Minister Joly Announces an Investment to Support Ottawa’s Francophone Artistic and Cultural Community

From: Canadian Heritage

News release

OTTAWA, May 6, 2019

Canada’s two official languages are an asset for all Canadians. They are a source of economic, social and cultural benefits for everyone. Our government is committed to supporting the development of Francophone and Anglophone minority communities across the country.

Today the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, and the Honourable Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Education, announced funding for expansion and upgrades to the Centre d’excellence artistique de l’Ontario at École secondaire publique De La Salle in Ottawa. The project will rally Ontario’s Francophone artistic and cultural community and improve students’ access to the professional arts scene.

The Government of Canada is proud to provide more than $5.8 million to the Government of Ontario for expansion and modernization of the Centre under the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018–2023: Investing in Our Future. The project includes a new auditorium, specialized arts classrooms, a lobby area to exhibit works, two collaboration areas, and a storeroom for equipment that will be available for community use. Also included are renovations to a community-care access centre that will be part of the new space. In addition, the funding will be used to acquire advanced audiovisual equipment for creating and disseminating works in an educational and collaborative setting for audiences in Ottawa and the rest of the country.

The Government of Ontario is allocating $6.8 million to the project.

Quotes

“For generations, Francophones all across Canada have kept their language and culture thriving. To do this, they’ve needed access to education in their language and opportunities for cultural experiences in French. That’s why I’m pleased to announce funding for the Centre d’excellence artistique de l’Ontario. Thanks to the Centre, teens, families and the whole community can live, learn and have fun in a French-language environment.”

—The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie

“The expansion of the Centre d’excellence artistique de l’Ontario is wonderful news, and I congratulate the students and staff of École secondaire publique De La Salle for the next chapter in their journey. Ontario is proud to have contributed to this project, and we thank the Government of Canada for its partnership in helping to make the expansion of the centre a reality.”

—The Honourable Lisa Thompson, Minister of Education, Ontario

“We are very proud to realize our vision for French-language education that has the power to create an innovative artistic space that contributes to the development of all young French Canadians. A space like this aims to be a place for learning, for discovering oneself and others, for inclusion and diversity, and especially for unforgettable encounters where art becomes multiple languages that bring us together as Francophones from Ontario, Canada, and the world. The Centre d’excellence artistique de l’Ontario is experiencing unprecedented growth, and we are pleased to welcome all lovers of art!”

—Lucille Collard, President, and Édith Dumont, Director of Education, Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario

Quick facts

  • The Centre d’excellence artistique de l’Ontario, located in École secondaire publique De La Salle, provides a pre-professional arts training centre for Francophone Ontario. The school offers the regular school curriculum along with the Centre, a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) in Arts, and more. The school and the Centre truly are a hub for the community, offering training camps in arts, culture, student leadership and physical activity.

  • The Government of Canada has supported 204 official language projects in the past year. This represents a total investment of $140,489,805 in projects to support official-language minority communities and promote bilingualism.

  • The Action Plan for Official Languages provides for unprecedented investments of $2.7 billion over five years, including $500 million in new funding to support official-language minority communities and promote bilingualism throughout the country.

Associated links

Contacts

For more information (media only), please contact:

Jérémy Ghio
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie
jeremy.ghio@canada.ca

Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca

Page details

Date modified: