Videoconference of provincial and territorial ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie

The provinces and territories invite the federal government to enhance intergovernmental co-operation on French-language services to ensure their sustainability and growth

QUEBEC CITY, June 17, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Provinces and territories are front-line players when it comes to providing the government services necessary for the vitality of Canada's Francophone communities. This is the message that the provincial and territorial ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie wanted to convey at their annual meeting.

The ministers note that the project to reform Canada's Official Languages Act provides possible solutions which support the development of Francophone communities, and which would be optimized if the federal government's priorities are aligned with those of provincial and territorial governments with respect to their Francophone communities in terms of services in French.

"Respect for the constitutional division of powers is essential for effective collaboration," said Sonia LeBel, Quebec Minister responsible for the Canadian Francophonie and host of the virtual meeting. "French language is an asset for everyone, and Francophones contribute to the social and economic development of Canadian society. Provinces and territories want to stimulate this contribution and are well-positioned to partner with the federal government to ensure that the front line voices are heard."

The ministers therefore propose a concerted approach, differentiated according to the unique realities of provinces and territories, to achieve the common objective of protecting and promoting French.

The Government of Quebec has assumed the provincial-territorial co-chairmanship of the Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie (MCCF) since June 2019. For the next year, this role will be assumed by the Government of Saskatchewan, which will host the annual meeting of ministers in 2022.

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

For more information, please contact

Florent Tanlet
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister responsible for Canadian Relations and the Canadian Francophonie
[email protected]
418-265-1982

Sylvie Painchaud
Executive Director
Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie
[email protected]
819-212-6420

SOURCE Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie