Federal Interdepartmental Working Group on Restoring the Demographic Weight of Francophone Minority Communities

Summary of Initial Dialogue Session on Restoring the Demographic Weight of Francophones

The November 12, 2024, dialogue session part of the activities of the Interdepartmental Working Group on Restoring the Demographic Weight of Francophones brought together 13 federal institutions and a hundred participants in total.^{Footnote 1} The gathering, which took place virtually, was an opportunity to make initial contact on this complex horizontal issue, an issue closely linked to the vitality of Francophone minority communities.

The main objective of the session was to provide a refresher on Francophone demographic issues while laying the groundwork for ongoing cooperation between federal institutions, researchers and community organizations. The session highlighted the main drivers of the demographic weight of Francophone minority communities and the potential levers for supporting the long-term development of those communities. The gathering was also a starting point for discussions on possible future actions to help restore the demographic weight of Francophone minority communities.

Plenary Presentations

The session began with three presentations on the characteristics and drivers of population growth, followed by a Q&A period.

Statistics Canada introduced the conceptual and statistical foundations, and the major factors used to track changes in the demographic weight of Francophone minority communities in Canada. The aim was to present relevant concepts and results as a starting point for discussions on the changing demographic weight of the French-speaking population in Canada outside Quebec.

Three main factors were presented: 1) natural growth, 2) migratory growth (interprovincial and international) and 3) linguistic mobility. The analysis shows that while Francophones have remained relatively stable in terms of absolute numbers, their share of the overall population has been declining due to faster growth in the majority population. The presentation noted that changes in the demographic weight of Francophones outside Quebec are multifactorial, and that the role of the factors involved differs from one province or territory to another.

The Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA) shared the perspectives, priorities and role of community organizations, referring to the results of a recent Sociopol study. The central question of the presentation was: What are the components that have the greatest impact on the demographic growth of the Francophone population in Canada?

The three main components of the demographic growth of the French-speaking population mentioned by Statistics Canada were discussed, in particular international migration, which is an important factor in restoring demographic weight, as well as the role of government and the importance of multi-party collaboration.

The importance of Francophone immigration was highlighted by specifying that admission targets for French-speaking immigrants are insufficient to curb the demographic decline of Francophone minority communities. The FCFA reiterated its call for a new progressive target for Francophone immigration, starting at 12% in 2024 and gradually increasing to reach 20% by 2036. The FCFA's presentation also emphasized the need to ensure that newly arrived immigrants continue to be welcomed and included in Francophone communities, by reminding the role of community organizations in restoring the demographic weight.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) addressed the multiple dimensions of the demographic challenge, identifying four categories of drivers: natural increase, geographic mobility, international migration and linguistic mobility. The various federal, provincial/territorial, municipal and community players all have the potential to influence these drivers.

The discussions that followed focused mainly on the need for disaggregated data that better reflect the reality of Francophones, who are often multilingual, and the need to better capture the phenomenon of incomplete language transmission. Given the importance attached to this topic, what was said is addressed later in this report.

As a nice segue into the breakout group discussions, the Treasury Board Secretariat gave a presentation on positive measures in the context of Part VII of the Official Languages Act (the Act), on the Government of Canada commitments, and on the characteristics and scope of positive measures. It was also confirmed that federal institutions have been subject to these obligations since the modernization bill was passed in June 2023.

Highlights of Breakout Group Discussions

The remainder of the session mainly took the form of discussions between the organizations and federal institutions in three breakout groups, which addressed the following topics: (1) employment, immigration and the international Francophonie; (2) community services and the education continuum; and (3) community infrastructure.

The discussions revealed several common issues, including job entry of Francophone immigrants and recognition of their foreign credentials. Challenges related to early childhood, education and educational infrastructure also came up a number of times, with a particular emphasis on the need for dedicated spaces, not only for formal learning but also for community life.

According to the participants, these issues call for a strategic, collective response to create welcoming communities, ensure effective and sustainable integration of immigrants, and support long-term community development.

Each of the discussions also highlighted the need to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration efforts and make better use of the available resources. They also identified intersecting courses of action that would reinforce the efforts needed to restore the demographic weight of Francophones outside Quebec.

Employment, Immigration and the International Francophonie

Participants repeatedly stressed the need to develop a concerted approach to employment in Francophone minority communities. An employment strategy was suggested, bringing together all the concerned stakeholders and focusing on the employability and entrepreneurship of Francophones (immigrants and non-immigrants alike). The decline in the available workforce due to the aging of the population represents a major challenge. However, discussions during consultations often focus on employability, with no clear strategy for creating jobs in French. Moreover, encouraging francophone entrepreneurship would create jobs not only for the entrepreneurs themselves, but also for others, thus contributing to the sustainable development of employment in French. The recognition of foreign credentials was identified as a priority for effectively integrating Francophone immigrants into the job market. For example, the low recognition rate of foreign credentials in key sectors is a barrier contributing to the underutilization of the skills of skilled immigrants. The mobilization of professional orders is proving to be a challenge.

In addition, the issue of inter-provincial and interterritorial mobility of workers and professionals, language training (in English to promote bilingualism among candidates) and the issue of professional retraining were mentioned as strategic and priority elements. The presence of French-language school boards and the early childhood sector, often the largest employers in a region, were also mentioned as factors ensuring retention in rural areas. In reference to the Teachers' Corridor, it was suggested that other types of “corridors” be set up for certain trades or professions. Finally, some noted the importance of the role of communities in ensuring greater awareness of government programs.

They also stressed the importance of attracting, integrating and retaining young people, as they represent an important pool for the future of Francophone communities.

Community Services and the Education Continuum

Participants noted how critical it was that services be provided by Francophone organizations, for Francophones (not just in French). The geographic distance between communities makes it difficult to access quality local services, such as daycares and schools. Specifically, there is a need to improve newcomers’ access to French-language health services to address challenges related to the social determinants of health.

Another issue raised was the importance of French-language training. However, recruitment challenges have been identified in the available training programs, which are suffering from competition from English-language institutions. One proposal was to promote the available training and support, particularly for health professionals trained abroad, to better address labour needs.

Increased collaboration between federal institutions, community organizations and training institutions has been a win-win model in the health sector, one that could be replicated to meet training needs wherever the number of qualified French-speaking professionals falls short of demand.

Community Infrastructure

Stakeholders pointed out that delays in the creation of new infrastructure, such as schools and health centres, are a barrier to accessing French-language service and integrating French-speaking newcomers. The group recommended expediting the creation of such infrastructure, as well as ensuring that it is distributed geographically in a way that better meets community needs.

Stakeholders said that in the interest of substantive equality, educational and community infrastructure needs to be upgraded to catch up with majority communities. The use of existing spaces also needs to be maximized so that they can serve as both places of learning and centres of Francophone community life for the whole community, thereby integrating culture and informal learning.

The inclusion of early childhood services within such infrastructure was also seen as essential to supporting the development of young immigrants and their full participation in the Francophone community. Such an approach would make educational and community spaces more functional and responsive.

Through integrated forward planning, including measures to address shortages of affordable housing, in collaboration with all levels of government, future needs could be better anticipated and aligned with demographic projections.

Evidence: A Cross-cutting Issue

Throughout the three focus groups, participants stressed the need for detailed data on Francophone populations, including populations able to converse in French and the wider multilingual population.^{Footnote 2} It would be helpful to disaggregate these data by gender and to examine the specific needs of groups such as women who speak neither English nor French and newcomers. As such, the GBA Plus approach was mentioned as needing to be integrated to provide informed policy options. The issue of incomplete language transmission, particularly in multilingual families, was also addressed. This challenge was said to be acutely present in provinces where, due to a lack of educational and community infrastructure, a low proportion of eligible children are attending French-language schools.^{Footnote 3}

A pressing need was expressed for detailed linguistic portraits on a regional basis to better understand the social determinants of the health and well-being of newcomers. The lack of reliable data is a barrier to implementing policies and initiatives that are truly responsive to the needs of Francophone communities. Participants also recommended collecting data on foreign credential recognition and underrepresented sectors to assess the effectiveness of current policies. In addition, attraction to the French language can be influenced by several factors, including the possibility of working in French. Although this aspect is not systematically considered in current indicators, it could be integrated to better assess this element.

Finally, it is difficult to measure precisely the number of francophones leaving the country, as the available data on departures is not broken down by language (as Statistics Canada pointed out). Demographic estimates are based on methods that do not specifically identify departing francophones.

Next Steps

The discussions identified potential measures to help restore the demographic weight of Francophones. Recommendations included the need for a federal approach or strategy for employment in Francophone minority communities, preferably of a sectoral nature, promoting the integration of immigrants and the employability of Francophones in general. Improving access to French-language services and upgrading infrastructures are also among the priorities. Throughout the discussions, it was implied that young people are seen as key players. Early integration, access to quality French-language education and support for training the next generation are fundamental to the vitality of Francophone communities.

In addition, it will be important for the federal institutions in the interdepartmental working group to continue their efforts to incorporate the language dimension into federal social and economic development policies and programs. More opportunities for informal dialogue are needed to better identify opportunities for collaboration and address specific community needs.

Participants provided feedback on this first session in a follow-up survey. In response, the format of the next dialogue day will be adjusted by reducing the number of presentations and allowing more time for discussion. To identify specific topics or issues, targeted small-group discussions will be held with stakeholders. These discussions will provide an opportunity to delve deeper into the identified sub-topics and examine the drivers for restoring the demographic weight of Francophones, with a view to organizing a broader dialogue day.

Thank you to all participants as well as presenters, for their contributions and the time they dedicated to this event. Ongoing dialogue between all actors will be essential to address the challenges ahead.

Appendix – List of Participants

Co-presidents

• Jalila Bendarhou, Executive Director, Canadian Heritage
• Yves Saint-Germain, Director, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Working group members

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada - Represented
• Employment and Social Development Canada- Represented
• Health Canada - Represented
• Infrastructure Canada - Represented
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada - Represented
• Department of Justice Canada - Represented
• Global Affairs Canada - Represented
• Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat - Represented
• Statistics Canada - Represented
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation- Represented
• Women and Gender Equality Canada - Represented
• Public Services and Procurement Canada - Represented
• Canadian Heritage – Represented

Community organizations

• Société de la francophonie manitobaine
• Sociopol
• Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord
• Réseau en immigration francophone du Nouveau-Brunswick
• Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique
• Société Santé en français
• Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne
• Université de Moncton
• Université d’Ottawa
• Association franco-yukonnaise
• Réseau en immigration francophone du Manitoba
• Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse
• Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne
• Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario
• Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité
• Coopérative d’intégration francophone de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard
• Conseil Économique et Social d’Ottawa Carleton
• Université de l’Ontario Français
• Université Laval
• Association francophone pour le savoir
• Réseau en Immigration Francophone de la région Centre-Sud-Ouest de l’Ontario
• Réseau en immigration francophone de l'Alberta
• Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones
• Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick
• Fédération des associations de juristes d’expression française de common law inc.
• Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences
• Réseau en immigration francophone Saskatchewan
• Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador
• La Cité
• Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta
• Fédération De La Jeunesse Canadienne-Française
• Société Nationale de l’Acadie
• Immigration Francophone Nouvelle-Écosse
• Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise
• Association canadienne d'éducation de langue française
• Le Réseau du Nord

Working Group Secretariat

• Sira Kanoute, Assistant Director, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
• Patrick Cyr, Manager, Canadian Heritage
• Jacinthe Robichaud, Analyst, Canadian Heritage
• Ricky Richard, Analyst, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
• Hubert Carrier, Analyst, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
• Alice Gaudreau, Analyst, Canadian Heritage
• Danica Roberts, Project and Coordination Officer, Canadian Heritage