Three New Initiatives to Support Official-Language Minority Communities and Promote Bilingualism in Canada

The Government of Canada announces an investment of $34.6 million to support official-language minority communities and promote bilingualism in Canada

OTTAWA, June 27, 2019 /CNW/ - Our two official languages are at the core of our Canadian identity, and are strong forces for inclusion and integration that reflect Canadian diversity. That is why the Government of Canada is committed to supporting official-language minority communities and promoting bilingualism across the country.

Mona Fortier, Member of Parliament (Ottawa–Vanier), today announced three new initiatives in French-language post-secondary training with a combined value of $34.6 million. She made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie; the Honourable Jean‑Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development; and the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health. The three new initiatives are:

• A partnership between Canadian Heritage and the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie (ACUFC) to encourage Anglophone students to pursue post-secondary studies in French as a second language, thanks to education grants (an investment of $12.6 million over four years)
• A partnership representing $12 million over four years between Employment and Social Development Canada and the ACUFC to support training for early childhood educators and strengthen their capacity in French-speaking minority communities
• Funding of $10 million over five years provided by Health Canada to five post-secondary education so they can join the ACUFC's Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS) and offer French-language health care training programs, with a view to increase the number of health care professionals who can provide services to Francophone minority communities. The following institutions will receive the funding:
• Glendon College and Université de Hearst in Ontario
• Cité universitaire francophone à l'Université de Regina and Collège Mathieu in Saskatchewan
• Collège Éducacentre in British Columbia

These new initiatives are an important step in the implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages – 2018-2023: Investing in Our Future, which proposes an unprecedented investment of $2.7 billion over five years.

For more information, please see the attached backgrounder.

Quotes

"These three initiatives from the Action Plan for Official Languages help solidify our government's commitment to continue strengthening Francophone minority communities and promote bilingualism across the country. We are pleased to join with French-language colleges and universities, which are pillars of their communities and key partners in both promoting bilingualism among Anglophones and training professionals that the communities need to ensure their long-term vitality."

—The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie

"All Canadian children deserve access to inclusive, quality early learning services to support their development and give them the best possible start in life. Providing programs to children from official-language minority communities in their mother tongue is essential to their well-being and to the vitality of Canada's linguistic duality."

—The Honourable Jean‑Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

"Our government is committed to facing the challenges of Francophone minority communities by promoting access to health services in the patient's preferred official language. This funding will strengthen training initiatives and improve access to bilingual health professionals so that members of minority Francophone communities can get the best health services possible."

—The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health

"The Government of Canada is committed to meeting the needs of official-language minority communities and promoting bilingualism in Canada. The announcements made today are an important step in ensuring the vitality of these communities and strengthening the Canadian Francophonie over the long term."

—Mona Fortier, Member of Parliament (Ottawa–Vanier)

"The ACUFC is delighted by the federal government's major investments in post-secondary education in French, which will contribute to the vitality and sustainability of Francophone minority communities, as well as Canada's linguistic duality."

—Allister Surette, Co-Chair of the ACUFC, President and Vice-Chancellor of Nova Scotia's Université Sainte-Anne

"The ACUFC is proud to be able to administer this bursary program and, in so doing, help promote a bilingual Canada. Thanks to the two other new investments, the 21 member institutions of the ACUFC will be able to improve training in early childhood education in French, while the 5 new members of the CNFS will increase health training in French. Canada's future as a bilingual country depends on the growing use of both official languages in everyday life."

—Pierre-Yves Mocquais, Co-Chair of the CNFS and the ACUFC, Dean of Campus Saint-Jean at the University of Alberta

Quick Facts

The ACUFC comprises 21 member institutions, including colleges and universities, served by more than 70 service points across the country. The ACUFC is a strong voice for post-secondary education in French, and reaches out to college and university students through its large network of post-secondary institutions in the Canadian Francophonie.

Health Canada received $16.9 million in additional funding over five years as part of the Action Plan for Official Languages – 2018-2023: Investing in Our Future.

The Action Plan for Official Languages includes $20 million in additional funding to support early childhood development initiatives in Francophone minority communities. Of this amount, $13.5 million will be allocated to training and capacity building for early childhood educators.

The Action Plan is providing a record $2.7 billion over 5 years, including $500 million in new funding, to support minority language communities and promote bilingualism across the country.

Associated Links

Action Plan for Official Languages – 2018-2023: Investing in Our Future
Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework 
Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne (French only) 

Backgrounder

Partnership between Canadian Heritage and the ACUFC to encourage Anglophone students to pursue post-secondary studies in French

Canadian Heritage has announced a new partnership with the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne (ACUFC) to encourage Anglophone students to pursue post-secondary studies in French. An investment of $12.6 million over four years is planned for this initiative. Through the program, the ACUFC will award grants of $3000, beginning in 2019–2020.

Although students have access to French as a second language courses in elementary and secondary school, they must overcome barriers to maintaining their language skills once they get to college or university. Often, their mastery of French declines when they leave high school to continue their studies.

This new initiative aims to reverse this trend. It is consistent with the goal of the Action Plan on Official Languages 2018–2023, which aims to increase the national bilingualism rate from 17.9 percent to 20 percent by 2036, primarily by increasing the bilingualism rate among Anglophones outside Quebec from 6.8 percent to 9 percent.

Partnership between Employment and Social Development Canada and the ACUFC to support training for early childhood educators in Francophone minority communities

Children's early years lay the foundation for their future development and well-being. Inclusive, quality early learning and child care programs for children from official-language minority communities help them develop a strong identity and encourage parents and families to fully embrace their culture.

The ACUFC will receive more than $12 million to support the training of early childhood educators and build their capacity in Francophone minority communities. The multi-year project is funded through the $20 million investment in Budget 2018 allocated to early childhood development initiatives in Francophone minority communities, as part of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018–2023.

The ACUFC will act as an intermediary to fund projects and initiatives. The organization aims to increase the number of accredited Francophone early childhood educators in Francophone minority communities and ensure greater consistency in the quality of French-language early learning and child care programs in Canada.

Partnership between Health Canada and five post-secondary institutions to increase the number of French-speaking health providers in minority communities.

Official-language minority communities are in every province and territory across Canada and are part of Canada's cultural fabric. To provide Canadians with the best care, it is essential to have health providers who can address the health care needs of official-language minority communities in their language of choice.

Health Canada will provide funding of $10 million over five years to five post-secondary institutions so that they can join the ACUFC's Consortium national de formation en santé. The following colleges and universities will receive funding to offer French-language accredited training in a number of health fields in regions or provinces where such training was not previously available:

• Glendon College and Université de Hearst in Ontario
• Cité universitaire francophone à l'Université de Regina and Collège Mathieu in Saskatchewan
• Collège Éducacentre in British Columbia

The newly trained health providers will increase the supply of health services available in French to address the health needs of French-speaking minority communities. This funding will help to address identified gaps in the recruitment of bilingual students, as well as availability of internships for bilingual students enrolled in health care programs in official-language minority communities.

Today's announcement is part of Health Canada's implementation of new initiatives under the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018–2023. The Consortium national de formation en santé consists of a national secretariat and 16 post-secondary institutions (including the 5 new institutions announced today) that offer health training programs in French across Canada (with the exception of Quebec).

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

For further information: (media only) Jérémy Ghio, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, [e-mail]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [e-mail]; Valérie Glazer, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, 819-654-5546; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [e-mail]; Thierry Bélair, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Health Canada, 613-957-2983, [e-mail]; Carole Breton, Communications Director, Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne, 613-244-7837, ext. 105, Toll-free: 1 866 551-2637, Cell: 613-222-6076, [e-mail]

Related Links

www.pch.gc.ca