From the CBC:
“Small town in Quebec is worn out from playing host to
countless Canadians trying to learn French”
(Trois-Pistoles, Que., is located 250 kilometres northeast of
Quebec City and is almost entirely French, making it an ideal — as well as
picturesque — place for anglophones to learn French in an informal setting.)
Marie-France Santerre has been hosting students in her home
for the past 23 years but this year might be the retiree's last. When
Santerre's daughter moved out in 2000, the resident of Trois-Pistoles, Que.,
opened her home to students attending Western University's French Immersion
School in the town located 250 kilometres from Quebec City on the south shore
of the St. Lawrence River. "She said 'Mom, this will be fun for you. It'll
be a good way to spend your time and make a little money,'" said Santerre.
Over the decades, Santerre says she learned a lot about the students, their
hometowns and cultures as people across Canada spent time in the quaint town of
3,000 in order to learn French.
This summer marked her first time hosting students in her
home not part of the immersion program. She stopped hosting students directly
with the university last year, citing steep housing and food costs associated
with the program. But it might be her
final year of hosting altogether. She says she's getting older and is thinking
about moving away. Santerre is
reflective of the dwindling number of locals hosting students for the
university. Since the pandemic, the school has lost over half of its billets,
says program director Kathy Asari. "In 2019, which is our last
pre-pandemic year, there were 98 … It went down to 20-something last
year," said Asari. "We are in the low 40s at the moment. We are
working on it [and] bringing it back, but it's a struggle."
Pandemic, high cost of living are main factors
(Marie-France Santerre, centre, pictured in printed photo
from 2000 with some of the students she welcomed into her home.)
Part of the problem stemmed from the pandemic, says Asari,
when locals opted to retire from hosting a few years ahead of schedule. Coupled
with demographic changes and inflation, she says it can be difficult to attract
locals. The amount Ottawa kicks in for each student — just over $3,000 — is
used by the university to compensate families and to cover all other expenses
for the program. "If the amounts are not sufficient we can't sufficiently
compensate the families," said Asari. "That creates an issue because
this is a very long-term engagement we're asking them for." Asari says
talks have been ongoing for several years to increase the value of the
bursaries, but it looks as though the total amount for the program is not going
to change. As they plan for next year's program, Asari says they are trying to
make things work. "We are continuing to campaign to try to bring in the
host families. We did actually increase the host family compensations at our
expense which is putting a lot of strain on the resources for us," said
Asari. "But it ultimately comes down to where we are sitting at in terms
of the number of students that we can actually have."
In an emailed response to CBC, Farrah-Lilia Kerkadi, press
secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official
Languages, Randy Boissonnault, said Canada's two official languages are top of
mind. "The government of Canada
recognizes that access to French immersion education is essential to continuing
to build a bilingual country," read the statement. They said they fund $3,350 per participant
aged 16 and over, or $2,400 per participant between the ages 13 to 15, to cover
tuition, learning materials, meals, and accommodation.
Host families are 'engine' supporting program
(Students attending the Spring 2023 session of the Explore
French immersion program in Trois-Pistoles, Que. Since the pandemic, the school
has lost over half of its billets.)
Carolyn Moore stayed in Trois-Pistoles this summer as part of
this program to learn French ahead of her move to Montreal in the fall. She
says host families are like the "engine" supporting the program.
Their absence is palpable. "There was only about a third of the number of
students at Trois-Pistoles that there had been in previous years," said
Moore, who was told this information from locals in town during her trip. "I
think that's really unfortunate because this has been an incredible opportunity
for me to not only improve my French but also to experience Quebec culture and
get out and see more parts of Canada and really appreciate Canada in its
entirety, not just the microcosm that is Ontario." Originally from Whitby,
Ont., she stayed with Santerre for part of her time in Trois-Pistoles and
suspects whatever compensation families receive doesn't address some of the
bigger issues at play. "That doesn't account for just the emotional toll
and the physical toll that hosting four or six students can really take on
people … [and] with the aging population this has created difficulties as
well," said Moore. "I think inflation has been a big thing as well
the host families, they would mention every now and then." Santerre says
she was paid $12-15 per day for the room and between $10 -$15 to feed a student
each day, but it isn't enough. "The cost of living is definitely getting
more expensive and groceries are costing more and more," said Santerre. "I
find the women [who host] work very hard and they deserve a bigger salary and a
bit higher compensation." Although Santerre has fond memories of welcoming
dozens of students, it's been hard work. "On big days, I was almost always
in the kitchen and at the grocery store," explained Santerre.
'I was thinking in French with the same clarity as I was in
English' Tim
Tuuramo, from Ontario, attended the program in 2009 to learn French for his job
with the Canada Border Services Agency and says living with locals made all the
difference. "[In] Montreal you could probably force yourself to be
intensive but the problem is I find a lot of people will pick up the English
accent and then speak English," said Tuuramo. "[In
Trois-Pistoles] You were told that if you spoke English once, you're warned,
second time shipped home … It forced you to live in a community that's 99 per
cent French and basically live in French and by the end of the week I was
thinking in French with the same clarity as I was in English."
^ It is sad to think that this Program that has been going on
for 100 years could end. The Canadian Government and the Governments of Provinces
and Territories need to place more emphasis on English Immersion and French
Immersion Programs for these and give them the resources and funding they need
to continue. ^
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