In light of the extremely precarious situation of Francophone minority organizations, outgoing Commissioner Raymond Théberge is calling on the government to review its entire approach to allocating official languages funding. For the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA) du Canada, representing Canada’s Francophone minority communities, this call, included in Théberge’s final report as commissioner, sends a strong message.
The Commissioner’s report, entitled A shared future: A closer look at our official language minority communities, deals with the vitality of these communities and government support for their development.
The FCFA heads a network of Francophone and Acadian associations nationwide. The issue of the efficiency of funding allocation mechanisms – which have not been reviewed in decades – was at the forefront of discussions at the Fédération’s last national meeting in June. These discussions led the FCFA to ask the government to conduct a complete audit of these mechanisms.
“There are two issues. First, funding remains much lower than the data-backed needs identified by the FCFA and its organizations. Second, only part of the funding is making its way to the grassroots organizations where it’s needed, and when it does reach them, it’s often with considerable delay,” says FCFA President Liane Roy.
Even though the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028 is endowed with unprecedented levels of funding, efficiency issues have had the consequence that a year and a half into the plan, nothing has changed to the precarious situation of Francophone minority organizations.
The Commissioner’s report sheds light on administrative issues that have been ongoing for years and require the government’s attention in its management of official languages funding. Beyond efficiency issues, Raymond Théberge also emphasizes deficiencies in terms of accountability and reporting, namely regarding federal-provincial/territorial agreements. He also notes a lack of data in the development and management of official languages programs.
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