Official Languages committee  I would also say that scholarships and other forms of financial assistance are important. It is already impossible, especially in a minority context, not to provide assistance to our students.

Official Languages committee  Yes, absolutely. We rely a great deal on the co-operation we have developed with other institutions, which of course are not in Saskatchewan. So yes, we do support that approach in general.

Official Languages committee  We don’t necessarily keep count. We don’t keep statistics like that. The Cité universitaire francophone serves the entire francophone community, irrespective of mother tongue. We mainly teach students from other faculties, although we do have some of our own programs. The Cité has about 60 students that can call it their home, but we welcome about 1000 students from all over the University of Regina who come to follow French-language courses.

Official Languages committee  Absolutely. Multiyear funding is much more predictable. It means being able to plan, which would be a very good idea. It’s also important to note that costs are much higher in a minority context.

Official Languages committee  The Cité universitaire francophone works like other faculties at the University of Regina. Our university is, of course, subject to institutional processes. Despite the obstacles we face in our institution, we encourage our professors and researchers to work in French, which is very difficult.

Official Languages committee  That's right.

Official Languages committee  An issue table on post-secondary education focussing on concrete policy implementation would be a very good idea.

Official Languages committee  That's correct. What we established is a centre that focusses on research in minority communities. We subsidize this centre with federal funds. The only problem is that we can't have the support of our own university.

Official Languages committee  Exactly.

Official Languages committee  Yes, likewise, we are impatiently waiting for proposals to appear, by which I mean concrete ones. We're waiting.

Official Languages committee  In that case, I'll come back to this topic later.

Official Languages committee  In closing, I' d like to thank the committee for having invited me. On behalf of the University of Regina and la Cité universitaire francophone, I'd like to express my thanks for the funding and support we've been receiving from the federal government in recent years. I also want to emphasize that it must continue.

Official Languages committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. La Cité universitaire francophone was jointly conceived by the University of Regina and Saskatchewan's francophone community. It was the outcome of a merger of the former University of Regina French department and the Institut français. La Cité has become the hub of French-language programming, research and services at the University of Regina and throughout the province.