[lg policy] Alberta: French language policy overdue: advocates

[Harold Schiffman]

A French-language policy is long overdue say local advocates.

Despite counting one of the fastest growing francophone populations outside
Quebec, according to the 2011 census, Alberta remains one of two provinces
without legislative framework governing the provision of French-language
services.

But that is about to change. Last month the provincial government began
consultations on how to better meet the needs of Alberta’s francophone
communities.

Through Culture and Tourism’s French Secretariat, the province is holding a
series of targeted sessions with more than 170 francophone leaders from
across the province covering areas like education, social services and
health care.

Léo Piquette, a French advocate and former NDP MLA for the riding of
Athabasca-Redwater, says the move is long overdue.

“There is a lot of reparation to be done,” he said.

Piquette was involved in a 1988 constitutional challenge, dubbed the
Piquette Affair, that argued French language rights were protected under
Section 110 of the Northwest Territories Act – the act that governed
Alberta before it became a province in 1905.

While the Supreme Court ruled that Section 110 was still in force, since it
was never repealed, it also held that the Alberta and Saskatchewan
legislatures could modify the provinces’ language rights.

This led to Bill 60, the Languages Act, which established Alberta as a
unilingual province.

Another case, Caron versus Alberta, wrapped up almost a year ago with the
Supreme Court ruling that the province had no obligation to pass laws in
both French and English.

It was with this decision in mind that the NDP decided to engage in
consultations with the francophone community on how it can sustainably
provide more French language services.

Piquette says if the government truly wanted to make reparations with the
province’s francophone population it would renounce Bill 60.

“I’m very happy the NDP government is approaching this in terms of a
consultation, but I’m just wondering why are we not looking at Bill 60,” he
said, pointing out that without a binding law, the work undertaken by the
NDP could be undone “frivolously” by any future government.

St. Albert resident and treasurer for the regional office of the
Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta, David Frechette says he is
ecstatic that the consultations are happening after years of advocacy, but
acknowledges the province’s current budget restraints.

“I’m not holding my breath for some of the more costly services. We’ll just
have to wait. As a community we’re willing to accept that,” he said, adding
that there are many services that could be offered without any additional
costs.

The areas he would like to see addressed most are health care and
education. He would like to see the contributions of francophones better
reflected in the curriculum and more French-speaking health-care providers
in long-term care facilities in the region.

St. Albert, Legal and Morinville have a large francophone population.

St. Albert MLA Marie Renaud says the creation of a French-language policy
is also important to the economy.

“It opens the doors to French-speakers to come to Alberta and invest in
Alberta in education and in business,” said Renaud.

Alberta attracts the third largest number of French-speaking immigrants in
the country.

An online survey will be available to the greater public until Nov. 20. It
can be accessed through the French Secretariat’s website at:
culture.alberta.ca/francophone-secretariat.
http://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/French-language-policy-overdue-advocates-20161109


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