Government of Canada improves access to health services for Francophone minority communities across Western Canada
Backgrounder
September, 2025
The following projects aim to improve access to health services in French for official language minority communities (OLMCs) across Western Canada by increasing the number of bilingual health professionals able to offer health services in the minority official language.
Five post-secondary training institutions across Western Canada, members of the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne - Consortium national de formation en santé (ACUFC - CNFS)
Project: Formation et maintien en poste des professionnels de la santé
Funding: $16,962,125 over five years (2023-2028)
- The Université de Saint-Boniface (Manitoba) will receive over $5 million to increase the number of students enrolling in the following health programs: Registered and Practical Nursing, and Bachelor's degree in Social Work.
- The University of Alberta - Campus Saint-Jean (Alberta) will receive close to $4 million to increase the number of students enrolling in the following health programs: Bilingual Bachelor's degree in Nursing, Personal Support Work, and French Certificate in Speech Therapy.
- La Cité universitaire francophone - University of Regina (Saskatchewan) will receive over $3 million to increase the number of students enrolling in its Bachelors of Nursing program.
- Collège Éducacentre (British Columbia) will receive close to $3 million to increase capacity in the following health programs: Social Work, Holistic Nutrition, and Personal Support Work.
- College Mathieu (Saskatchewan) will receive over $1 million to increase the number of students enrolling in the Practical Nursing program.