(English follows)<\/p>\n
C\u2019est le lundi 29 janvier prochain que d\u00e9butera l\u2019audience de l\u2019appel interjet\u00e9 par le Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF), la F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique (F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des parents) ainsi que des parents co-appelants \u00e0 l\u2019encontre du jugement rendu par la juge Russell en septembre 2016.<\/p>\n
Rappelons qu\u2019il y a un peu plus d\u2019un an, la juge Russell donnait partiellement gain de cause au CSF, \u00e0 la F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des parents et \u00e0 des parents co-demandeurs dans le proc\u00e8s en mati\u00e8re d\u2019\u00e9ducation francophone les opposant au minist\u00e8re de l\u2019\u00c9ducation.<\/p>\n
L\u2019audience, qui se d\u00e9roulera du 29 janvier au 2 f\u00e9vrier, permettra aux deux parties de pr\u00e9senter leurs arguments par rapport aux questions qu\u2019elles ont d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de porter en appel. Durant le processus d\u2019appel, aucune nouvelle preuve ne peut \u00eatre pr\u00e9sent\u00e9e; ainsi, aucun t\u00e9moignage ne sera entendu par les juges.<\/p>\n
L\u2019appel du CSF, de la F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des parents et des parents co-appelants tourne autour des trois axes suivants :<\/p>\n
\u2022 L\u2019assimilation et l\u2019avenir du visage francophone de notre province. C\u2019est une vision pessimiste de notre avenir et une interpr\u00e9tation restrictive du droit qui m\u00e8nent en partie la juge \u00e0 conclure que les \u00e9coles de langue fran\u00e7aise peuvent tout au plus retarder l\u2019assimilation de la communaut\u00e9 francophone. Cette vision d\u00e9faitiste impr\u00e8gne la totalit\u00e9 du jugement.<\/p>\n
\u2022 L\u2019\u00e9quivalence r\u00e9elle. Dans son jugement, la juge conclut erron\u00e9ment que l\u2019on d\u00e9termine si l\u2019\u00e9quivalence est atteinte entre une \u00e9cole du CSF et les \u00e9coles de langue anglaise qui lui font concurrence en comparant des \u00e9coles ayant des effectifs similaires et des immeubles dont la capacit\u00e9 est similaire, voire identique. Une telle analyse d\u00e9savantagera presque toujours la minorit\u00e9 linguistique. La juge s\u2019int\u00e9resse \u00e0 la \u00ab\u00a0proportionnalit\u00e9\u00a0\u00bb entre les \u00e9difices scolaires du CSF et ceux de la majorit\u00e9 de langue anglaise ; ce faisant, elle fait violence au crit\u00e8re d\u2019\u00ab\u00a0\u00e9quivalence r\u00e9elle\u00a0\u00bb pourtant \u00e9nonc\u00e9 par la Cour supr\u00eame du Canada.<\/p>\n
\u2022 L\u2019article premier de la Charte canadienne des droits et libert\u00e9s (Charte). L\u2019appel remet en question la conclusion de la juge voulant que l\u2019article premier de la\u00a0Charte\u00a0puisse \u00eatre invoqu\u00e9 avec succ\u00e8s par la Province pour justifier des atteintes \u00e0 l\u2019article 23. Selon la juge de proc\u00e8s, fournir aux francophones les \u00e9difices scolaires auxquels ils ont droit co\u00fbterait trop cher, m\u00eame si les exc\u00e9dents budg\u00e9taires de la Colombie-Britannique font l\u2019envie du reste du Canada.<\/p>\n
La Province, quant \u00e0 elle, porte en appel l\u2019ordonnance de la juge de proc\u00e8s au sujet du financement du transport scolaire. Rappelons que la juge avait conclu qu\u2019en raison d\u2019une d\u00e9cennie de sous-financement structurel en mati\u00e8re de transport scolaire, la Province devait maintenant corriger cette enfreinte constitutionnelle en payant au CSF six millions de dollars en dommages-int\u00e9r\u00eats.<\/p>\n
Il se peut aussi que la d\u00e9cision de la juge Russell par rapport au remboursement des frais encourus lors du proc\u00e8s fasse l\u2019objet d\u2019un appel. La juge de premi\u00e8re instance a conclu r\u00e9cemment que chaque partie aurait \u00e0 assumer ses propres frais vu, selon elle, la nature partielle des gains r\u00e9alis\u00e9s par le CSF, la F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des parents et les parents co-demandeurs. Le CSF et la F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des parents sont m\u00e9contents et d\u00e9\u00e7us, notamment car la juge Russell sous-estime l\u2019importance relative des gains structurels r\u00e9alis\u00e9s \u00e0 l\u2019issue du proc\u00e8s. C\u2019est le cas notamment des gains r\u00e9alis\u00e9s en lien avec le syst\u00e8me de traitement des demandes en mati\u00e8re d\u2019immobilisations ainsi qu\u2019en mati\u00e8re de financement des immobilisations et du transport scolaire. La question des d\u00e9pens est \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tude et une d\u00e9cision quant \u00e0 un appel \u00e0 ce sujet sera prise bient\u00f4t.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0L\u2019appel est de premi\u00e8re importance pour l\u2019avenir du fran\u00e7ais en Colombie-Britannique. Si nous obtenons gain de cause en appel, ne serait-ce qu\u2019en partie, cela changera le portrait de l\u2019\u00e9ducation francophone dans la province. Depuis le d\u00e9but du processus judiciaire, le CSF exprime \u00e0 quel point il est d\u00e9\u00e7u de voir le gouvernement essayer de se soustraire \u00e0 ses responsabilit\u00e9s constitutionnelles, surtout dans des communaut\u00e9s o\u00f9 les besoins sont urgents et ne datent pas d\u2019hier\u00a0\u00bb, mentionne Marie-France Lapierre, pr\u00e9sidente du CSF.\u00a0\u00ab\u00a0Nous esp\u00e9rons que les juges de la Cour d\u2019appel accepteront nos arguments. Les enfants que nous desservons ont droit \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9galit\u00e9 r\u00e9elle \u00bb, conclut-elle.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0Cette cause juridique est devenue d\u2019importance nationale. Si l\u2019article premier de la Charte peut v\u00e9ritablement “justifier” que l\u2019on mette sur la glace le droit \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9quivalence ici en Colombie-Britannique, province qui attire tant de francophones et dont les finances publiques sont saines, j\u2019ai peur quant \u00e0 l\u2019avenir de l\u2019article 23 ailleurs au Canada\u00a0\u00bb, explique Marie-Pierre Lavoie, pr\u00e9sidente de la F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des parents. \u00ab\u00a0Il est imp\u00e9ratif que la Cour d\u2019appel corrige les erreurs commises par la juge Russell.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Nous ne savons pas \u00e0 quel moment la Cour d\u2019appel rendra une d\u00e9cision.<\/p>\n
Conseil scolaire francophone\u00a0de la Colombie-Britannique<\/strong> F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique<\/strong> **********<\/p>\n Update: appeal concerning Francophone schools in British Columbia<\/p>\n Richmond, January 26, 2018 \u2013Monday, January 29 will be the first day of the hearing for the appeal brought by the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF), the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique (Francophone Parents\u2019 Federation) and co-appellant parents against the judgment handed down by Madam Justice Russell in September 2016.<\/p>\n Just over a year ago, Justice Russell ruled partially in favour of the CSF, the Francophone Parents\u2019 Federation and co-applicant parents in their action against the Ministry of Education regarding Francophone education.<\/p>\n The hearing, which will take place from January 29 to February 2, will allow the two parties to present their arguments on the issues they have decided to appeal. During the appeal process, no new evidence may be presented, so no testimony will be heard by the judges.<\/p>\n The appeal by the CSF, the Francophone Parents\u2019 Federation and co-appellant parents centres around the following issues:<\/p>\n \u2022 Assimilation and the future of the Francophone presence in our province. A pessimistic view of our future and a restrictive interpretation of the law are partially behind the judge\u2019s conclusion that French-language schools can at best only slow the assimilation of the Francophone community. This defeatist view permeates the entire judgment.<\/p>\n \u2022 Substantive equality. In her ruling, the judge erroneously concluded that to determine whether equality has been achieved between a CSF school and the English-language schools competing with it, a comparison should be made with schools that have similar student populations and buildings with similar or identical capacities. This kind of analysis will almost always put the linguistic minority at a disadvantage. The judge focuses on the \u201cproportionality\u201d between CSF school buildings and those of the English-language majority, and by taking this approach, she does violence to the criterion of \u201csubstantive equality\u201d laid down by the Supreme Court of Canada.<\/p>\n \u2022 The first section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter). The appeal calls into question the judge\u2019s conclusion that the first section of the Charter can be successfully invoked by the Province to justify violations of section 23. According to the trial judge, providing Francophones with the school buildings to which they are entitled would be too costly, despite British Columbia\u2019s budget surpluses, which are the envy of the rest of Canada.<\/p>\n The Province is appealing the trial judge\u2019s order regarding the funding of school transportation. The judge had concluded that after a decade of structural underfunding of school transportation, the Province must now compensate for this infringement of the Constitution by paying the CSF six million dollars in damages.<\/p>\n It is also possible that Justice Russell\u2019s decision with regard to the reimbursement of costs incurred during the trial will be appealed. The trial judge recently found that each party would be responsible for covering its own costs, according to her because of the partial nature of the gains achieved by the CSF, the Francophone Parents\u2019 Federation and the co-applicant parents. The CSF and the Francophone Parents\u2019 Federation are unhappy and disappointed, particularly as Justice Russell underestimates the relative significance of the structural gains made as a result of the trial. This is especially true of the gains made with regard to the system for processing capital project applications, and with regard to school transportation. The issue of costs is currently under review, and a decision regarding an appeal will be made soon.<\/p>\n \u201cThe appeal is vitally important for the future of French in British Columbia. If we are even partially successful in our appeal, it will transform Francophone education in the province. Since the beginning of the legal action, the CSF has expressed its disappointment with the government\u2019s attempts to evade its constitutional responsibilities, particularly in communities where the needs are urgent and longstanding,\u201d says CSF Chair Marie-France Lapierre.\u00a0\u201cWe hope the judges of the Court of Appeal will accept our arguments. The children we serve are entitled to true equality.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis case has taken on a national significance. If the first section of the Charter really can \u2018justify\u2019 putting the right to equality on the back burner here in British Columbia, a province that attracts so many Francophones and whose public finances are sound, I fear for the future of section 23 elsewhere in Canada,\u201d explains Marie-Pierre Lavoie, Chair of the Francophone Parents\u2019 Federation. \u201cIt is imperative that the Court of Appeal correct the errors made by Madam Justice Russell.\u201d<\/p>\n We do not know when the Court of Appeal will hand down a decision.<\/p>\n Conseil scolaire francophone\u00a0de la Colombie-Britannique<\/strong> F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique<\/strong> (English follows) C\u2019est le lundi 29 janvier prochain que d\u00e9butera l\u2019audience de l\u2019appel interjet\u00e9 par […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3596,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[88,84,86],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-communiques","category-nouvelles","category-contestation-juridique"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nDepuis sa cr\u00e9ation en 1995, le CSF offre des programmes et des services \u00e9ducatifs valorisant le plein \u00e9panouissement et l\u2019identit\u00e9 culturelle des apprenantes et apprenants francophones de la province. Partenaire dans le d\u00e9veloppement de la collectivit\u00e9 francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, le Conseil compte aujourd\u2019hui pr\u00e8s de 6 000 \u00e9l\u00e8ves et 40 \u00e9coles \u2013 dont 24 \u00e9coles homog\u00e8nes \u2013 et dessert une centaine de communaut\u00e9s r\u00e9parties dans l\u2019ensemble de la province.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nFond\u00e9e en 1979, la FPFCB regroupe 47 associations de parents des secteurs scolaire et pr\u00e9scolaire. Elle a pour mission de rassembler, de repr\u00e9senter, d\u2019appuyer et d\u2019outiller les parents dans leur r\u00f4le de premier \u00e9ducateur et de promouvoir leur engagement et leur participation \u00e0 la cr\u00e9ation d\u2019un milieu francophone vivant et exemplaire.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nSince it was established in 1995, the CSF has been providing educational programs and services promoting the comprehensive development and cultural identity of the province\u2019s Francophone students. A partner in the advancement of the Francophone community in British Columbia, the CSF now has nearly 6,000 students attending 40 schools \u2013 including 24 homogeneous French-language schools \u2013 and serves around one hundred communities throughout the province.<\/p>\n
\nFounded in 1979, the FPFCB is an umbrella organization for 47 school and preschool parents\u2019 associations. Its mission is to bring together, represent, support and empower parents in their role as primary educators, and to promote their engagement and participation in the creation of a vibrant, exemplary Francophone environment<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"