Federal-Provincial-territorial Meeting of the Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie (MCCF)

MINISTERS WORK TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CANADIAN FRANCOPHONIE.

REGINA, SK, June 23, 2022 /CNW/ - The ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie concluded two days of work during which important issues to Francophone and Acadian communities were discussed. Motivated by the desire to develop more government services in French and to promote the Canadian Francophonie, the ministers made concrete commitments to promote the vitality of the communities.

Having noted that online services have experienced significant growth, the ministers committed to support the development of online government services available in French.

Economic recovery was also discussed. Ministers agreed to seize opportunities to promote the Canadian Francophonie as a dynamic component of Canadian and international economies. The influence of the Canadian Francophonie also led to discussions during which the ministers adopted a plan to support the promotion of the French language.

The ability to deal with the labour shortages affecting Francophone communities is an ongoing concern for the ministers, so they also advanced their work aimed at obtaining a pan-Canadian, outside of Quebec, portrait of unmet needs, thanks to the partnership with Employment and Social Development Canada, Statistics Canada and the Labour Market Information Council.

The MCCF uses intersectoral collaboration mechanisms to promote the specific needs of the Canadian Francophonie. This has been the case with Francophone immigration for more than 15 years, and the ministers reaffirmed the relevance of supporting their colleagues responsible for immigration in taking into account the importance of welcoming newcomers who are proficient in French, a minority language in the country.

The MCCF recognizes that access to mental health services, as well as the growing needs of Francophone seniors, are crucial projects that it will have to focus on over the next year in order to identify possible avenues of collaboration.

"Discussions over the last two days once again highlighted the importance of intergovernmental cooperation on issues that impact the Canadian Francophonie. We continue to work towards positive outcomes for communities, to promote the Canadian Francophonie and its culture, and further develop French-language services," said the Honourable Laura Ross, Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport and Minister responsible for the Status of Women for the Government of Saskatchewan and co-chair of the Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie (MCCF).

The upcoming 2023-2028 Action Plan for Official Languages was discussed.  "We are currently in a period of cross-Canada consultations to meet with official-language minority communities and learn more about their realities and the challenges they face regarding official languages. These discussions will no doubt contribute to my thoughts about the development of the next Action Plan 2023–2028," said the Co-President of the MCCF, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. "Intergovernmental cooperation is essential to allowing the Canadian Francophonie to flourish all across the country." 

It was under the theme Spreading Our Roots and Standing Tall that the Government of Saskatchewan welcomed the government delegations for this event during which the richness of the Fransaskois heritage was shared with the ministers, specifically during a cultural evening featuring local artists.

The Government of British Columbia will co-chair the annual meeting of the Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie in 2023.

*Due to the imminent swearing in of a new Cabinet, Ontario participated in this meeting as an observer and is not party to this communiqué.

The Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie (MCCF), created in 1994, is an intergovernmental forum that is made up of the ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie. The MCCF works for an inclusive and dynamic Francophonie that contributes to and fully participates in the development of Canadian society. Visit the Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie website at www.cmfc-mccf.ca.

SOURCE CMFC-MCCF

Jordan Jackle, Executive Director of Communications, Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport, Government of Saskatchewan, [email protected], 306-550-5927; Sylvie Painchaud, Executive Director, Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie, [email protected], 819-212-6420; Marianne Blondin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, [email protected], 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155