19th Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie (Provincial-Territorial Meeting)

Prince Edward Island, June 27, 2014 – Meeting in Prince Edward Island, the provincial and territorial  ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie have recognized that intergovernmental  cooperation contributes to enhance the offer of services in French and to  promoting the French fact for the benefit of the Canadian Francophonie and for  all Canadians.

“Intergovernmental cooperation is an important and sometimes essential  mechanism in the development of the Francophonie,” said Robert Ghiz, Premier of  Prince Edward Island and Minister responsible for Acadian and Francophone  Affairs. “The accumulated experience of the provinces and territories with  regard to services in French is a valuable resource that should not be neglected.  By sharing our best practices and our strategies in various areas, and by consulting  valued stakeholders, we increase the opportunities to strengthen the Canadian  Francophonie.”
The provincial and territorial  ministers discussed the recent budget cuts to the Société Radio-Canada. They  expressed their concern about the impact that the cuts will have on the  services provided by the public broadcaster, particularly for Francophone and  Acadian communities, in terms of accessibility, quantity and quality. Public broadcasting is critical to  the continued flourishing of these communities and the French language across  Canada. They will be monitoring the situation closely and evaluating impacts as  well as measures that could be undertaken by the Conference or its members,  including with the CRTC.

The next Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie will be  held on June 17‑18, 2015, in Toronto as part of the  commemoration of 400 years of French presence in Ontario.

The Ministerial Conferenceon the Canadian Francophonie, created in 1994, isthe only intergovernmental forumthat brings together theministers responsible for theCanadian Francophonie. The Conferenceworks for an open, dynamic and diverseFrancophoniethatcontributes to and participatesfully in the growthof Canadian society. Visit the  website of the Ministerial Conference on the  Canadian Francophonie
at www.cmfc-mccf.ca.

Contact information
Chantal  Alarie
National  Coordinator
Ministerial  Conference on the Canadian Francophonie
506-292-3415
chantal.alarie@gnb.ca

Ron Ryder
Senior Communications Officer
Government of Prince Edward Island
902-368-5869
rrryder@gov.pe.ca