National Coordinators Focus on Youth

In collaboration with Claire Noël, Canadian Heritage

On October 4, 2007, the Interdepartmental Coordination Directorate (ICD), Canadian Heritage, brought together at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa the national and regional coordinators responsible for implementing section 41 of the Official Languages Act, in order to raise their awareness of the need to help enhance the vitality of linguistic minority youth in Canada. To do this, the ICD called on the main community organizations representing Canadian youth, the Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne‑française (FJCF) and the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN).

Bill Floch, Research Manager, Official Languages Support Programs, shared the results of an analysis based on the two Ipsos‑Reid public opinion surveys conducted for various federal departments, including Canadian Heritage, of over 2,000 young Canadians aged 12 to 30.

Community organizations were given a prominent place and took the opportunity to share their priorities with the federal institutions at the meeting. Sylvain Groulx, FJCF Executive Director, and Éric Mathieu-Doucet, from the New Brunswick office, shared their "recipe" containing all the "ingredients" necessary to attain the departments' official languages objectives in order to add a little "spice". Randy Boissonneault, of RDÉE Alberta and chairman of the organizing committee of the Jeux de la francophonie canadienne, that will take place in Edmonton in 2008, said that the Games will undoubtedly contribute to enhancing young Francophones' sense of belonging.

Young Anglophones in Quebec face just as many challenges. According to the QCGN, whose activities are aimed at supporting young Anglophone Canadians in Quebec, it is important to build bridges between the various orders of government, private businesses and community organizations in order to create the infrastructure needed to develop their clientele. The QCGN plans to contribute by taking on the following challenges: youth out‑migration, access to employment, development of new dynamics in the workplace, renewed leader mobilization in the community, greater national visibility for young Anglophones in Quebec, etc.

From left to right, second row: Kevin Dobie (QCGN), Randy Boissonneault (RDÉE Alberta), Éric Mathieu-Doucet (FJCF New Brunswick) and Sylvain Groulx (FJCF). First row: Nina Kim (QCGN), France Caissy (PCH), Louise L. Trahan (PCH) and Marjolaine Guillemette (PCH).

The meeting continued as a panel discussion. On one side were the representatives of minority Canadian youth and on the other were the various federal institutions. Activities included opportunities for participants to learn more about the Public Health Agency of Canada's Community Action Program for Children; Service Canada's programs such as Skills Link, Career Focus and its internship and summer employment programs; and Canadian Heritage's youth forums and exchanges. This meeting clearly brought youth organizations and federal institutions closer together.

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