The lawsuit filed by the Fédération des parents francophones de C.-B., the Conseil scolaire francophone (CSF), and parents against the provincial government will enter a new phase in a few weeks.
 

After several months of hearing testimony from dozens of witnesses selected by the Fédération des parents and the CSF, Justice Loryl Russell will soon hear arguments and witnesses of the provincial government. We can therefore expect testimony from current and former officials of the Ministry of Education in addition to expert witnesses, among other witnesses.

The hearings in the Supreme Court of British Columbia should continue until the beginning of 2015.

A Publicized Trial
Many people across the country keenly follow the trial’s coverage on Ici Radio-Canada, through its broadcasts and on its website. For those who are interested, here are various ways to monitor the progress of the trial:

• In person: Room 43 of the B.C. Supreme Court – 800 Smithe Street, Vancouver. Hearings are typically held from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Note that some break weeks are planned; we invite you to contact the Fédération des parents or the Court Registry for the exact schedule.
• On Twitter: hashtag #ecolfr
• On Ici Radio-Canada television: Téléjournal Colombie-Britannique, at 6:00 p.m. (almost every night).
• On the Ici Radio-Canada website: ici.radio-canada.ca/sujet/education-fr-ouest

The trial, which began on December 2, 2013, addresses the equivalency of Francophone school buildings to those of the Anglophone system in the same communities, among other topics. The trial also addresses the transport system which, according to the Fédération des parents and the CSF, is inadequate due to a lack of funding.

Two Important Cases in the Supreme Court of Canada
In addition, the lawsuit of the Association des parents de l’école Rose-des-vents in Vancouver will be heard on December 2 by the Supreme Court of Canada. The CSF and the Fédération des parents support the Rose-des-vents parents’ proceeding. Following an order by the Supreme Court of Canada, the CSF has become one of the appellants in this litigation. The Supreme Court has accepted the participation of nine interveners. Five interveners will defend the parents’ position, namely the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada, the Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones (FNCSF), as well as three other Francophone school boards (Yukon, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories). Four other interveners will defend the Minister of Education's position, namely the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, as well as the Northwest Territories and Yukon.

Meanwhile, the court case of the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon will also be heard by the country’s highest court on January 21, 2015.

For more information on current court cases involving French education rights elsewhere in Canada, please visit the FNCSF's website.