French-Canadian group fights census changes

The Regina-based president of the Federation of Francophone and Acadian Communities of Canada says a court challenge on changes to the census is critical to language rights.

"The charter of rights says that you as an anglophone and me as a francophone, we have the right to get service in our language where there is significant demand," Marie-France Kenny, president of the federation, told CBC News Friday.

The federation is before the Federal Court of Canada, seeking an injunction to halt changes to the census.

The federal government has moved to eliminate a mandatory long-form census.

Concerns have been raised about that move from several quarters.

Kenny said the changes could affect the accuracy of information, important to francophone communities.

"If nobody fills out the survey in Gravelbourg [Sask.], we won't know how many francophones are there, how many people want their service in French, how many want their service in English," Kenny said.

The federation's lawsuit was filed in Regina. Lawyers are expected to appear before a judge in Ottawa Tuesday.

Federal opposition parties have also criticized the government's move.

Liberal MP Ralph Goodale, who represents the Wascana riding of Regina and parts of rural Saskatchewan, says he believes the court challenge is a good idea.

"This has legal underpinnings to it. It has constitutional underpinnings to it," Goodale said of the lawsuit." And I obviously don't second guess the courts and the judges, but one would think that this is a very well-founded legal proceeding."

Kenny said the federation is hoping the federal court will hear the case sooner rather than later, noting that the federal government plans to start printing the voluntary survey on Monday.