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Message from the Executive Director

When | think back over this past year,

a number of words and images come
to mind. | think first of all the work we
accomplished as the second Canada-
Community Agreement came to an end,
as did the Canada/British Columbia
General Agreement and our own global
development plan. The year was marked
by an extended process of deliberation
regarding these three elements and by
numerous consultations. We met several
times across the province to take the
pulse of the community and, most
importantly, to define our second global
development plan. This plan will be

key in negotiating the new Canada-
Community Agreement and for
presenting our goals to those federal
departments that wish to take part in
our community's development.

Our community is prepared to work out
the Canada-Community Agreement's
terms of renewal. However, the Federal
Government is not. As of March 31,
2004, no meeting had taken place
between the negotiating committee
and the government.

The FFCB is in a holding pattern. It is
waiting to begin negotiations for a third
Canada-Community Agreement and it

is waiting for Canadian Heritage’s new
guidelines. The dependence of the

FFCB and the community on Canadian
Heritage could be problematic. We are
currently “unfulfilled,” a bit like a jockey
at the starting gate who has been told
not to run. It’s a frustrating situation for
everyone in the community as it is for
the FFCB. Our organization has a number
of projects in mind to advance our
community but everything is on hold due
to the federal apparatus that moves at
such a slow pace, and perhaps due also
to the politicization of the program on
which we depend.

When | consider this financial
dependence, | realize just how much

our community and its representative
organization need the foundation in
order to secure their future. Over the
course of the year, the Fondation made
some preliminary steps in preparation
for future developments. Next year, it will
conduct a major fundraising activity and
it is very important that our community

get involved. Its success will depend
on the participation of all community
players and will eventually benefit
all Francophone associations and
individuals.

Despite our expectations, we should
maintain a positive outlook. Looking
at the outcomes of the 1999-2004
Agreement, the significant progress
we have made is evident. New
organizations are a testament to our
community's vitality. These include
RésoSanté Colombie-Britannique, the
Association des juristes d’expression
francais de la C.-B., the Association
des francophones et francophiles

du Nord-Ouest, the Association francoph-
one de Richmond and the Association
francophone des éducatrices et
éducateurs de la petite enfance. A
number of community festivals and

events have either been born or have
expanded. New French-language schools
and programs have opened their doors.
Some associations have moved to
premises that are better suited for

the offering of new services.

During the 2003-2004 year, we were
able to create new institutions. We
already had the Conseil scolaire
francophone, and now we can look
forward to the creation of a university-
level institution offering post-secondary
programs in French. Simon Fraser
University will begin offering new
programs in French in September. Over
the course of this year, the FFCB also
made great strides in the area of
immigration. The submission of a report
and hiring of a coordinator will enable
us to develop an action plan for offering
services that welcome Francophone
newcomers and help them settle and
integrate into the B.C. community.

The FFCB’s 60th anniversary is fast
approaching. Our entire community will
be invited to take part and celebrate. This
year in particular is a good time to ask
ourselves: How do we want to position
the organization to meet the needs of
the third millennium and what sorts of
challenges lie ahead. As part of its

60th anniversary, the FFCB will host
special activities aimed at answering
these questions. Its participation in the
Vive la Différence! project is just one
such example. It is an initiative for the
future and a process that will enable us
to better define our community based
on its actual makeup and include all
newcomers who wish to join.

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