Whitehorse selected as a Welcoming Francophone Community

From: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

News release

May 23, 2019 — Whitehorse, YT — Whitehorse has been selected as a Welcoming Francophone Community as part of the Government of Canada’s Action Plan for Official Languages.

Under the Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative, a total of 14 communities across Canada will receive funding so they can create programs and activities to help French-speaking newcomers feel welcomed and integrated into Francophone minority communities. This initiative of $12.6 million over 3 years was announced in Budget 2018 to support the integration and retention of French-speaking newcomers in Canada.

The new Francophone immigration strategy, Meeting Our Objectives: Francophone Immigration Strategy, announced on March 13, 2019, is a collaborative approach with federal, provincial, territorial and community partners, an approach described as “by and for Francophones”. It seeks to enhance the vitality of official-language minority communities through immigration, specifically, by increasing the proportion of French-speaking permanent residents outside of Quebec, supporting the integration and retention of French-speaking newcomers, and building the capacity of Francophone communities.

Quotes

“Francophone communities open up their hearts to welcome French-speaking newcomers to Canada. Whitehorse will be able to be even more inviting to Francophone immigrants so they can feel welcome and where they will have more opportunities to make Canada their home. Through the launch of the Francophone Immigration Strategy, we are committed to increasing the proportion of French-speaking immigrants in Francophone minority communities.”

– The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

"We want Francophone immigrants to choose our territory as their new home. Thanks to the Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative, in Whitehorse, Francophone newcomers will be able to integrate into our community and will feel more welcome when they settle in Yukon.”

– Larry Bagnell, MP, Yukon

“We welcome the initiative of welcoming Francophone communities. Whitehorse is a great place to live and this important and unifying initiative will help newcomers feel at home in the Yukon. Community partners will work together to ensure that the initiative promotes the integration and retention of Francophone immigrants in our community and enables them to contribute to the vitality of Franco-Yukoners.”

– Jeanne Beaudoin, Présidente, Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY) (Whitehorse)

Quick facts

  • Francophone Welcoming Communities initiative

    • The initiative is a pilot project co-led by IRCC and Francophone communities, which include the 13 Réseaux en immigration francophone, the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA) and the Comité atlantique sur l’immigration francophone (CAIF).

  • Meeting Our Objectives: Francophone Immigration Strategy

    • A number of initiatives under the new strategy are already under way, including those announced by the Minister in November 2018 as part of National Francophone Immigration Week.
    • As of December 2018, 4.5% of Express Entry invitations to apply were issued to French-speaking candidates, compared to 2.9% in 2017.

Associated links

Contacts

Contacts for media only

Mathieu Genest
Minister’s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-954-1064

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
IRCC.COMMMediaRelations-RelationsmediasCOMM.IRCC@cic.gc.ca

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