Question Period Note: Funding for English-Speaking Communities in Québec

In 2018, Official Language Minority Community groups in Québec received additional funds through the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023: Investing in Our Future.

• In 2018-2019, the Department of Canadian Heritage invested more than $72 million in the Quebec region in support of official language minority communities and the promotion of linguistic duality.
• Thanks to the Action Plan for Official Languages, all of the English-speaking organizations in Quebec who were already recipients of program funding received a 20 percent increase during the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
• In addition, the Action Plan created a new Fund for the English-Speaking Communities of Quebec. To date, $1.8 million of a total budget of more than $5 million has been awarded for projects proposed by 22 different organizations.

• In 2018-2019, the Department of Canadian Heritage invested more than $72 million in the Quebec region in support of the official-language minority communities and the promotion of linguistic duality.
• Concrete examples of the value of the 20 percent increase to program funding allocations are as follows: the English-Language Arts Network (ELAN) was able to create a new position within the organization to continue its successful Arts, Communities, Education (ACE) project; the increase allowed the Megantic English-speaking Community Development Corporation (MCDC) to develop new activities for youth, young adults, and families; while the English Community Organization of Lanaudière will use its additional funds to support intergenerational activities.
• The Action Plan also includes an additional amount of more than $5 million in project funding specifically for the English-speaking communities (ESC) of Quebec.
• The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) is the official representative of the English-speaking community of Quebec under the Collaboration Agreement (CA).
 

• At the QCGN’s request, Canadian Heritage’s Official Languages Branch accepted that the Priority Setting Steering Committee (PSSC), a committee recognized under the CA that annually identifies ESC priorities, undertake community consultations and make recommendations on priorities for the additional funding, which included the new Dedicated Fund specifically for the English-speaking communities of Quebec over 4 years.
• The joint Canadian Heritage and QCGN/PSSC event on January 22, 2019, presented annual community priorities as well as potential strategies on how to allocate additional funds for Quebec’s English-speaking community. As a result of these discussions, funding under the Cooperation with the Community Sector sub-component is now providing additional program supplements to 6 recurrent recipients and 13 new funding recipients as of October 1, 2019.
• A new funding call for applications under the Dedicated Fund was launched for projects beginning April 1, 2020. Eighteen (18) proposals were received by the November 12, 2019 deadline.

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