The governments of Canada and New Brunswick support Francophone post-secondary education with more than $2.7 million in funding for the Université de Moncton

Concrete support to Francophones in New Brunswick to upgrade equipment and renovate facilities at Université de Moncton campuses

MONCTON, NB, Aug. 22, 2024 /CNW/ - Our two official languages are at the heart of our identity. Post-secondary institutions play a crucial role in the life of Francophone minority communities, contributing to their vitality and ongoing development.

Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, announced more than $2.7 million in funding over two years for the Université de Moncton. She made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, accompanied by the Honourable Greg Turner, New Brunswick Minister of Post-secondary Education, Training and Labour.

This funding will be devoted to a major project to modernize specialized equipment on all three Université de Moncton campuses to meet current labour market standards. It will also be used to replace computer equipment in training laboratories, which has become incompatible with recent versions of professional software. This project also includes renovation work at the Edmundston and Shippagan campuses.

This major project will run until March 2026. To support the project, the Government of Canada is contributing $580,282 in 2024–2025 and $805,545 in 2025–2026, for a total of $1,385,827. The Government of New Brunswick is matching this amount, bringing the total investment from both orders of government to $2,771,654.

Quotes

"Today we're investing in the protection, support and promotion of our official languages, by enriching learning environments here in New Brunswick. As a proud graduate of the Université de Moncton, I look forward to seeing how this announcement will help the next generation of Francophone and Acadian leaders thrive in their studies and apply these skills in their careers."

—The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

"Promoting Canada's strong bilingual identity starts with investing in education. Today's funding announcement at the University of Moncton does just that, giving both students and educators the state-of-the-art learning environment they need to learn, grow and work in both official languages in New Brunswick and beyond."

—The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages

"Supporting French-language education is key to securing and advancing New Brunswick's unique position as Canada's only officially bilingual province. We are pleased to partner with the federal government and Université de Moncton on this project that will advance education at all three of the university's campuses, and help students better prepare to join New Brunswick's workforce."

—The Honourable Greg Turner, New Brunswick Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour

"We would like to thank the Government of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick for their contributions. The renovations, combined with the acquisition of modern equipment for various programs across our three campuses, will create a stimulating, state-of-the-art academic environment, ensuring that our students continue to receive high-quality training."

—Dr. Denis Prud'homme, President and Vice-Chancellor, Université de Moncton

Quick Facts

The Université de Moncton is a post-secondary institution with three exclusively French-language campuses. It is recognized for its excellence in teaching and research, as well as its significant contribution to the development of Acadian and Francophone society.

With this funding, the university will upgrade equipment at its Moncton campus for its programs in nursing, music, information-communication, drama, geography, visual arts, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, administration and accounting, physics, chemistry and biochemistry, and biology.

At the Edmundston and Shippagan campuses, the university will be acquiring equipment for the information-communication, computer science, nursing, forestry and science programs, as well as undertaking work to renovate the laboratory rooms.

The Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration provides for a total investment of $1.4 billion to support 7 departments and 33 new or enhanced initiatives aimed at protecting and promoting Canada's official languages.

On June 20, 2023, An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official Languages received royal assent. The Act aims to address the decline of French in the country and to clarify and strengthen the promotion of official languages, while supporting official-language minority communities.

Associated Links

An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official Languages
Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration
Official Languages Support Programs
Université de Moncton

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

For more information (media only), please contact: Mathis Denis, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]