Strenghtening our Francophone Communities, Strenghtening our Country
Canada is home to over 10 million French-speaking Canadians, 3 million of whom live elsewhere than Quebec. French is at the core of our country’s identity and sovereignty – it’s part of what makes Canada different.
During the upcoming election campaign, ask your candidates to stand for thriving and vibrant French-speaking communities – because having two official languages is good for Canada.
Key Issues
1) Access to Lifelong Learning in French
Building strong Francophone communities means increasing access to French-language childcare services, schools, as well as opportunities for lifelong learning and training in French.
The way forward:
- Resolving the current 10,000 French-language childcare spaces shortage outside of Quebec;
- Ensuring that some 300,000 children and youth with a right to French-language education outside of Quebec are enrolled in French-language schools;
- Resolving the current shortage – numbering in the tens of thousands – of French-language teachers across the country;
- Increasing opportunities to learn French as a second language throughout Canada.
2) Meeting French-Language Labour Needs
Building strong Francophone communities requires skilled workers who can teach in French in our schools, provide health care in French, contribute to the development of the community, and provide French-language services in all aspects of daily life.
The way forward:
- Resolving issues related to the recognition of foreign credentials so that French-speaking immigrants may teach in our schools, work in health care and provide French-language services.
- Increasing access to French-language postsecondary programs in the 22 Francophone and bilingual colleges and universities outside of Quebec.
- Filling the gaps in terms of available government data regarding labour shortages in the Canadian Francophonie.
3) Growing our Communities Through Francophone Immigration
Strong Francophone communities are growing and diverse Francophone communities, where immigrants feel at home and contribute to our collective progress… in French.
The way forward:
- A commitment by the government to set a 12% target, by 2026, in terms of the proportion of French-speaking immigrants who settle outside of Quebec.
- Implementing a distinct Francophone economic immigration program.
- Strengthening French-language settlement services across Canada.
4) Promote and enhance Francophone culture
Strong Francophone communities can gather in cultural and community centers to experience the culture in all its diversity, through music, film, books, shows, and its overall creativity. These communities are served by Francophone organizations offering a rich programming of French-language activities.
The way forward:
- Reallocating existing official languages funding to better meet the needs of communities and organizations at the grassroots level.
- Making cultural products and community/cultural spaces more accessible.
- Enhancing the discoverability of Francophone cultural products in Canada and abroad.
What You Can Do
Do you share the conviction that French is part of what makes Canada different and unique? That a strong Francophone presence is part of Canada’s identity and cultural sovereignty, as well as a significant economic asset? Let your candidates know that you support taking action to enhance the vitality of French across Canada!
About This Campaign
This website is run by the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada [Federation of Francophone and Acadian Communities of Canada].
Since its creation in 1975, the FCFA has served as the national and international voice of French-speaking minority communities in nine provinces and three territories. Currently, there are 2.8 million French speaking Canadians elsewhere than Quebec.
Did You Know…
Francophone minority communities by numbers:
- Over 740 French-language schools
- 22 French-language and bilingual colleges and universities
- Close to 65,000 bilingual businesses
- Over 100 cultural and community centers
- 16 provincial/regional French-language health care networks
- 13 Francophone immigration networks
