Live in French in Hamilton

Duration: 3:11 minutes

Soft music begins in crescendo. On a white background, a text appears: “Welcoming Francophone communities support the integration of newcomers in French.”

Several ducks can be seen paddling around on Lake Ontario. The screen cuts to an aerial view of the city of Hamilton. A map of Ontario appears with the text:

Hamilton
Ontario
More than 5% of the population speaks French.

We see a fountain with several skyscrapers behind it. Then, a city bus travelling along one of the streets downtown. Then you see city hall, with the word “Hamilton” in front. Then you see a man walking and entering an office building. You can see him standing with the building behind. He looks directly at the camera. A text appears over this image:

Alain Dobi
Director
Réseau en immigration francophone du Centre-Sud-Ouest de l’Ontario

An image of a school from the outside quickly follows. The words on the building read “Pavillon de la jeunesse” [“Youth Centre”]. Then, an image of Alain working on his computer at his desk.

Alain Dobi: The reasons that could persuade a newcomer and their family to settle in Hamilton are that there is a large Francophone community. With a range of services in French, including schools, a community college, various settlement services, in addition to the fact that the city has many opportunities and employability potential.

Then, a skyscraper under construction can be seen. Over this image, the following text appears:

The Greater Hamilton is the third largest urban economy in Ontario.

This is followed by an aerial image of the train station with the city of Hamilton in the background. We see a montage sequence of the train leaving the station heading for Toronto. Then, two long shots of buildings in downtown Hamilton. The screen cuts to an image of a man in an office who is conducting training online using a tablet. We then see an image of another man who is taking the training in front of his computer. He takes notes in a notebook and asks a question. Then it goes back to the trainer.

Alain Dobi: So, since there are many business opportunities, that’s exactly what led us to implement Entrepreneuriat Hamilton, which currently consists of 2 programs. The first 1 is the pre-incubation program, which targets candidates with project ideas. So, it’s moving from idea to action. And then there’s Élan F2, which is for those who are a bit more advanced and which offers them support in making their project idea a reality.

The screen cuts to an aerial image of downtown Hamilton. Then, to an image of the marina and a swan paddling around in the water. The screen then shows an image of a woman walking downtown. This is followed by an image of a downtown building. The screen continues with an image of a man working on a computer at his desk. Then he looks at the camera, smiling. A text appears over this image:

Bonaventure Otshudi
Director
Newcomer Services

It cuts to a scene of a nurse taking a blood test. Then, a scene in a dentist's office. The dental hygienist is treating a patient. A subtext appears on screen throughout this scene: “This is a simulation. No dental treatment was provided.” Then you see Bonaventure standing in a meeting room and speaking directly to the camera.

Bonaventure Otshudi: Our mission if to provide services in French for the Francophone community of Hamilton. We have family doctors, nurses and dental services. Remember that we are a minority in Ontario, in this Hamilton area, and it’s very important for Francophones to have services in French, so they can receive them in their mother tongue. Clients are confident to see a doctor and speak to them in French. It’s very important.

Then we go back to the scene in Bonaventure’s office. He is now talking on the phone with a colleague. It cuts to an image of a building. Text appears on screen:

The City of Hamilton also has a community legal clinic that provides support in French.

An aerial image of the Hamilton marina can be seen. Then we continue with an image of a man walking in downtown Hamilton. It then cuts to an image of the same man, now standing in front of Niagara Falls. Text appears on screen:

Jean-Jacques Somwe
Public Health Expert
Red Cross

We see an image of inside the CN Tower in Toronto and then Niagara Falls.

Jean-Jacques Somwe: What made me fall in love with the city of Hamilton was its geographic location. To the north is Toronto, and to the south, Niagara Falls.

You can then see Jean-Jacques walking along the promenade that runs along Niagara Falls. And then you see him watching the falls. You see an image of the city hall building, which says “City Hall.” Then you see Jean-Jacques sitting on a bench in a park downtown. He is reading a book.

Jean-Jacques Somwe: There are so many opportunities. For example, because I’m bilingual, when I’m looking for a job, I have a better chance of finding 1 than someone who speaks only 1 language.

The screen cuts to an image of a man running in a park. Then you can see a school and parts of a playground. A text appears over this image:

French education is offered from elementary to post-secondary.

Jean-Jacques Somwe: I wanted my children to be able to speak French, so that’s why I chose Hamilton. And I would like to think that with both languages, French and English, they will have so many opportunities for the future.

An aerial image of downtown Hamilton can be seen. That cuts to an image of Jean Jacques walking downtown. Then he sits down in a public square to watch a band performing for free. The crowd applauds. The screen then cuts to an image of a downtown building. Then we see a group of individuals paddling in a dragon boat on Lake Ontario. Then you see a sailboat cutting though some waves and the sun setting on the horizon. Finally, an aerial image of Hamilton with Lake Ontario in the foreground. A text appears over this image:

Find out more about services in French:
Reseauaide.org.

The music stops. The department’s signature, a small Canadian flag, appears on a white background with the text “Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada” “Immigration and Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada.” The Government of Canada signature is shown: the Canadian flag flying against a white background.