Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie – Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting

Yellowknife, June 23, 2010 – During the 15^th Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie, which ended today in Yellowknife, the ministers asserted the importance of the economic file for the development of the Canadian Francophonie. The ministers will therefore encourage greater dialogue at the national level, as well as the sharing of expertise among key stakeholders from the government, community and private sectors.

Drawing inspiration from the Conference’s setting, the ministers discussed the linguistic dynamics between Francophones and Aboriginals in the Northwest Territories. Motivated by anthropologist Serge Bouchard’s keynote address entitled “The Francophonie and Aboriginal Languages in Canada: From Yesterday to Today”, and a cultural activity in the community of Behchoko, the ministers reflected on the realities of northern Francophone communities. Ministers noted the linkages between the efforts that the Conference is making to help the French language and Francophone culture flourish, and those made by Aboriginal peoples of the North with regard to the promotion, revitalization and protection of their languages and cultures.

“ The Francophone community of the Northwest Territories is exemplary for its vitality and efforts to protect its language and culture, ” said Education, Culture and Employment Minister Jackson Lafferty, who is also the Minister responsible for Official Languages with the Government of the Northwest Territories. “The co-existence of Francophone and Aboriginal communities is an asset for a dynamic and vibrant Canadian Francophonie.”

“We have accomplished a lot with respect to the Canadian Francophonie over the past year,” said Shelly Glover, Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages and Member of Parliament for Saint-Boniface. “The Government of Canada took advantage of the meeting to note the convergence between the directions taken by the Conference and the priorities outlined in the Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008-2013, and to invite its partners to engage in greater dialogue about these projects.”

In 2009-2010, the Conference created an atmosphere promoting dialogue between departments responsible for the Canadian Francophonie and those responsible for immigration at the federal, provincial and territorial levels. The Conference’s ministers agreed to continue to play a catalyst role in the area of Francophone immigration, a key ingredient for the development of the Canadian Francophonie. They will support intergovernmental cooperation efforts in order to facilitate the exchange of viewpoints, knowledge, experiences and expertise for the benefit of Francophones and all Canadians.

During the meeting, the ministers also assessed their achievements in promoting the use of French at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, as well as the legacy for future large-scale national and international events. They also recognized the relevance of French-language training initiatives in the justice sector.

The next Conference will take place on June 15 and 16, 2011, in the Moncton-Dieppe region of New Brunswick.

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Created in 1994, the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie is the only intergovernmental forum bringing together federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie. The Conference works toward an open, dynamic and diverse Francophonie which contributes to, and fully participates in, the growth of Canadian society .

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Information:

Visit the Web site of the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie at www.cmfc-mccf.ca .

Ashley Green
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel.: 867-920-3059
ashley_green@gov.nt.ca

Matthew Deacon
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
and Official Languages
819-997-7788
matthew.deacon@pch.gc.ca

Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155