The federal government’s action plan on official languages will include significant investments in early childhood education and encourage Francophone immigration in a minority setting.
READ MORE: Anglos react to Leger poll on relations with francophones
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Heritage Minister Melanie Joly is pledging historic investments, without revealing a dollar amount.
READ MORE: Young anglophones want out of Quebec, according to poll
The last federal budget earmarked $400 million starting next year and $88.4 million annually after that.
READ MORE: Philippe Couillard asks Quebec anglos for empathy over ‘bonjour, hi’
Joly, who will unveil the five-year action plan with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau later Wednesday, says it will end a decade of funding stagnation for minority language communities.
WATCH BELOW: Is the relationship between Quebec anglophones and francophones that bad?
The plan follows consultations that took place in 2016 in 22 cities across the country.
Get daily National news
READ MORE: Quebec language police ease up on use of some English words by francophones
Much of the funding will go directly to organizations instead of the provincial and federal governments.
“It’s a plan to strengthen our communities, ensure their vitality,” Joly said in an interview.
“It is a plan for investments in two areas that have not been supported in the past, which are early childhood and those of Francophone immigration.”
READ MORE: Éduc’Alcool asks: who drinks more, Francophones or non-Francophones?
French-language education will be an important part of the action plan with money for training French teachers as well as cultural activities in schools and community centres.
WATCH BELOW: Do Francophones drink differently to non-francophones?
Anglophone communities in Quebec will also have a share of the pie, especially those outside of Montreal.
READ MORE: We’ll do better on French, police chief says after complaint about traffic stop
Sums will be set aside for special projects with the support of the newly created secretariat for relations with English-speaking Quebecers created by the Couillard government.
READ MORE: Celebrating French culture and values is important to many Kelowna residents
There will also be funding to help the City of Ottawa become officially bilingual.
READ MORE: Montreal anglophones drink more alcohol than francophones
A bill to formalize this status for the Canadian capital was passed by the Ontario legislature in December.
Comments