PENETANGUISHENE, Ontario, June 16, 2009 - On behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Bruce Stanton, Member of Parliament (Simcoe North), today announced funding for the Comité d'action Place Lafontaine.
This funding will help the organization implement an initiative that will allow students in the region's French-language schools to publish their articles in the twice-monthly newspaper Le Goût de vivre . A section of the paper is devoted to schools, which provides an opportunity for students to read and write more in French.
"We are proud to support this program of the Comité d'action Place Lafontaine," said Minister Moore. "Our Government is taking action to enhance the vitality of minority Anglophone and Francophone communities through measures such as the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality, an unprecedented investment in our linguistic duality and the vitality of official-language minority communities."
"I am very pleased to see our Government investing in this initiative, which will give our local Francophone students the opportunity to write about and share their thoughts and experiences with each other through Le Goût de vivre ," said Mr. Stanton.
"Thanks to this financial support from the Government of Canada, our organization is giving 10 French-language schools in Simcoe County an opportunity to share their plans and their successes and thus demonstrate the vitality of a community that is proud of its heritage and its French roots," said Odette Bussière, President of the Comité d'action Place Lafontaine.
The Government of Canada has provided funding of $20 500 under the Community Life Component of the Development of Official-Language Communities Program. This program of the Department of Canadian Heritage aims to enhance the vitality of Canada's official-language minority communities and enable them to fully participate in all aspects of Canadian life.
Deirdra McCracken
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
819-997-7788
deirdra.mccracken@pch.gc.ca
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
