For Release
October 09, 2007
Winnipeg, Manitoba — Four western Canadian post-secondary
institutions are collaborating to develop six new online courses in French
for teachers pursuing a Master of Education, thanks to an investment from
Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD).
The pilot project is benefiting from an investment of $430,000 in funding
from WD to increase access and improve content of online post-secondary
education currently serving official language minority communities.
The Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board, made the
announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, President
of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental
Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification.
“Canada’s New Government is pleased to assist these post-secondary
institutions in bringing new learning opportunities in French for teachers
across the West,” said Minister Toews. “Our government values
partnerships with educational institutions that seek innovative ways to
reach and meet the needs of all learners.”
The pan-western consortium includes the Collège universitaire
de Saint-Boniface (Manitoba), the University of Regina’s Institut
français (Saskatchewan), Campus Saint-Jean of the University of
Alberta, and the Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs at Simon
Fraser University (British Columbia). The Collège universitaire
de Saint-Boniface is the official recipient on behalf of the consortium.
“By combining each institution’s efforts, knowledge and
strengths, we are improving access to regionally focused content,”
underlined Raymonde Gagné, vice-chancellor of CUSB. “This
innovative initiative will support the delivery of a program that is vital
not only to the development of French language minority communities in
Western Canada, but to that of the Canadian population as a whole.”
The six new online courses in French for the Master of Education program
will address subject matter in educational psychology, qualitative research
methods, inclusive education, process of writing, principles of supervision
in teaching, multilingualism, and diversity management.
These will be the first such online courses offered in French for students
at the University of Regina and Simon Fraser University. The Collège
universitaire de Saint Boniface and Campus Saint-Jean of the University
of Alberta will build upon their previous successes with these additional
French online courses for the Master of Education program. The consortium
will create a common web site for their Master of Education programs with
links to each institution’s website. This will allow access to teachers
from any of the four institutions.
This project builds on previous tele-education and tele-learning project
partnerships with universities, colleges, the private sector and communities
to advance community access to French cybereducation across the West.
In 2003, the Government of Canada unveiled its Action Plan for Official
Languages. A total of $33 million was approved over a five-year period
for regional development organizations and Industry Canada to advance
the economic development of official language minority communities. WD
was tasked with the delivery of the internship program, as well as the
delivery of pilot projects in Tele-education and Tele-learning.
For additional information, contact:
Jacqueline Petrus
Communications Officer
Western Economic Diversification Canada
(204) 983-0280
Stéphane Dorge
Secretary General, Office of the President,
Collège universitaire Saint-Boniface
(204) 237-1818, ext. 317
