yes, I had copies of the presentation sent to the committee. Thank you for hearing me today. Mr. Vice- Chairperson: Okay, please proceed with your presentation. Mr. Allard: Thank you. Alors e n ce mardi , 28 juin 2016, c 'est avec grande fierté que je représente le conseil d'administration de l 'Association des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba, l 'AMBM, en ce moment historique qui nous mènera, nous l 'espérons, à l'adoption unanime du projet de loi 5, un projet de

loi sur l 'appui à l 'épanouissement de la francophonie manitobaine.

Avant tout, permettez -moi de transmettre nos plus sincères remerciements à la ministre Rochelle Squires, non seulement pour son appui envers notre francophonie, mais pour avoir osé poser si tôt dans son mandat ce geste de grande importance, un geste apprécié et remarqué par l'ensemble de nos membres municipaux et de la francophonie manitobaine, voire canadienne, le premier ministre Brian Pallister et l'ensemble de son cabinet pour leur vision et pour croire sincèrement en la valeur sociale et économique de notre francophonie, le député de Saint-Boniface, monsieur Selinger, pour son leadership et son appui de longue date envers nos municipalités et envers la communauté, m onsieur Jon Gerrard, député de River Heights, m adame Cindy Lamoureux, députée de Burrows, m onsieur Wab Kinew, député de Fort Rouge, m adame Sarah Guillemard, députée de Fort Richmond; et monsieur Bob Lagassé, député de Dawson Trail, pour leur soutien marqué en deuxième lecture du projet de loi 5.

Catalyseur du développement, de la prospérité et de la pérennité des collectivités bilingues du Manitoba, l'AMBM agit depuis 1995 en tant que chef de file politique et stratégique pour regrouper, appuyer et représenter une gouvernance municipale forte et solidaire. Il est démontré que la structure de l 'AMBM, incluant son moteur de développement économique, le CDEM, répond aux aspirations de croissance et de vitalité des 17 municipalités qui en sont à la même – qui en sont à la base même. Notre modèle s 'inspire– notre modèle inspire même plusieurs autres collectivités du Canada.

De plus, les municipalités bilingues du Manitoba sont devenues des chefs de file canadiens en matière d 'économie verte, avec l'initiative Éco -Ouest qui est en pleine expansion dans l'ensemble du pays. Une

partie du crédit revient certainement à la province du Manitoba qui nous offre cons tamment un appui de taille. Nous ne pourrions passer sous silence l 'entente de partenariat qui fut signée avec Éco-Ouest en 2015 et qui permet aux municipalités de notre province de bénéficier du leadership franco- manitobain dans leur virage vers une économie plus verte. Nous tenons aussi à souligner la collaboration exceptionnelle que nous offre le Secrétariat aux affaires francophones. Leur soutien permit d 'offrir à nos membres municipaux des ressources pour la

June 28, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 27 traduction de documents publics, ainsi que pour le maintien des bibliothèques et des initiatives de sports et de loisirs en français dans nos communautés. Pour l 'AMBM et ses membres, la politique sur les services en langue française et le rapport du Juge Chartier, Avant toute chose, le bon sens , constituent des pierres d'assise fondamentales au développement et à l 'offre active de services en français sur notre territoire.

À nos yeux, la loi 5 constitue la prochaine étape logique favorisant l 'épanouissement de la francophonie manitobaine et notre association appuie sans réserve son adoption. Il sera toutefois critique que cette loi inclue de façon évidente une mention favorisant le maintien, l'augmentation et la pérennité des services en français pour les municipalités bilingues qui ont dû fusionner avec des municipalités anglophones au cours des dernières années.

Les fusions municipales ont eu pour effet de diminuer le poids démographique francophone de nos municipalités, ce qui engendrera à plus long terme une diminution de l 'offre de services en français au plan municipal. Par exemple, depuis octobre 2014, le Village de Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes et la Municipalité de Lorne se sont fusionnés pour former la nouvelle Municipalité de Lorne. Avant la fusion, la population de Notre -Dame-de-Lourdes était fr ancophone à 87 pourcent et disposait de cinq droits de vote autour de sa propre table au conseil municipal.

Depuis la fusion, Lorne compte 34 pourcent de francophones et Lourdes ne dispose plus qu'une–plus d'une seule voix au conseil municipal. Voilà une e xemple parmi d'autres. Le projet de loi 5 devrait pouvoir contrer cette diminution de la représentativité francophone en assurant l 'offre active des services municipaux en français auprès de la population. Sinon, à long terme, on assisterait inévitablemen t à une dévitalisation de notre fra

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	41-1-la1
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	41st 1st hansardpdf la1.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	a1677e61a40d0db387520f928afbdf0db3e3d965

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