Francophone Conservatives defend rearranging of French language services

Paul Demers laughs when asked if it's been tough to be a Conservative and a Francophone in the week and a half since the Ford government's rearranging of French language services.

"It's been tough for 20 years," says the Sudbury native, now based in Toronto.

"The one thing I like to challenge back to a lot of people who say 'You gotta pick our side. You can't be a Progressive Conservative and a Francophone at the same time.' I dispute that. I'd much rather be inside the tent than outside the tent."

He says he understands why Franco-Ontarians were outraged when the fall economic statement this month shelved a planned French-only university and cut the officer of French Language Commissioner.

"I think the Francophone community's reaction was appropriate since it felt like a double slap in the face," says Demers.

"I think the Francophones need to look at this not only with their hearts, but with their minds."

A 'flexible Doug Ford'

Demers says he feels the university plan needs to be re-worked, so it does more to address a shortage of Francophone lawyers, nurses and teachers.

He also worries that the Franco-Ontarians who are organizing protests this weekend are putting "a lot of energy in something people don't understand."

Demers says changing the position of the languages commissioner, which is now going to be part of the provincial ombudsman's office instead of being cut, doesn't mean that Franco-Ontarians won't be served in their language at hospitals and drivers license bureaus. 

"Life is not going to change for Francophones," says Demers.

He also thinks Francophones should recognize that this is the first time since the Conservatives took power that we have seen a "flexible Doug Ford" when he decided to reverse some of the changes, as well as restore the Ministry of Francophone Affairs.

"He's saying 'Ok, you know what? I got the message. I'm listening and I may need a history lesson,'" says Demers.

Yvan Genier, who ran for the PCs in Timmins this past election, says he's also felt torn between his political and cultural identities.

"You know as much as my emotions would lead me into wanting what all the other Franco-Ontarians want, I still have to be realistic. We are so low on money, we have to cut somewhere," he says.

Genier remembers being part of the protests in the 1990s pushing for a French language college in Ontario and is happy to see the Franco-Ontarian community becoming politically active, whether he agrees with them or not. 

"I'm glad that they're doing this, that we're doing this," he says.

But Genier says he does worry that too much protesting could erode the empathy English speakers have for the French community at the moment.

"The Anglophones aren't against us right now, but we can't be greedy," says Genier.