Speech by The Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs and Minister of Culture
Annual Meeting of the AJEFO
Deerhurst Inn Resort, Hunstville, Ontario
Friday, June 23, 2006
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, good afternoon.
I am very happy be with you at your annual meeting and I thank you for inviting me.
As you know, I have already spoken to you at previous annual meetings. In fact, my presence here is starting to look like an annual appointment.
I therefore thought that the time was right for presenting a brief overview of the progress made by Ontario's Francophonie over the last twelve months.
And in fact, significant progress has been made.
If we look only at recent announcements, I could start by mentioning the signing early this month of an Ontario-Quebec cooperation initiative.
It should be noted that this initiative includes a multi-sectoral agreement on francophone affairs of unprecedented scope.
This agreement, which marks a renewal of our relations with Quebec and recognition of Ontario's Francophonie by Quebec, covers four key sectors: early childhood, education, culture and health—as you see, sectors that are particularly important and far-reaching for the Franco-Ontarian community.
Then, of course, there is the designation of Kingston, announced on May 24th.
It is not everyday that a new area is designated, and this is therefore a major step with respect not only to delivery of services in French, but more fundamentally, for strengthening the achievements of Ontario's Francophonie.
Another important achievement: the new Local Health System Integration Act.
The preamble to this act makes specific reference to the French Language Services Act and it further provides for the creation of a provincial French language health services advisory council along with mandatory mechanisms for engaging Francophones in health service planning at the local level.
Still on the subject of health, I should also mention the start of expansion work at Montfort Hospital. The earth-turning ceremony took place recently, and the government has provided major funding, to the tune of 185 million dollars.
Who would have thought, a few years ago, that we would be there for the birth of the "New Montfort"?
This year also saw the creation of French language advisory committees on education and postsecondary education.
Committee members will have an opportunity to influence the direction of public policy and programs of interest to Francophones.
Speaking of education, no later than this very week, I took part in two very positive announcements.
On the one hand, a new increase in funding for French language schools, funding that now exceeds a billion dollars.
And on the other hand, an important investment intended to increase access to postsecondary education for Francophones as well as the range and quality of programs offered in French.
This tells you that we are convinced that, to ensure the vitality of Ontario's Francophonie, it is essential to properly prepare the next generation. Time and time again, we have shown how very strongly we feel about this.
In a field of immediate concern to you, another noteworthy advance is the Ontario Provincial Police strategy for delivering French language services.
By signing a renewal of this proactive strategy for 2006-2008, OPP Commissioner Gwen Boniface has made a commitment to all stakeholders and the entire Francophone community.
I would also like to point out that this initiative was included among the success stories mentioned in a previous report of the Commissioner of Official Languages.
At the Francophone stakeholders meeting of last March, you had an opportunity to review the results of the research project, Environmental Scan: French Language Services in Ontario's Justice Sector carried out by a team from the Chaire de recherche sur la francophonie et les politiques publiques [Research Chair in Canadian Francophonie and Public Policies] of the University of Ottawa.
The study presents a progress report that will serve as the basis for the creation of a strategic plan for the development of French language services in the justice sector over the next three to five years.
I will say no more, as I have been informed that Marcel Castonguay, former Coordinator of French Language Services for the Justice Sector will be speaking to you about thins during the meeting.
I am also delighted with the Carrières en justice project.
This project, with which you are very familiar, is a fine example of the partnership among your association, other organizations and various levels of government.
I also believe that introducing our young people to a career in the justice sector is decisive for the future of our community, since we are counting on the next generation.
Besides, in this regard, I really must mention the relevance and vitality of the French Language Institute for Professional Development.
This initiative cannot fail to bring positive results for the Francophone community since it strives to improve the linguistic proficiency of justice sector professionals.
I thank you for your contribution to the development of this leading-edge program and I am taking this opportunity to salute Ms. Sonia Ouellette, your executive director, who is the Institute's official education specialist.
I know that you continue to be interested in issues related to the appointment of bilingual decision-makers to Ontario's agencies, boards and commissions, and in particular, to the courts and administrative tribunals.
The government acknowledges the importance of ensuring that Francophones are full participants in key areas of government activities.
I can assure you that I will continue to work closely with my colleagues to move this issue forward.
The matter of the creation of a position of linguistic ombudsman has also not been forgotten.
This is a complex file, but it is moving ahead!
All of this is taking place against the background of the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the French Language Services Act.
The celebration program is rich and varied, and it will lead to all kinds of initiatives that will present opportunities for highlighting the richness and the contribution of Ontario's Francophonie.
In this spirit let me remind you of the Ontario Francophonie Awards, which the government created to pay tribute to those whose efforts and talents have enabled Ontario's Francophonie to make progress, to assert itself and to exert its influence.
I invite you to submit nominations, as I know there are many people, both Francophones and Francophiles, who deserve to be honoured.
However, do not delay as the June 30th deadline is only a week away.
In this pivotal year for Ontario's Francophones, it is time to celebrate our successes.
I thank you for your commitment to Ontario's Francophonie and I encourage you to keep up the good work and spread your enthusiasm.
By putting "the accent on the future", together we can explore promising paths for affirming the identity and ensuring the sustainable development of Ontario's Francophonie.
Thank you.
