Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia provide more than $1.3 million to Université Sainte-Anne Français
The Government of Canada supports Nova Scotia's only French-language post-secondary academic institution
CHURCH POINT, NS, Aug. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is helping official-language minority communities access quality education in their own language, from early childhood to the post-secondary level.
Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, announced funding of $1.2 million over two years to Université Sainte-Anne, Nova Scotia's only Francophone university, to modernize its student information system. In addition, the Province of Nova Scotia is providing $104,573 over two years to this project. Minister Petitpas Taylor was joined by the Honourable Colton LeBlanc, Nova Scotia Minister of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie.
The funding will support the stabilization and capacity building of Université Sainte-Anne and help it migrate to a new information system that will allow it to optimize the management of student records. This new system will also increase and optimize communication between admissions staff and students interested in pursuing post-secondary education at Université Sainte-Anne.
The project is funded under the Canada–Nova Scotia Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction from 2020–2021 to 2022–2023.
"As an Acadian who had the opportunity to study in French in a minority setting, it's a real pleasure to support the vitality of the Francophonie in Nova Scotia. With the funding announced today, many students from across the country and beyond will be able to benefit from a modernized Francophone institution and come together in a quality French-language post-secondary education environment."
—The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
"Université Sainte-Anne has remained a welcoming place for Francophone and immersion students from around the world, while promoting, preserving and encouraging the French language. This new information system will improve communications, connections and vitality across its five campuses. And we are proud to support this."
—The Honourable Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie, Nova Scotia
"We are very grateful for the significant investment by the federal government in our new student information system. This is a major one-time project that is crucial to the functioning of our institution and will multiply our efforts to apply digital technology in the management of our institution."
—Allister Surette, President, Université Sainte-Anne
Université Sainte-Anne is the only French-language post-secondary academic institution in Nova Scotia. It plays a vital role in promoting French throughout the province with its five campuses.
Budget 2021 included an investment of $121 million over three years (2021–22 to 2023–24) to support high-quality post-secondary education in the minority language. These new investments will be made primarily through existing intergovernmental collaboration mechanisms to help provinces and territories meet the pressing needs to help stabilize the minority-language post-secondary sector.
The Government of Canada is providing this funding through the Official Languages Support Programs, whose collective goal is to enhance the vitality of English- and French-speaking minority communities and promote the English and French languages in Canadian society.
On March 1, 2022, the Government of Canada introduced an enhanced bill for substantive equality among Canada's official languages to adapt the Official Languages Act to a changing society. Among other objectives, this bill aims to respond to the decline of French in the country; clarify and strengthen the part of the Official Languages Act concerning the promotion of official languages; and support official-language minority communities.
An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official Languages
2022 Cross-Canada Official Languages Consultations
Budget 2021
Official Languages Support Programs
Université Sainte-Anne
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
(media only), please contact: Marianne Blondin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, [email protected]; Media Relations: Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]
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