Letter to the Editor – Eric Little of Ottawa – What does Francoresponsable mean?

Did anyone miss the November 5th news release from the Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration? Minister Charles Sousa presented A New Direction: Ontario’s Immigration Strategy. Of course it lists all the right words, attracting highly skilled workers and their families, supporting diverse communities, growing a globally connected economy and ensures our prosperity. Perhaps we should work on a few things to ensure the prosperity of the people already here, but I digress.

According to this document, demographics show an aging population and worker shortages will occur. (I would think if conditions were improved for families to afford a spouse in the home, they would have more children to meet future need though.) Of course these new comers should have support to succeed as soon as possible, and this is addressed with an offer to look at barriers already in place.

So, how does Ontario achieve those goals? Working with the federal government to increase our ability to select immigrants, provide easier access for immigrants, and provide better promotion of immigration programs to business, foreign workers and international students. Oh, and increase Francophone immigration to 5%. Last year we had about 99,000 immigrants and the Ontario’s Expert Roundtable on Immigration suggest we have 135,000 per year.  The roundtable belief includes ensuring that the Greater Toronto region remains a magnet for immigrants but also that other cities, rural, northern and remote communities, and Francophone communities all benefit from Ontario’s immigration strategy.

To me, it translates into a need for more government workers to deal with newcomers and more services for French speakers (read tax increase). And a translation for my translation is more jobs for bilingual only! A few of the Francophone groups have been pushing for and preparing for this by creating lists and networks to help French speakers. It is great to have people look after their own of course, however when all taxpayers are used to pay for the purpose, it seems to be less than for the whole public good isn’t it. Besides, will Quebec, New Brunswick and Manitoba not be fighting for the same immigrant French speakers?

http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/keyinitiatives/imm_str/strategy/thepath.shtml

http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/keyinitiatives/imm_str/roundtable/executivesummary.shtml

Have you heard the word “Francoresponsable?  WWW.trillys.net, a Francophone web and internet company proudly promotes the term which is to promote Francophone culture and language. They are the provider for http://francocornwall.ca. You can see a list of 16 co-sites and members to support there. The French Canadian Association of Ontario, Prescott & Russell among them, provides a downloadable PDF of organizations and businesses that provide services in French. What these groups do with their money is their business you may ask. Well, much of the money is via grants from all taxpayers that only help a few.

That AFO Prescott Russell 120 page PDF lists funding by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, SD&G Community Futures Development Corporation, Prescott/Russell Tourism, Economic & Social Council of Ottawa-Carleton, RDEE ( Network of Economic Development & Employability of Ontario) for example.  There are hundreds of Francophone groups in Ontario that provide information and even which business you should use, I doubt there are any English groups supported by tax dollars in the first place, and second, would suggest where to spend your money. I only say this to show how well this group is entrenched and it continues to and from the experts on this roundtable. Why are we catering to single communities or groups, when we should be working for the whole community of Ontario?

 Eric Little Ottawa

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62 Comments

  1. Don’t think the argument of Quebec wanting to stay neutral is serious Richard, German U boats were a couple of hundred KM from Quebec City in 1942. There was action 1918 affecting our shipping as well, newspapers must have been filled with these events…..

    Anyway, we need a national conversation, with clear questions leading to measurable results since 97.1% of Ontario can speak English.

  2. Howard, I never would have guessed. Thanks for your input all this time.

  3. Okay Howard, now that you are out of the closet, does this mean you are going to be our moderator until Jamie gets back?

  4. Okay friends & foes, this is a lesson in not assuming, as the saying goes it makes an ass out of you & me….

    http://www.galganov.com/

    Copy & paste from “About Galganov”….

    Figure it out….

    Howard would never waste his precious time blogging…
    His allies do it for him…

    Have a nice day!

  5. With respect Howard, or is that MR. Galgonov to you, a joke is a joke is a joke.

    We all know how far above everybody else you have risen. A little tolerance for us minions please.

    We know how busy you are changing or rather correcting the direction of the ‘Canadian’ landscape and you know what……we really do need your ‘muster’ there.

    Levity for all now and then okay. We are on the same side.
    Thank you.

  6. Dukers1, is it OK with you that a court can remove a Charter right from select citizens? And that we the taxpayers not say anything?

    From what I see, Mr. Galganov is asking the people to wake up and notice that the Ontario court has bypassed the Charter in suspending a business owners right to display what ever sign they want. What right could be next?

  7. owner can still put up a sign in any language he wants anywhere in Canada.. in Nanuvut it is Inuit ,and in Ontario it is any language. in some places english/ french both read.. both are to make fair understanding for citizens who pay taxes there. it does not mean you cannot use your own language. you can add your own language too.. in SDG when you travel the most signs you see are english anyway so what!!. no one is making that a problem except this anglophone “group” on a language “jihad”.add it too.. respect for laws is missing here and it is costing taxpayers money and courttime..bigger problems to fix….

  8. touchez!
    November 22, 2012 at 9:11 am

    “owner can still put up a sign in any language he wants anywhere in Canada..”

    Wrong yet again -you keep putting your foot in your mouth. -Quebec -its still part of Canada or like Mr Jean.Lecompte you do not think Quebec is part of Canada?

    ” no one is making that a problem except this anglophone “group” on a language “jihad”.”:

    -Oh more propaganda yet again from touchez!!!!!!

    “add it too.. respect for laws is missing here and it is costing taxpayers money and courttime..bigger problems to fix….”

    Absolutely yes ,yes ,yes, the charter of rights and freedoms is violated -violating freedom of expression -do we not respect the charter?

    ERIC -you are right what gives individual justices as well as municipality the right to violate someones freedom of expression which is supposed to be protected by the charter?

  9. Eric: Obviously but with respect, you haven’t been reading my many comments with regard to the super imposition of French upon the majority English, for the past many many months. so to make a comment like:

    Dukers1, is it OK with you that a court can remove a Charter right from select citizens? And that we the taxpayers not say anything?

    You leave me in tears. Check out my Facebook comments as well esp. where by-line from the Sun News reflect on these very same issues. Go ahead, check me out….oh, sorry, that would give me away…….but believe me, I am well on board with Mr. Galganov’s and the ‘Cameron’s drive to highlight the tyranny the Anglo’s are facing in this province and country.

    I applaud them for their gusto.

  10. Dukers1, I admit now that I am off a certain age, and I will miss a comma, start reading after the first line or still have a perception clouding my mind from reading through others comments. Knowing this is my first step, best regards and thank you for the clarity.

    Of course technically, touchez! is right. You can put up a sign where you want in Canada. But how long before XYZ bylaw, Quebec’s / Russell’s / la Nation’s & the other 2 Ontario township’s language Police visit as Highlander points out?

  11. Thanks Eric.

    You, touchez and Highlander are right……….it’s only a matter of time, yet my recollection is they or somebody did a number on our local Timmy’s here in Cornwall.

    As far as I am concerned these guys have a lot of bloody nerve. Yet I’ve been wondering if they have backed off somewhat as I haven’t heard of them since their last brew ha ha.

    This is Ontario, not Kabec. We do not need them here or the frivolous, stupid menial law suits that at least one got away with no less than three times.

    Go away. On the most part we are a friendly, happily bilingual community and enjoying it. All that stupidity accomplishes is stirring the pot and pitting us against each other. SO WRONG.

  12. Nope, touchez, you are very wrong. In many places now in Canada business owners cannot put up a sign in a language of their choice. They cannot do that in all Quebec, in some part of Ontario and New Brunswick.

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