The Ontario government is delivering an additional $1 million to 74 different projects across the province that aim to help bolster the French language through programming and staffing.
Announced on Tuesday, the provincial government announced the funding is coming as part of an additional investment from the federal government into the Francophone Community Grants Program (FCGP) which supports businesses and organizations provide more services or products in the French language. The government also noted that it will additionally be used to promote the training and recruitment of bilingual francophone staff throughout Ontario.
Ontario states that the FCGP is one of the flagship programs of Ontario's Francophone Economic Development Strategy, which supports social enterprises, non-profits and businesses that offer services in French, or serve Francophone markets in the province. The federal portion of the investment, totalling $1-million, brings the total amount of money available through the FCGP to $3-million for 2024-2025.
The province's press release noted the federal funding comes as part of the new Canada-Ontario Agreement on Minority-Language Services, which was confirmed in 2022 to support the second official language of Canada within the province. Under that same agreement, the FCGP will see an additional $1-million in federal funding per year over the next four years to continue to support French-language services projects, which will keep the available total at $3-million for those years.
Ontario's Minister of Francophone Affairs Caroline Mulroney said the investment will continue to strengthen the province's cultural and economic prosperity, while also benefiting the francophone community.
“Thanks to our federal partners, we are increasing the funding by 50 per cent for this important program to support more initiatives and organizations that serve the francophone community," Mulroney said.
"Our government is strengthening the capacity of francophone organizations and businesses to contribute to Ontario's cultural and economic prosperity and make a real difference in the daily lives of Francophones and Francophiles in the province.”
Of the 74 projects being supported through the FCGP in 2024-2025, the province listed that 16 percent of the projects (13 of 74) are located in, and benefiting, the north of the province, from Temiskaming to Kenora. Of those projects, two appear to immediately apply to municipalities in the northwest of the province.
The Association des Francophones du Nord-Ouest de l'Ontario (AFNOO) received $43,590 for their Enjeux – Enriching Youth Gatherings program, which it said will allow the association, in conjunction with the Club Franco-Boreal to strengthen the club's capacity and will aim to reach 100 Francophones in the Kenora, Dryden, Ignace and Sioux Lookout regions.
NOSM University also received funding through the FCGP for 2024-2025. The school is receiving $27,120 for its Objectif medecine! program, which it said will create four leadership workshops, five activities in schools, three stuffed animal clinics and two sessions with seniors to “increase the number of Francophone physicians and guide young Francophones in achieving a career in French-language health care in the north of the province.”
NOSM itself has a social mandate that it says requires it to be sensitive to the cultural diversity of the region it serves, and thus offers Francophone medical education. The University says that 25 percent of the 2023 incoming MD class was Francophone.
Randy Boissonnault, Canada's Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages said in the statement that the investment underscores Canada's commitment to linguistic minority communities in the country.
“Canada’s bilingual status is a source of national pride and identity,” Boissonnault said.
“This investment underscores our government’s commitment to supporting linguistic minority communities and the important role they play in bringing cultural and economic vitality to Ontario and every province in the country.”
Fort Frances Times / Local Journalism Initiative
