Did You Know:  French film production – at 500 films per year – is number two in the world and that in Canada, Quebec films often outsell Hollywood films at the box office! Learn more about upcoming French film festivals here:  http://2018.cinefranco.com/en/  

Spring is in full swing at the CPF National office, planning a Public Policy Roundtable, a spring Board of Directors meeting and the Concours d’art oratoire in Ottawa where we welcome some of Canada’s best and brightest for a weekend they won’t soon forget! Please continue reading for more Network updates and national news.

CPF National is pleased to welcome Sophie Wertheimer to the bilingual Network Program, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Manager position. Sophie comes with over 8 years’ experience working in project management and program coordination, monitoring and evaluation for community, regional and national programs.  She begins working at CPF on July 9, 2018. She will be responsible for guiding the CPF Network Performance Measurement Strategy development and supporting Branch and National Executive Directors in its implementation over the next 2 years.

Maryanne Bright, CPF National Communications Coordinator over the last 4 years, has left to take a position at the Canadian Institute of Actuaries as Marketing Content Writer. We have offered her our sincere thanks and we wish her well in her new professional adventure. Maryanne’s last day was May 25, although she has agreed to help out in our transition phase in the preparation of the next issue of CPF Magazine. During the transition, Gabrielle Guillon is responsible for social media, Shaunpal Jandu for research and committee support and Cheri Nixon for the monthly Communique and website updates. 

The 2018 CPF National Concours took place on June 2nd welcoming 39 students to Ottawa. Students presented their winning speeches in the morning to a panel of guest judges from several partner organizations including Experiences Canada, Idéllo, French for the Future, OCOL, and l’Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario (AFO). All for a chance to win one of several scholarships from post-secondary sponsors and bilingual champions University of Ottawa, Saint Boniface, Saint Anne, Saint Paul University, and new this year Concordia University.

Students participated in a bilingual Parliament and city of Ottawa tour, an escape room experience and shopping at the Rideau Centre. Students were encouraged to make use of their learned French language skills while making connections and experiencing new adventures. This year, Air Canada offered an extended discount on participant travel to a value of almost $9000 savings in airfare. 

Since expanding its service reach to Nunavut late last year, CPF has been establishing contacts in the region to promote and create opportunities for youth to learn and use French. From April 29 to May 2, National Executive Director, Nicole Thibault alongside Quebec and Nunavut Project Coordinator, Gabrielle Guillon, visited Iqaluit, Nunavut. Meetings were held with key education stakeholders responsible for FSL programs across the territory including with Josiane Beaumont, French Programs Specialist, Ministry of Education, to discuss potential activities and with the Board of Directors of Iqaluit District Education Authority (IDEA) on the role of parents in education and how CPF can provide support. Finally, contacts were made to access and support distribution of the authentic radio and news resources produced by the Iqaluit Francophone Association. 

Nicole and Gabrielle met with Aqsarniit Middle School Principal Manning and Ecole Trois Soleils Principal Ouellette to discuss existing challenges and ways to increase students’ interest and engagement in French and support for exogamous families living in the territory. For this year, support for the Grade 7 Intensive French class as well as work with Carrefour Nunavut French Summer Camp has been prioritized for advancing FSL learning while honouring the rich heritage and language of the Inuit. 

On May 24, CPF National hosted a Public Policy Panel and Roundtable with invited guest panelists to discuss the state of FSL Teacher Supply in Canada. Experts weighed in sharing the results of commissioned reports as well as professional insights on the issue to bring forward the complexities and considerations required by stakeholders and decision makers to tackle the problem strategically.

Perspectives included those of the Association canadienne des Professionnels de l’Immersion; Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages; Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne; Ontario Public School Boards Association; B.C. Ministry of Education / UBC; and Ottawa Carleton District School Board.

35 guests attended in person with a dozen more listening and commenting online via Adobe Connect. The Roundtable was followed by an informal reception and provided the opportunity for attending guests to network and socialize. 

ACTION: Watch for a separate email as panelists have shared their materials and these will be posted on the CPF National website for reference by the end of June. 

On May 17, CPF National received a letter which was circulated to Network leaders, confirming a 20% increase in core funding for programming starting this year and for the duration of the Action Plan. It is a first step in reinvesting in organizations. The increase will be paid based on the government’s fiscal year. We are waiting for communications from a departmental representative to discuss the terms and conditions of the funding.

An additional $25 million will be available for all organizations from 2019 to 2023. Distribution will be based on identified core principles and determined priorities in order to optimize direct support to organizations.

ACTION: Watch for an email from CPF National and your PCH Regional Representative in the next few weeks.

On April 18, following a presentation by David Burns and Associates, the CPF CoED established a committee to review existing staff benefits and to survey staff on needs for the coming years. Committee membership composition: Glyn Lewis, Betty Gormley and Cathy Stone. 

ACTION: Watch for the upcoming survey to make your needs known. 

Importance of RRSP Saving – Especially for Female Workers,
by Matt Burns from David Burns & Associates,
matt@david-burns.com

 
These days, women are increasingly expected to take care of their own financial futures. The traditional role for women, one in which women married in their twenties, started a family and depended on a spouse to support their retirement has virtually disappeared. Today: 

• Women tend to outlive men. According to 1990 Statistics Canada data, women lived to age 80 on average, as opposed to age 74 for men.
  
  
• Women have less time to build up retirement funds. They have only two decades of employment to save for their retirement, instead of the four decades that most men get. (Women's Financial Futures: Mid-Life Prospects for a Secure Retirement, 1995).
   
• Only about 20% of women who filed income tax returns in 1991 contributed to RRSPs.

If you're female and want to ensure financial dignity in your retirement, seriously consider these suggestions:

• Make as large an RRSP contribution as you can afford, every single year, starting right now.
  
  
• If possible, make up for past years when you couldn't contribute the maximum. You are entitled to carry forward unused contributions indefinitely, going back to 1991.
  
  
• Determine what you've got in RRSPs -- yours, your partner's, and spousal plans. You don't want to have to scramble for any of this information late in life, especially if you are on your own.

Speaking of spousal RRSPs, they can help you build equal retirement assets and ultimately earn approximately equal incomes during your golden years. Your partner can buy you a spousal RRSP instead of making an RRSP contribution in their own name. They get the tax deduction, and you get the money in your hands. As long as you leave the money in your RRSP for at least three years, the money will also be taxable in your (presumably) lower-income hands when it comes out. Reverse this strategy, of course, if you make more money than your partner.

Reminder that as of June 29, 2018 the CPF National office will be closed on Fridays during July and August. Staff will be available by email in case of emergencies. The office will be closed for one week July 23-27, 2018. Regular office hours will resume the week of September 4, 2018.