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Speeches

Speech by the Honourable Madeleine Meilleur Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs and Minister of Culture

at the Launch of the New Policy on French Language Development
Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Toronto
Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Thank you for that introduction.

I am very pleased to be here with you for the launch of the new Policy on Language Development for French-language education.

This launch is an historic occasion: this is the first policy of its kind in Canada.

It is also an historic occasion because our government is determined to make Ontario's public education system the best in the world.

And this applies fully to French-language education.

Allow me to tell you about the principles that guided the development of this Policy.

Our government wants to increase the level of accountability that is already assumed by the local school boards.

We want to strengthen partnerships with the broader Francophone community.

For us, just as schools belong to their community, the community must take responsibility for the education of its Francophone children.

This Policy makes it possible to systematically target the results that we want to achieve, while fully respecting the mandate of the school boards.

Through this policy, we want to stop the assimilation of young Francophones by providing more training to teachers who face the challenge of teaching in a minority setting on a daily basis.

Our government believes that we must act quickly and decisively, particularly in the areas of learning, Francophone identity, participatory leadership that involves parents, and the dynamism that we already have in our Francophone institutions.

We will do all of this keeping in mind the new challenges of the demographics and socio-cultural conditions in French Ontario.

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You know, this is very timely because, this year, we are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Champlain in North America.

Like Champlain, Education Minister Gerard Kennedy is opening up new horizons for Francophones in America, for Francophones in Ontario.

I would like to thank him for inviting me to this very important event.

I know how important the implementation of this Policy is to him and I congratulate him for this wonderful initiative.

With this new policy, he is also ensuring that French flourishes in Ontario.

So, really, we aren't just celebrating the anniversary of Champlain's arrival in 2004. We are celebrating the fact that Francophones are active, determined, and fundamentally optimistic about the future in spite of the challenges they face now.

Our language is the foundation of our culture, our communities, and our survival.

However, the statistics indicate a decline in French in Ontario and increasing assimilation of Franco-Ontarians.

As a Francophone and as the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs, I want to say how important it is to reverse this trend.

The Policy that we are announcing today will go a long way toward slowing assimilation.

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You know, our writers are among the finest products of our education system.

One example is Daniel Poliquin, an Ottawa writer who has won a Trillium Award and received the Order of Canada.

Another example is Serge Denis, for his book on social democracy and labour movements entitled Sociale-démocratie et mouvements ouvriers.

Another is Angèle Bassolé-Ouédraogo who has published a collection of poems entitled Avec tes mots.

Our beautiful language – the language of Molière – is spoken by over 500,000 Ontarians. It's not just a language; it's the soul of a people that wants to grow and prosper.

Our writers reflect our collective soul.

They dream our dreams.

In his book entitled Témoins d'errances en Ontario français, Franco-Ontarian Fernand Dorais wrote that "education must provide an introduction to the quality of language, the human condition, and life itself."

This is a tremendous challenge.

However, with this policy on French language development, and with you here this evening, we will take up this challenge with enthusiasm, expertise, and tenacity.

As you all know, many reports and many experts have shown that schools play an essential role in the development of cultural identity.

Two weeks ago, during the Ministerial Conference on Francophone Affairs in Moncton, I talked about a research project on the relationship between language, culture, and education in a minority setting, called Recherche-action sur le lien langue-culture-éducation en milieu minoritaire francophone.

According to this study, there must be a close partnership between the education sector, the arts community, and the broader community.

In order to grow, a French-language school that has embraced its cultural mandate needs ongoing support from all of the stakeholders.

When I see how many people are here this evening, it is clear to me that you also believe that we must work together.

There are many people who think this way.

A month ago, I attended the 25th anniversary of École Francojeunesse in Ottawa.

École Francojeunesse was the first French-language public elementary school in Eastern Ontario.

With support from the community, the parents, and a whole range of stakeholders, it is now expanding.

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of attending a groundbreaking ceremony at a new French-language high school in Brampton.

Like you, and like our government, the leaders at these schools know that we need a plan in order to promote and pass on the French language and the culture it expresses.

I won't repeat what Education Minister Gerard Kennedy said today or what Mr. Vaillancourt said earlier.

However, I do want to assure you that our commitment to the Franco-Ontarian community won't stop here.

Of course, education is the foundation upon which the development of our community rests.

However, it will be through synergy with all of the other sectors that we will optimise efforts by our government to promote the development of the Francophone community.

Let me give you a few examples.

The province has just signed a letter of intent concerning the negotiation of a Canada-Ontario agreement on immigration.

This letter recognises the importance of Francophone immigration to Ontario.

I would like to point out that immigration represents one of the most promising avenues for the development of the Franco-Ontarian community.

We have just added four community health care agencies and a legal clinic to the list of agencies designated under the French Language Services Act.

Last spring, the premiers of Quebec and Ontario announced a new era of cooperation between our two provinces.

Francophone Affairs is one of the areas for increased cooperation between the provinces.

I mentioned Champlain earlier. As part of the 2008 celebrations, we invested a considerable sum of money in the Circuit Champlain.

I am especially proud of our Advisory Committee on Francophone Affairs to which several teachers and former teachers have been appointed recently.

Its role is to advise me on the development of strategies, the establishment of priorities, and the creation of programs that affect the Francophone community, not to mention the planning and delivery of French-language government services.

The members of the Advisory Committee are your ambassadors to the government.

They are going to help me give French-language services greater visibility in the Ontario public service.

They will also recommend measures to the government so that it can communicate with the Francophone population more effectively.

We want to hear what you have to say.

Don't hesitate to get involved in the consultations undertaken by the government.

It is important for your point of view to be heard, for my colleagues in Cabinet to know about your accomplishments, your needs, and your concerns.

We must work together to ensure that our communities are strong, and that our French-speaking citizens enjoy a full and healthy life in a prosperous province.

Our future prosperity depends on our young people.

By helping students to be successful today, we are ensuring the success of Ontario tomorrow.

And, thanks to the vision of the Premier of Ontario and my colleagues such as Gerard Kennedy, we will be ensuring the success of French Ontario, too.

I wish those who will be implementing the policy on French language development every success. Thank you for your cooperation!