Manitoba is highlighting the importance of the French language on the 35th International Francophonie Day. The day was marked with a flag-raising event at the legislative building, Families Minister Rochelle Squires, minister responsible for francophone affairs, announced Monday.
On March 20, more than 300 million people worldwide who are part of the Francophonie celebrate their pride in speaking and living in French, Squires said.
“Today, on the 35th International Day of La Francophonie, we join francophones and francophiles in Manitoba, across Canada and around the world in celebrating the richness of the French language – a cornerstone of our province’s heritage and identity,” said Squires.
“I encourage all Manitobans to learn and celebrate the richness of our francophone roots and the past, current and future contributions of the francophone community to our province.”
French is the mother tongue for 35,000 Manitobans, and more than 110,000 Manitobans can speak French, according to the latest census figures.
Since 2018, more than 2,000 new French-speaking immigrants have settled in Manitoba, the majority through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.
The province said francophone immigration to Manitoba continues to increase.