Edmundston, New Brunswick, April 4, 2007 – The Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages, together with the Honourable Hédard Albert, New Brunswick Minister of Human Resources and Minister responsible for the Francophonie, today announced funding of $1 million for official-language support programs, as well as $1 million over two years for the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).
The first million includes $750,000 for the provincial pilot project École au cœur de la communauté and for the Consortium national de développement de ressources pédagogiques en français au collégial. It also includes a further $250,000, in addition to the $10 million already provided in March 2006, for infrastructure expansion work at the Sainte-Anne community centre in Fredericton and the Samuel de Champlain community centre in Saint John.
“Canada’s New Government is proud to contribute to the success of these projects, which will help young Francophones in New Brunswick study in French,” said Minister Verner. “Young people will build the Canada of tomorrow and it is vital to give them the means to develop in their own language and to participate in the life of their community.”
“As the only province that is officially bilingual, the New Brunswick educational system is based on linguistic duality so that our Francophone population can educate itself in French from early childhood to university,” said Minister Albert. “These projects will enhance our educational programs and contribute to the growth of our Francophone youth in their environment.”
The second million announced by Minister Verner is to support the Government of New Brunswick’s participation in activities of the OIF.
The contribution will enable New Brunswick representatives and experts to take an even more active role in the organization’s many activities, particularly in the fields of education, new information and communications technologies, and youth promotion.
“New Brunswick plays an active and valuable role within the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie,” said Minister Verner. “The next Francophone Summit, which will take place in Québec City in 2008, will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the energy and vitality of New Brunswick’s Acadian and Francophone communities, as well as the province’s contribution to the OIF.”
New Brunswick has been a participating government in the OIF since 1977. In 1999, New Brunswick and Canada hosted the Eighth Summit of La Francophonie – devoted to youth – in Moncton. Founded in 1970, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie today has 55 member states and participating governments, as well as 13 observers. Its mission is to promote the French language and cultural and linguistic diversity; to foster peace, democracy and human rights; to support education, training, post-secondary instruction and research; and to develop cooperation toward sustainable development.
Information:
Nicole Lascelle
Office of the Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages
819 953-6238
Donald Boulanger
A/Chief, Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819 994-9101
